[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 70 (Friday, April 11, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17855-17857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8940]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Red Line Corridor 
Transit Project; Baltimore, MD

AGENCIES: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), U.S Department of 
Transportation.

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

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Maryland 
Transit Administration (MTA) are issuing this notice to advise agencies 
and the public that, in accordance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act, the FTA and the MTA will prepare a Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (DEIS) to assess the impacts of potential transit 
alternatives in the Red Line Corridor. This corridor extends from the 
Social Security complex in Baltimore County through the Baltimore City 
Central Business District (CBD) to Patterson Park in Baltimore, MD. The 
Red Line Corridor Transit Project would connect eastern and western 
communities of Baltimore City and Baltimore County, providing the first 
east-west fixed rail or bus rapid transit connection in Baltimore, and 
would provide convenient and efficient access to major employment 
centers in downtown and in Woodlawn. Growing traffic congestion in the 
Baltimore region has been identified, particularly in the western 
quadrant of Baltimore City and Baltimore County and there is an intent 
to improve access to jobs and improve air quality. Significant 
development and revitalization efforts are also underway in the 
corridor that will require additional transportation access.
    A 23-member Advisory Committee to MTA developed the Baltimore 
Region Rail System Plan and identified a transit project in the Red 
Line Corridor as a priority project for implementation. The Advisory 
Committee recommended ``that the MTA immediately begin environmental 
analysis, planning and design studies'' for the project, based on an 
assessment that this project will best provide an east-west link to 
jobs, tourism sites and the University of Maryland in the central 
business district; provide a link to the employment center with 20,000 
jobs in the Social Security/Woodlawn area; provide improved transit 
service to East and West Baltimore communities; and provide 
connectivity to the existing bus, MARC commuter and Metro rail lines in 
Baltimore. The project is also included in the Baltimore Region 
Constrained Long-Range Transportation Plan.
    The purpose of the Red Line Corridor Transit Project DEIS is to 
examine the engineering feasibility, potential benefits, costs, and 
social, cultural, economic, built and natural environmental impacts of 
feasible alternatives in the corridor that will improve transit 
mobility in the Baltimore metropolitan area. The DEIS will examine and 
evaluate rail, bus rapid transit (BRT), transportation systems 
management and transportation demand management (TSM/TDM) strategies, 
and a no-build alternative. Tunnel, surface and/or aerial construction 
options will be considered for rail and BRT alternatives.
    Scoping Meetings: Public scoping meetings for the Red Line Corridor 
Transit Project DEIS will be held on:

June 5--Rosemont Tower, 740 Poplar Grove Street--4 p.m.-8 p.m.
    June 7--Woodlawn Community Center, 2120 Gwynn Oak Avenue--10 a.m.-2 
p.m.

Additional meeting dates, times and locations will be announced on the 
project web-site accessed through http://www.mtamaryland.com, and these 
details will be published in the following newspapers:

The Daily Record
The Baltimore Sun
The Catonsville Times
The Baltimore Times
The Afro-American
Howard County Times
East Baltimore Guide
El Tiempo
El Mesejeros
Baltimore Business Journal

Scoping material will be available at the meetings and may also be 
obtained in advance of the meetings by contacting Mr. Lorenzo Bryant, 
Project Manager, at the address below. Scoping material will also be 
made available on the project web-site accessed through http://www.mtamaryland.com. Oral and written comments may be given at the 
scoping meetings or comments may be sent to the address below. A 
stenographer will be available at the meetings to record comments. 
Information will be made available in both English and Spanish.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the project scope should be sent by 
August 1, 2003 to Mr. Lorenzo Bryant, Attn: Red Line, Maryland Transit 
Administration, William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul Street, 
Baltimore, MD 21202-1614, or via e-mail to [email protected]. 
Mr. Bryant may also be reached by calling (410) 767-3754.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you wish to be placed on the 
mailing list to receive further information as the study develops, 
contact Mr. Lorenzo Bryant, Project Manager, or Mr. Jamie Kendrick, 
Public Outreach Manager, at the above address or 
[email protected]. For further information you may also contact 
Ms. Gail McFadden-Roberts, AICP, Community Planner, Office of Planning 
and Program Development, Federal Transit Administration, Region III, 
phone: (215) 656-7100, fax: (215) 656-7260.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    The FTA and MTA 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, cultural, 
economic, or natural environmental issues to be evaluated and suggest 
alternatives, which may be less costly or have less environmental 
impacts, while achieving the similar transportation objectives. The 
objectives of the Red Line Corridor Transit Project are: to provide the 
first east-west transit connection in the Baltimore region; to connect 
communities in eastern and western Baltimore City and County with 
Baltimore's existing bus, Metro, Light Rail and MARC lines; to provide 
more efficient travel times for people on one of the most heavily 
traveled corridors in the region and which is presently subject to 
increasing traffic congestion; to improve transportation accessibility 
to existing employment centers in downtown Baltimore and Woodlawn as 
well as emerging redevelopment areas in Inner Harbor East, Canton, West 
Baltimore, and at University Center; and to provide a viable transit 
alternative to single occupancy vehicle (SOV) travel in the Baltimore 
region, which is a non-attainment area under the Clear Air Act. 
Comments should focus on the issues

[[Page 17856]]

and alternatives for analysis and not on a preference for a particular 
alternative.
    Following the public scoping process, public outreach activities 
will include: meetings with Local Working Groups established for the 
study and comprised of community leaders; public meetings and hearings; 
distribution of a study newsletter; project Web site and electronic 
mail newsletters; and use of other outreach methods and forums. The 
purpose of the public outreach activities during the Scoping process is 
to inform the public of the proposed study process and to solicit input 
from the community on the proposed study. Every effort will be made to 
ensure that the widest possible range of public participants have the 
opportunity to attend general public meetings held by MTA to solicit 
input on the Red Line Corridor Transit Project DEIS. Attendance will be 
sought through mailings, notices, advertisements, press releases, and 
other outreach activities.

