[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 8 (Friday, January 11, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1533-1534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-709]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: City of Fairfax and Fairfax and 
Prince William Counties, Virginia

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway 
Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Federal Highway 
Administration (FHWA) are jointly issuing this notice to advise the 
public of its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public 
Transportation (VDRPT) and Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) 
for potential transportation improvements in the Interstate 66 corridor 
in Fairfax and Prince William Counties to address projected increases 
in travel demand over the next twenty years. Three public scoping 
meetings have been scheduled and will be held from January 22-24, 2002, 
at 7 p.m. at the following locations as part of the preparation of the 
EIS:

January 22, 2002--Centreville High School, 6001 Union Mill Road, 
Clifton, Virginia 20124 (snow date: January 29);
January 23, 2002--Old Town Hall, 3999 University Drive, Fairfax, 
Virginia 22030 (snow date: January 30);
January 24, 2002--Stonewall Jackson Middle School, 10100 Lomond Drive, 
Manassas, Virginia 20109 (snow date: January 31);

One agency scoping meeting will be held on January 24, 2001, at 10:30 
a.m. at the VDOT Northern Virginia District Office in Chantilly.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edward Sundra, Senior Environmental 
Specialist, Federal Highway Administration, Post Office Box 10249, 
Richmond, Virginia 23240-0249, Telephone 804-775-3338; Patricia Mampf, 
Transportation Program Specialist, Federal Transit Administration, 1760 
Market Street, Suite 500, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-4124, 
Telephone 215-656-7071; or Steve Suder, Senior Transportation Engineer, 
Virginia Department of Transportation--Northern Virginia District, 
14685 Avion Parkway, Suite 345, Chantilly, Virginia 20151, Telephone 
703-383-2217.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In late-1995 in accordance with 23 CFR

[[Page 1534]]

450.318, a Major Investment Study (MIS) was initiated for the 
Interstate 66 Corridor from Interstate 495 to Route 15 in Prince 
William County. The purpose of the MIS was to study this 24 mile-long 
section of the corridor to assess the need for the benefits and impacts 
of potential transportation improvements to accommodate projected 
travel demand growth over the next twenty years. The MIS, completed in 
1999, identified a locally preferred investment strategy for the 
corridor which included adding general purpose lanes, and HOV lanes, 
extending Metrorail, adding transit centers/park and ride facilities, 
and increasing bus service in the study area. The recommendations 
included in the MIS were the result of a multi-level screening process 
in which numerous multi-modal transportation strategies were 
considered.
    With this notice of intent, FTA and FHWA in cooperation with the 
VDRPT and VDOT are initiating the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) process to prepare an EIS for proposed improvements in the 
Interstate 66 corridor to address the need to improve transportation 
and to respond to projected growth and travel congestion. FTA and FHWA 
will serve as co-lead agencies in the development of the EIS. Section 
4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 may also be 
invoked as a result of the proposed transportation improvements. If 
this is the case, a Section 4(f) Evaluation will be prepared and 
included as part of the EIS.
    The EIS will build upon the MIS by revisiting the purpose and need 
for the project and revising it, as necessary, to account for changes 
in regional needs or goals. Likewise, the development of strategies and 
the screening process from the MIS will be used as a starting point for 
the NEPA process. Recognizing the NEPA requires the consideration of a 
reasonable range of alternatives that will address the purpose and 
need, the EIS will include a range of alternatives for detailed study 
consisting of a no-build alternative as well as alternatives consisting 
of transportation system management strategies (including but not 
limited to increased bus service, development of transit centers and 
park and ride lots, and increased peak period Metrorail service), mass 
transit, and improvements to existing roadways (including the use of 
HOV lanes). These alternatives will be developed, screened, and carried 
forward for detailed analysis in the draft EIS based on their ability 
to address the purpose and need while avoiding, minimizing, and 
mitigating impacts to known and sensitive resources to the extent 
practical.
    Letters describing the NEPA study and soliciting input will be sent 
to the appropriate Federal, State and local agencies and to 
organizations and citizens who have expressed or are known to have an 
interest or legal role in this proposal. A series of scoping meeting 
will be held as part of the NEPA process to facilitate, local, state, 
and federal agency involvement and input into the project in an effort 
to identify all of the issues that need to be addressed in the EIS.
    Private organizations, citizens, and interest groups will also have 
multiple opportunities to provide input into the development of the EIS 
and identify issues that should be addressed. A comprehensive public 
participation program will be developed to involve them in the project 
development process. This program will use the following outreach 
efforts to provide information and solicit input: the Internet, kiosks, 
a telephone hotline, e-mail, informal meetings, public information 
meetings, public hearings and other efforts, as necessary and 
appropriate. Notices of public meetings or public hearings will be 
given through various forums providing the time and place of the 
meeting along with other relevant information. The draft EIS will be 
available for public and agency review and comment prior to the public 
hearings.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are identified and considered, comments and suggestions in 
response to this Notice of Intent are invited from all interested 
parties. Comments and questions concerning the proposed action and 
draft EIS should be directed to FHWA, FTA or VDOT at the addresses 
provided above. There will be several opportunities to provide comments 
throughout the scoping process, but all comments in response to this 
notice should be submitted within 30 days of its publication.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Planning and Construction; 20.500, Federal Transit 
Administration Capital Grants. The regulations implementing 
Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on 
Federal programs and activities apply to this proposed action.)

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48

    Issued on: January 4, 2002.
Susan E. Schruth,
Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration.
Edward S. Sundra,
Senior Environmental Specialist, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 02-709 Filed 1-10-02; 8:45 am]
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