[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 30 (Monday, February 14, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8397-8399]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3248]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Environmental Impact Statement for the Chicago, IL to St. Louis, 
MO High Speed Rail Program Corridor

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: FRA is issuing this notice to advise the public that FRA with 
the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will jointly prepare a 
Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Chicago, IL to St. 
Louis, MO High Speed Rail Corridor Program in compliance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). This study will 
analyze a range of reasonable corridor-level route alternatives between 
Chicago and Joliet, and will examine additional improvements between 
Joliet and St. Louis to support additional passenger trains. The EIS 
will consider increasing the number of frequencies of high-speed 
passenger rail service, as well as increasing the currently planned 
maximum speed of such service, in the Chicago to St. Louis Corridor 
(Corridor). FRA is issuing this notice to solicit public and agency 
input into the development of the scope of the EIS and to advise the 
public that outreach activities conducted by FRA and IDOT will be 
considered in the preparation of the EIS. Alternatives under 
consideration include taking no action, as well as several build 
alternatives between Chicago and Joliet, IL, through the City of 
Springfield, and for the approach to St. Louis, MO.

DATES: Two agency scoping meetings and five public scoping meetings 
will be held during March, 2011. Public scoping meetings will be 
advertised locally and are scheduled for the following cities on the 
dates indicated below from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
     March 1, 2011: Joliet, IL
     March 2, 2011: Bloomington-Normal, IL
     March 3, 2011: Springfield, IL
     March 8, 2011: Carlinville, IL
     March 9, 2011: Alton, IL
    Agency scoping meetings will be held March 1, 2011 in Joliet, IL 
and March 3, 2011 in Springfield, IL at 10 a.m. Detailed information on 
the meeting locations is available on the following Web site: http://www.idothsr.org. Persons interested in providing written comments on 
the scope of the EIS should do so by March 18, 2011. Written comments 
on the scope of the EIS should be provided to IDOT by March 18, 2011 at 
the address below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of this study should be sent 
to Mr. George Weber, Acting Deputy Director, Department of Intermodal 
and Public Transit, Illinois Department of Transportation, 100 West 
Randolph Street, Suite 6-600, Chicago, Illinois 60601, telephone (312) 
793-4222.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Wendy Messenger, Office of 
Railroad Development, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue, SE., (Mail Stop 20), Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 493-
6396; or Mr. George Weber, telephone (312) 793-4222 at the above 
address. Information and documents regarding the environmental review 
process will be made available through the following Web site: http://www.idothsr.org.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FRA, in cooperation with IDOT, will prepare 
a Tier 1 EIS for the High Speed Rail program from Chicago, IL to St. 
Louis, MO. The objectives of the proposed Project are to meet current 
and future regional travel needs through significant improvements to 
the level and quality of passenger rail service along the Corridor. 
Specifically, the EIS will consider increasing the frequency of high-
speed passenger trains between Chicago and St. Louis and will consider 
increasing train speeds above the 110 mph maximum speed currently 
planned in the Corridor. The proposed service improvements examined in 
this EIS will build upon the approximately $1.1 billion of improvements 
currently being completed in the Corridor by IDOT and FRA pursuant to a 
grant/cooperative agreement funded by the American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) (this work is based upon a 2003 EIS for the 
Corridor and a 2004 Record of Decision). Those improvements, which 
include infrastructure improvements, communications and signaling 
installation, stations improvements, and rolling stock equipment 
procurement, will increase passenger rail speeds from 79 mph to 110 mph 
for the existing Corridor services.
