[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 163 (Friday, August 22, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50827-50829]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-21604]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Preparation of Alternatives Analysis and Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Commuter Rail Project in Sonoma and Marin Counties, 
California

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Alternatives Analysis and Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (AA/DEIS).

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as lead agency and 
the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) Commission intend to

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conduct an Alternatives Analysis and prepare a Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (AA/DEIS) on a proposal by SMART for the proposed 
introduction of commuter rail service along an existing railroad right-
of-way extending approximately 75-miles from Cloverdale in Sonoma 
County to a San Francisco/East Bay bound ferry terminal in Marin 
County. The EIS will be prepared as a joint EIS and Environmental 
Impact Report (EIR) to satisfy the requirements of both the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the California 
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
    The purpose of this notice is to notify interested individuals, 
organizations, and business entities, affected Native American Tribes 
and Federal, State, and local government agencies of the intent to 
prepare an AA/DEIS and to invite participation in the study. At present 
three alternatives are proposed for evaluation in the EIS/EIR. In 
addition, reasonable alternatives identified through the scoping 
process will be evaluated in the EIS/EIR.
    Scoping will be accomplished through correspondence and discussion 
with interested persons, organizations, and Federal, State and local 
agencies, and through public and agency meetings.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of the 
alternatives and impacts to be considered should be received no later 
than October 1, 2003. Written comments should be sent to the SMART AA/
DEIS/DEIR Outreach at the address given below in ADDRESSES.
    Scoping Meeting Dates: Two public open-house scoping meetings will 
be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on September 4 and 10, 2003 at the 
location given below in ADDRESSES. An interagency scoping meeting will 
also be held on September 17, 2003 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at Novato 
City Council Chambers located at 917 Sherman Avenue, Novato, California 
94947.
    The two scoping meetings will be held at the following dates and 
locations:
    1. September 4, 2003 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the San Rafael 
Corporate Center located at 750 Lindaro Street, San Rafael, California 
94901.
    2. September 10, 2003 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Petaluma 
Community Center located at 320 N. McDowell Boulevard, Petaluma, 
California 94954.
    All locations are accessible to people with disabilities.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Ms. Lillian Hames, 
Project Director SMART (Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit), 520 Mendocino 
Avenue, Suite 240, Santa Rosa, California 95401. Phone: 415-461-00630 
Fax: 415-464-1285. E-mail: [email protected]. To be added to 
the mailing list, contact Ms. Hames at the address listed above. Please 
specify the mailing list for the SMART Alternatives Analysis/Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement/Report (SMART AA/DEIS/R). Persons with 
special needs should leave a message at either of the phone numbers 
indicated above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Lorraine Lerman, Community 
Planner, FTA Region IX, 201 Mission Street, Suite 2210, San Francisco, 
CA 94105. Phone: (415) 744-2735 Fax: (415) 744-2726. Information about 
the project can also be obtained from the SMART Web site, http://www.sonomamarintrain.org/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Description of Study Area

    The FTA, as joint lead agency with the SMART Commission, will 
prepare an AA/DEIS/DEIR on a proposal to provide commuter rail service 
along an existing railroad right-of-way extending approximately 75-
miles in Sonoma and Marin counties. The study area begins in Coverdale 
in Sonoma County. The southern terminus of the project area is in Marin 
County at a San Francisco/East Bay bound ferry terminal. Along the 
project route, the rail right-of-way runs parallel to Highway 101. The 
rail right-of-way south of Healdsburg has been transferred to a new 
statutorily-created entity, the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit 
District. North of Healdsburg the North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA) 
owns it. The project area also includes the locations of up to 15 
stations and maintenance facility sites. Conceptual engineering of the 
rail alignment, a pedestrian and bicycle path, the station facilities, 
and the maintenance facility will be included in AA/DEIS/DEIR that 
satisfies both NEPA and CEQA requirements. In addition, a financial 
plan will be developed that examines the capital and operating funding 
needs and sources.

