[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 2, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51338-51340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-20221]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement on Central 
Broward East-West Transit Analysis in Broward County, FL

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

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS).

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Florida 
Department of Transportation (FDOT) intend to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Central Broward East-West 
public transportation improvements in Broward County, Florida, from 
Sawgrass Mills/Bank Atlantic Center in western Broward County, to the 
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in eastern Broward 
County, with the alignment located in the vicinity of Sawgrass 
Corporate Park, Interstate-595 (I-595), State Road 7 (SR 7), Broward 
Boulevard and Andrews Avenue. The EIS will be prepared in accordance 
with regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), as well as provisions of the recently enacted Safe, 
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy 
for Users. The purpose of this Notice of Intent 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.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of the 
alternatives and impacts to be considered should be sent to Mr. Scott 
Seeburger, Project Manager, by October 2, 2008. Addresses for the 
public scoping meetings are as follows.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the project scope should be sent to Mr. 
Scott Seeburger, Project Manager, Florida Department of Transportation, 
3400 West Commercial Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309 (or by 
e-mail: [email protected]; or by fax: (954) 777-4671).
    Scoping meetings will be held at the following locations:

Agency Coordination Meeting

    September 15, 2008, 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., West Regional Library, 
Multi-Purpose Room, 8601 W. Broward Boulevard, Plantation, FL 33324.

Public Meetings

    September 15, 2008, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., West Regional Library, 
Multi-Purpose Room, 8601 W. Broward Boulevard, Plantation, FL 33324.
    September 17, 2008, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., African American Research 
Library, Seminar Rooms 1 & 2, 2650 Sistrunk Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, 
FL 33311.
    September 25, 2008, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Broward General Medical Center, 
Auditoriums A & B, 1600 S Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316.
    These locations are accessible by persons with disabilities. If 
special translation or signing services or other special accommodations 
are needed, please contact the Project Manager. The program includes a 
project Web site (http://www.centralbrowardtransit.com)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jamie Pfister, State Programs Team 
Leader, Federal Transit Administration, 230 Peachtree, NW., Suite 800, 
Atlanta, Georgia 30303, Telephone: (404) 865-5600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    The Central Broward East-West Transit Analysis EIS will examine 
improved transit service in the Central Broward East-West Corridor 
between Sawgrass Mills/Bank Atlantic Center and the Fort Lauderdale-
Hollywood International Airport through Downtown Fort Lauderdale. The 
FDOT and FTA invite interested individuals, organizations, Native 
American Tribes, and federal, state, and local agencies to participate 
in defining the purpose and need for, and refining the scope of the 
Central Broward East-West Transit Analysis DEIS. Comments should focus 
on identifying any significant social, economic, or environmental 
issues related to the proposed alternatives. Specific suggestions 
related to alignment configurations to be examined, issues to be 
addressed, and additional alternatives are welcome and will be 
considered in the final scope for the study. Scoping comments should 
focus on the issues for analysis. Comments may be made at the scoping 
meetings or in writing no later than October 2, 2008. See DATES and 
ADDRESSES above for meeting times and locations and the address for 
written comments. A scoping information packet is available from Scott 
Seeburger at the address given above or on the project Internet Web 
page at http://www.centralbrowardtransit.com. See ADDRESSES above.

II. Description of Study Area and Project Purpose and Need

    The study area is located in Broward County, Florida. The corridor 
boundaries of the study area are in the central part of Broward County, 
bounded generally by Oakland Park Boulevard on the north, the Sawgrass 
Expressway/I-75 on the west, Griffin Road on the south, and the 
Intracoastal Waterway in the east.
    Mobility issues in this corridor have been well documented in many 
studies, including the I-95/I-595 Master Plan, Tri-County Commuter Rail 
Authority 2020 Master Plan for Broward County, Interstate 595 Freeway 
Operational Analysis, and the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Transit 
Connector Study. The purpose of the Central Broward East-West Transit 
Corridor Project is to provide high-quality, high-capacity transit 
service on an east-west axis in central Broward County to connect the 
major commercial and retail centers, residential areas, and the highly 
dense coastal area. The introduction of premium transit service to the 
corridor would offer an alternative means of travel for the growing 
number of residents, employees, and visitors in Broward County and 
would improve mobility throughout the region. The proposed project 
would support continued economic growth and development along the 
corridor and would be able to meet the anticipated increases in travel 
demand and help reduce future congestion in the corridor. Moreover, 
increased mobility in the corridor with fewer numbers of vehicles 
should help to minimize future increases in vehicle miles traveled, 
fuel consumption, and vehicle emissions.

[[Page 51339]]

    In a region where high capacity transportation facilities are 
primarily oriented north-south, the Central Broward East-West Corridor 
study area is Broward County's most important and heavily traveled 
east-west corridor. Much of the growth in recent years has occurred in 
the western portion of the county, which has seen rapid growth in 
population, households, and employment.

