[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 200 (Wednesday, October 16, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63957-63959]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-26289]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Monmouth-Ocean-
Middlesex Rail; Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex Counties, NJ

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS).

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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, FTA and the NJ TRANSIT Corporation 
will prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to evaluate 
and document the effects of potential rail service alternatives within 
a three county study area bounded by the Northeast Corridor, the North 
Jersey Coast Line and the southern Ocean County border, located within 
Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey.
    The purpose of the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex Rail Project DEIS is to 
examine the potential benefits, costs, and social, economic, and 
environmental impacts of feasible alternatives for improving mobility 
in the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex region. The DEIS will identify a 
preferred alternative that will improve mobility within that region. 
The DEIS will evaluate a Baseline Alternative and three Commuter Rail 
Alternatives of differing alignment. The Monmouth Junction Commuter 
Rail Alternative would use an existing rail corridor that runs from 
Monmouth Junction to Lakehurst along the Jamesburg Branch, the Freehold 
Secondary, and the Southern Secondary (Southern Branch) to provide 
diesel commuter rail service to communities in all three counties. The 
Red Bank Commuter Rail Alternative would also use an existing rail 
corridor--continuously from Red Bank to Lakehurst along the Southern 
Secondary (Southern Branch). The Matawan Commuter Rail Alternative 
would use the abandoned Freehold Branch, Freehold Secondary, and the 
Southern Secondary to provide diesel commuter rail service from Matawan 
to Lakehurst. All three alternatives would require improvements to the 
existing track and require the construction of some new transportation 
infrastructure, including tracks, stations and yards. The Commuter Rail 
Alternatives under consideration were identified and preliminarily 
assessed as part of the MOM Draft Major Investment Study (MIS) Report 
(February 1996), along with a recommended Enhanced Bus service.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of the DEIS 
should be sent to NJ TRANSIT by January 31, 2003. See ADDRESSES below.
    Scoping meeting: Public scoping meetings for the Monmouth-Ocean-
Middlesex Rail Project DEIS will be held on:

Middlesex County, Tuesday, December 3, 2002, 1:30 pm to 9:30 pm, 
Holiday

[[Page 63958]]

Inn--Monroe Township, 390 Forsgate Drive, Jamesburg, New Jersey 08831
Ocean County, Wednesday, December 4, 2002, 1:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Ramada 
Inn of Toms River, 2373 Route 9, Toms River, New Jersey 08755
Monmouth County, Monday, December 9, 2002, 1:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Freehold 
Gardens, 50 Gibbon Place, Freehold, New Jersey 07728

