[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 174 (Monday, September 8, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52075-52076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-20698]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact Report: 
San Francisco, CA

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a joint Environmental Impact 
Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR).

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SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the California Department of 
Transportation (Caltrans), and The San Francisco County Transportation 
Authority (Authority), is issuing this notice to advise the public that 
an Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) 
will be prepared for the proposed Yerba Buena Island (YBI) Ramps 
Improvement Project on Interstate 80 (I-80) in San Francisco County, 
California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Cordoba, San Francisco County 
Transportation Authority, 100 Van Ness Avenue, 26th Floor, San 
Francisco, CA 94102, Telephone (415) 955-2904 or Melanie Brent, 
Caltrans District 4 Office of Environmental Analysis, 111 Grand Avenue, 
Oakland, CA 94623, Telephone (510) 286-5231.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective July 1, 2007, the Federal Highway 
Administration (FHWA) assigned, and the California Department of 
Transportation (Caltrans) assumed, National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) environmental responsibilities for highway projects pursuant to 
23 U.S.C. 327. In cooperation with Caltrans, the Authority will prepare 
a joint EIS/EIR for the proposed YBI Ramps Improvement Project at Yerba 
Buena Island in the City and County of San Francisco, California. 
Caltrans is the lead agency under NEPA and the Authority is the lead 
agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
    YBI is located in San Francisco Bay, between Oakland and San 
Francisco, and is accessible by vehicles only via the San Francisco-
Oakland Bay Bridge (SFOBB), which is a critical link in the interstate 
network, providing access between San Francisco and the East Bay. The 
only access to Treasure Island, located north of YBI, and the only land 
access to the active U.S. Coast Guard facilities on the south side of 
YBI, is also from the SFOBB and the associated on- and off-ramps.
    The proposed project would replace the existing westbound on- and 
off-

[[Page 52076]]

ramps located on the east side of YBI with new westbound on- and off-
ramps that replicate the functional role of the current ramps and also 
address seismic, traffic safety requirements, and design standards. The 
feasibility of improving the geometric configuration of the current 
eastbound off-ramp on the eastern side of YBI to Hillcrest Road will 
also be included. The YBI Ramps Improvement Project is separate and 
independent of both the SFOBB East Span Seismic Safety Project 
currently under construction, and the Treasure Island and Yerba Buena 
Island (TI/YBI) Redevelopment Plan, which is currently undergoing its 
own environmental review process. The proposed new ramps would improve 
traffic and seismic safety of the ramps and provide connections between 
YBI and the transition structure of the new SFOBB. The proposed project 
is located between Post Mile (PM) 7.8 and 8.1 starting at the east 
portal of the YBI tunnel and ending before the SFOBB Transition 
Structure.
    The purpose of the project is to address geometric and operational 
deficiencies of the existing on- and off-ramps, improve traffic 
operations to and from the SFOBB and improve traffic safety by 
increasing deceleration length for the eastbound and westbound off-
ramps, and increasing merging distance for eastbound and westbound on-
ramps. Preliminary alternatives under consideration for the EIS/EIR 
include:
    (1) No Build Alternative, which assumes that the existing on- and 
off-ramps would remain in place and no further action or improvements 
would occur;
    (2) Alternative 2B, which would include the removal of the existing 
westbound on- and off-ramps on the east side of YBI, construction of a 
westbound off-ramp to Macalla Court on the east side of YBI, 
construction of a westbound hook on-ramp from Macalla Court on the east 
side of YBI. The feasibility of incorporating improvements to the 
current eastbound off-ramp on the eastern side of YBI to Hillcrest Road 
will be studied; and,
    (3) Alternative 4, which would include the removal of the existing 
westbound on- and off-ramps on the east side of YBI, the construction 
of westbound on-ramp from Hillcrest Road, the construction of westbound 
off-ramp from Macalla Court on the east side of YBI. The feasibility of 
incorporating improvements to the current eastbound off-ramp on the 
eastern side of YBI to Hillcrest Road will be studied.
    Anticipated Federal approvals or permits include, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service (USFWS) Section 7 Endangered Species Act, 
Consultation, Sections 401 and 404 of the Clean Water Act, Section 4(f) 
of the Transportation Act of 1966, Section 6(f) Land and Water 
Conservation Fund Act, Section 10 Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE), 
Section 9 Coast Guard, and determination of consistency with the 
Federal Coastal Zone Management Act by the San Francisco Bay 
Conservation and Development Commission.
    Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will 
be sent to appropriate Federal, State, participating agencies 
(including federally recognized Tribal governments, if any), local 
agencies, and private organizations and citizens who have previously 
expressed or are known to have interest in this proposal. The NEPA 
environmental process for the proposed project began in June 2008. A 
public scoping meeting is scheduled to be held at the Port of San 
Francisco office, in the Bayside Conference Room located at Pier 1, The 
Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94111 on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 
from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
    In addition, at least one public hearing will be held after the 
publication of the Draft EIS/EIR. Public notice will be given of the 
time and place of the meeting and hearing (as applicable). The Draft 
EIS/EIR will be available for public and agency review and comment 
prior to the public hearing.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments 
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comment or 
questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be 
directed to Eric Cordoba, Project Manager for the Authority, with a 
copy of comment sent to Melanie Brent, Caltrans Office Chief. Written 
comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. on October 6, 2008 and 
should be sent to Eric Cordoba at the Authority, with a copy of the 
comment sent to Melanie Brent at Caltrans at the addresses listed 
above.

(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.)


    Issued on: September 5, 2008.
Nancy E. Bobb,
Director, State Programs, Federal Highway Administration, Sacramento, 
California.
[FR Doc. E8-20698 Filed 9-5-08; 8:45 am]
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