[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 184 (Monday, September 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54318-54321]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-4713]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the Van Ness 
Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Project in San Francisco, CA

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA), the Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 
CFR part 1505.6), and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 
Section 151710, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), in 
cooperation with the San Francisco County Transportation Authority 
(SFCTA), will prepare a joint Environmental Impact Statement/
Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for the Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid 
Transit (BRT) Project, an approximately two-mile transit improvement 
along Van Ness Avenue through the City and County of San Francisco, 
California. The Project would create dedicated bus lanes from 
approximately South Van Ness Avenue and Mission Street (south end) to 
Van Ness Avenue and Lombard Street (north end). The project would also 
establish high capacity stations with passenger amenities and low-level 
boarding platforms; real time bus arrival information systems; proof-
of-payment fare verification; transit signal priority; and modern, 
high-capacity, low-floor, multi-door buses.
    The EIS/EIR will evaluate the following alternatives: (1) No-
Project/Baseline Alternative; (2) Van Ness Avenue BRT Project, which 
will include design options for the configuration of the BRT transitway 
and stations; and (3) any additional reasonable alternatives that 
emerge from the study process. The EIS will be prepared in accordance 
with FTA regulations (23 CFR 771 et seq.) implementing the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as well as provisions of the Safe, 
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy 
for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The EIR will be prepared in accordance with the

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California Environmental Quality Act (California Code of Regulation, 
Title 14, Chapter 3). As part of the EIS/EIR process, an evaluation of 
potential transit improvement alternatives will be completed 
(``alternatives analysis'') in accordance with 23 CFR Part 450 and 
inform the development of project alternatives.
    Previous studies and documents relevant to this action include the 
recently completed Van Ness Avenue BRT Feasibility Study (December 
2006); 2005 Prop K Strategic Plan (March 2005); 2004 San Francisco 
Countywide Transportation Plan (adopted July 20, 2004), and the New 
Transportation Expenditure Plan for San Francisco (Proposition K, 
approved November 4, 2003). These documents describe the planning and 
funding for transportation improvements in San Francisco, including BRT 
in major bus corridors. These documents can be downloaded at the Web 
site www.sfcta.org, or requested from the Authority.
    EIS/EIR preparation will be initiated through a formal NEPA scoping 
process, which solicits input on issues and potential project impacts 
to consider in the environmental studies. Scoping will be accomplished 
through meetings and correspondence with interested persons, 
organizations, the general public, and Federal, State, and local 
agencies. Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting 
comments have been sent to the appropriate Federal, State, and local 
agencies, and to private organizations and individuals. Comments on 
issues and impacts to be considered in preparation of the EIS/EIR will 
be recorded in the project information database.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of alternatives 
and impacts to be considered must be postmarked no later than October 
18, 2007 and should be sent to SFTA at the contact address below.
    NEPA Scoping Meeting Date: The public scoping meetings will be held 
on October 2, 2007 at the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway, 1500 Van Ness 
Avenue, San Francisco, CA, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The meeting agenda 
will include opportunities to speak with project staff, viewing of 
information on the project, a brief presentation of the project purpose 
and alternatives, and opportunity for meeting participants to comment 
on issues of interest. The open house will resume after the 
presentation and comment period. Project staff will be present to 
receive formal agency and public input regarding the scope of the 
environmental studies, key issues, and other suggestions. The meeting 
room is accessible to persons with disabilities. Any individual with a 
disability who requires special assistance, such as a sign language 
interpreter, or any individual who requires English language 
interpretation should contact the SFCTA at 415-593-1423 at least 48 
hours in advance of the meeting in order for the SFCTA to make 
necessary arrangements.

ADDRESSES: The scoping meeting will be held at the locations identified 
in the NEPA Scoping Meeting Date section above. Written comments should 
be sent to: Rachel Hiatt, Senior Transportation Planner, San Francisco 
County Transportation Authority; 100 Van Ness Avenue, 26th Floor; San 
Francisco, CA 94612. Phone: 415-522-4809 or [email protected]. To 
be added to the mailing list for the Van Ness Avenue BRT Project, 
contact Ms. Hiatt at the address listed above. Persons with special 
needs should leave a message at the phone number above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Turchie, Federal Transit 
Administration, Office of Planning and Program Development; 201 Mission 
Street, Suite 1650; San Francisco, CA 94105. Phone: 415-744-2737 or 
[email protected]. Additional information on the Van Ness Avenue 
BRT Project can be found on the project Web site at: http://www.vannessbrt.org/ and by contacting Rachel Hiatt at the SFCTA.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Project Background

