[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 20, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13039-13040]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-6644]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Passenger Rail 
Improvements to the Los Angeles to San Diego Rail Corridor

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration, (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

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

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SUMMARY: FRA is issuing this notice to advise the public that FRA will 
join the California Department of Transportation (Department) in the 
preparation of a program level environmental impact statement (EIS) and 
program environmental impact report (EIR) for passenger rail 
improvements to the Los Angeles to San Diego (LOSSAN) rail corridor. 
FRA is also issuing this notice to solicit public and agency input into 
the development of the scope of the EIR/EIS and to advise the public 
that outreach activities conducted by the Department and its 
representatives will be considered in the preparation of the EIR/EIS. 
Alternatives to be evaluated and analyzed in the Program EIR/EIS 
include (1) take no action (No-Project or No-Build); (2) construction 
of passenger rail improvements in the LOSSAN rail corridor; and (3) 
modal alternatives that would include a combination of air and highway 
improvements. Possible environmental impacts include displacement of 
commercial and residential properties; disproportionate impacts to 
minority and low-income populations; community and neighborhood 
disruption; increased noise along the rail corridor or at airports and 
along highways; traffic impacts associated with stations or airports; 
effects to historic properties or archaeological sites; impacts to 
parks and recreation resources; visual quality effects; exposure to 
seismic and flood hazards; impacts to water resources, wetlands, and 
sensitive biological species and habitat; land use compatibility 
impacts; energy use; and impacts to agricultural lands.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding the 
programmatic environmental review, please contact: Mr. Patrick Merrill, 
Manager, California Department of Transportation, Division of Rail, MS 
74, PO Box 942874, Sacramento, CA 94274-0001, (telephone 916-654-7543) 
or Mr. David Valenstein, Environmental Program Manager, Office of 
Passenger Programs, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont 
Avenue (Mail Stop 20), Washington, DC 20590, (telephone 202-493-6368).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department has determined that 
improvements to the existing LOSSAN rail corridor may be necessary to 
meet the expected growth in population and resulting increases in 
intercity travel demand between Los Angeles and San Diego. As a result 
of this growth in travel demand, there will be increases in travel 
delays from the growing congestion on California's highways and at 
airports. In terms of passenger volumes, the LOSSAN corridor is the 
second-busiest intercity rail corridor in the nation, after the 
Northeast Corridor connecting Washington DC, New York and Boston. 
Amtrak uses the LOSSAN rail corridor for the Pacific Surfliner Service 
between Los Angeles and San Diego that is supported by the Department. 
The Southern California Regional Rail Authority also uses the LOSSAN 
rail Corridor for their Metrolink commuter rail service between Los 
Angeles and Oceanside and the North County Transit District uses it for 
their Coaster commuter rail service between Oceanside and San Diego. 
Finally, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe also uses the LOSSAN rail 
corridor for freight service.
    The California High Speed Rail Authority (Authority) has designated 
the LOSSAN rail corridor as a potential component of the proposed 
statewide high speed rail system that the Authority is studying. FRA 
and the Authority are preparing a separate program EIR/EIS for the 
proposed statewide train system. The Authority will be considering 
shared use of the LOSSAN rail corridor and tracks in the program EIR/
EIS for the statewide system. The Department has decided to coordinate 
the public review of proposed improvements to the LOSSAN rail corridor 
with the Authority's environmental review of the statewide system. The 
Authority and the Department will share the results of technical 
studies related to the LOSSAN rail corridor.

Alternatives

    An initial system alternatives evaluation will consider all 
reasonable system alternatives at a broad level of analysis. This 
analysis will be followed by a more detailed consideration of the most 
practical and feasible alternatives in the Program EIR/EIS. The 
alternatives will include:

No-Build Alternative

    The take no action (No-Project or No-Build) alternative is defined 
to serve as the baseline for comparison of all alternatives. The No-
Build Alternative represents the state's transportation system 
(highway, air, and rail) as it exists, and as it would exist after 
completion of programs or projects currently being implemented. The No-
Build Alternative would draw upon the following sources of information:

 State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
 Regional Transportation Plans (RTPs) for all modes of travel
 Airport plans
 Passenger rail plans

