[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 227 (Monday, November 24, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71085-71087]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-27868]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental 
Impact Report for the Geary Bus Rapid Transit Project in San Francisco, 
CA

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

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the San Francisco 
County Transportation Authority (The Authority) intend to prepare an 
EIS on the implementation of a fixed-guideway transit system in the 
Geary Boulevard Corridor located between the Transbay Terminal on the 
east (at First and Mission Streets) and 33rd Avenue on the west. 
Alternatives proposed to be considered in the draft EIS include a 
combined No Project/Transportation Systems Management (TSM) 
Alternative, a Geary BRT Alternative and any additional reasonable 
alternatives that emerge from the study process. The EIS will be 
prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and its implementing regulations. The FTA and 
The Authority request public and interagency input on the purpose and 
need to be addressed by the project, the alternatives to be considered 
in the EIS, and the environmental and community impacts to be 
evaluated.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of the NEPA review, including the 
project's purpose and need, the alternatives to be considered, and the 
related impacts to be assessed, should be sent to The Authority by 
December 24, 2008. See ADDRESSES below.
    Scoping Meetings: Meetings to accept comments on the scope of the 
EIS will be held on December 4 and December 6, 2008 at the locations 
given below. On December 4, 2008, the public scoping meeting will begin 
at 6 p.m. and continue until 8 p.m. or until all who wish to provide 
oral comments have been given the opportunity. The meeting on December 
6, 2008 will begin at 10 a.m. and continue until 12 p.m. or until all 
who wish to provide oral comments have been given the opportunity.
    The locations are accessible to people with disabilities. A court 
reporter will record oral comments. Forms will be provided on which to 
submit written comments. Project staff will be available at the meeting 
to informally discuss the EIS scope and the proposed project. 
Governmental agencies will be invited to a separate scoping meeting to 
be held on December 3, 2008 at the San Francisco County Transportation 
Authority between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS, including the 
project's purpose and need, the alternatives to be considered, and the 
related impacts to be assessed, should be sent to Zabe Bent, Principal 
Transportation Planner; San Francisco County Transportation Authority; 
100 Van Ness Avenue, 26th Floor; San Francisco, CA 94102. Phone: (415) 
522-4819. Fax: (415) 522-4829. E-mail: [email protected]. Please 
include the name of an appropriate contact person in your agency for 
continued EIS coordination. Further project information will be 
available at the scoping meetings and may also be obtained by calling 
(415) 522-4800, by downloading materials from http://www.GearyBRT.org 
or by e-mailing [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background/Project Description

    The proposed project would be located in the Geary Boulevard 
Corridor, a key east-west transportation corridor in the heart of the 
City and County of San Francisco. Geary Boulevard is an important 
roadway and transit route serving high-density commercial and

[[Page 71086]]

