[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 94 (Wednesday, May 15, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34751-34753]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-12124]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Fulton County and Cobb County, 
Georgia

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Department of 
Transportation (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 agencies and the public that, in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act, an Alternatives Analysis/
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared for a proposed 
transportation improvement in the Metropolitan Atlanta Region's 
Northwest Corridor. Located in Fulton and Cobb counties, the proposed 
Northwest Corridor would extend between an Atlanta connection with the 
existing MARTA rail line (at Arts Center, Midtown or Bankhead stations) 
and the Town Center/Kennesaw State University activity center area in 
Cobb County. The corridor is centered on US 41, I-75 and the W&A (CSX) 
Railroad. The corridor boundaries are roughly defined by Midtown 
Atlanta on the south, Powers Ferry Road on the northeast, Georgia 280 
(Hamilton E. Holmes Drive/James Jackson Parkway/South Cobb Drive) on 
the southwest and Town Center on the north. The lead agency will also 
seek the cooperation of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (USCOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), 
and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in conducting this 
review.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of the 
alternatives and the impacts to be considered should be sent to Sylvia 
Greer, State & Community Affairs Specialist, at GRTA 404-463-2430; TDD 
phone number 711 by July 11, 2002. Scoping Meetings: GRTA will conduct 
three (3) identical public scoping meetings and an agency scoping 
meeting. The public scoping meetings will be held on Monday, June 10, 
2002 in two locations, as follows: Kennesaw State University Center, 
Kennesaw, Georgia 11 a.m; and the Smyrna Community Center, Smyrna, 
Georgia 7 p.m. and on Tuesday, June 11, 2002 at the Carl E. Sanders 
YMCA in Buckhead at 6:30 p.m. The agency scoping meeting will be held 
on June 27, 2002 at 2 p.m. in the GRTA Board Room. The locations of the 
scoping meetings are accessible to persons with disabilities and open 
to all members of the community. Any individual with a disability who 
requires special assistance, such as a sign language interpreter, to 
participate in the scoping meetings should contact Sylvia Greer, State 
& Community Affairs Specialist, at GRTA 404-463-2430; TDD phone number 
711 by June 9, 2002.

ADDRESSES: To be added to the mailing list or to provide written 
comments, please contact Sylvia Greer, State & Community Affairs 
Specialist, at GRTA,

[[Page 34752]]

245 Peachtree Center Avenue, NE, Suite 900, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, 
phone 404-463-2430. The dates and addresses of the scoping meetings are 
given in the DATES section above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Tony Dittmeier, Transportation 
Program Specialist, Federal Transit Administration 404-562-3512, or Mr. 
Crew Heimer, Manager of Passenger Rail, Georgia Regional Transportation 
Authority (GRTA) 404-463-3054.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    FTA, in cooperation with GRTA, will prepare an Alternatives 
Analysis (AA)/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to examine 
alternative improvement strategies to enhance transit access and 
mobility, respond to projected growth and increased traffic congestion, 
and address regional air quality issues. A Project Advisory Committee, 
representing local jurisdictions and key community leaders will provide 
guidance to GRTA on local decisions. Input received during the EIS 
scoping meetings will be summarized and provided to the Advisory 
Committee and the GRTA Board prior to the final selection of a Locally 
Preferred Alternative, which will include the selection of a preferred 
mode and alignment.
    The following alternatives will be evaluated in the Environmental 
Impact Statement: a No-Build Alternative, Transportation Systems 
Management Alternative, and one or more mass transit Build 
Alternatives.
    Scoping activities will include public meetings and an agency 
scoping meeting during the month of June 2002, and correspondence and 
discussions with interested persons, organizations, as well as federal, 
state and local agencies.
    The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Georgia Regional 
Transportation Authority (GRTA) invite all interested individuals and 
organizations, and federal, state, and local agencies to provide 
comments on the scope of the study. During the scoping process, 
comments should focus on defining the alternatives to be studied in the 
EIS, identifying specific social, economic, or environmental issues to 
be evaluated, and suggesting alternatives that may be less costly or 
have less environmental impact, while achieving similar transportation 
objectives. A Scoping Information Booklet will be circulated to all 
federal, state, and local agencies having jurisdiction in the project 
and all interested parties currently on the Northwest Connectivity 
Study mailing list. The Scoping Information Booklet will be available 
at the meetings or in advance of the meetings by contacting Sylvia 
Greer, State & Community Affairs Specialist, at GRTA, as indicated 
above in Addresses.
    During Scoping, comments should focus on identifying the range of 
reasonable alternatives that should be considered and not stating a 
preference for a particular alternative. Individual preference for an 
alternative should be communicated during the comment period for the 
Draft EIS. Scoping comments may be made at the public scoping meetings 
listed above in the Dates section of this notice or in writing within 
30-days of this notice to the individual in the Addresses section of 
this notice.
    The comments received during the public scoping meeting will be 
summarized and provided to the Project Advisory Committee, which will 
make a formal scoping decision on the alternatives to be carried 
forward in the EIS and the scope of the study in conjunction with 
selecting a Locally Preferred Alternative.