    Registration to speak will begin at 1:30 pm and will remain open 
until 9 pm.
    People with special needs should contact James Schwarzwalder at NJ 
TRANSIT at the address below or call the study toll-free information 
line at 1-866-MOM-DEIS. The buildings are accessible to people with 
disabilities. A sign language interpreter will be made available for 
the hearing impaired by calling the study toll-free information line at 
1-866-MOM-DEIS.
    Scoping material will be available at the meetings and may also be 
obtained in advance of the meetings by contacting James Schwarzwalder 
at the address below or by calling the study toll-free information line 
above. Oral and written comments may be given at the scoping meetings; 
a stenographer will record all comments.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the project scope should be sent to 
James Schwarzwalder, Project Manager, NJ TRANSIT, One Penn Plaza East, 
Newark, NJ 07105-2246 or via e-mail to [email protected]. The 
scoping meetings will be held at the locations identified above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you wish to be placed on the 
mailing list to receive further information as the study develops, 
contact James Schwarzwalder at the above address or call the study 
toll-free information line at 1-866-MOM-DEIS. For further information 
you may also contact: Ms. Carmen Orta, AICP, Community Planner, Office 
of Planning and Program Development, Federal Transit Administration, 
Region II, One Bowling Green, Room 429, New York, 10004-1415; phone: 
212-668-2170, fax: 212-668-2136.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    The FTA and NJ TRANSIT 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 identifying specific social, economic, or 
environmental issues to be evaluated and suggesting alternatives, which 
may be less costly or have less environmental impacts, while achieving 
the similar transportation objectives. Comments should focus on the 
issues and alternatives for analysis and not on a preference for a 
particular alternative. Scoping materials will be available at the 
meetings or in advance of the meetings by contacting James 
Schwarzwalder at NJ TRANSIT, as indicated above.
    NJ TRANSIT is currently planning a major network expansion project 
that has relevance to the MOM DEIS. Access to the Region's Core Study 
(ARC) is a joint study being undertaken by NJ TRANSIT, the Port 
Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Metropolitan 
Transportation Authority of New York. The ARC study is evaluating 
options for improved access to Midtown Manhattan from points east and 
west, with both near- and lone-term alternatives. Near-term 
alternatives focus on expanding the capacity of Penn Station, while the 
proposed long-term alternative would create a new trans-Hudson tunnel 
to Penn Station New York and potentially a new Midtown Manhattan rail 
tunnel connecting Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal. ARC will 
provide additional capacity to New York City, thereby potentially 
changing the effects of integrating MOM service into existing New 
Jersey Transit commuter rail services. The MOM DEIS will therefore 
incorporate these elements of ARC as needed.
    Following the public scoping process, public outreach activities 
will include meetings with a Community Liaison Committee (CLC) 
established for the study and comprised of community leaders; public 
meetings and hearings; distribution of study newsletter(s); a MOM Study 
web site; and use of other outreach mechanisms. Every effort will be 
made to ensure that the widest possible range of public participants 
have the opportunity to attend general public meetings (e.g., scoping 
meetings and public hearing(s)) held by NJ TRANSIT to solicit input on 
the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex Rail Project DEIS. Attendance will be 
sought through mailings, notices, advertisements, and press releases.

II. Description of Primary Study Area and Transportation Needs

    The primary study area is located in Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex 
Counties in New Jersey, east of the Northeast Corridor, and west of the 
North Jersey Coast Line. It is located approximately 22 to 50 miles 
south of Newark, NJ. The municipalities within the primary study area 
are listed below.

Monmouth County

Aberdeen
Colts Neck
Eatontown
Englishtown
Farmingdale
Freehold Borough
Freehold Township
Howell
Manalapan
Marlboro
Matawan
Red Bank
Shrewsbury Borough
Shrewsbury Township
Tinton Falls
Wall

Ocean County

Lakewood
Lakehurst
Manchester
Dover
Jackson

Middlesex County

Jamesburg
Monroe
South Brunswick

    The purpose of the MOM DEIS is to examine in further detail the 
most promising solutions for addressing mobility issues in Monmouth, 
Ocean, and Middlesex Counties in New Jersey that were identified 
through the MIS process. The focus of the DEIS will be to identify a 
preferred alternative to improve mobility in the region while being 
sensitive to the economic and environmental considerations on a local 
and regional basis.
    The following existing and forecasted reasons dictate the need for 
a transportation investment in the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex region:
    [sbull] Growth and development in the region continue at high 
rates;
    [sbull] Increased travel is causing congestion and stretching 
transit capability;
    [sbull] Delay affects all transit users, but commutes by bus or 
rail from the southern part of the Study Area generally take at least 
two hours from door to door;
    [sbull] Air quality is a serious problem;
    [sbull] Most municipalities in the study area do not have direct 
access to public transit in their towns.
    [sbull] Residents in these municipalities lack rail service and any 
nearly bus service is often inconvenient and limited.

III. Alternatives

    The alternatives proposed for evaluation include: (1) The Baseline 
Alternative, which includes the current