II. Purpose and Need

    Highway 101 is the primary mode of north-south movement connecting 
Sonoma and Marin counties with the City and County of San Francisco. 
The existing congested conditions in this corridor are expected to 
worsen as the area's population and job base continue to grow. The 
SMART corridor offers an opportunity to provide additional 
transportation capacity along a currently congested corridor. 
Implementation of the proposed actions will provide transit service to 
key employment areas along the corridor, maximize and maintain the 
viability of residential communities, encourage smart growth in city 
centers along the corridor, and reduce reliance on private automobile 
usage and the congested Highway 101 corridor.

III. Alternatives

    Alternatives proposed for evaluation include but are not limited 
to:
    (1) No-build alternative, which consists of the existing highway 
and transit systems plus any ongoing or programmed improvements. It 
serves as the baseline condition against which the transportation, 
environmental, and community impacts of the other alternatives are 
compared.
    (2) Introduction of commuter rail service along an existing 
railroad right-of-way extending approximately 75-miles from Cloverdale 
in Sonoma County to a San Francisco/East Bay bound ferry terminal in 
Marin County.
    (3) Enhanced bus service on Highway 101 from Cloverdale in Sonoma 
County to Larkspur in Marin County, including bus enhancements and 
capital improvements along the Highway 101 corridor.

IV. Probable Effects

    The purpose of the EIS/EIR is to fully disclose the environmental 
consequences of building and operating a major capital investment in 
the SMART corridor in advance of any decisions to commit substantial 
financial or other resources towards its implementation. The EIS/EIR 
will examine the transportation benefits and environmental impacts of 
the alternatives that emerge from the scoping process. In addition, it 
will discuss actions to reduce or eliminate such impacts.
    Environmental issues to be analyzed in the EIS/EIR include: 
potential consistency with local plans and policies with regard to 
possible station sites; possible flooding along portions of the rail 
line and stations; potential traffic delays and change in traffic 
levels of service at several rail crossings; potential impacts to 
wetland areas paralleling the corridor; increased noise to sensitive 
receptors adjacent to the track; changes in views and vistas due to 
elevated structures; and potential impacts to historic and cultural 
resources. In addition, the EIS/EIR will examine potential impacts to 
population and housing; air quality; energy and mineral resources; 
contaminated property; public services; utilities; and recreation 
features; as well as

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cumulative and growth-inducing impacts. Impacts will be evaluated for 
both the temporary construction period and for the long-term operation 
of each alternative. Measures to mitigate any adverse impacts will also 
be identified.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action will be addressed and all significant issues identified, 
comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. 
Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS/EIR 
should be directed to the SMART Project Director as noted in the 
ADDRESSES section above.

V. FTA Procedures

    To streamline the NEPA process and to avoid duplication of effort, 
the agencies involved in the scoping process will consider the results 
of any previous planning studies or financial feasibility studies 
prepared in support of the decision by the Metropolitan Transportation 
Commission (MTC) to include a particular alternative in the regional 
transportation plan. Prior transportation planning studies may be 
pertinent to establishing the purpose and need for the proposed action 
and the range of alternatives to be evaluated in detail in the EIS/EIR. 
The Draft EIS/EIR will be prepared simultaneously with conceptual 
engineering for the alternatives, including station and alignment 
options. The Draft EIS/EIR process will address the potential use of 
federal funds for the proposed action, as well as assessing social, 
economic, and environmental impacts of the station and alignment 
alternatives. Station designs and alignment alternatives will be 
refined to minimize and mitigate any adverse impacts. After 
publication, the Draft EIS/EIR will be available for public and agency 
review and comment, and a public hearing will be held. Based on the 
Draft EIS/EIR and comments received, SMART will select a Locally 
Preferred Alternative for further assessment in the Final EIS/EIR and 
will apply for FTA approval to initiate Preliminary Engineering of the 
preferred alternative.

    Issued on: August 19, 2003.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 03-21604 Filed 8-21-03; 8:45 am]
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