[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 215 (Wednesday, November 6, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67682-67684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-28244]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement on the Expansion 
of Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Transit Service From 
Hamilton E. Holmes Station in the City of Atlanta, Georgia to Fulton 
Industrial Boulevard in Fulton County, GA

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), in cooperation with 
the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit (MARTA), is issuing this notice 
to advise interested agencies and the public that, in accordance with 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) will be prepared for an expansion of transit services 
westward from MARTA's Hamilton E. Holmes Station on its West Line to a 
logical terminus on Fulton Industrial Boulevard. Identified

[[Page 67683]]

by MARTA's Board of Directors as the top priority for expansion of 
services, possible rail extensions and other types of transit service 
are outlined in MARTA's ``Three Corridor Feasibility Study'' (August 
2000). As a part of an Alternatives Analysis and the ensuing EIS, the 
benefits and impacts of eighteen individual alternatives, including a 
no-build or no-action alternative, a transportation system management 
(TSM) alternative (also called New Starts Baseline alternative) and 
several build alternatives, will be examined. Scoping will be 
accomplished through coordination with interested persons, 
organizations, and federal, state and local agencies. FTA is serving as 
the federal lead agency for the project in anticipation of a grant 
application from MARTA for its construction through the Federal Section 
5309 New Starts Program. Based on the results of the scoping process, 
FTA will establish the scope of the environmental review under NEPA, 
including the identification of environmental issues and effects to be 
addressed and reasonable alternatives to be retained for detailed 
evaluation. If a need to expand the study area west into Cobb and 
Douglas County can be demonstrated during the scoping process and if a 
project sponsor other than MARTA can be identified for that portion of 
the project, this NEPA undertaking will be accordingly augmented.

DATES: Interagency and public scoping and information meetings will be 
held on the following dates at the locations indicated:
    [sbull] Interagency Scoping Meeting: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 
from 10 AM to 12 Noon, at the URS Corporation Offices at 235 Peachtree 
St., NE, Suite 2000--North Tower, Atlanta, Georgia 30324.
    [sbull] Public Scoping Meetings:

--Tuesday, November 19, 2002 from 6 pm to 8:30 pm, at the Peyton Forest 
Elementary School Gymnasium, 301 Peyton Road, SW, Atlanta Georgia 
30311.
--Thursday, November 21, 2002 from 11:30 am to 2 pm, at the Comfort 
Inn, Meeting Room, 4330 Fulton Industrial Boulevard, SW, Atlanta, GA 
30336.
--Thursday, November 21, 2002 from 6 am to 8:30 pm, at the Peyton 
Forest Elementary School Gymnasium, 301 Peyton Road, SW, Atlanta 
Georgia 30311.
--Written Comments: on the scope of the environmental study are welcome 
and should be sent by December 20, 2002 to Connie Cannon, Project 
Manager, MARTA, 2424 Piedmont Street, Atlanta, Georgia 30324. Comments 
can also be emailed to [email protected].

ADDRESSES: The addresses where scoping meetings will be held and where 
comments on the scope of study may be sent appear above in the DATES 
Section. A scoping booklet is available from Connie Cannon, Project 
Manager, MARTA, 2424 Piedmont Street NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30324 or by 
accessing the project Web site at www.itsmarta.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tony Dittmeier, Transportation Program 
Specialist, Federal Transit Administration, Region IV Office, telephone 
404.562.3512 or Connie Cannon, MARTA, 2424 Piedmont Street NE, Atlanta, 
Georgia 30324.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    MARTA will hold interagency and public scoping meetings as 
presented in the DATES section above. At these meetings, MARTA will 
present preliminary results of an Alternatives Analysis and the 
alternatives proposed for detailed evaluation in the EIS. At the public 
meetings, interested persons will have an opportunity to speak 
individually with a MARTA representative. In addition, representatives 
will be available to receive written and record verbal comments on the 
scope of the NEPA review. All scoping meeting locations are accessible 
to persons with disabilities. Individuals who require special 
accommodations, such as a sign language interpreter, to participate in 
the meeting should contact Ms. Rosalyn V. Green, ADA Compliance 
Officer, MARTA, 2424 Piedmont Rd. NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30324 or by 
telephone at (404) 848-4800, TDD at (404) 848-5665 or TTY (404) 848-
4931. Interested individuals, organizations, and public agencies are 
invited to attend the scoping meetings and participate in identifying 
any important environmental impact issues related to the proposed 
alternatives and suggesting alternatives which would be more economical 
or would have less environmental impact while achieving similar 
transportation objectives. An information packet, referred to as the 
Scoping Booklet, will be distributed to all public agencies and 
interested individuals and will be available at the meetings. Others 
may request the Scoping Booklet by contacting Brian Piascik at the 
address listed above in ADDRESSES. Anyone wishing to be placed on the 
project mailing list to receive meeting notices and further information 
as the project develops should also contact Connie Cannon at the 
address listed in ADDRESSES or call the project information line (404) 
589-0929. Comments during the scoping period should focus on 
identifying the social, economic, and environmental concerns associated 
with the proposed action, and alternatives that deserve consideration, 
and not on a preference for a particular alternative. Comments 
regarding preference for a particular alternative may be submitted 
during subsequent public meetings or at a hearing on the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement, when it is published. Scoping comments 
may be made at the scoping meetings or may be directed in writing to 
Connie Cannon, Project Manager, at the address given in ADDRESSES.

