[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 2, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56123-56126]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-19434]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on the 
Restoration of Rail Service in the Northern Branch Corridor, Bergen and 
Hudson Counties, NJ

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

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

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the New Jersey 
Transit Corporation (NJ TRANSIT) intend to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement to study the restoration of rail passenger service on 
the Northern Branch rail corridor between North Bergen, Hudson County, 
and Tenafly, Bergen County. The EIS will be prepared in accordance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) of 
1969 and the regulations implementing NEPA set forth in 40 CFR Parts 
1500-1508 and 23 CFR Part 771, as well as provisions of the recently 
enacted Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity 
Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The purpose of this Notice is to 
alert interested parties regarding the plan to prepare the EIS, to 
provide information on the nature of the proposed transit project, to 
invite participation in the EIS process, including comments on the 
scope of the EIS proposed in this notice, and to announce that public 
scoping meetings will be conducted. This notice supersedes the FTA 
notice of June 18, 2001 entitled ``Major Investment Study/Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Northern Branch Corridor, Bergen 
County, New Jersey.''

DATES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent to Linda 
A. Mosch, P.E., NJ TRANSIT Project Manager, by November 7, 2007. Public 
scoping meetings will be held on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at 3 to 5 
p.m. and at 7 to 9 p.m. at locations indicated under ADDRESSES below. 
An interagency scoping meeting will be scheduled after agencies with an 
interest in the proposed project have been identified.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent to 
Linda A. Mosch, P.E, Project Director--Northern Branch EIS, NJ TRANSIT, 
One Penn Plaza East, Newark, NJ 07105-2246. Comments may also be 
offered at the public scoping meetings. The address for the public 
scoping meeting is as follows: Crowne Plaza Englewood Hotel, 401 S. Van 
Brunt St., Englewood, NJ 07631.
    This location is accessible by persons with disabilities. If 
special translation or signing services or other special accommodations 
are needed, please contact the Project Director, Linda A. Mosch, P.E., 
at (973) 491-8481 least 48 hours before the meeting. A scoping 
information packet is available on the NJ TRANSIT Web site at http://NorthernBranchCorridor.com or by calling the Project Director, Linda A. 
Mosch, P.E., at (973) 491-8481. Copies will also be available at the 
scoping meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Rebecca Reyes-Alicea, Community 
Planner, Federal Transit Administration, One Bowling Green, Room 429, 
New York, New York, 10004-1415, telephone (212) 668-2203.

[[Page 56124]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Scoping
    In accordance with Section 6002 of SAFETEA-LU, FTA and NJT invite 
comment on the scope of the EIS, specifically on project's purpose and 
need, the alternatives to be evaluated that may address the purpose and 
need, and the impacts of the alternatives considered. To ensure that 
these issues are identified, the scoping meetings will begin with a 
formal presentation followed by the opportunity for the public to 
comment on the scope of the EIS. Oral and written comments may be given 
at the scoping meetings; a stenographer will record all comments. Those 
wishing to speak are required to register at the meeting location. 
Registration to speak will begin at 2:30 p.m. and will remain open 
until 4:30 p.m. for the afternoon session; registration to speak will 
begin at 6:30 p.m. and will remain open until 8:30 p.m. for the evening 
session. Written comments may be submitted at the meeting or may be 
mailed to the project manager at the address in ADDRESSES above.

II. Purpose and Need for the Proposed Project

    The purpose of the Northern Branch project is to address the 
transportation needs of the Northern Branch Corridor through the re-
introduction of rail transit service. The project area is heavily 
populated and is centrally located in the New York/New Jersey 
metropolitan area. The area is directly west of the Hudson River, in 
close proximity to Manhattan. The area's location relative to New York 
City has played an important role in its development and continues to 
be an important factor in the economy of the area.
    Most of the transportation problems in the project area are the 
result of the great changes that have taken place during the past 30 
years. While Bergen County's population had not changed significantly 
until 1990, there have been other significant changes. The number of 
households has grown, resulting in smaller households and more workers 
per household than in the past. Even more significant has been the 
growth in employment from 1960 to today. The number of jobs only tells 
part of the story about the project area's economy. The economy is 
diversifying. A growing number of the jobs are now service oriented, 
with fewer in the manufacturing sector. This shift has contributed to 
the area's transportation problems because service sector businesses 
generate more trips than manufacturing businesses, especially during 
the off-peak travel periods.
    The growth in households and the diversification of the economy 
have caused an increase in travel in the project area in recent years. 
The increases have been during the peak travel periods, the off-peak 
weekday periods, and the weekend periods. Congestion on the roads is a 
growing problem, which is reducing overall mobility in the area and 
could constrain future economic growth, and may affect the area's very 
high standard of living.
    While the transportation system continues to provide a fairly high 
level of mobility for some residents and businesses, many parts of the 
system are straining to accommodate the new demands caused by a growing 
economy. The area's roadways provide the best evidence of the strains 
on the system. While more roads are congested for longer periods, there 
are few opportunities to expand local or regional roadway capacity. The 
project area has a substantial transit system. However, there is 
evidence that the system is not providing service for all of the 
markets that could be served. Further investments in transit would 
improve mobility in Bergen County, alleviating some traffic congestion, 
and supporting continued economic growth. Provision of new 
transportation service in the Northern Branch Corridor would address:
     Commuting to New York City (trans-Hudson) from Bergen 
County;
     Inter- and intra-corridor commuting, both to employment 
centers within the project corridor, and from the project corridor to 
employment locations in other areas of New Jersey; and,
     Non-work trips including business, shopping, recreational, 
and education to New York City, within the corridor, and to 
destinations outside the corridor in New Jersey.
    Based on the needs identified in the project area, goals and 
objectives in the Northern Branch Corridor were identified in the early 
planning studies and are as follows.

