[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 199 (Wednesday, October 15, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59441-59443]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-26029]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement for the Long Island Rail Road 
Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch Yard

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

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

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

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Metropolitan 
Transportation Authority (MTA) Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) intend to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyzing alternatives to meet 
LIRR's need to store electric train cars on the railroad's Huntington/
Port Jefferson Branch in Suffolk County, New York. As required by the 
Record of Decision issued by the FTA on May 21, 2001, for the MTA LIRR 
East Side Access Project, the EIS will be tiered from the Final EIS 
issued for the East Side Access Project in March 2001. As stated in the 
Final EIS for the East Side Access project, under a tiered NEPA EIS 
approach, the lead agency focuses on the issues that are ripe for 
decision in the first-tier document and prepares further environmental 
analyses as elements of the subsequent actions become adequately 
defined.
    FTA and MTA/LIRR are notifying interested parties of the intent to

[[Page 59442]]

prepare an EIS and inviting public participation in the study to 
identify a suitable site or sites to meet LIRR's existing and long-term 
storage needs on the Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch, east of 
Huntington between Huntington and Smithtown Stations. The new storage 
yard(s) will permit the LIRR to increase the number of electric train 
cars in operation on the Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch. Increased 
train cars will allow the LIRR to provide additional service to 
accommodate projected ridership growth, and provide new service to 
Grand Central Terminal as part of the LIRR's East Side Access Project, 
as well as to increase the number of electric train car spares to 
insure more reliable services.

DATES: The public is invited to make comments on the scope of the 
proposed project. Written comments should be sent to the LIRR by 
December 31, 2003. See ADDRESSES below. Scoping Meetings are scheduled 
as follows:

November 5, 2003

    5 p.m.-9 p.m. (5-7 p.m. Information Open House; 7-9 p.m. Public 
Hearing), Kings Park High School, Route 25A, Kings Park, New York

November 6, 2003

    5 p.m.-9 p.m. (5-7 p.m. Information Open House; 7-9 p.m. Public 
Hearing), Smithtown High School, 100 Central Road, Smithtown, New York

November 12, 2003

    5 p.m.-9 p.m. (5-7 p.m. Information Open House; 7-9 p.m. Public 
Hearing), East Northport Middle School, South Auditorium, Fifth Avenue 
east of Larkfield Road, East Northport, New York

November 13, 2003

    5 p.m.--9 p.m. (5-7 p.m. Information Open House; 7-9 p.m. Public 
Hearing), Huntington Intermediate School, 155 Lowndes Avenue, 
Huntington, New York
    People with special needs should contact Peter Palamaro, Editorial 
Officer, at the LIRR at (718) 558-3809 or at the address below in 
advance of the meeting. The buildings are accessible to people with 
disabilities. A sign language interpreter will be available for the 
hearing impaired.
    Scoping material will be available at the meeting(s) and may also 
be obtained in advance by contacting Peter Palamaro at the LIRR at 
(718) 558-3809 or at the MTA Web site at www.mta.info (click ``MTA 
Home'' then ``Planning Studies'' and ``Port Jefferson Yard EIS'').

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the project scope should be sent to 
Peter Palamaro, Editorial Officer, LIRR, Public Affairs Department, 
Jamaica Station, Mail Code 0536, Jamaica, NY 11435. The scoping 
meetings will be held at the addresses listed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you wish to be placed on the 
project mailing list to receive further information as the study 
develops, contact Peter Palamaro at the address and phone number above.
    For further information you may also contact: Irwin Kessman, 
Director, Office of Planning and Project Development, Federal Transit 
Administration, Region II. One Bowling Green, Room 429, New York, NY 
10004-1415; Telephone 212-668-2170.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    The FTA and LIRR invite all interested individuals and 
organizations, and federal, state, and local agencies to provide 
comments on the scope of 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 may have lesser environmental impacts, while achieving the 
transportation objectives of increasing the LIRR's storage capacity on 
the Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch. Comments should focus on the 
issues and alternatives for analysis. Scoping materials will be 
available at the meetings or in advance by contacting Peter Palamaro at 
LIRR, as indicated above.
    Following the scoping process, LIRR will conduct public outreach 
activities, including meetings with local agencies, organizations, and 
distribution of study fact sheets. Every effort will be made to ensure 
that the widest possible range of participants has the opportunity to 
attend outreach meetings. Meetings will be announced through mailings, 
notices, advertisements, press releases and at the MTA Web site at 
www.mta.info (click ``MTA Home'' then ``Planning Studies'' and ``Port 
Jefferson Yard EIS'').

