[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 11, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24856-24859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-9389]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement on Transit Improvements in the 
Northwest Corridor to Irving/DFW in Dallas, TX

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

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

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Dallas Area Rapid 
Transit (DART) issue this notice to advise interested agencies and the 
public of their intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) on the proposed Northwest Corridor-Irving/DFW Line Light Rail 
Transit (LRT) Project in Dallas and Irving, Texas. The EIS will be 
prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), as amended.
    The Northwest Corridor-Irving/DFW Line LRT project is the product 
of the Northwest Corridor Major Investment Study (MIS) completed by 
DART in early 2000. The MIS identified a Locally Preferred Investment 
Strategy (LPIS), which included a light rail element with two service 
lines, the Carrollton Line and the Irving/DFW Line. An EIS evaluating 
alternatives for the Carrollton Line has been completed, and FTA issued 
a Record of Decision on this portion of the LPIS on February 5, 2004.
    The identified primary travel need for the Northwest Corridor-
Irving/DFW Line LRT is to serve the general northwest-southeast travel 
pattern along the Interstate Highway (IH) 35E/State Highway (SH) 114 
corridor from downtown Dallas into North Irving. The LPIS alignment 
addressed this need with an alignment that generally parallels SH 114 
through north Irving before terminating on the north side of SH 114, 
west of Beltline Road.
    After adoption of the LPIS, significant changes in land use and 
transportation patterns have occurred in the Irving/DFW Corridor. 
Subsequent analyses by DART for the Irving/DFW Corridor have resulted 
in a refinement to the LPIS alignment. The refined alignment also 
addresses the primary travel need with an alignment that runs parallel 
but south of SH 114 through north Irving. Both of these ``Build'' 
alternatives will be fully evaluated in the EIS.

DATES: Comment due date: Written comments on the scope of the EIS, 
including the alternatives and impacts to be considered, should be sent 
to John Hoppie, Project Manager by July 1, 2005. See ADDRESSES below.
    Scoping Meeting: A Public Scoping Meeting will be held June 29, 
2005, at 6:30 p.m. at the University of Dallas--Haggar University 
Center, 1845 E. Northgate Drive, Irving, Texas. The meeting will be 
accessible to persons with disabilities. Individuals requiring special 
assistance to participate fully, such as a translator or sign-language 
interpreter, should notify DART in advance as indicated under ADDRESSES 
below.
    Interagency Coordination Meeting: DART will invite all federal, 
state and local agencies with a possible interest in any aspect of the 
proposed project or its impacts to an interagency coordination meeting 
and will provide scoping materials to these agencies prior to that 
meeting. The likely cooperating agencies include the Federal Aviation 
Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, and North 
Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG).

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to John Hoppie, Project 
Manager, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, P.O Box 660163, Dallas, Texas 
75266-7213.

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Telephone: 214-749-2525. Fax: 214-749-3670. E-mail: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Sweek, Community Planner, Federal 
Transit Administration, Region VI; phone: (817) 978-0550.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    FTA and DART invite interested individuals, organizations, 
businesses and federal, state and local agencies to participate in 
determining the scope of the EIS on the Irving/DFW Line, including 
alternative alignments and station locations. Comments should focus on 
suggesting alternatives that may be less costly or have fewer 
environmental impacts while achieving similar transportation 
objectives, or on identifying any significant social, economic, or 
environmental issues related to the alternatives under consideration. 
Specific suggestions on additional alternatives to be examined and 
issues to be addressed are welcome and will be considered in the 
development in the final study scope. Scoping comments may be made 
orally or in writing not later than July 1, 2005. See DATES and 
ADDRESSES above. Additional information on the EIS process, the 
alternatives and anticipated impact issues is contained in a ``Scoping 
Information Document''. Copies of the scoping document are available 
from DART. See DATES and ADDRESSES above. In addition, a project 
website has been established to provide scoping and other information 
at http://www.dart.org/nwdfwcorridor.asp.

