[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 181 (Tuesday, September 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48162-48163]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-23318]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement on the Capitol Expressway Light 
Rail Transit Project in San Jose, CA

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS)

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Santa Clara 
Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) intend to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and an Environmental Impact Report 
(EIR) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act 
(CEQA) for a proposed Light Rail Transit (LRT) line in the Capitol 
Expressway corridor. The proposed line and technology were selected 
following completion of the Downtown East Valley Major Investment Study 
(MIS) in August 2000. The MIS considered alternative modes of travel, 
alignment, and station locations in a 30-square mile study area. The 
MIS process resulted in a Preferred Investment Strategy that includes 
LRT improvements in the Capitol Expressway Corridor to improve direct 
transit service in an approximately 8-mile-long corridor in southeast 
San Jose, California. The Capitol Expressway Project will be further 
evaluated during the conceptual engineering phase of the project and 
carried forward in the EIS/EIR. The EIS/EIR will evaluate a No-Action 
alternative, LRT alignment and station options, and additional 
alternatives that emerge from the scoping process. Scoping will be 
accomplished through correspondence and discussions with interested 
persons; organizations; federal, state and local agencies; and through 
a public meeting.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of alternatives 
and impacts to be considered in the EIS/EIR must be received no later 
than November 2, 2001, and must be sent to VTA at the address indicated 
below. Scoping Meeting: A public scoping meeting will be held on 
September 26, 2001, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at St. Francis of 
Assisi Catholic Church, 5111 San Felipe Road, San Jose, CA 95135. 
Phone: (408) 223-1562. The project purpose and alternatives will be 
presented at this meeting. The building used for the scoping meeting is 
accessible to persons with disabilities. Any individual who requires 
special assistance, such as a sign language interpreter, to participate 
in the scoping meeting should contact Jennifer Rielly, Public 
Communications Specialist, VTA Community Outreach, at (408) 321-7575 or 
TDD only at (408) 321-2330. Scoping material will be available at the 
meeting and may be obtained in advance of the meeting by contacting Mr. 
Fitzwater at the address or phone number given below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Mr. Thomas Fitzwater, 
Environmental Planning Manager, VTA, 3331 North First Street, San Jose, 
CA 95134-1906. Phone: (408) 321-5789. Fax: (408) 321-5787. E-mail: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Thomas Fitzwater, Environmental 
Planning Manager, VTA, 3331 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134-
1906. Phone (408) 321-5789 or Mr. Jerome Wiggins, Office of Planning 
and Program Development, FTA, 201 Mission Street, Room 2210, San 
Francisco, CA 94105. Phone: (415) 744-3115. People with special needs 
should contact Jennifer Rielly, Public Communications Specialist, VTA 
Community Outreach, at (408) 321-7575 or TDD only at (408) 321-2330.

Supplementary information:

I. Scoping

    The FTA and VTA invite all interested individuals and 
organizations, and federal, state, regional, and local agencies to 
provide comments on the scope of the project. A summary of the MIS, 
Downtown East Valley Major Investment Study--Project Summary Report 
(December 2000), is available for public review at the following public 
libraries: (1) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Main Library, 180 West San 
Carlos Street, San Jose, CA 95113; (2) Hillview Branch Library, 2255 
Ocala Avenue, San Jose, CA 95122; (3) Evergreen Branch Library, 2635 
Aborn Road, San Jose, CA 95121; and (4) Seventrees Branch Library, 3597 
Cas Drive, San Jose, CA 95111. The MIS summary is also available by 
contacting Mr. Fitzwater at the address and phone number given above. 
Mr. Fitzwater should also be contacted to be placed on the project 
mailing list and to receive additional information about the project. 
Written comments on the alternatives and potential impacts to be 
considered should be sent to Mr. Fitzwater.