II. Description of Study Area and Transportation Needs

    The study area consists of the corridor along the LIRR's 
Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch between Huntington Station and 
Smithtown Station. The purpose of the study is to develop and evaluate 
a strategy or strategies to meet the LIRR's need for new storage 
capacity for electric train cars on the Huntington/Port Jefferson 
Branch, east of Huntington.
    The LIRR has immediate as well as long-term storage needs for its 
electric train fleet. This immediate need to store electric train 
equipment and to deal with storage capacity constraints is most evident 
in Huntington on the Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch. Due to the lack 
of car storage capacity to originate service, LIRR currently operates 
several a.m. peak trains to Huntington from its West Side Yard 
facility, and this will become increasingly impractical as service 
increases to Penn Station during the morning peak period. Presently, 
electric train storage on the Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch relies 
on a siding, east of Huntington Station, with a three-train capacity 
that is already inadequate for current train storage.
    Within the next 10 years, there will be an additional need for 
storage capacity on LIRR's Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch as a result 
of planned electric car fleet expansion and associated service 
improvements. The LIRR, in its efforts to meet increased passenger 
demands, projected ridership growth and reduce standees, as well as 
increase availability of spare cars during service or maintenance, 
plans to increase its electric fleet by up to 40 percent over the same 
10 years. This will ensure that the demand for service can be met in 
the long term. With respect to future weekday a.m. peak hour ridership, 
the Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch is projected to have an increase 
of over 16,000 daily AM peak riders over the next 20-years. This growth 
accounts for 35-percent of systemwide growth over this time period.
    In addition, LIRR's future East Side Access Project, with LIRR 
service to Grand Central Terminal to be implemented by 2012, will also 
increase electric train service on the Huntington/Port Jefferson 
Branch. Because the existing LIRR system does not have adequate storage 
capacity for the new electric cars, the planned service improvements on 
the Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch cannot be made unless additional 
space is obtained for storage of electric train cars on this branch.

III. Alternatives

    All reasonable alternatives will be evaluated in the EIS, including 
a No Build Alternative, which will provide the basis for comparison of 
the build alternatives. The LIRR will identify alternative sites at 
which new electric rail car storage could be accommodated and analyze 
environmental and community impacts, operational factors, cost, and 
ability to meet the LIRR's long-term electric rail car storage needs 
for each alternative. It should be noted that third rail power will 
have to be extended to service any new yard east

[[Page 59443]]

of Huntington as this area is located outside the existing electrified 
territory. New electric substations will also be required to 
accommodate the extension of third-rail power to the new yard. Minor 
track and grade crossing improvements in the newly electrified area may 
also be warranted. These project elements will also be analyzed.

IV. Probable Effects

    The FTA and LIRR will evaluate the environmental, social, and 
economic impacts of each alternative, including air quality; noise and 
vibration; traffic, parking and pedestrians; energy and potential for 
conservation; safety and security; water quality; wetlands; flooding; 
navigable waterways and coastal zones; ecologically sensitive areas; 
endangered species; hazardous materials; land acquisition and 
displacements; land use, zoning, and economic development; consistency 
with local plans; historic properties; parkland; aesthetics; community 
disruption; environmental justice; construction impacts; and cumulative 
impacts. Measures to mitigate significant adverse impacts will be 
identified and alternatives for mitigation will be analyzed

V. FTA Procedures

    Upon completion of the scoping process, the Draft EIS will be made 
available for public and agency review and comment for 45 days. Public 
hearing(s) on the Draft EIS will be held within the study area. On the 
basis of the Draft EIS as well as comments received from the public 
participation process, a Final EIS will be prepared.

    Issued on: October 8, 2003.
Letitia Thompson,
FTA Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 03-26029 Filed 10-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P