residential areas along its length from Market Street on the east to 
Pacific Ocean on the west. The project aims to improve travel times and 
reliability in the portion of the transit corridor located between the 
Transbay Terminal on the east (at First and Mission Streets) and 33rd 
Avenue on the west; special focus will be on the segment located west 
of Van Ness Avenue which is the most congested portion of the corridor. 
The roadway serves as a major thoroughfare for local traffic as well as 
through traffic, carrying over 50,000 transit trips per day, between 
30,000 and 65,000 auto trips daily depending on the location on the 
corridor, and thousands of pedestrian and bicycle trips. Transit 
service is provided by Muni route 38-Geary (including 38L, 38AX, and 
38BX), and by Golden Gate Transit (based in Marin County), which 
operates commute service and limited all-day service into San Francisco 
on Geary Boulevard. Unlike many transit routes that primarily serve 
commuters, transit ridership on Geary Boulevard is consistently high 
throughout the day, on both weekdays and weekends, and in both the 
eastbound and westbound directions. A number of major north-south 
transit routes cross Geary Boulevard and generate major bus-to-bus 
transfers with Geary Boulevard services, including Muni lines 22-
Fillmore, 49-Van Ness, 30-Stockton, and 14-Mission (including 14L and 
14X), and the Muni Metro T-Line (formerly 15-Third). In addition to the 
routes on and perpendicular to Geary Boulevard, routes that operate 
within a few blocks of Geary Boulevard are considered part of the 
broader Geary corridor, including 1-California (including 1AX and 1BX), 
2-Clement, 3-Jackson, 4-Sutter, and 31-Balboa.
    Traffic congestion in mixed-flow traffic lanes and transit 
overcrowding result in poor transit service reliability and low average 
bus speeds, currently just 8 to 10 miles per hour for Muni Route 38-
Geary. Bus reliability is poor, with high variation in headways and 
bunching. Buses serve as much as 25% of the trips made in the Geary 
Boulevard corridor in the PM peak hour, with the highest passenger 
loads between Fillmore Street and Van Ness Avenue. For all 
neighborhoods in the corridor, walking also accounts for a large 
percentage of trips. The non-auto mode share in the neighborhoods 
located in the heart of the city is as follows: The Tenderloin is over 
50% bike, walk and transit; in the Western Addition/Japantown, it is 
40%; and in the Richmond it is just over 30%. In spite of high transit 
ridership and high pedestrian use, much of the current roadway layout 
and traffic signal infrastructure on Geary primarily benefits motorists 
more than it benefits transit riders and pedestrians. A major project 
purpose is, therefore, to improve its walkability and livability.
    Geary Boulevard has been identified as a high priority transit 
improvement corridor in a number of planning studies and funding 
actions by the City and County of San Francisco. The Authority's Four 
Corridors Plan (1995) and Muni's Vision for Rapid Transit (2000) and 
Transit Effectiveness Project (2008) identify Geary Boulevard as a 
priority corridor for rapid transit improvements. Along with two other 
key transit corridors, Geary Boulevard was designated for BRT 
improvements in the New Expenditure Plan for San Francisco, approved in 
November 2004 by voters as Proposition K, the reauthorization of the 
City's half-cent transportation sales tax measure. 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 Geary 
Corridor BRT Study (the Feasibility Study) was initiated in 2004, 
completed in 2007, and evaluated the feasibility of four alternative 
BRT configurations on Geary Boulevard. A Transportation Systems 
Management (TSM) and three full-featured 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 the BRT configurations studied would 
be feasible on Geary and recommended an environmental analysis and 
further technical design work to identify a preferred alternative. The 
alternatives--and others identified through the scoping process--will 
be addressed in the proposed project EIS.
    As discussed above, previous studies and documents relevant to this 
action include the recently completed Geary Boulevard BRT Feasibility 
Study (June 2007); 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.

II. Scoping

    The FTA and The Authority invite all interested individuals, 
organizations, and Federal, State, and local governmental agencies to 
comment on the project's purpose and need, the alternatives to be 
considered in the EIS and the impacts to be evaluated. During the 
scoping process, comments on the proposed statement of purpose and need 
should address its completeness and adequacy. Comments on the 
alternatives should propose alternatives that would satisfy the purpose 
and need at less cost or with greater effectiveness or less 
environmental or community impact and were not previously studied and 
eliminated for good cause. At this time, comments should focus on the 
scope of the NEPA review and should not state a preference for a 
particular alternative. The best opportunity for that type of input 
will be after the release of the draft EIS.
    Following the scoping process, public outreach activities with 
interested parties or groups will continue throughout the duration of 
work on the EIS. The project Web site, http://www.GearyBRT.org, will be 
updated periodically to reflect the status of the project. Additional 
opportunities for public participation will be announced through 
mailings, notices, advertisements, and press releases. Those wishing to 
be placed on the project mailing list may do so by registering on the 
Web site at http://www.GearyBRT.org, or by calling (415) 522-4819.
    Public and agency scoping meetings to be held on:
    Thursday, December 4, 2008, Self Help for the Elderly, Jackie Chan 
Activity Center, 408--22nd Avenue (at Geary), 6-8 p.m.
    Saturday, December 6, 2008, Tenderloin Community School, 627 Turk 
Street (at Polk), 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
    An agency scoping meeting will be held on:
    Wednesday, December 3, 2008, San Francisco County Transportation 
Authority, 100 Van Ness Avenue, 26th Floor (at Fell), 1-3 p.m.
    Comments on issues and impacts to be considered in preparation of 
the EIS will be recorded.