Goal 1: Meet the Needs of Travelers in the Project Area

    Objectives:
     Attract riders to transit. A central goal of the project 
is to attract more riders to rail transit in the Northern Branch 
corridor. In spite of its proximity to New York, eastern Bergen County 
continues to have high single occupancy vehicle commutation. The goal 
of re-introducing rail transit is to encourage a greater transit 
ridership both on opening day and into the future.
     Improve travel time. Travelers in the project area put a 
high value on their time, and are looking for travel options that will 
improve their travel time and reliability.
     Improve convenience. Travelers are looking for new travel 
options that will make traveling in the region more convenient. They 
are looking for frequent service, adequate parking at stations, 
competitive travel times, and convenient connections to other transit 
services, such as ferries, PATH, and feeder services.
     Provide more options for travelers. Today, travelers are 
severely limited in their travel options. Transit can be used for only 
a very small portion of the area's travel needs. Travelers want more 
travel options to meet their diverse travel needs. Options could 
include service to many destinations, including Midtown, Lower 
Manhattan, the Hudson River Waterfront, Newark, and recreational areas, 
such as the Sports Complex and the Jersey Shore, especially on weekends 
and at night.
     Improve services for the low-income/minority/transit 
dependent travelers. Transit dependent residents in the project area 
need good transit options to more of the region's jobs, not only the 
jobs in Manhattan, but growing employment centers in New Jersey, like 
the Hudson River Waterfront area, Newark, the Meadowlands, and Bergen 
and Rockland employment centers.

Goal 2: Advance Cost-Effective Transit Solutions

    Objectives:
     Support favorable farebox recovery. For the vast majority 
of transit systems, fare revenue does not cover the cost of providing 
service. However, higher farebox recovery ratios allow transit agencies 
to maximize the amount of service that can be provided for the same 
dollar of public operating subsidy. One of the goals of the Northern 
Branch project is to introduce rail transit to the corridor in a manner 
that is sensitive to the need to minimize the operating subsidy 
required to run the service. This will help ensure that the provision 
of transit service in the corridor is financially sustainable.
     Advance cost-effective transit solutions. The objective is 
to advance a project that, from a cost-benefit perspective, provides 
the greatest overall benefit at the lowest capital cost.
     Support future expansion, scalability and affordability. 
The Northern Branch project should allow for future transit expansion 
while at the same time provide a solution that is affordable to 
construct. With limited capital funds, the ability to advance projects 
in phases helps to keep the projects affordable. Project scalability

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allows projects to be constructed without precluding future expansion 
projects. One of the criteria on which the Northern Branch project will 
be evaluated is the degree to which one phase of a project integrates 
into a more global planning effort for transportation improvement in 
the region.

Goal 3: Encourage Economic Growth

    Objectives:
     Provide transportation capacity to support growth. 
Population and employment growth in and around Bergen County and Hudson 
County is expected to continue in the future. Additional transportation 
capacity and new travel options will be needed to support this growth, 
providing access between the jobs in the counties and surrounding 
residential communities. Growing congestion will continue to have 
negative impacts on the area's economy in the future.
     Help attract new businesses. Companies looking to locate 
new facilities, or expand existing facilities in Bergen County and 
Hudson County, will be looking for assurances that steps are being 
taken to provide the area with new travel alternatives. One of the 
major assets of this area is its proximity to New York City and its 
role in sustaining the strength of the State Plan's Metropolitan 
Planning Area. New transportation choices that improve access to New 
York and the rest of the region will help Bergen County and Hudson 
County to maintain its competitive advantage in the region.

Goal 4: Improve regional access

    Objectives:
     Provide connections to a variety of locations within the 
region. With the one exception of Manhattan, Bergen County's access to 
the rest of the region is almost entirely by auto, on highways that are 
becoming increasingly congested. With the completion of the Secaucus 
Transfer, the areas served by the Main, Bergen, and Pascack Valley 
lines now benefit from rail access to the growing Hudson River 
Waterfront area, to Newark, to Trenton, and to the major recreational 
attractions, like the Meadowlands and the New Jersey Shore.