    The proposed project would be located in a key north-south 
transportation corridor in the heart of the City and County of San 
Francisco. Van Ness Avenue is an important roadway and transit route 
serving high density commercial, residential, and civic/institutional 
areas along its length from the U.S. and State Highway Route 101 
freeway on the south to San Francisco Bay on the north. It is an at-
grade continuation of U.S. and State Highway Route 101 from the freeway 
to Lombard Street, which continues west to Doyle Drive and the Golden 
Gate Bridge. The roadway serves as a major thoroughfare for local 
traffic as well as through traffic, carrying over 50,000 people in cars 
per day and about 4000 people in vehicles during the pm peak hour. 
Transit service is provided by Muni routes 47 and 49, and by Golden 
Gate Transit (based in Marin County), which operates commute service 
and limited all-day service into San Francisco on Van Ness Avenue. 
About 43,000 passengers use Muni Routes 47 and 49 and the Golden Gate 
Transit Van Ness routes daily, with approximately 15,000 passengers 
riding daily within the Van Ness Avenue segment of service. A number of 
major east-west transit routes cross Van Ness Avenue and generate major 
bus-to-bus and bus-to-rail transfers with Van Ness Avenue services, 
including the muni Metro lines and the Muni lines 38 (Geary) and 38L 
(Geary Limited).
    Traffic congestion in mix-flow traffic lanes and transit 
overcrowding result in poor transit service reliability and low average 
bus speeds, currently just 5 to 7 miles per hour during commute 
periods. Bus reliability is poor, with high variation in headways and 
bus bunching. Transit mode shares are low relative to the potential 
transit market along this corridor, where housing densities within one-
quarter mile of Van Ness Avenue average over 90 units per acre, where 
46% of households do not own a car (relative to 29% citywide), and 
where the city expects to add about 3,800 new housing units and 8,500 
new jobs by 2025.
    Van Ness Avenue has been identified as a high priority transit 
improvement corridor in a number of planning studies and funding 
actions by the City. The Authority's Four Corridors Plan (1995) and 
Muni's Vision for Rapid Transit (2000) identified Van Ness as a 
priority corridor for rapid transit improvements. Along with two other 
key transit corridors, Van Ness Avenue was designated for BRT 
improvements in the New Expenditure Plan for San Francisco, approved by 
voters as Proposition K, the reauthorization of the City's \1/2\ cent 
transportation sales tax measure, in November 2003. The Expenditure 
Plan is the investment component of the 2004 San Francisco Countywide 
Transportation Plan, which sets forth the city's ``blueprint to guide 
the development of transportation funding priorities and policy'' with 
a key objective being the promotion and implementation of San 
Francisco's transit first policy through the development of a network 
of fast, reliable transit including bus rapid transit. The Van Ness 
Avenue BRT Feasibility Study was initiated in 2004, completed in 2006, 
and evaluated the feasibility of four alternative BRT configurations on 
Van Ness Avenue. Four BRT alternatives were developed and compared with 
a No Project scenario, in conjunction with a comprehensive public and 
agency participation program. The Feasibility Study found that all four 
BRT configurations are feasible on Van Ness and recommended an 
environmental analysis to identify a preferred alternative. The 
alternatives form the

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foundation for the BRT improvements to be evaluated in the proposed 
project EIS/EIR.