II. Description of the Study Area and Project Need

    The Northwest Corridor Study Area covered in the MIS includes a 
large part of northwest Dallas County. It extends from downtown Dallas 
on the south, to SH 121 on the west and north, to east of Marsh Lane 
and IH-35E on the east. The LPIS adopted on the basis of the MIS 
includes two rail lines, the Carrollton Line and the Irving/DFW Line. 
Each of the two rail lines has independent utility in meeting the 
transportation needs of the study area. The Carrollton Line is 
advancing toward implementation. The Irving/DFW Line is the subject of 
this notice. The MIS that resulted in the proposed Irving DFW Line is 
available online at http://www.dart.org/nwdfwcorridor.asp. The MIS is 
also available for inspection at DART offices by contacting John Hoppie 
as indicated in ADDRESSES above.
    The Irving/DFW Line and its associated stations provide the 
opportunity to serve several important regional activity centers. The 
proposed rail line will also provide numerous opportunities to 
interconnect the region's transit services, including DART's expanding 
LRT system, the Trinity Railway Express commuter rail operation, and 
DART's local and express bus service.
    Regional growth has added significantly to the corridor's 
congestion, especially employment growth in Dallas County, and 
population growth in northern Dallas, Northeast Tarrant, and Denton 
Counties. According to findings of the MIS, in 2020 the northwest 
quadrant of Dallas County will account for 33.6 percent of employment 
in the entire Dallas-Fort Worth region. While only 6.4 percent of the 
region's land area, the study area is a large net importer of 
employees. In 1995, jobs outnumbered population by over 200,000. In 
2020, the surplus of jobs over population is expected to grow to more 
than 336,000. Demographic information will be updated by the North 
Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) during the preparation of 
the EIS.
    Land use in the corridor consists of a major concentration of 
employment near the Las Colinas Urban Center with residential uses 
occurring west and south of SH 114. Traffic volumes along SH 114 are 
expected to increase significantly in future years. The EPA designated 
the nine-county Dallas-Fort Worth region as a moderate non-attainment 
area for the pollutant ozone under the 8-hour standard in April 2004.
    The proposed LRT project is part of multi-modal strategy that also 
incorporates bus service refinements, highway and HOV lane 
improvements, TSM and TDM strategies, and bicycle and pedestrian 
improvements. This strategy was developed during the preparation of the 
Northwest Corridor MIS completed by DART in early 2000.

III. Alternatives

    The transportation alternatives proposed for consideration in this 
project area include:
    No-Build Alternative--The future No-Build Alternative is the 
transit system that will result in the design year (2030) if the 
project is not pursued. It consists of all transportation projects 
included in the adopted NCTCOG plan outside the study corridor, and 
normal growth in bus service inside the corridor, consistent with 
exiting transit service policies.
    MIS Build Alternative--The original MIS Build Alternative project 
consisted of an LRT Line of approximately 13.2 miles. The alignment 
began at the junction with the Carrollton LRT Line north of the Bachman 
LRT Station and extended southwest on aerial structure over IH-35E and 
the Elm Fork of the Trinity River parallel to Spur 482. Near the 
Central Freight property and Texas Stadium parking lots, the alignment 
turned to the northwest, returned to grade and then elevated to aerial 
structure to cross over Loop 12, SH 114 and Tom Braniff Drive, landing 
on the south side of SH 114 and returning to grade. The alignment 
continued at-grade along the south side of SH 114, and then crossed 
over both the BNSF RR and SH 114 to enter the Las Colinas Urban Center 
area. The alignment continued at-grade through the Las Colinas Urban 
Center in the median of Lake Carolyn Parkway. The alignment then became 
aerial to cross over Northwest Highway. South of Colwell Boulevard the 
alignment became at-grade and paralleled Las Colinas Boulevard for a 
short distance until it turned northward. Adjacent to Royal Lane the 
alignment turned westerly and crossed over MacArthur Boulevard on 
aerial structure. Returning to grade, the route continued northwest to 
the north end of DFW airport with grade separations at SH 161, SH 114, 
Beltline Road and International Parkway. Seven stations were proposed 
within the MIS alignment: University of Dallas, South Las Colinas, 
North Urban Center, Royal Lane, SH 161, Belt Line Road, and DFW North. 
The University of Dallas station was located south of SH 114. The South 
Las Colinas Station was proposed in at the south end of the Las Colinas 
Urban Center, and another station was proposed in the North Urban 
Center near Northwest Highway. The Royal station was proposed south of 
Royal before the alignment turned to the west. Another Station was 
proposed near the junction SH 161 and SH 114. The sixth station was 
located near Beltline Road and the terminus station was located at the 
north end of DFW Airport.
    Refined Build Alternative--The proposed project for environmental 
review consists of an LRT Line of approximately 9.5 miles. The LRT 
alignment begins at its junction with the Carrollton LRT Line north of 
the Bachman LRT Station and extends southwest on aerial structure over 
IH-35E and the Elm Fork of the Trinity River parallel to Spur 482. Near 
the Central Freight property and Texas Stadium parking lots, the 
alignment turns to the northwest, returns to grade and crosses under 
Loop 12 on the north side of SH 114. The alignment continues along the 
north side of SH 114 and crosses under the BNSF RR to enter the

