[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 207 (Monday, October 27, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61242-61244]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-27060]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the Central 
Avenue Corridor Rapid Transit Project

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

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ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the City of 
Albuquerque Transit Department intend to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Central Avenue Corridor Rapid Transit 
Project. The proposed project is located within the jurisdictional 
boundaries of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, New Mexico. The EIS 
will evaluate: (1) The no-build alternative; (2) two alignment 
alternatives; (3) two technology alternatives including light rail 
transit and bus rapid transit; (4) station and park and ride locations, 
a maintenance facility, and electrical substations; and (5) a 
supporting bus system. Other reasonable alternatives that emerge from 
the scoping process will also be evaluated. Scoping will occur through 
correspondence and meetings with the general public, other public 
stakeholders, and federal, state, and local agencies having an interest 
in the proposed project. The EIS will be prepared in accordance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the applicable 
regulations implementing NEPA as set forth in 23 CFR part 771 and 40 
CFR parts 1500-1508.

DATES: One agency and five public scoping meetings will be held for the 
Central Avenue Corridor Rapid Transit Project. These meetings will be 
held at various locations within the City of Albuquerque and are 
scheduled for November 10-13, 2003 and November 17-20, 2003. Details 
specific to the dates, times, and locations of the scoping meetings 
will be published in local newspapers and other local media and will be 
posted on the project Web site at http://www.ABQRTP.com. The deadline 
for submitting scoping comments is December 5, 2003 (see addresses 
below). All scoping meetings will be held at locations accessible by 
persons with disabilities. Please notify the RTP Project Manager at 
(505) 724-3100 at least one week in advance of the meeting date if 
language translation or hearing-impaired signing is needed.

ADDRESSES: Written comments will be accepted at the meetings or may be 
sent to the following address until December 5, 2003: Albuquerque 
Transit Department, 100 First Street SW., Albuquerque, New Mexico 
87102, Attn: Rapid Transit Project. A scoping document may be requested 
by writing to the above address or by calling (505) 881-5357. Persons 
or agencies desiring to be placed on the mailing list for the EIS 
should send their name, mailing address, and e-mail address to the 
above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Pearlie Tiggs, Community Planner, 
Office of Planning and Program Development, Federal Transit 
Administration, Region 6, 819 Taylor Street, Room 8A36, Fort Worth, 
Texas 76102, (817) 978-0567.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    Scoping comments should focus on identifying specific 
environmental, cultural, economic, or social impacts to be evaluated by 
the EIS and project alternatives that better achieve project objectives 
and/or that have less adverse impact. Comments should be specific with 
regard to the issues and alternatives to be evaluated and not on the 
preference for a particular alternative. An opportunity to state a 
preference for a specific alternative will be provided during the 
comment period for the draft EIS.

II. Project Need

    The need for the proposed project was identified as part of an 
Alternatives Analysis prepared by the City of Albuquerque in 
cooperation with FTA. As determined by that effort, the need for the 
proposed project is to: (1) Provide additional transit capacity within 
the Central Avenue Corridor; (2) improve mobility to regional 
employment and activity centers; and (3) facilitate the implementation 
of adopted growth and development plans and policies for the 
Albuquerque region. Transit service within the Central Avenue Corridor 
currently accounts for over 30% of the total transit ridership for the 
entire Albuquerque Transit System. Traffic congestion in this corridor 
hinders efficient bus service. According to traffic projections 
prepared by the Mid-Region Council of Governments, traffic congestion 
is expected to worsen.
    The study corridor encompasses several regional employment centers 
and activity centers that would be connected by the proposed project. 
These include the Atrisco Business Park, the Albuquerque Botanical 
Gardens and Aquarium, Old Town, Downtown, University of New Mexico, 
Albuquerque Technical-Vocational Institute, and the Albuquerque Uptown 
District. The proposed project would also provide service to several 
smaller employment and activity centers including the three regional 
medical hospital complexes, the Nob Hill and Hiland Districts, and the 
International Market Center. Collectively, these locations represent 
the vast majority of major employment and activity centers within the 
Albuquerque metropolitan area.
    The City of Albuquerque has adopted specific land use and 
development goals and policies that include the proposed project area. 
The adopted policies include the Centers and Corridor Plan and the 
Planned Growth Strategy. The Central Avenue corridor is identified as a 
high transit corridor in both of these plans. In addition, Central 
Avenue is targeted for development and redevelopment with transit-
oriented development. Plans to implement the adopted policies are 
underway by the City of Albuquerque.

