[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 126 (Friday, June 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37637-37638]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-5879]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: City and County of Denver, CO

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

ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The FTA and FHWA are jointly issuing this Revised Notice of 
Intent to advise the public that the joint Environmental Impact 
Statement/Section 4(f) Evaluation (EIS/4(f)) for transit and highway 
improvements in the City and County of Denver, Adams County, and the 
City of Aurora, Colorado will be revised to create two separate 
environmental documents. Previously, the transit and highway 
improvements were being evaluated as part of a combined highway and 
transit study. Recently, the agencies working on the combined project 
decided to prepare separate EISs for the different highway and transit 
project elements. This Revised Notice of Intent provides notice for the 
separate transit and highway EIS/4(f)s that are being prepared.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    For transit: Dave Beckhouse, Community Planner, FTA, 12300 West 
Dakota Avenue, Suite 310, Denver, CO, 80228, Telephone: (720) 963-3306.

[[Page 37638]]

Mike Turner, Regional Transportation District, 1560 Broadway, Suite 
700, Denver, CO, 80202, Telephone: (303) 299-2366.
    For highway: Chris Horn, Senior Operations Engineer, FHWA, 12300 
West Dakota Avenue, Suite 180, Lakewood, Colorado 80228, Telephone 720 
963 3017. Sharon Lipp Colorado Department of Transportation, Region 6, 
3840 York Street, Suite 130, Denver, Colorado 80205, Telephone 303 294 
9300.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 19, 2003, the FTA and FHWA, in 
cooperation with the Regional Transportation District (RTD), Colorado 
Department of Transportation (CDOT), and City and County of Denver 
published a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement for proposed transportation improvements in the City and 
County of Denver, Adams County and the City of Aurora. FTA will now 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/Section 4(f) Evaluation (EIS/
4(f) for transit improvements proposed in the East Corridor between 
downtown Denver and Denver International Airport (DIA). FHWA will now 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/4(f) Evaluation (EIS/4(f) for 
highway improvements on Interstate 70 (I-70) between Interstate 25 (I-
25) and Tower Road. The purpose of the proposed actions is to improve 
safety, mobility, and access, and decrease congestion. Currently 
downtown Denver is the center for rail and bus transit in the region. 
DIA is a critical link in the regional and national transportation 
network. The I-70 East Corridor is one of the mot heavily traveled and 
congested corridors in the region and state. Highway safety issues 
revolve around the age and design features of the interchanges and 
roadway.
    Project scoping was conducted in 2003 as part of the joint project 
between FHWA, CDOT, FTA, RTD, and Denver. However, since that time the 
FTA and FHWA have decided to prepare separate EISs for the transit and 
highway elements.
    Scoping included various coordination activities with affected 
parties, stakeholders, organization, Federal, State and local agencies; 
agency scoping meetings; and through community outreach and public 
meetings in the project corridor. In addition, a variety of grassroots 
outreach techniques have been used including a door-to-door campaign 
for some of the neighborhoods, flyers, block and neighborhood meetings, 
and business and community-organization outreach meetings. To be placed 
on the public mailing list to receive additional project information, 
contact Mike Turner (RTD) and/or Sharon Lipp (CDOT) at the address 
previously provided.
    Comments or questions concerning these proposed actions and the EIS 
Section 4(f) Evaluations should be directed to Dave Beckhouse (FTA) 
and/or Chris Horn (FHWA) at the addresses previously provided.
    The EIS/Section 4(f) Evaluations will evaluate improvement 
alternatives and the Non-action alternative based on the Purpose and 
Need developed for the corridor. alternatives have been developed 
thorough an extensive agency and community outreach process. A full 
range of potential alignments and corridors were considered for both 
transit and highway alternatives.
    The East Corridor EIS will result in a decision concerning transit 
improvements, if any, to be built to improve mobility in the corridor. 
The I-70 East EIS will result in a decision about which highway 
improvements, if any, will be built to improve safety and address 
congestion.

East Corridor EIS

    The alternatives evaluated in the Draft EIS (DEIS) and Section 4(f) 
Evaluation will include, but not be limited to, bus and rail 
technologies. Rail transit along the Union Pacific Railroad corridor 
from downtown Denver to DIA and enhancements to the existing transit 
system to connect to the East Corridor will also be evaluated. As part 
of the transit evaluations, station locations will be identified and 
studied as appropriate.
    FTA will analyze social, economic, and environmental impacts of the 
various alternatives. Other major issues to be evaluated include air 
quality, noise, vibration, community cohesion impacts, and possible 
disruption of neighborhoods and business and commercial activities.
    The DEIS will be available for public and agency review and 
comment. Information concerning the availability of the DEIS will be 
published at a later date.

I-70 East EIS

    The alternatives evaluated in the Draft EIS (DEIS) and Section 4(f) 
Evaluation will include, but not be limited to, variations of the 
horizontal and vertical alignment of I-70 as well as capacity and 
safety improvements. Existing and future interchanges will also be 
evaluated.
    FHWA will evaluate social, economic, and environmental impacts of 
the various alternatives. A major concern is environmental justice. I-
70 passes through three older communities that have been affected by 
several actions on I-70 beginning with the initial construction of I-70 
in the 1960s and subsequent actions including reconstruction of the I-
70 viaduct and roadway widening on the western segment of the Corridor. 
Other major issues to be evaluated include air quality, noise, 
aesthetics, community cohesion impacts, and possible disruption of 
neighborhoods and business and commercial activities.
    The DEIS will be available for public and agency review and 
comment. Information concerning the availability of the DEIS will be 
published at a later date.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing 
Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on 
Federal programs and activities apply to this program.)

Lee O. Waddleton,
Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, 12300 W. Dakota 
Ave. Suite 310, Lakewood, Colorado 80228-2583.
David Nicol,
Division Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, 12300 W. Dakota 
Ave. Suite 180, Lakewood, Colorado 80228-2583.
[FR Doc. 06-5879 Filed 6-29-06; 8:45 am]
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