III. Purpose and Need

    The Authority adopted as part of the 2004 Countywide Transportation 
Plan and its investment component, the New Expenditure Plan for San 
Francisco, a BRT strategy for expanding rapid transit service in San 
Francisco. The BRT

[[Page 71087]]

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; and
    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; and
     Contributing to the livability of BRT corridors.

IV. Alternatives

    Alternatives to be reviewed in the EIS include a (1) combined No-
Project/Transportation Systems Management (TSM) Alternative, which 
would include low-cost improvements to corridor bus services, such as 
bus stop amenities and limited transit signal priority; (2) a Geary BRT 
Alternative, 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 No-Project/TSM Alternative assumes a 2015 condition of land use 
and transit capital and service improvements that are programmed or 
planned to be implemented by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation 
Agency (SFMTA) (which includes the San Francisco Municipal Railway and 
the Department of Parking and Traffic), and other transit providers in 
the study area (e.g., Golden Gate Transit 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 transit improvements could include 
advanced traffic signal priority systems on Muni vehicles, 
rationalizing the allocation of limited vs. local Muni service in the 
corridor, expanding Muni service hours to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and 
enhanced Muni transit shelters and signage.
    The Geary BRT Alternative would include, among other features:
     Dedicated transit lanes within the existing Geary 
Boulevard right-of-way;
     Sheltered, low-platform passenger stations with real-time 
bus arrival passenger information signs, lighting, and fare ticketing 
machines;
     Off-vehicle self-service fare vending 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.
    Preferred spacing for passenger stations would be an average of 
one-half mile between stops, with local bus stations located every 800 
to 1000 feet. BRT transitway and station 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 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 basic BRT alignment. A two-way 
transitway either in the median of Geary Boulevard or along the outside 
curbs (one eastbound BRT lane along the south curb/parking lane; one 
westbound BRT lane along the north curb/parking lane) and, 
correspondingly, stations in the median or as extensions of the 
sidewalk were considered in the Geary BRT feasibility study and warrant 
further evaluation as part of the EIS and alternatives analysis. All 
BRT alternatives considered would be designed to be ``rail-ready'' in 
terms of vertical and horizontal clearances and operational 
requirements.
    The Authority, in association with SFMTA, 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, 
multi-door access, passenger station docking assist, and other 
amenities. Streetscape improvements, such as enhanced landscaping and 
pedestrian access along Geary Boulevard, are also included in the 
proposed BRT project.

V. Probable Effects

    The EIS will evaluate and fully disclose the environmental 
consequences of the construction and operation of a fixed guideway 
transit system in the Geary Transit Corridor. The EIS will evaluate the 
impacts of all reasonable alternatives on land use, zoning, residential 
and business displacements, parklands, economic development, community 
disruptions, environmental justice, aesthetics, noise, vegetation, 
water quality, wetlands, waterways, floodplains, hazardous waste 
materials, and cultural, historic, and archaeological resources. To 
ensure that all significant issues related to this proposed action are 
identified and addressed, scoping comments and suggestions on more 
specific issues of environmental or community impact are invited from 
all interested parties. Comments and questions should be directed to 
The Authority as noted in the ADDRESSES section above.

VI. FTA Procedures

    The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, and its 
implementing regulations by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
(40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and by the FTA and Federal Highway 
Administration (``Environmental Impact and Related Procedures'' at 23 
CFR part 771). In accordance with FTA regulation and policy, the NEPA 
process will also address the requirements of other applicable 
environmental laws, regulations, and executive orders, including, but 
not limited to: Federal transit laws [49 U.S.C. 5301(e), 5323(b), and 
5324(b)], Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, 
Section 4(f) (``Protection of Public Lands'') of the U.S. Department of 
Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 303), Section 7 of the Endangered Species 
Act, and the Executive Orders on Environmental Justice, Floodplain 
Management, and Protection of Wetlands.

    Issued on November 19, 2008.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Regional Administrator, Region IX, Federal Transit Administration.
 [FR Doc. E8-27868 Filed 11-21-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P