III. Alternatives

    The proposed project to be evaluated by the EIS includes the (1) 
no-build alternative which will assume that no transportation 
improvements will occur within the corridor beyond those already 
committed to in the adopted transportation programs; and (2) two 
alignment alternatives within the Central Avenue Corridor. The 
approximate length of each build alternative is approximately 11 miles. 
The first alignment starts in the vicinity of Central Avenue and Unser 
Boulevard in Albuquerque and proceeds east on Central Avenue to 
Louisiana Boulevard. At Louisiana Boulevard, the route proceeds 
northerly to its terminus near Menaul Boulevard in the Albuquerque 
Uptown District. The second alignment starts in the vicinity of Central 
Avenue and Unser Boulevard in Albuquerque and proceeds east on Central 
Avenue to Lomas Boulevard. The route follows Lomas Boulevard east to 
Louisiana Boulevard. At Louisiana Boulevard, the route proceeds 
northerly to its terminus near Menaul Boulevard in the Albuquerque 
Uptown District. The centerline alignment for both routes will fall 
within or immediately adjacent to the existing street sections. Both 
light rail transit and bus rapid transit will be evaluated in each 
alignment alternative. Ten to eleven stations will be evaluated, each 
spaced at intervals of approximately one mile.

IV. Probable Effects

    The EIS will identify and evaluate all probable environmental, 
economic, social, and cultural effects for each of the project 
alternatives. Based on the Alternatives Analysis previously prepared 
for the proposed project, primary issues are likely to include loss of 
on-street parking and access to businesses, changes to traffic 
circulation and diversion, changes to land use, proximity effects on 
historic properties,

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properties contaminated by hazardous materials, neighborhood effects, 
and utility relocations. These and other issues (e.g., noise, air 
quality, drainage, visual effects) will be evaluated by the EIS for 
both the long-term and construction period. Measures to mitigate 
significant adverse impacts will be developed as part of the EIS.

V. Public Involvement

    A comprehensive public involvement program (PIP) has been developed 
and will be implemented as part of the Draft EIS. The PIP will include: 
Agency and public scoping meetings; community-wide public information 
meetings; public hearings; informational briefings to stakeholder 
groups, elected officials, and other local and regional officials; and 
information dissemination via a project website and newsletters. The 
PIP will also involve a citizens advisory committee and other 
stakeholder groups to obtain input on issues, concerns, and advise on 
neighborhood and transit oriented development issues.

VI. FTA Procedures

    The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the 
regulations implementing NEPA set forth in 23 CFR part 771 and 40 CFR 
parts 1500-1508. Consistent with FTA policy, the NEPA process will also 
be used to comply with other federal environmental laws, regulations, 
and executive orders, such as section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act, the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, section 4(f) of 
the U.S. Department of Transportation Act, the Endangered Species Act, 
and Executive Orders 11988, 11990 and 12898 on Floodplain Management, 
Protection of Wetlands, and Environmental Justice, respectively.
    In addition, the City of Albuquerque intends to seek Section 5309 
New Starts funding for this project and will therefore follow the 
requirements of 49 CFR part 611 as well as the requirements of NEPA and 
all other applicable federal and FTA program requirements. The New 
Starts regulation requires a planning Alternatives Analysis, which will 
be completed in conjunction with the Draft EIS. The Alternatives 
Analysis/Draft EIS will lead to a locally-preferred alternative which 
must be adopted by the Metropolitan Planning Organization into its 
financially constrained metropolitan transportation plan before 
preliminary engineering will be authorized by FTA. If authorized, 
preliminary engineering for the Central Avenue Corridor Rapid Transit 
Project will be conducted in conjunction with the preparation of the 
final EIS.

    Issued on: October 21, 2003.
Robert Patrick,
Regional Administrator, FTA Region 6.
[FR Doc. 03-27060 Filed 10-24-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P