[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 19, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20155-20157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-3715]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement on New Transit Operations in 
Madison, WI

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 the City of 
Madison, WI (Madison) intend to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) for a proposal by Madison to implement new transit 
operations in an approximately 13-mile travel corridor extending from 
the City of Middleton on the west, through the campus of the University 
of Wisconsin-Madison to the Isthmus of Madison, WI to the American 
Parkway interchange on US 151, southwest of Sun Prairie, WI and 
encompassing the surrounding urbanized areas.
    Growing mobility challenges coupled with very limited opportunity 
for highway capacity expansion has prompted the communities in the area 
to consider investment in transportation improvements, both to 
supplement and enhance existing Metro bus service and

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to extend service to new markets throughout the corridor and in the 
region.
    Alternatives proposed to be considered in the draft EIS include No 
Build, the Transportation System Management (TSM) Alternative and 
various Build Alternatives.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of alternatives 
and impacts to be considered should be sent to Madison by May 29, 2006. 
Scoping Meetings: An agency scoping meeting will be held at 1 p.m. on 
Wednesday, April 26, 2006, at Monona Terrace, One John Nolen Drive, in 
Madison, WI. A public scoping meeting open house will be held at the 
same location on Wednesday, April 26, 2006, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
    The scoping meeting sites are accessible to mobility-impaired 
individuals. If you need an interpreter, materials in alternate 
formats, or other accommodations to access this service, activity or 
program, please contact the City of Madison, Department of Planning and 
Development at (608) 266-4635, TDD (608) 266-4747. Please do so at 
least 48 hours prior to the meeting so that the proper arrangements can 
be made.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on the project scope to David M. 
Trowbridge, Transport 2020 Project Manager, City of Madison Department 
of Planning and Development, 215 MLK Jr. Blvd., Madison, WI 53703-3348 
or [email protected] (608) 267-1148.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Victor Austin, Federal Transit 
Administration, Region 5 at (312) 886-1625.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    The FTA and the City of Madison invite all interested individuals, 
organizations, businesses, and federal, state, and local agencies to 
comment on the purpose and need, project alternatives, and scope of the 
EIS. During the scoping process, comments should focus on the purpose 
and need for a project, identifying specific transportation problems to 
be evaluated, or on proposing transportation alternatives that may be 
less costly, more effective, or have fewer environmental impacts while 
improving mobility in the corridor.
    Following the public scoping process, public outreach activities 
with interested parties or groups throughout the duration of work on 
the EIS will continue. The project Web site, http://www.transport2020.net, will be updated periodically to reflect the 
status of the project. Additional opportunities for public 
participation will be announced through mailings, notices, and press 
releases. Those wishing to be placed on the project mailing list may do 
so by contacting David M. Trowbridge, Transport 2020 Project 
Administrator at (608) 267-1148 or signing up at http://transport2020.net/Mailing.htm.

II. Description of Study Area and Project need

    The Study Area includes the Isthmus, the University of Wisconsin 
and the most densely developed commercial and residential areas of 
central Dane County, extending from the city of Middleton on the west, 
through the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison to the 
Isthmus of Madison, WI to the American Parkway interchange on US 151, 
southwest of Sun Prairie, WI. This area contains the most serious 
congestion and mobility challenges in the region. The area also 
contains existing rail and roadway facilities that can support the 
proposed transportation strategies and systems.
    Worsening mobility problems in Dane County's primary regional 
center, the central area of Madison which includes the city's 
commercial core, the University of Wisconsin Madison and major special 
events destinations, threatens to damage the region's high quality of 
life and the regional center's ability to absorb desirable residential 
and commercial growth.
    Because of geographical constraints of the isthmus, environmental 
concerns primarily with area lakes, and quality-of-life issues 
presented by the public, the possibility of addressing the area's 
transportation problems through roadway capacity expansion is limited.
    Given growing mobility challenges, coupled with very limited 
opportunity for highway capacity expansion to address them, a 
potentially promising alternative is investment in transit to 
supplement and enhance existing Metro bus service and to extend service 
to new markets throughout this regional corridor.

III. Alternatives

    A Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) emerged from the evaluation 
and public involvement process conducted previously (Transport 2020). 
The alternatives analyzed in that study are fully described in the 
Transport 2020 Transportation Alternatives Analysis for the Dane 
County/Greater Madison Metropolitan Area final report dated August 23, 
2002. The DEIS will assess the environmental impacts of a range of 
alternatives including (1) The No Build Alternative; (2) the 
Transportation System Management (TSM) Alternative; and (3) the Build 
Alternatives using existing rail corridors, with possible street-
running alternative alignments.
    The No-Build Alternative will include existing transit services and 
facilities and those planned and programmed as new transportation 
services, facilities, and system management improvements that are 
already included in the 2035 Regional Transportation System Plan for 
Southeastern Wisconsin.
    The TSM Alternative will include operational and low cost capital 
investments to the existing transit services in the corridor, providing 
a level of capital investment that is greater than the No-Build 
Alternative but significantly less than other Build Alternatives.
    Build Alternatives would include both street-running and rail 
alternatives using either bus or rail technology. The Build 
Alternatives will include but not be limited to the refinement of the 
initial Start-Up System, or Minimum Operable Segment (MOS) identified 
in the Locally Preferred Alternative from the prior Alternatives 
Analysis. The MOS includes: (1) Expanding the Madison Metro local bus 
system; (2) Adding new express bus routes running inbound during a.m. 
peak periods and outbound during p.m. peak periods; (3) Adding new park 
and ride lots, primarily at express bus route terminal locations; and 
(4) Adding commuter rail service running approximately 13 miles between 
Middleton and East Towne using FRA-compliant, self-propelled vehicles 
(DMUs). In addition to these initially identified alternatives, other 
alternatives generated by the scoping process may be considered.

IV. Potential Impacts for Analysis

    The EIS will evaluate the impacts of all reasonable alternatives on 
land use, zoning, displacements, parklands, economic development, 
community disruptions, environmental justice, aesthetics, air quality, 
noise and vibration, wildlife, vegetation, threatened and endangered 
species, farmland, water quality, wetlands, waterways, floodplains, 
hazardous materials, and cultural, historic, and archaeological 
resources.
    The EIS will take into account both positive and negative impacts, 
direct and indirect impacts, short-term and long-term impacts and site-
specific and corridor wide impacts. Evaluation criteria will be 
consistent with all Federal, State of Wisconsin and local criteria, 
regulations and policies. The EIS will identify measures to avoid or

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mitigate significant adverse environmental impacts.
    To ensure that all significant issues related to this proposed 
action are identified and addressed, scoping comments and suggestions 
are invited from all interested parties. Comments and questions should 
be directed to Madison as noted in the ADDRESSES section above.

V. FTA Procedures

    In accordance with FTA policy, all federal laws, regulations and 
executive orders affecting project development, including but not 
limited to, the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (40 
CFR parts 1500-1508 and 23 CFR part 771), the 1990 Clean Air Act 
Amendments, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Executive Order 12898 
regarding environmental justice, the National Historic Preservation 
Act, the Endangered Species Act, and Section 4(f) of the Department of 
Transportation Act, will be addressed to the maximum extent possible 
during the NEPA process.
    A DEIS will be prepared and made available for public and agency 
review and comment. A public hearing will be held on the DEIS. Based on 
the DEIS and the public and agency comments received, the preferred 
alternative will be further refined as necessary and the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared.

    Issued on: April 12, 2006.
Don Gismondi,
Deputy Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 06-3715 Filed 4-18-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-M