[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 150 (Friday, August 3, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40776-40777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-19467]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement on Transportation Improvements 
Within the Downtown-Airport Corridor in Memphis, Tennessee

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is issuing this 
notice to advise interested agencies and the public that, in accordance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act, an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) is being prepared for the proposed transportation 
improvements in the Downtown-Airport Corridor and adjacent areas 
located in Memphis, Tennessee.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of the 
alternatives and impacts to be considered should be sent to the address 
listed below in ADDRESSES by September 14, 2001.

Interagency Scoping Meeting

    Thursday, August 23, 2001, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Central 
Station, 545 South Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103.

Public Scoping Meetings

    Thursday, August 23, 2001, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the New Salem 
Baptist Church, 2231 South Parkway East, Memphis, TN 38114.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the analysis and the 
impacts to be considered should be sent by September 14, 2001 to: Mr. 
Tom Fox, Director of Planning and Capital Projects, Memphis Area 
Transit Authority, 1370 Levee Road, Memphis, TN 38108-1011. Phone: 
(901) 722-7100. Fax (901) 722-7123.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bill Wheeler, Federal Transit 
Administration, 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Suite 17T50, Atlanta, GA 30303. 
Phone: (404) 562-3500.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), 
the federal lead agency, in cooperation with the Memphis Area Transit 
Authority (MATA), the local lead agency, is preparing an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed transportation improvements in the 
Downtown-Airport Corridor and adjacent areas.
    The transportation improvements are being defined through the 
Alternatives Analysis. Issues and alternatives will be identified 
through a scoping process in accordance with the regulations 
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as 
amended. The scoping process will include the identification and 
evaluation of alternative design concepts, and will provide the basis 
for the selection of a preferred design concept for inclusion in the 
regional transportation plan. Subsequently, alternative alignments and 
designs that are consistent with the selected concept and scope will be 
addressed in an EIS.

I. Scoping

    MATA and FTA invite interested individuals, organizations, and 
federal, state, and local agencies to participate in establishing the 
purpose, alternatives, schedule, and analysis approach, as well as an 
active public involvement program. The public is invited to comment on 
the alternatives to be addressed; the modes and technologies to be 
evaluated; the alignments and station locations to be considered; the 
environmental, social, and economic impacts to be analyzed; and the 
evaluation approach to be used to select a locally preferred 
alternative. Scoping comments should focus on the issues and 
alternatives for analysis, and not on preference for particular 
alternatives. (Individual preference for particular alternatives should 
be communicated during the comment period for the Draft EIS that will 
be prepared subsequent to the Alternatives Analysis study. See FTA 
PROCEDURES below.) Comments may be made at the meetings or in writing 
no later than September 14, 2001 (see DATES and ADDRESSES above).

II. Description of Study Area

    MATA completed a Regional Transit Plan in 1997, which included 
major fixed guideway investments in three corridors by 2020. The 
adopted plan followed MATA's opening of the downtown rail system, 
building upon the Main Street and Riverfront trolley lines. The final 
element of the downtown rail program, the Medical Center rail 
extension, is now in final design and construction will start in late 
2001.

[[Page 40777]]