III. Alternatives

    The transportation alternatives proposed for consideration in this 
study area include:
    No-Build Alternative--the No Build Alternative would consist of the 
``existing + committed'' network plus the transit elements as described 
in the 2030 LRTP without the Central Broward East-West Transit 
Analysis.
    Transportation System Management (TSM) Alternative or Baseline--the 
proposed TSM alternative is comprised of the No Build Alternative plus 
a set of express bus routes and park-and-ride facilities that are 
designed to serve the same travel markets as the proposed CBEWTA build 
alternatives. The proposed TSM alternative was developed in 
consultation with staff members of Broward County Transit (BCT), the 
Broward County MPO, District 4 of the Florida Department of 
Transportation and the FTA.
    Build Alternative--includes the construction of a light rail line 
that provides service from the Sawgrass Mills area through the Sawgrass 
Corporate Park in the City of Sunrise, along I-595, SR 7, Broward 
Boulevard, to Downtown Fort Lauderdale and the Fort Lauderdale-
Hollywood International Airport Intermodal Center. This alternative has 
been endorsed by the Central Broward East-West Transit Analysis 
Steering Committee, the Technical Coordinating Committee of the MPO, 
and the MPO Board. It includes an alignment variation serving the City 
of Lauderdhill that will be evaluated in the EIS.
    Numerous alternatives were evaluated in the Alternatives Analysis 
Study completed in 2005. The Alternatives Analysis used a four-phase 
evaluation process, including two levels of environmental, community, 
and transportation alternatives screening. The first evaluation was 
completed during the scoping phase of the study, when six initial 
alignment alternatives and eight modal alternatives (including express 
bus, bus rapid transit, high occupancy vehicle lanes, light rail 
transit, heavy rail transit, commuter rail transit, automated guideway 
transit, and monorail transit) were identified and evaluated using 
criteria that were primarily qualitative. The four alignment 
alternatives and two modal options (bus rapid transit, light rail 
transit) resulting from the scoping phase were further evaluated during 
the initial screening phase, where a qualitative assessment of 
quantitative data was completed. The same set of alternatives was then 
subjected to an advanced screening phase using refined criteria and a 
more quantitative process. The MPO then selected a generalized 
alignment, which was further evaluated during the fourth phase. This 
fourth round of evaluation was necessary in order to assist the MPO in 
deciding between the two recommended transit technologies, BRT and LRT, 
and to assess variations to portions of the recommended alignment. From 
this, the preferred Build Alternative described above, including an 
alignment variant, was selected by the MPO for detailed environmental 
analysis.
    Advanced Scoping Alternatives--As a result of the completed 
Alternatives Analysis, a two-level environmental, community, and 
transportation screening resulted in the recommendation of a Locally 
Preferred Alternative (LPA):
     Light rail transit running along I-595 to SR 7 to Broward 
Boulevard to Andrews Avenue, terminating at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood 
International Airport
    The LPA will undergo additional environmental screening and impact 
analysis including variations of the LPA that are identified through 
the scoping process. This may include:
     I-595 to SR 84 to I-95 to Broward Blvd and along Andrews 
Avenue, terminating at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport
     I-595 to SR 7 to Davie Boulevard with a connection to 
Broward Boulevard and along Andrews Avenue, terminating at Fort 
Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport
     I-595 to Florida's Turnpike to Broward Boulevard and along 
Andrews Avenue, terminating at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International 
Airport
     I-595 to SR7 to Sunrise Boulevard to Broward Boulevard and 
along Andrews Avenue, terminating at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood 
International Airport
    Based on the Scoping results, Bus Rapid Transit may be further 
analyzed.

IV. The EIS Process and the Role of Participating Agencies and the 
Public

    The purpose of the EIS process is to explore, in a public setting, 
potentially significant effects of implementing the proposed action and 
alternatives on the physical, human, and natural environment. Areas of 
investigation include, but are not limited to, land use, development 
potential, land acquisition and displacements, historic resources, 
visual and aesthetic qualities, air quality, noise and vibration, 
energy use, safety and security, and ecosystems, including threatened 
and endangered species. Measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any 
significant adverse impacts will be identified. Participating agency 
requirements of the recently enacted Safe, Accountable, Flexible, 
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), 
are satisfied by FDOT's Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM) 
Process. An invitation to become a participating agency, with the 
scoping information packet appended, will be extended to other Federal 
and non-Federal agencies and Indian tribes that may have an interest in 
the proposed project.
    A comprehensive public involvement program has been developed and a 
public and agency involvement Coordination Plan will be created. The 
program includes a project Web site (http://www.centralbrowardtransit.com); outreach to local and County officials 
and community and civic groups; a public scoping process to define the 
issues of concern among all parties interested in the project; 
establishment of a community advisory committee and organizing periodic 
meetings with that committee; a public hearing on release of the draft 
environmental impact statement (DEIS); establishment of walk-in project 
offices in the corridor; and development and distribution of project 
newsletters.
    The purposes of and need for the proposed project have been 
preliminarily identified in this notice. We invite the public and 
participating agencies to consider the preliminary statement of 
purposes of and need for the proposed project, as well as the 
alternatives proposed for consideration. Suggestions for modifications 
to the statement of purposes of and need for the proposed project and 
any other alternatives that meet the purposes of and need for the 
proposed project are welcomed and will be given serious consideration. 
Comments on potentially significant environmental impacts that may be 
associated with the proposed project and alternatives are also 
welcomed. There will be additional opportunities to participate in the 
scoping process at the public meetings announced in this notice.
    FDOT is seeking New Starts funding for the proposed project under 
49 U.S.C. 5309 and will therefore be subject to New Starts regulations 
(49 CFR Part

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611). The New Starts regulation requires the submission of specific 
information in support of a request to initiate preliminary 
engineering, and this information is normally developed in conjunction 
with the NEPA process. Pertinent New Starts evaluation criteria will be 
included in the Final Environmental Impact Statement.

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

    Issued on: August 25, 2008.
Yvette G. Taylor,
Regional Administrator, FTA Region 4.
[FR Doc. E8-20221 Filed 8-29-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P