II. Description of Study Area and Project Needs

    The purpose of the project is to identify a transportation solution 
that provides additional choices for travelers within and through the 
corridor. The identified transportation solution should decrease the 
vehicle miles traveled in the region, decrease emissions and, in turn, 
alleviate Atlanta's severe non-attainment status for air quality. To 
accomplish this, the proposed project will explore transportation 
alternatives that reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled; will 
enhance mobility within and through the corridor; will improve air 
quality; will increase connectivity between major activity centers; and 
will provide opportunities for integrating the existing and proposed 
land uses along the corridor with a transportation investment that 
maximizes transit and land use benefits within the northwest corridor 
of Metropolitan Atlanta. The additional travel choices and mode 
connectivity should provide travel along the study corridor, improved 
accessibility to jobs and essential activities within the region, and 
services throughout the corridor for all of the greater Atlanta 
region's citizens.
    The project is to identify alternatives to address an increase in 
travel demand from projected increases in population and employment 
growth throughout the Northwest Corridor between the City of Atlanta 
and Town Center. Roadways in the corridor are currently congested and 
are projected to operate with moderate to severe congestion by 2015 
(level of service C, D, and F), limited in both capacity and within 
existing rights-of-way. The number of vehicle miles traveled in the 
corridor has increased by 42 percent between 1990 and 2000 and 
contributes to poor air quality. Existing transit service in the 
corridor is limited and currently focused on serving work-based trips 
between Cobb County and the region's core.

III. Alternatives

    A brief description of the initial alternatives is provided below:
    No-Build Alternative. This Alternative consists of highway and 
transit system existing as of the year 2002, plus projects programmed 
for construction in the FY 2003-2005 Transportation Improvement Program 
adopted by the Atlanta Regional Commission, the region's metropolitan 
planning organization.
    Transportation Systems Management Alternative. This Alternative 
consists of all reasonable cost-effective [low-cost, operationally 
oriented] transit improvements included in the region's current, 
constrained long-range transportation plan, the 2025 Regional 
Transportation Plan.
    Build Alternatives. One or more mass transit Build Alternatives 
providing service between the existing MARTA Arts Center station and 
the Town Center activity center will be evaluated. The mass transit 
Build Alternatives may include express bus, bus rapid transit, light 
rail transit, heavy rail transit, or commuter rail. Ancillary 
facilities, such as maintenance garages, rail yards, and parking 
facilities will be considered, as appropriate, for the mass transit 
Build Alternatives.
    Scoping meetings, stakeholder interviews, and written comments will 
be sources of additional alternatives for consideration in this study.

IV. Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis

    The purpose of the EIS process is to fully disclose the 
environmental consequences associated with each of the alternatives 
being evaluated. FTA and GRTA will assess all social, economic, and 
environmental impacts of the No-Build, TSM, and Build Alternatives 
selected for detailed evaluation at the end of the Alternative Analysis 
phase. Impacts may include the following: land use, zoning, and 
economic development; secondary development; cumulative impacts; land 
acquisition, displacements and relocation of existing uses; historic,

[[Page 34753]]

archaeological and cultural resources; parklands and recreation areas; 
visual and aesthetic qualities; neighborhoods and environmental 
justice; air quality; noise and vibration; contaminated materials; 
ecosystems; water resources; energy; construction impacts; safety and 
security; finance; and transportation impacts. The impacts will be 
evaluated both for the construction period and for the long-term 
operation of each alternative. Measures to avoid, minimize or mitigate 
any significant adverse impacts will be identified.

V. FTA Procedures

    FTA and GRTA invite comments on the content of the EIS related to 
the proposed project in order to ensure that the full range of issues 
and concerns of the public, interested parties, and federal, state, and 
local agencies are addressed. Comments are invited from all parties and 
should be directed to the name listed in the Addresses section above 
within the time frame set forth in the Dates section above.
    In accordance with the federal transportation planning regulations 
(23 CFR part 450) and the federal environmental impact regulations and 
related procedures (23 CFR part 771), the DEIS will be prepared to 
include an evaluation of the social, economic, and environmental 
impacts of the alternatives. Upon completion, the DEIS will be 
available for public and agency review and comment. Public hearing(s) 
will be held on the DEIS within the study area. The DEIS will also 
constitute the Alternatives Analysis required by the New Starts 
regulations.
    The Final EIS will consider comments received during the DEIS 
public review process and will identify the preferred alternative.

    Issued on: May 9, 2002.
Jerry Franklin,
Regional Administrator, Atlanta, Georgia.
[FR Doc. 02-12124 Filed 5-14-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P