[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 6, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5635-5636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-2828]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement on the Silicon Valley Rapid 
Transit Corridor--BART Extension to Milpitas, San Jose, and Santa 
Clara, 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 the proposed BART Extension to Milpitas, San Jose, and Santa 
Clara in the Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor. The proposed 
extension was selected following completion of the Silicon Valley Rapid 
Transit Corridor Major Investment Study (MIS) in November 2000. The MIS 
evaluated 11 alternatives representing various modes of travel (express 
bus, bus rapid transit, commuter rail, diesel and electric light rail, 
and BART) and various alignments and stations located in the cities of 
Fremont, Milpitas, San Jose, and Santa Clara, California. The MIS 
screening and evaluation process resulted in the adoption of a 
Preferred Investment Strategy by the VTA Board of Direcctors on 
November 9, 2001. The Preferred Investment Strategy consists of an 
approximate 16.3-mile extension of the BART system, which would begin 
at the planned Warm Springs BART station in Fremont, extend along the 
Union Pacific Railroad line to Milpitas, and then continue to 28th and 
Santa Clara Streets in San Jose. From there, BART would leave the 
railroad right-of-way, tunneling under downtown San Jose to the Diridon 
Caltrain Station. The BART extension would then turn north under the 
Caltrain line and terminate at the Santa Clara station. The BART 
extension will be further refined during the conceptual design phase of 
the project and carried forward in the EIS/EIR. The EIS/EIR will 
evaluate a No-Action Alternative, a future ``New Starts'' Baseline 
Alternative, the BART Extension Alternative including 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 public meetings.

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 March 29, 2002, and must be sent to VTA at the address indicated 
below. Scoping Meetings: Public scoping meetings will be held on: (1) 
February 7, 2002, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pomeroy Marshall Elementary 
School, 1505 Escuela Parkway, Multi-purpose Room, Milpitas, CA; (2) 
February 11, 2002, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at San Jose Fire Training 
Center, 255 S. Montgomery Street, San Jose, CA; and (3) February 13, 
2002, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Bowers Park, 2582 Cabrillo Avenue, Santa 
Clara, CA. The project purpose and alternatives will be presented at 
these meetings. The buildings used for the scoping meetings are 
accessible to persons with disabilities. Any individual who requires 
special assistance, such as a sign language interpreter, to participate 
in a scoping meeting should contact VTA Community Outreach at (408) 
321-7575 or TDD only at (408) 321-2330. Scoping material will be 
available at the meeting.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Ms. Lisa Ives, Project 
Manager, VTA, 3331 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134-1906. Phone: 
(408) 321-5744. Fax: (408) 321-9765, E-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Lisa Ives, Project Manager, VTA, 
3331 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134-1906. Phone (408) 321-5744 
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 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 and environmental 
considerations. The Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor, Major 
Investment Study Final Report (November 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) 
Fremont Main Library, 2400 Stevenson Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94538; (3) 
Milpitas Library, 40 N. Milpitas Boulevard, Milpitas, CA 95035; and (4) 
Mission Library, 1098 Lexington Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95050. The 
Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor, Major Investment Study Final 
Report is also available by contacting Ms. Ives at the address and 
phone number given above. Ms. Ives 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 also be sent to Ms. Ives.

II. Project Purpose and Need

    The project purpose is to improve public transit service in the 
Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor by addressing the following 
specific goals established in the MIS: (1) Improve

[[Page 5636]]

public transit service in this severely congested corridor by providing 
increased transit capacity and faster, convenient access throughout the 
San Francisco Bay Area Region, including southern Alameda County, 
central Contra Costa County, Tri-valley, San Joaquin Valley, and 
Silicon Valley; (2) enhance regional connectivity through expanded, 
interconnected rapid transit services between BART in Alameda County 
and light rail and commuter rail in Silicon Valley; (3) accommodate 
future travel demand in the corridor by expanding modal options; (4) 
alleviate severe and ever-increasing traffic congestion on the I-880 
and I-680 freeways between Alameda County and Silicon Valley; (5) 
improve regional air quality by reducing auto emissions; (6) improve 
mobility options to employment, education, medical, retail, and 
entertainment centers for corridor residents, in particular low income, 
youth, elderly, disabled, and ethnic minority populations; and (7) 
support local economic and land use plans and goals. In general, the 
project would provide improved transit service to address an 
anticipated 52 percent growth in corridor travel over the next 20 
years. The proposed BART extension would better connect corridor 
workers and residents with such rail transit systems as VTA light rail, 
Caltrain, Altamont Commuter Express (ACE), Capitol Corridor Intercity 
Rail Service, and Amtrak and would enhance direct public transit access 
to other regional activity centers.

III. Alternatives

    The Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor Project is examining 
several alternatives to be carried forward into the environmental 
review process. The No-Action Alternative will consist of the existing 
conditions, in accordance with both NEPA and CEQA requirements. The 
future ``New Starts'' Baseline Alternative includes programmed 
transportation improvements in the corridor and expanded express bus 
service. The Build or BART Extension Alternative includes an extension 
of the BART system from the proposed Warm Springs Station, south along 
the UPRR right-of-way to east San Jose, tunneling through downtown San 
Jose to the Diridon multi-modal Station, and north to a terminal 
station in Santa Clara near the Caltrain Station. Along the alignment, 
seven conceptual station locations have been proposed: (1) Montague/
Capital, (2) Berryessa, (3) Alum Rock, (4) Civic Plaza/San Jose State 
University, (5) Market Street, (6) Diridon/Arena, and (7) Santa Clara. 
An optional North Calaveras station is also proposed in Milpitas. 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 that are identified during the scoping 
process.

IV. Probable Effects

    The purpose of the EIS/EIR is to fully disclose the environmental 
consequences of building and operating the BART Extension 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/
vibration, water quality, floodplains, geology/seismicity, visual/
aesthetics, hazardous materials, energy, utilities, and electromagnetic 
fields/interference); changes in the social environment (land use, 
business, community facilities, 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 and cultural resources. Impacts will be 
identified for both the construction period and 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 interests parties. 
Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS/EIR 
should be directed to VTA, as noted above.

V. FTA Procedures

    The Draft EIS/EIR for the proposed BART extension will be prepared 
simultaneously with conceptual design for station and alignment 
options. The Draft EIS/EIR/conceptual design 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 design options. Station design and alignment options 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 for further assessments in the Final EIS/EIR.

    Issued on January 31, 2002.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Region IX Administrator.
[FR Doc. 02-2828 Filed 2-5-02; 8:45 am]
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