[[Page 24858]]

Las Colinas Urban Center area. The alignment continues at-grade through 
the Las Colinas Urban Center in the median of Lake Carolyn Parkway. 
From the Urban Center, the proposed alignment crosses west over SH 114 
and returns to grade north of Hidden Ridge Drive. The alignment turns 
south, then west with potential grade separations at Hidden Ridge 
Drive, MacArthur Boulevard and Walnut Hill Lane. Near Walnut Hill Lane 
the alignment enters into right-of-way that has been preserved for rail 
access into DFW International Airport. Entering onto airport property, 
the alignment crosses over SH 114 and Beltline Road before returning 
grade at the terminus station.
    Station Locations: Six stations are proposed within the Irving/DFW 
corridor: University of Dallas, South Las Colinas, North Urban Center, 
Hidden Ridge, North Lake College, and Belt Line Road. The University of 
Dallas station is located between the main lanes and service road of 
westbound SH 114 south of Tom Braniff Drive. The at-grade South Las 
Colinas Station is proposed in at the south end of the Las Colinas 
Urban Center, and another at-grade station is proposed in the North 
Urban Center near Northwest Highway and SH 114. The Hidden Ridge Drive 
station is proposed to serve the large corporate complexes in the area 
west of SH 114. A station is located north of the campus to serve North 
Lake College and the surrounding area. The terminus station is proposed 
near Belt Line Road. Alignment and station options will be explored 
further during scoping.
    Segmentation Analysis: Airport access options extending from Belt 
Line Road to the DFW Central Terminal Area will continue to be studied 
and evaluated separately by DART, DFW Airport, and others, but are not 
proposed to be part of this EIS. Airport access by rail was the subject 
of the DFW International Airport Rail Planning and Implementation Study 
(NCTCOG, 2002). This study identified several LRT options that could 
pivot of the proposed terminus of the Refined Build Alternative to 
serve the Central Terminal Area of DFW Airport.
    As DART explored serving the core of DFW Airport as part of this 
project it became apparent that there were many unresolved issues 
regarding airport access. As a result there is a growing number of 
alignment alternatives to serve DFW. Each of these alternatives 
terminates at one of several proposed locations. Also DFW is planning 
terminal and taxiway expansions that could potentially impact the DART 
project.
    As a result of a multi-agency coordination meeting that included 
the North Central Texas Council of Governments, FTA, FAA, DFW Airport, 
The-T, DCTA and DART it was decided that it would be prudent exclude 
airport access as part of this EIS. This would allow DART the 
opportunity to advance the Refined Build Alternative which vital 
component of DART's Transit System Plan while resolving the numerous 
complex issues associated with serving the Core area of DFW Airport.
    FTA and DART have determined that terminating the project evaluated 
in this EIS at Belt Line Road is appropriate. As described below, the 
Refined Build Alternative and a future alignment that would serve the 
Central Terminus Area of DFW airport have independent utility.
     Refined Build Alternative--The Northwest Corridor to 
Irving is a 9.5-mile corridor serving the City of Irving. Major 
destinations along the corridor include: the University of Dallas, the 
Las Colinas Urban Center (one of the largest employment centers in the 
region), North Lake Community College and several planned developments. 
In addition the corridor will serve many residential communities in the 
City of Irving as well as other commuters who regularly use the State 
Highway 114 corridor.
     Future Rail Service to the Central Terminus Area of DFW 
International Airport--Depending on the selected alignment this will be 
a 3 to 6 mile independent project that would provide rail access to DFW 
airport from the entire DART LRT System. It will also provide an 
interface between DART and The-T and DCTA.
    Additional Alternatives--Any additional alternatives that emerge 
during scoping, that reasonably address the project's purpose and need, 
and that have not been previously evaluated, will be considered.