II. Purpose and Need

    The City and County of San Francisco adopted as part of the 2004 
Countywide Transportation Plan and its investment component, the New 
Expenditure Plan for San Francisco, a bus rapid transit strategy for 
expanding rapid transit service in San Francisco. The BRT network is 
intended to address the following purpose:
    1. Support the city's growth and development needs
    2. Better serve existing transit riders and stem and reverse the 
trend toward transit mode share loss
    3. Improve the operational efficiency and cost effectiveness of the 
transportation system.
    A BRT network can meet those goals by:--
     Improving transit levels of service cost effectively.
     Strengthening rapid transit services
     Raising the cost effectiveness of Muni service and 
operational efficiency of transit preferential streets
     Contributing to livability of BRT corridors
    Specific Van Ness BRT project purpose and need statements linked to 
these goals were subsequently established to guide the development of a 
BRT project for the Van Ness Avenue corridor. They guided preparation 
of the Van Ness Avenue BRT Feasibility Study (2005-2006), and include:
     Close the performance gap between transit and automobile 
travel on Van Ness Avenue. For transit, this means reducing travel time 
(including wait time); significantly increasing reliability and 
reducing bunching; reducing crowding; and improving connectivity and 
safety.
     Raise the operational efficiency of Van Ness Avenue. San 
Francisco has limited roadway capacity and no space to expand the 
network. It is also difficult in many areas to travel by auto given the 
obstacles--limited capacity and resulting congestion on key roadway 
segments. It is city policy to encourage travel by higher capacity 
modes to expand the transportation network's carrying capacity and use 
it more efficiently. BRT offers a means to expand the overall capacity 
of Van Ness Avenue. However, transit buses must be separated from the 
existing traffic and pedestrian congestion and other impediments to 
efficient, fast travel.
    Transit infrastructure improvements would allow Muni to operate 
buses more efficiently and improve the productivity of buses by 
enabling each bus to complete more runs per hour. Frequent stops and 
starts and slowed, sometimes uneven, operations in congested conditions 
increase the wear and tear on buses and also fuel consumption. 
Improving average bus speeds would lead to more efficient operations 
and allow Muni to serve more passengers at a lower cost per passenger.
     Raise the level of amenities and urban design of Van Ness 
Avenue. Van Ness Avenue is currently not an appealing urban environment 
for pedestrians. The Van Ness Avenue BRT Project incorporates elements 
that enhance the urban design and identity of Van Ness Avenue, 
especially at major transit nodes such as Mission Street and South Van 
Ness, Market Street, and Geary and O'Farrell streets. Transit capital 
improvements properly done and integrated with other design initiatives 
would make the street more livable and attractive for residents and 
commercial and institutional uses along its length. The BRT on Van Ness 
Avenue Project would incorporate pedestrian safety and urban design 
features and help transform Van ness Avenue into a ``signature 
Preferential Transit Street and distinctive gateway into San 
Francisco.''
     Accommodate future mobility needs. This need is linked to 
the continuing growth in the San Francisco and the region. More housing 
and more households now exist than in 2000 and they are projected to 
continue growing, with population increasing almost 20 percent by 2030 
(Association of Bay Area Governments, Projections 2005; San Francisco's 
2000 population was 776,733; 2030 population is projected to be 
924,600). Employment is forecast to grown by 29 percent during the same 
period, to 829,090 jobs available by 2030 (ABAG). Along the Van Ness 
Avenue corridor itself, over 3,800 new housing units and 8,500 new jobs 
are anticipated. Transit priority and other congestion management 
measures offer an important way to accommodate the resulting growth in 
travel demand, which will be focused on the major transportation 
corridors in the city. Van Ness Avenue is one of these critical 
corridors.

III. Alternatives

    Alternatives to be reviewed in the include a (1) No-Project/
Baseline Alternative, which would encompass low cost improvements to 
corridor bus services, such as bus stop amenities and limited transit 
signal priority; (2) Van Ness Avenue BRT Project, which would provide a 
full complement of BRT improvements in two or more cross-sectional 
configurations for Van Ness Avenue between approximately Mission Street 
and Lombard Street; and (3) any other service, alignment or cross-
sectional alternatives that emerge from the scoping and alternatives 
analysis processes.
    The No-Project Alternative assumes a 2030 condition of land use and 
transportation capital and service improvements that are programmed or 
planned to be implemented by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation 
Agency (MTA, which includes San Francisco Muni and the Department of 
Parking and Traffic) and other transit providers in the study area 
(e.g. Golden Gate Transit, Caltrain, the commuter rail service between 
San Francisco and San Jose, and the Bay Area Rapid Transit District, or 
BART, a regional rail service provider). For transit, these include 
upgraded bus stops and passenger information/communication systems. 
Other transportation system improvements, such roadway traffic 
management measures, street lighting upgrades, and street resurfacing/
landscaping projects that would be the responsibility of the San 
Francisco Department of Public Works (DPW), the Public Utilities 
Commission (PUC), or the California State Department of Transportation 
(Caltrans), will be included in the 2030 No-Project network. This 
network will also form the background network for the build 
alternatives.
    The Van Ness Avenue BRT Project would include, among other 
features, dedicated transit lanes within the existing Van Ness Avenue 
right-of-way; sheltered, low-platform passenger stations with real time 
bus arrival passenger information signs, lighting, and wayfinding; 
self-service fare vending on station platforms and on-board proof-of-
payment verification; and advanced transit traffic signal priority and 
traffic management systems to reduce bus delays at signalized 
intersections yet maintain acceptable traffic flow. Passenger stations 
would be spaced on average every 940 feet with local bus service one 
block to the east. BRT transitway and stations improvements would be 
made entirely within existing public rights-of-way; improvements 
outside of existing public rights of way are not anticipated with the 
possible exception of required improvements to existing Muni bus 
storage and maintenance facilities and to off-alignment intersections 
and parking facilities for mitigation of project impacts. Variations in 
the cross-section for the BRT transitway and the locations of stations 
are anticipated and would comprise design options for the