[[Page 63959]]

transportation network plus all ongoing, programmed, and committed 
projects, such as the Secaucus Transfer Station and the Hudson-Bergen 
Light Rail Transit (HBLRT) system; (2) the Monmouth Junction Commuter 
Rail Alternative, which would use an existing 40.1-mile rail corridor 
that runs from Monmouth Junction to Lakehurst, through Middlesex, 
Monmouth, and Ocean Counties. It is comprised of three distinct 
railroad segments: the Jamesburg Branch, the Freehold Secondary, and 
the Southern Secondary (Southern Branch). Trains on the Monmouth 
Junction Commuter Rail Line would also operate on the Northeast 
Corridor between Monmouth Junction and Newark. The system would provide 
diesel commuter service to communities in all three counties. The line 
would begin at Monmouth Junction (South Brunswick) and would continue 
southeast through Jamesburg, Englishtown, Manalapan; Freehold Borough, 
Freehold Township, Howell, and Farmingdale. It would proceed southward 
from Farmingdale to Lakehurst passing through Howell, Lakewood, 
Jackson, Dover, and Manchester; (3) the Red Bank Commuter Rail 
Alternative uses the 27.65-mile long Southern Secondary, which runs 
continuously from Red Bank to Lakehurst. The line would be accessed 
from a direct connection with NJ TRANSIT's North Jersey Coast Line 
(NJCL) in Red Bank. The railroad is owned by the NJ TRANSIT and is 
operated as a freight railroad by Conrail Shared Assets Corporation. 
This commuter rail alternative would establish diesel commuter rail 
service from Red Bank junction through Shrewsburg, Eatontown, Tinton 
Falls, Howell, Farmingdale, Lakewood, Jackson, Dover, Manchester, and 
Lakehurst; and (4) the Matawan Commuter Rail Alternative would use an 
approximately 35.8-mile rail corridor that runs from Matawan to 
Lakehurst. This alternative is comprised of three distinct railroad 
segments: the Freehold Branch (currently abandoned), the Freehold 
Secondary, and the Southern Secondary (Southern Branch). This 
alternative would provide diesel commuter rail service to communities 
in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The line would begin at Matawan, where 
the Freehold Branch would connect to the North Jersey Coast Line 
(NJCL). It would proceed south from Matawan, Marlboro, Manalapan, 
Freehold Borough, and Freehold Township. It would then continue to 
proceed southward from Farmingdale to Lakehurst, passing through 
Howell, Lakewood, Jackson, Dover, Manchester, and South Lakewood. 
Trains would operate on the North Jersey Coast Line (NJCL) between 
Matawana and Rahway and on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) from Rahway to 
Newark. Each of the commuter rail alternatives will involve 
improvements to existing tracks and construction of new transportation 
infrastructure, such as tracks, station structures, and yards.

IV. Probable Effects

    The FTA and NJ TRANSIT will evaluate all potential changes to the 
social, economic, and physical environment, including land acquisition 
and displacements; land use, zoning and economic development; 
parklands; community disruption; aesthetics; historic and 
archaeological resources; traffic and parking; air quality; noise and 
vibration; water quality; wetlands; ecologically sensitive areas; 
endangered species; energy requirements and potential for conservation; 
hazardous waste; environmental justice; safety and security; and 
cumulative impacts. Key areas of environmental concern would be in the 
areas of potential new construction (e.g. structures, new stations, new 
track, etc.) The impacts will be evaluated both for the construction 
period and for the long-term period of operation of each alternative. 
Measures to mitigate any significant adverse impacts will be 
identified.

V. FTA Procedures

    The DEIS is being prepared in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, and implemented by 
the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR Parts 
1500-1508), the FTA/Federal Highway Administration's Environmental 
Impact regulations (23 CFR Part 771), and the FTA/FHWA Statewide 
Planning/Metropolitan Planning regulations (23 CFR Part 450). This 
study will also comply with the requirements of the National Historic 
Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, Section 4(f) of the 1966 U.S. 
Department of Transportation Act, the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, 
the Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice, and other 
applicable rules, regulations, and guidance documents. A Draft Major 
Investment Study has been prepared for this project (1996). The DEIS 
will reference the results of that study, as well as the various 
supplemental studies conducted subsequent to the Draft (MIS), including 
an evaluation of the potential 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 within the study area. On the basis of the DEIS and the 
public and agency comments received, a locally preferred alternative 
will be selected, to be further detailed in the FEIS.

    Dated: October 9, 2002.
Letitia Thompson,
Regional Administrator, TRO-II, Federal Transit Administrator.
[FR Doc. 02-26289 Filed 10-15-02; 8:45 am]
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