[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 159 (Thursday, August 17, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47561-47562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-13533]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Notice of Limitation on Claims Against Proposed Public 
Transportation Projects

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Limitation on Claims.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces final environmental actions taken by the 
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for public transportation projects 
in the following urbanized areas: Denver, Colorado; Chicago, Illinois; 
Cleveland, Ohio; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Los 
Angeles, California; and Seattle, Washington. The purpose of this 
notice is to activate the limitation on any claims that may challenge 
these final FTA environmental actions.

DATES: By this notice, FTA is advising the public of final agency 
actions subject to Title 23 United States Code (U.S.C.) section 139(l). 
A claim seeking judicial review of the FTA actions announced herein for 
the listed public transportation projects will be barred unless the 
claim is filed on or before February 13, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joseph Ossi, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, Office of Planning and Environment, 202-366-1613. FTA is 
located at 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours 
are from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that FTA has taken 
final agency actions by issuing certain approvals for the public 
transportation projects listed below. The actions on these projects, as 
well as the laws under which such actions were taken, are described in 
the documentation issued in connection with the project to comply with 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and in other documents in 
the FTA administrative record for the project. The final agency 
environmental decision documents--Records of Decision (RODs) and 
Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSIs)--for the listed projects are 
available online at http://www.fta.dot.gov/planning/environment/planning_environment_documents.html or may be obtained by contacting 
the FTA Regional Office for the urbanized area where the project is 
located. Contact information for the FTA Regional Offices may be found 
at http://www.fta.dot.gov.

[[Page 47562]]