Goal 5: Reduce Roadway Congestion

    Objectives:
     Provide more travel options for travelers trying to avoid 
highway congestion. Major regional highways in the project area are 
heavily congested. There are a limited number of major highways, each 
serving intra-county and regional travel needs. Congestion in Bergen 
County is a growing problem, which is likely to become more serious in 
the future. Transit strategies are unlikely to substantially reduce 
congestion, but can provide useful new travel alternatives for 
travelers trying to avoid congestion.

Goal 6: Enhance the Transit Network

    Objectives:
     Eliminate gaps in the rail network. Bergen County's 
transit share for trips to Manhattan is lower than any other part of 
northern New Jersey. This is due to several gaps in the transit network 
serving the area. For example, there is no rail service in eastern 
Bergen County. The closest rail line is the Pascack Valley Line, which 
is west of the Hackensack River. This inconvenient and capacity-
constrained line is not an option for most residents of eastern Bergen 
County. Also, rail service is infrequent during off-peak periods. Rail 
service is best to Lower Manhattan, via PATH and ferry, less effective 
to the Valley, between Canal Street and 34th Street, via PATH, and most 
difficult to Midtown.
     Eliminate gaps in the bus network. The bus network in 
eastern Bergen County also has some gaps. First, the network only 
serves Midtown Manhattan. Also, in the eastern most parts of the 
county, there is little or no bus service. In the more central parts of 
the study area there are many bus routes. However, these routes are 
generally slow because they travel on local roads and make many stops 
along the route to pick up passengers.

III. Alternatives Proposed for Consideration

    It is proposed that the EIS evaluate a Future No Build Alternative 
and Build alternatives of two modes: diesel-multiple-unit service from 
North Bergen to Tenafly, with a connection to the Hudson-Bergen Light 
Rail at Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen; and an extension of the 
Hudson-Bergen Light Rail from its existing terminus at Tonnelle Avenue 
in North Bergen to Tenafly. Additionally, the EIS will evaluate both 
modal alternatives with a terminus at NJ Route 4 in Englewood.
    Future No Build Alternative: the Future No Build consists of the 
transportation system expected to be in place in the project design 
year if the proposed project were not built. It includes all other 
projects currently in the North Jersey Transportation Authority's 20-
year metropolitan transportation plan.
    Diesel-multiple-unit vehicle: These alternatives would involve 
simultaneous operation of rail passenger and freight operations using 
the Northern Branch Corridor right-of-way. Terminal stations would be 
located at Tenafly, in the vicinity of Hudson Avenue; or at NJ Route 4 
in Englewood.
    Light rail vehicle: These alternatives would involve time-separated 
operation of rail passenger and freight operations using the Northern 
Branch Corridor right-of-way. Rail passenger service would operate 
between 5:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. with freight operations between 11 
p.m. and 5 a.m. Terminal stations would be located at Tenafly, in the 
vicinity of Hudson Avenue; or at NJ Route 4 in Englewood. In order to 
accommodate the shift of freight service to nighttime operation, 
corridor improvements would be constructed between Tenafly and 
Northvale.
    The build alternatives will involve construction of new 
transportation infrastructure, including tracks, stations and yards. As 
many as 11 station locations will be evaluated. Any additional 
reasonable alternatives that come to light during the scoping process 
will also be evaluated.

IV. Probable Effects

    The FTA and NJ TRANSIT will evaluate both project-specific and 
cumulative changes to the social, economic and physical environment--
including land use and socioeconomic conditions, ecology, water 
resources, historic and archaeological resources, visual character and 
aesthetics, contaminated and hazardous materials, transportation, air 
quality, noise and vibration, and environmental justice effects. 
Mitigation of all adverse impacts will be considered.

V. FTA Procedures

    In accordance with 23 CFR 771.105(a) and 771.133, FTA will comply 
with all Federal environmental laws, regulations, and executive orders 
applicable to the proposed project during the environmental review 
process to the maximum extent practicable. These requirements include, 
but are 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 project-level air quality conformity regulation of the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (40 CFR part 93), the 
section 404(b)(1) guidelines of EPA (40 CFR part 230), the regulation 
implementing section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (36 
CFR Part 800), the regulation implementing section 7 of the Endangered 
Species Act (50 CFR part 402), section 4(f) of the DOT Act (23 CFR 
771.135), and Executive Orders

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12898 on environmental justice, 11988 on floodplain management, and 
11990 on wetlands.

    Issued on: September 24, 2007.
Brigid Hynes-Cherin,
Regional Administrator, FTA Region 2.
[FR Doc. E7-19434 Filed 10-1-07; 8:45 am]
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