IV. Probable Effects

    The FTA and DART will evaluate all significant environmental, 
social, and economic impacts of the alternatives analyzed in the EIS. 
Impact areas to be addressed include: Land use, zoning, and economic 
development; secondary developments; land acquisition, displacements, 
and relocation of existing uses; cultural resource impacts including 
impacts on historical and archaeological resources and parklands/
recreational areas; visual and aesthetic qualities; neighborhood 
compatibility; environmental justice; natural resource impacts 
including air quality, wetlands, water resources, and wildlife; noise 
and vibration; hazardous materials; energy; safety and security; 
utilities; traffic and transportation impacts and airport operations. 
Potential impacts will be addressed for the long-term operation of each 
alternative and the short-term construction period. Measures to avoid, 
minimize, or mitigate all adverse impacts will be identified, 
evaluated, and adopted as appropriate.

V. FTA Procedures

    In accordance with FHWA/FTA guidance on linking the planning and 
NEPA processes at http://www.environment.fta.dot.gov/streamlining/lpn_guidance.htm, the results of the Northwest Corridor Major Investment 
Study (DART, 2000), The DFW International Airport Rail Planning and 
Implementation Study (NCTCOG, 2002), and the Northwest Corridor to 
Irving/DFW Scoping Information Document (DART, 2005) will be 
scrutinized during scoping, and incorporated by reference into the EIS, 
as appropriate. All documents pertaining to this study are available on 
line at http://www.dart.org/nwdfwcorridor.asp. In addition, information 
regarding DART's ongoing System Planning effort can be found at http://www.dart.org/transitsystemplan2030.asp.
    The MIS and the DFW International Airport Rail Planning and 
Implementation Study are expected to contribute to the statement of the 
project's purpose and need, and to the evaluation of transportation 
systems management alternatives. The impacts of each alternative will 
be assessed, and, if necessary, the alternative will be revised or 
additional alternatives will be developed to avoid, minimize, and 
mitigate any adverse impacts.
    In accordance with FTA policy, all Federal environmental laws, 
regulations, and executive orders affecting project development, 
including but not limited to the regulations of the Council on 
Environmental Quality implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508, the 
joint FHWA/FTA environmental regulations (23 CFR part 771), the 
project-level conformity requirements of the Clean Air Act, Section 404 
of the Clean Water Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the 
Endangered Species Act, Section 4(f) of the DOT Act, etc. will be 
addressed to the maximum extent practicable during the NEPA process.
    After its publication, the Draft EIS will be available for public 
review and comment. One or more public hearings will be held during the 
Draft EIS public comment period. On the basis of the Draft EIS and 
comments received, the

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preferred alternative will be further refined as necessary, and the 
Final EIS will be prepared.

    Issued on: May 5, 2005.
Robert C. Patrick,
FTA Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 05-9389 Filed 5-10-05; 8:45 am]
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