    This notice applies to all FTA decisions on the listed projects as 
of the issuance date of this notice and all laws under which such 
actions were taken, including, but not limited to, the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) [42 U.S.C. 4321-4375], section 4(f) of 
the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 [49 U.S.C. 303], section 
106 of the National Historic Preservation Act [16 U.S.C. 470f], and the 
Clean Air Act [42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q].
    The projects and actions that are the subject of this notice are:
    1. Project name and location: West Corridor Light Rail Transit 
Project; metropolitan Denver, Colorado. Project sponsor: Regional 
Transportation District. Project description: The project is a 12-mile, 
12-station light rail transit (LRT) line from the existing light rail 
line at Auraria West Station (near the Auraria Campus in downtown 
Denver), west across the South Platte River, then west along the 
existing Associated Railroad right-of-way (which roughly parallels 13th 
Avenue), taking a turn to the south at the Lakewood Industrial Park to 
serve the Denver Federal Center, then west along the south side of 6th 
Avenue, crossing back to the north to serve the Jefferson County 
Government Center which is the western terminus of the project. Final 
agency actions: ROD issued April 19, 2004; Section 4(f) finding; 
Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement; and project-level Air Quality 
Conformity determination. Supporting documentation: Final Environmental 
Impact Statement issued October 24, 2003.
    2. Project name and location: Paulina Connector; Chicago, Illinois. 
Project sponsor: Chicago Transit Authority. Project description: The 
Paulina Connector is a rail rapid transit connection on existing 
railroad right-of-way between the Cermak Branch of the Blue line and 
the Green line in Paulina. No new stations are planned, but the project 
will provide operational flexibility and efficiency for service from 
the west side of Chicago to downtown Chicago and O'Hare Airport. Final 
agency actions: FONSI issued on June 12, 2006; Section 106 Finding of 
No Adverse Effect; project-level Air Quality Conformity determination. 
Supporting documentation: Environmental Assessment issued May 5, 2006.
    3. Project name and location: East Side Transit Center; Cleveland, 
Ohio. Project sponsor: Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. 
Project description: The project is the construction of a bus transfer 
center on Prospect Avenue and East 21st Street. Final agency actions: 
FONSI issued on April 11, 2006; Section 106 Programmatic Agreement; 
project-level Air Quality Conformity determination. Supporting 
documentation: Environmental Assessment issued in August 2005.
    4. Project name and location: Minneapolis Nicollet Hotel Block 
Project; Minneapolis, Minnesota. Project sponsors: City of Minneapolis 
and the Metropolitan Council. Project description: This project 
includes a below-grade bus layover facility with the capacity for the 
layover of 26 buses, and an enclosed, at-grade passenger waiting area. 
A private, mixed-used development with approximately 300 dwelling 
units, parking and retail space will be located on the first and second 
floors above the at-grade passenger waiting area. Final agency actions: 
FONSI issued on August 3, 2005; Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement. 
Supporting documentation: Environmental Assessment issued in July 2005.
    5. Project name and location: Northstar Corridor Commuter Rail 
Project, Minneapolis to Big Lake, Minnesota. Project sponsors: 
Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Northstar Corridor 
Development Authority. Project description: This project is a 40-mile 
commuter rail line on existing railroad right-of-way from downtown 
Minneapolis to Big Lake, Minnesota with stations in downtown 
Minneapolis, Fridley, Coon Rapids-Riverdale, Anoka, Elk River and Big 
Lake. The project also includes a light rail transit (LRT) component, 
which is a four block extension of the existing Hiawatha LRT line from 
the Warehouse District Station to the downtown Minneapolis Intermodal 
Station where transfers between the LRT and commuter rail line will 
occur. Final agency actions: ROD issued on December 12, 2002; FONSI on 
project changes issued on March 15, 2006; Section 4(f) finding; and 
Section 106 Programmatic Agreement. Supporting documentation: Final 
Environmental Impact Statement issued on April 5, 2002; Environmental 
Assessment issued on December 22, 2005.
    6. Project name and location: North Shore Connector, Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania. Project sponsor: Port Authority of Allegheny County. 
Project description: The project is a 1.4 mile extension of the light 
rail transit line from Gateway Center Station in downtown, through a 
tunnel under the Allegheny River to a terminus just west of Allegheny 
Avenue on the Pittsburgh North Shore. The project includes three new 
stations--Gateway, North Side, and Allegheny. Final agency actions: 
Amended ROD issued on June 15, 2006; Section 106 Programmatic 
Agreement; Section 4(f) finding; project-level Air Quality Conformity 
determination. Supporting documentation: Final Environmental Impact 
Statement issued May 3, 2002.
    7. Project name and location: Mid-City/Exposition Corridor Light 
Rail Transit Project, Los Angeles, California. Project sponsor: Los 
Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA). Project 
description: The Mid-City/Exposition Corridor Project is a light rail 
transit (LRT) project that will run 8.6 miles from 7th Street/Metro 
Center Station in downtown Los Angeles to the intersection of 
Washington and National Boulevards in Culver City. The LRT will operate 
in a dual-track configuration mainly at-grade on existing streets or in 
a street-median right-of-way owned by LACMTA. The project includes 
eight new LRT stations and three grade separations: one below-grade 
segment at Flower and Figueroa Streets; an aerial segment at La Brea 
Avenue; and an aerial segment at La Cienega Boulevard, extending over 
Jefferson Boulevard and the Ballona Creek to Fay Avenue in Culver City. 
Final agency actions: ROD issued on February 24, 2006; Section 106 
Finding of No Adverse Effect; project-level Air Quality Conformity 
determination. Supporting documentation: Final Environmental Impact 
Statement issued on October 14, 2005.
    8. Project name and location: North Link Light Rail Transit 
Project, Seattle, Washington. Project sponsor: Central Puget Sound 
Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit). Project description: The 
project is a 5-station, 7-mile extension of the light rail transit 
(LRT) system in Seattle. The LRT extension would operate in exclusive 
right-of-way between Northgate area in north Seattle and downtown 
Seattle, with stations at Northgate, Roosevelt, the University 
District, Husky Stadium, and Capitol Hill. Final agency actions: ROD 
issued on June 7, 2006; Section 106 Finding of No Adverse Effect; 
project-level Air Quality Conformity determination. Supporting 
documentation: Final Environmental Impact Statement issued November 5, 
1999; Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement issued April 7, 
2006.

    Issued on: August 10, 2006.
David B. Simpson,
Acting Associate Administrator for Planning and Environment, 
Washington, DC.
 [FR Doc. E6-13533 Filed 8-16-06; 8:45 am]
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