    The proposed Tier 1 EIS described in this notice will examine a 
range of reasonable corridor-level alternative routes between Chicago 
and Joliet, and will examine additional improvements between Joliet and 
St. Louis to support additional passenger trains while accommodating 
the anticipated growth in freight rail traffic. The EIS will assess: 
Changing the existing rail corridor from one track to two tracks; 
increasing the number of high-speed passenger trains; potential 
corridor route alternatives between Chicago and Joliet, IL, through the 
City of Springfield, and for the approach to St. Louis, MO; and the 
associated transportation and environmental impacts. Train speed 
increases above the 110 mph maximum speed currently planned in the 
Corridor may be considered in the alternatives analysis. It is 
anticipated that the EIS will examine the viability of Chicago-Joliet 
corridors utilizing the Canadian National (CN) and Metra Rock Island 
District (RID), as well as other reasonable corridors between Chicago 
and Joliet that could support high speed rail passenger service.
    IDOT and FRA propose to not examine the Norfolk Southern-Canadian 
National alignment between Dwight and Chicago in the Tier 1 EIS. This 
alignment was considered in the 2003 EIS for the Corridor to serve a 
proposed South Suburban Airport. IDOT and FRA propose to not examine 
this alignment because it would divert intercity passenger rail service 
from the larger populations currently served in the Chicago-Joliet 
corridor, and the South Suburban Airport area is served by an existing 
commuter rail service to Chicago. Additionally, the Norfolk Southern 
Railroad does not support the introduction of high-speed passenger rail 
to its facilities because of limited existing infrastructure and a 
limited ability to expand capacity in the corridor. The agencies have 
concluded that it is not a reasonable alternative for meeting the 
Project purpose and need. Elimination of the Norfolk Southern-Canadian 
National alignment will result in a single corridor to be studied 
between Dwight and Joliet utilizing the Union Pacific (UP) Railroad.
    The No-Build Alternative will represent the no action alternative 
and will be used as a baseline for comparison of all alternatives. The 
No-Build Alternative represents other transportation modes, such as 
auto, air travel, intercity bus, and existing rail, and the physical 
characteristics and capacities as they exist at the time of the Tier 1 
EIS, with planned and funded improvements that will be in place at the 
time the Project would become operational.
    Environmental Review Process: The EIS will be developed in 
accordance with Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 
CFR part 1500 et seq.) implementing the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and FRA's Procedures for 
Considering Environmental Impacts (64 FR 28545; May 26, 1999). The FRA 
and IDOT will

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use a tiered process, as provided for in 40 CFR 1508.28 and in 
accordance with FRA guidance, in the completion of the environmental 
review of the Project. ``Tiering'' is a staged environmental review 
process applied to environmental reviews for complex projects. The Tier 
1 EIS will address broad corridor-level issues and alternatives. 
Subsequent phases or tiers will analyze site-specific component 
projects and alternatives based on the decisions made in Tier 1.
    Tier 1: The Tier 1 assessment will result in a NEPA document with 
the appropriate level of detail for corridor-level decisions and will 
address broad overall issues of concern, including but not limited to:
     Confirm the purpose and need for the proposed action.
     Define the study area appropriate to assess reasonable 
alternatives.
     Identify a comprehensive set of goals and objectives for 
the corridor in conjunction with Project stakeholders. These goals and 
objectives will be crafted to allow comprehensive evaluation of all 
aspects of the Project necessary to achieve the goals, including train 
operations, vehicles, and infrastructure.
     Identify the range of reasonable alternatives to be 
considered, consistent with the current and planned use of the corridor 
and the existing services within and adjacent to the study area, 
including changing the existing rail corridor from one track to two 
tracks, considering alternative corridors between Chicago and Joliet 
and in the St. Louis area, and considering a no action/no build 
alternative.
     Develop alternatives evaluation criteria to identify 
alternatives that meet the purpose and need of the proposed action and 
those that do not.
     Identify the general alignment(s) of the reasonable 
alternatives.
     Identify right-of-way requirements for the reasonable 
alternatives.
     Identify the infrastructure and equipment investment 
requirements for the reasonable alternatives.
     Identify the operational changes required for the 
reasonable alternatives.
     Describe the environmental impacts associated with the 
proposed changes in passenger rail train frequency, speed, and on-time 
performance.