II. Project Purpose and Need

    The project purpose is to improve public transit service in the 
downtown and East Valley areas of the City of San Jose by addressing 
the following specific goals established in the MIS: improve mobility; 
increase transit ridership; target the highest commute corridors with 
emphasis on work and school trips; promote livable neighborhoods and 
community support.
    In general, the project would provide residents of southeast San 
Jose more efficient access to the light rail system and improved 
connections and greater

[[Page 48163]]

mobility options throughout the Silicon Valley. For example, residents 
could travel to south San Jose, downtown San Jose, and to the cities of 
Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and Mountain View via the Guadalupe, Tasman, 
and Capitol LRT lines. Linkages to the Caltrain commuter rail line, 
which provides service to San Francisco and to communities along the 
Peninsula, may also be accessed at intermodal connections throughout 
the system.
    The project would also alleviate heavy traffic congestion in the 
Interstate 680 and U.S. 101 corridors and on major arterials; reduce 
the circulation impacts of increased peak-hour traffic; improve 
regional air quality by reducing automobile emissions; improve mobility 
options to employment, education, medical, and retail centers for 
corridor residents, in particular low-income, youth, elderly, disabled, 
and ethnic minority populations; and support local economic and land 
development goals.

III. Alternatives

    The Capitol Expressway Light Rail Project is examining alternatives 
to be carried forward into the environmental analysis process. The No-
Action Alternative will consist of the existing conditions, in 
accordance with both NEPA and CEQA requirements. The Build or LRT 
Alternative is the Capitol Expressway LRT Project.
    The proposed alignment of the LRT project begins at the end of the 
Capitol [Avenue] LRT line, currently under construction. Starting on 
Capitol Avenue, at the intersection of Capitol and Wilbur Avenues in 
east San Jose, the LRT would transition to operate in the median of 
Capitol Expressway, at grade in an exclusive right-of-way with some 
potential for grade separation at locations to be determined during 
conceptual engineering. The line would extend to the Eastridge Mall 
area as the terminus of the first phase. The next phase(s) would 
continue along Capitol Expressway to the Capitol Station on the 
Guadalupe LRT line. In this portion of the alignment, the roadway would 
need to be widened to accommodate the LRT median. Along the alignment, 
nine conceptual station locations have been identified. More precise 
station locations and alignment options will be developed during 
preparation of the Draft EIS/EIR.
    The EIS/EIR will also address any additional alternatives 
identified in the scoping process.

IV. Probable Effects

    The purpose of the EIS/EIR is to fully disclose the environmental 
consequences of building and operating the Capitol Expressway LRT 
Project in advance of any decisions to commit substantial financial or 
other resources towards its implementation. The EIS/EIR will explore 
the extent to which project alternatives and design options result in 
environmental impacts and will discuss actions to reduce or eliminate 
such impacts.
    Environmental issues to be examined in the EIS/EIR include: changes 
in the physical environment (natural resources, air quality, noise, 
water quality, geology, visual); changes in the social environment 
(land use, business and neighborhood disruptions); changes in traffic 
and pedestrian circulation; changes in transit service and patronage; 
associated changes in traffic congestion; and impacts on parklands and 
historic resources. Impacts will be identified both for the 
construction period and for the long-term operation of the 
alternatives. The proposed evaluation criteria include transportation, 
environmental, social, economic, and financial measures, as required by 
current federal (NEPA) and state (CEQA) environmental laws and current 
Council on Environmental Quality and FTA guidelines.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments 
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or 
questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS/EIR should be 
directed to VTA as noted above.

V. FTA Procedures

    The EIS/EIR for the Capitol Expressway LRT Project will be prepared 
simultaneously with conceptual engineering for station and alignment 
options. The EIS/EIR/conceptual engineering process will address the 
potential use of federal funds for the proposed project, as well as 
assess the social, economic, and environmental impacts of station and 
alignment alternatives. Station designs and alignment alternatives will 
be refined to minimize and mitigate any adverse impacts identified.
    After publication, the Draft EIS/EIR will be available for public 
and agency review and comment, and a public hearing will be held. Based 
on the Draft EIS/EIR and comments received, VTA will select a preferred 
alternative, which will be described in full detail in the Final EIS/
EIR.

    Issued on: September 14, 2001.
F. James Kenna,
Deputy Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 01-23318 Filed 9-17-01; 8:45 am]
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