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basic BRT alignment. A two-way transitway either in the median of Van 
Ness Avenue or along the outside curbs (one northbound BRT lane along 
the east curb/parking lane; one southbound BRT lane along the west 
curb/parking lane) and, correspondingly, stations in the median or as 
extensions of the sidewalk were considered in the Van Ness Avenue BRT 
Feasibility Study and warrant further evaluation as part of the EIS/EIR 
and alternatives analysis.
    The SFCTA in association with Muni will evaluate the procurement of 
modern low-floor high-capacity vehicles that would be assigned to the 
BRT service and have added features, such as two-sided multidoor 
access, passenger station docking assist, and other amenities. 
Streetscape improvements, such as enhanced landscaping and pedestrian 
access along Van Ness Avenue, are also included in the proposed BRT 
project.

IV. Probable Effects

    FTA and SFCTA will evaluate the transportation, environmental, 
social, and economic impact of each alternative. Effects of the Van 
Ness Avenue BRT Project will be compared to the No Project/Baseline. 
The overall benefits of the Van Ness Avenue BRT Project, including on 
transit speeds and reliability, new riders, and transportation system 
user benefits, will be relative to the No Project/Baseline Alternative. 
The Van Ness Avenue BRT Project Alternative is expected to improve 
transit speeds and increase transit reliability; increase bus transit 
ridership; improve access and mobility for San Francisco residents, 
many of whom are highly dependent on transit; and provide competitive 
transit access to major employment and activity centers relative to the 
No Project/Baseline Alternative.
    Increased congestion and worsening conditions for transit service 
along Van Ness Avenue are expected without a significant improvement. 
The No Project/Baseline Alternatives would not eliminate the main 
impediments to efficient and effective service in the corridor--auto/
transit conflicts in mixed-flow lanes. The Van Ness Avenue BRT Project 
may affect the following areas: Traffic operations; parking; local 
access and circulation; visual and aesthetic effects; historic and 
cultural resources; disturbance of pre-existing hazardous wastes; and 
temporary construction-phase impacts. Impacts of the Van Ness Avenue 
BRT Project will be evaluated for both the construction period and for 
the long-term period of operation. Mitigation measures will be 
identified and evaluated for avoiding and reducing adverse effects.
    To ensure all significant issues related to the proposed project 
are identified and addressed in the ESI/EIR and alternatives analysis, 
comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. 
Comments, suggestions, and questions concerning the proposed action 
should be directed to the contacts listed above.

V. FTA Procedures

    In accordance with the 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 and 
FTA implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508 and 23 CFR part 771); the 
conformity requirements of the Clean Air Act; section 4040 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 practicable during the NEPA process. Prior 
transportation planning studies may be pertinent to establishing the 
purpose and need for the proposed action and the range of alternatives 
to be evaluated in detail in the EIS/EIR. The Draft EIS/EIR will be 
prepared simultaneously with conceptual engineering for the 
alternatives, including bus stop and alignment options. The Draft EIS/
EIR process will address the potential use of Federal funds for the 
proposed action, as well as assessing social, economic, and 
environmental impacts of the proposed Van Ness Avenue BRT Project. The 
Project will be refined to minimize and mitigate any adverse impacts.
    After publication, the Draft EIS/EIR will be available for public 
and agency review and comment, and a public hearing will be held. Based 
on the Draft EIS/EIR and comments received, the San Francisco County 
Transportation Authority Board will select a locally preferred 
alternative (LPA) for further assessment in the Final EIS/EIR, which 
will be based on further engineering of the LPA and other remaining 
alternatives. SFCTA intends to request FTA approval to enter Project 
Development and secure funding under the Small Starts program prior to 
initiating further engineering (e.g., preliminary engineering) and 
preparing the Final EIS/EIR.

    Issued on September 19, 2007.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 07-4713 Filed 9-21-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-M