II. Description of Primary Study Area and Transportation Needs

    The Red Line Corridor Transit Project area extends approximately 
10.5 miles in an east-west direction within Baltimore City and 
Baltimore County. The western-most terminus of the study area is 
located at the Center of Medical/Medicaid Services approximately 2 
miles west of I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) near the Social Security 
Complex in Baltimore County and extends east through the Baltimore City 
Central Business District (CBD), ending at its eastern-most terminus 
near Patterson Park. Much of the study area is intensely developed. The 
western portion of the study area consists primarily of residential 
land use while the CBD consists primarily of commercial and office 
space with scattered high-density residential development. The eastern 
portion of the study area consists of commercial land use and 
residential development.
    The Red Line Corridor Transit Project would provide a connection 
for eastern and western communities of Baltimore City and Baltimore 
County and would provide convenient and efficient access to major 
employment centers in downtown and in Woodlawn, thus supporting 
redevelopment and neighborhood revitalization efforts in Baltimore City 
and Baltimore County. The purpose of the Red Line Corridor Transit 
Project DEIS is to examine in further detail potential solutions for 
addressing mobility issues in the Baltimore region. The focus of the 
DEIS will be to identify a preferred alternative to improve mobility in 
the region while being sensitive to the socio-economic, cultural and 
natural environmental considerations on a local and regional basis.
    The following existing and expected future conditions dictate the 
need for a transit investment in the Baltimore Metropolitan region:
    [sbull] While growth and development in the region continue at high 
rates, mobility and access for commuters to transit options within the 
region has not grown to the same extent; the Red Line transit project 
would help to improve current travel and access conditions and 
anticipate future demands;
    [sbull] Increased travel is causing congestion and the Red Line 
transit project would give travelers a real choice in how to get from 
place to place in the region while helping to free road space for those 
who chose to drive or who must drive;
    [sbull] Delay affects all transit users, but the time required to 
complete commutes by bus or rail continue to increase substantially; 
the Red Line would give the region a needed east-west transit link that 
would offer new ridership and provide connectivity with existing bus, 
heavy rail and light rail service, which would enhance the service and 
ridership of existing facilities;
    [sbull] The Baltimore Region is struggling to meet federal health 
standards for air pollution. New development oriented to a new transit 
system can help the region meet both its air quality and its economic 
development goals; and
    [sbull] Many residents in the region lack transit service and any 
nearby bus service is often inconvenient, limited and slow due to 
traffic congestion. The Red Line transit project would provide a 
feasible mode of transport for commuters while improving the efficiency 
and effectiveness of the current transit services.

III. Alternatives

    The alternatives proposed for evaluation include: a no-build 
alternative, which includes the current network plus all ongoing and 
committed projects listed in the Transportation Improvement Program 
(TIP for the years 2002-2006); a TSM/TDM alternative, which would 
include improving existing transit services such as additional bus 
service and routes; and build alternatives which include rail and BRT. 
The no-build alternative will provide a basis for comparison with the 
TSM/TDM and build alternatives.
    Each build alternative will explore the construction of new 
transportation infrastructure such as tracks, stations, and maintenance 
yards. Tunnel, surface and/or aerial options will be developed for each 
of the build alternative alignments. Multi-modal alternatives will also 
be explored.

IV. Probable Effects

    The FTA and MTA will evaluate all potential changes to the social, 
cultural, economic, built and natural environment, including land 
acquisition and displacements; land use, zoning, economic development; 
parklands; community disruption; aesthetics; historical and 
archaeological resources; traffic and parking; air quality; noise and 
vibration; water quality; wetlands; environmentally sensitive areas; 
endangered species; energy requirements and potential for conservation; 
hazardous waste; environmental justice; safety and security; and 
secondary and cumulative impacts. Key areas of environmental concern 
include areas of potential new construction (e.g. structures, new 
transit stations, new track, etc.). Impacts will be evaluated for both 
the short-term construction period and for the long-term period of 
operation associated with each alternative. Measures to avoid, minimize 
and mitigate any significant adverse impacts will be identified.

V. FTA Procedures

    The Red Line Corridor Transit Project DEIS will be prepared in 
accordance with section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) of 1969 (as amended) and as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and 
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulations (23 CFR part 771), and 
the FTA Statewide Planning/Metropolitan Planning regulations (23 CFR 
part 450). These studies 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. In 
addition, if MTA seeks section 5309 New Starts funding for the project, 
MTA will be subject to the FTA New Starts regulation (49 CFR part 611). 
New Starts regulation requires the submission of certain specific 
information to FTA to support a request to initiate preliminary 
engineering, which is normally done in conjunction with the NEPA 
process.
    Upon completion, the DEIS will be available for both public and 
agency review and comment. Public hearings will be held within the 
study area. Based on the DEIS and the public and agency comments 
received, a locally preferred alternative will be selected

[[Page 17857]]

that will be further detailed in the Final EIS.

    Issued on: April 8, 2003.
Herman C. Shipman,
Acting Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, TRO III.
[FR Doc. 03-8940 Filed 4-10-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P