II. Description of the Project Area and Transportation Need

    MARTA has identified an expansion of the West Line Transit Service 
as a top priority for meeting the travel needs within the Atlanta area. 
MARTA's long-range planning efforts identified resources to begin the 
required planning, environmental and design activities. MARTA has 
recently conducted preliminary activities to develop an aggressive, yet 
realistic plan for completing the required activities leading to the 
project's implementation. The current project, as included in the 
Atlanta Regional Commission's (ARC) Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), 
includes transit services beyond the MARTA West Line from the Hamilton 
E. Holmes Station to Fulton Industrial Boulevard. A new station is 
proposed near I-20 at Fulton Industrial Boulevard and a potential 
second station may be considered in the vicinity of Martin Luther King, 
Jr. Drive and Fairburn Road. MARTA has previously completed preliminary 
studies on the project.
    In MARTA's previous work, several alignment options, technologies 
and station locations were identified and will be the subject of 
continued study. The West Line corridor parallels I-20, which is an 
identified congested facility in ARC's Congestion Management System 
(CMS). The CMS identifies I-20 as congested from I-285 to SR 5, serving 
approximately 140,000 vehicles per day. The primary congestion occurs 
eastbound during the morning peak period and westbound during the 
afternoon peak period.
    MARTA's Three Corridors Feasibility Study demonstrated substantial 
mobility benefits of the proposed West Line extension. This previous 
evaluation demonstrated significant new transit trips as a result of 
the build

[[Page 67684]]

alternative. Trips from outside the I-285 perimeter destined to Atlanta 
would be particularly well served by the project. The travel forecasts 
predicted over 13,800 daily transit boardings at the proposed Fulton 
Industrial station. ARC's Regional Transportation Plan, 2025 (RTP) also 
documents the existing and future travel patterns and levels of 
congestion within the corridor. The RTP lists planned transportation 
improvements including widening and addition of HOV lanes on I-20 and 
numerous surface street improvements. Even with those improvements, the 
RTP sites the expected continued increase in levels of congestion. The 
RTP also forecasts that substantial ridership can be attributed to 
extended transit service beyond the existing West Line terminus at 
Hamilton E. Holmes Station.
    The Fulton Industrial Boulevard area is also developing into a 
major employment center for many MARTA service area residents, which 
requires a commute from the central area of Atlanta, South Fulton 
County and DeKalb County. A reduction in travel time to the Fulton 
Industrial Area could encourage a substantial increase in reverse 
commutes on the MARTA System.

III. Alternatives To Be Studied

    An Alternatives Analysis will identify the transit service options 
for reconsideration, in detail, during the NEPA process. The 
alternatives expected to be considered in detail in the EIS include:
    A no-build or no-action alternative that includes only those 
projects already committed as defined in the current Regional Long 
Range Transportation Plan.
    A TSM Alternative that represents low cost infrastructure 
improvements and bus transit enhancements to the service already 
provided in the study area, including projects already committed as 
defined in the current Regional Long Range Transportation Plan.
    A number of fixed guideway improvements along multiple alignments 
including, but not limited to, a heavy rail extension of the current 
MARTA West Line, bus rapid transit and light rail transit facilities. 
These alternatives would also include all facilities associated with 
the construction and operation of transit systems including right of 
way, structures, track (if necessary), stations, park and ride lots, 
storage and maintenance facilities and respective bus and rail 
operating plans.

IV. Probable Effects

    The EIS will be prepared in accordance with NEPA and its 
implementing regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and the FTA 
regulation on environmental procedures shared with the Federal Highway 
Administration (23 CFR part 771). The EIS will evaluate the social 
(including environmental justice benefits and burdens analysis), 
economic, and environmental impacts of the alternatives. Primary 
concerns to be addressed include: safety at grade crossings, site 
contamination in railroad rights-of-way, property effects including 
business disruptions and relocation, impacts on local traffic and 
travel patterns, noise and vibration impacts, land use impacts, wetland 
impacts, and aesthetic/visual impacts. The cumulative impacts of the 
project together with other reasonably foreseeable actions and 
activities will be addressed.

V. FTA New Starts Procedures

    Following public review of the Draft EIS, MARTA will request FTA 
approval to initiate Preliminary Engineering, in accordance with the 
FTA New Starts regulation (49 CFR part 611). FTA will consider the 
merits of the project in comparison with other projects across the 
nation competing for New Starts funding. FTA will either recommend or 
not recommend the preferred alternative's advancement into Preliminary 
Engineering.

    Issued on: October 31, 2002.
Jerry Franklin,
Regional Administrator, Atlanta, Georgia.
[FR Doc. 02-28244 Filed 11-5-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P