Passenger Rail Alternative

    The LOSSAN Rail Corridor improvements are incremental rail upgrades 
to the LOSSAN corridor. The upgrade of the LOSSAN rail corridor was 
previously studied in the Amtrak 20-Year Passenger Transportation Plan 
issued in March of 2001, which identified major improvements that could 
be undertaken between San Juan Capistrano and the Santa Fe Depot in 
downtown San Diego. The improvements to be discussed in the program 
EIR/EIS include:
     Completion or substantial completion of a second main 
track in the LOSSAN corridor;
     The consideration of alternative profiles (e.g. trenches, 
tunnels, viaducts) and/or deviations from the existing LOSSAN corridor 
in:
 San Juan Capistrano
 San Clemente
 Encinitas
 Del Mar
 Miramar Hill;

     Curve realignment at the Fullerton Junction, the Orange 
Junction and Dana Point;
     The increase to four main tracks in the corridor between 
Commerce and Fullerton; and
     Possible alternative profiles (e.g. trenches, tunnels, 
viaducts), deviations from the existing LOSSAN corridor and/or 
additional grade-separations as potential mitigation treatments in 
Orange-Santa Ana, Oceanside and Carlsbad.
    FRA and the Department will consider all stations for the existing 
State-supported Amtrak Surfliner service in the development of LOSSAN 
rail corridor improvements. These are:

[[Page 13040]]

LA Union Station, Fullerton, Anaheim, Santa Ana Transportation Center, 
Irvine Transportation Center, San Juan Capistrano, Oceanside 
Transportation Center, Solana Beach, and San Diego Santa Fe Depot. 
Additional stations and improvements to existing stations will be 
determined based on ridership potential, system-wide needs, and local 
planning constraints/conditions. Station needs will be coordinated with 
local and regional planning agencies, and seamless connectivity with 
other modes of travel will be emphasized. Potential new station 
locations will be evaluated in the Program EIR/EIS including: San Diego 
Airport, and University Town Center (La Jolla).

Other Modal Alternatives

    There are currently three main options for intercity travel between 
the major urban areas of San Diego and Los Angeles: vehicles on the 
highway system, commercial air service, and conventional passenger 
trains (Amtrak). The FRA and the Department will evaluate a set of 
Modal/System Alternatives consisting of expansion of highways and 
airports at a similar level of investment serving the markets 
identified for the Passenger Rail Alternative, with no substantial 
change to intercity and commuter rail systems. The modal alternatives 
will be defined by assigning the expected incremental travel demand 
forecasted for the 20-year horizon to the state's transportation 
infrastructure, then identifying alternatives for accommodating that 
travel demand without passenger rail improvements.

Scoping and Comments

    FRA encourages broad participation in the EIR/EIS process during 
scoping and subsequent review of the resulting environmental documents. 
Comments and suggestions are invited from all interested agencies and 
the public at large to insure the full range of issues related to the 
proposed action and all reasonable alternatives are addressed and all 
significant issues are identified. In particular, FRA is interested in 
determining whether there are areas of environmental concern where 
there might be the potential for significant impacts identifiable at a 
program level. Public agencies with jurisdiction are requested to 
advise the FRA and the Department of the applicable permit and 
environmental review requirements of each agency, and the scope and 
content of the environmental information that is germane to the 
agency's statutory responsibilities in connection with the proposed 
improvements.
    Scoping meetings will be advertised locally and are planned for the 
following major cities along the LOSSAN rail corridor at the dates and 
times indicated:

 Los Angeles: April 2, 1:30 to 3:30 pm, MTA Bldg, Union Station 
Room, One Gateway Plaza
 San Clemente: April 2, 6:00 to 8:00 pm, San Clemente Inn, 2600 
Avenida de Presidente
 Anaheim: April 3, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, City Hall West, Gordon 
Hoyt Conference Center, 201 S. Anaheim Blvd.
 Carlsbad: April 3, 6:00 to 8:00 pm, Carlsbad Senior Center, 
799 Pine Street

    Persons interested in providing comments on the scope of the 
program EIR/EIS should do so by April 17, 2002. Comments can be sent in 
writing to Mr. David Valenstein at the FRA address identified above. 
Comments may also be addressed to Mr. Patrick Merrill of the Department 
at their address identified above. Information regarding the 
environmental review process will also be made available through the 
Department's rail services Internet site: http://www.amtrakcalifornia.com/. Information and documents regarding 
technical studies will be made available though the Authority's 
Internet site: http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/.

    Issued in Washington DC, on March 14, 2002.
Mark E. Yachmetz,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Development.
[FR Doc. 02-6644 Filed 3-19-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P