    MATA has been investigating how best to advance the regional high 
capacity transit components of the 2020 plan. The most recently 
completed study culminated in the selection of the top priority 
corridor for the next phase of high capacity transit expansion. During 
the Corridor Selection Study, the community involvement process 
identified key needs of work force transportation and redevelopment of 
underutilized areas (transit oriented development). The three candidate 
corridors were evaluated on the basis of criteria such as access and 
mobility, costs, opportunity for transit oriented development, use of 
shared rights-of-way, traffic congestion, and impact on sensitive 
areas. In the deliberation of the results of the evaluation, the MATA 
Board recognized that the first phase of regional high capacity transit 
must be effective in attracting riders and contributing to the economic 
vitality of the region. The deliberations also recognized that the 
Airport area is the largest point of economic generation in the region 
and should be served by the first phase of the region system. At the 
conclusion of the Corridor Selection Study, the Downtown-Airport 
Corridor (a portion of the Southeast Corridor) was selected as the top 
priority to move forward for detailed study and environmental analysis.
    The Downtown-Airport Corridor is located entirely within the City 
of Memphis. The corridor is bounded on the west by the Mississippi 
River, Crump Boulevard, Interstate 240 and Interstate 55; on the north 
by North Parkway; on the east by East Parkway, Hollywood Street, Semmes 
Avenue, Lamar Avenue and Getwell Road; and on the south by Raines Road. 
The corridor contains a diverse mix of major institutions including the 
Medical Center, the Fairgrounds, the Airport, and the Federal Express 
package handling facility. The Airport and the Federal Express hub are 
among the largest individual employers in the region. Medium density 
residential development also is evident throughout the corridor. Much 
of the corridor is characterized by older development, with new infill 
development occurring in selected areas.
    The Alternatives Analysis will examine alignments, technologies, 
station locations, cost, funding, ridership, economic development, land 
use, engineering feasibility, and environmental concerns. During this 
Alternatives Analysis process, MATA also will evaluate the best options 
for connecting this initial segment with rest of the corridors.

III. Alternatives

    The scoping meetings, other community meetings and written comments 
will be a major source of alternatives for consideration in the 
Alternatives Analysis. Transportation alternatives proposed for 
consideration in the Downtown-Airport Corridor will include:
    1. No Action Alternative--Existing and planned transit service and 
programmed new transportation facilities to the year 2023 with no new 
change to transportation services or facilities in the area beyond 
already committed projects.
    2. Light Rail Alternative--Extension of the downtown rail 
circulation system, either from the renovated Central Station or the 
Medical Center Extension eastward and southward to the vicinity of the 
Airport via several alternative alignments, including Madison Avenue, 
Lamar Avenue, I-240; railroad rights-of-way and others.
    3. Other Technology Alternatives such as monorail and bus rapid 
transit.
    Based on public and agency input received during scoping, 
variations of the above alternatives and other transportation-related 
improvement options, both transit and non-transit, will be considered 
for the Downtown-Airport Corridor.

IV. Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis

    The FTA and MATA will consider probable effects and potentially 
significant impacts to social, economic and environmental factors 
associated with the alternatives under evaluation in the EIS. Potential 
environmental issues to be addressed will include: land use, historic 
and archaeological resources, traffic and parking, noise and vibration, 
environmental justice, regulatory floodway/floodplain encroachments, 
coordination with transportation and economic development projects, and 
construction impacts. Other issues to be addressed in the EIS include: 
natural areas, ecosystems, rare and endangered species, water 
resources, air/surface water and groundwater quality, energy, 
potentially contaminated sites, displacements and relocations, and 
parklands. The potential impacts will be evaluated for both the 
construction period and the long-term operations period of each 
alternative considered. In addition, the cumulative effects of the 
proposed project alternatives will be identified. Measures to avoid or 
mitigate any significant adverse impacts will be developed.
    Evaluation criteria will include consideration of the local goals 
and objectives established for the study, measures of effectiveness 
identified during scoping, and criteria established by FTA for ``New 
Start'' transit projects.

V. FTA Procedures

    In accordance the regulations and guidance established by the 
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), as well as the Code of Federal 
Regulations, Title 23, Part 771 (23 CFR 771) of the FHWA/FTA 
environmental regulations and policies, the EIS will include an 
analysis of the social, economic and environmental impacts of each of 
the alternatives selected for evaluation. The EIS will also comply with 
the requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) and with 
Executive Order 12898 regarding Environmental Justice. After its 
publication, the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be 
available for public and agency review and comment. Public hearings 
will be held on the DEIS. The DEIS will also constitute the Alternative 
Analysis required by the New Starts regulations.
    The Final EIS will consider comments received during the DEIS 
public review and will identify the preferred alternative. Opportunity 
for additional public comment will be provided throughout all phases of 
project development.

    Issued on: July 31, 2001.
Jerry Franklin,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 01-19467 Filed 8-2-01; 8:45 am]
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