     Characterize the environmental consequences of the 
reasonable alternatives.
     Establish the timing and sequencing of independent actions 
to maintain a state of good repair and to implement the proposed 
action.
     Evaluate and consider the potential for environmental 
impacts associated with the reasonable alternatives.
     Identify a preferred alternative for corridor route 
alignment.
     Address component projects for Tier 2 NEPA documentation 
as described below.
    Tier 2: The second tier assessment(s) will address component 
projects to be implemented within the overall rail corridor improvement 
alternative selected in the Tier 1 EIS, and will incorporate by 
reference the data and evaluations included in the Tier 1 EIS. The 
Springfield Rail Corridor is the only current activity presently 
identified as a Tier 2 level evaluation to be included in this Tier 1 
EIS; it will be combined with the Tier 1 EIS but may be separately 
actionable to determine site-specific as well as corridor-level 
improvements within its study limits and is described below.
    Springfield Railroad Corridor: Freight traffic through Springfield 
is expected to increase significantly over the next several years, and 
IDOT's plans for increasing the number of frequencies of high-speed 
passenger train service between Chicago and St. Louis as well as the 
maximum speed of the passenger train service would also have an impact 
on Springfield. This study will analyze alternatives for accommodating 
the growing freight and passenger rail traffic through Springfield.
    There are currently three north-south railroad corridors through 
Springfield. Generally, these corridors exist along Third Street (Union 
Pacific), Tenth Street (primarily Norfolk Southern), and Nineteenth 
Street (primarily Canadian National). There are 73 at-grade crossings 
along these three corridors in the study area, which create traffic 
congestion and safety issues when trains traverse the city. The Union 
Pacific Railroad is constructing a new intermodal rail yard near 
Joliet, Illinois, which is anticipated to generate increased freight 
traffic on the Third Street corridor. The combination of increased 
passenger trains and increased Union Pacific freight trains would 
likely require a second track on the Third Street corridor to 
accommodate the greater number of trains per day.
    Build alternatives to accommodate this increase in rail traffic 
will be studied. In addition, the No-Build Alternative will represent 
the no action alternative and will be used as a baseline for comparison 
of all alternatives. One build alternative involves adding a second 
track on the Third Street corridor to handle up to 40 freight and 
passenger trains per day. Another build alternative will consider 
moving the Third Street corridor trains, and possibly the Nineteenth 
Street corridor trains, to the Tenth Street corridor, where additional 
tracks would be built, which would consolidate Springfield's rail 
traffic into one corridor. Other reasonable alternatives will also be 
considered, such as relocating rail traffic to other or new corridors.
    Related Projects: There are three ongoing rail improvement programs 
that relate to the Project being studied in this EIS and may be 
considered for indirect or cumulative impacts on the region.
    The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency 
Program (CREATE) is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, the 
Metropolitan Rail Corporation (Metra), the National Railroad Passenger 
Corporation (Amtrak), and six freight railroads to improve freight and 
passenger rail efficiency and to reduce rail/highway traffic conflicts. 
There are six projects specifically identified by CREATE (P1, P2, P3, 
EW2, P5 and P6) that may involve and affect high speed rail service 
within the Chicago-Joliet portion of the corridor, depending on the 
corridor recommendations of this EIS study. More information is 
available at the CREATE Web site at http://www.createprogram.org/.
    The Chicago-St. Louis 220 mph High Speed Rail Express is a project 
concept being pursued by IDOT. This service, at speeds up to 220 mph, 
may utilize existing rail corridors, a new corridor, or a combination 
of both, and could serve different travel markets. The 220 mph concept 
is intended as a complementary service to the Chicago-St. Louis high 
speed rail service that is being evaluated by this EIS. A feasibility 
study was prepared in 2009 by the Midwest High Speed Rail Association; 
this study indicated that a completely grade-separated route could be 
established by modifying existing rail corridors to connect Chicago, 
Champaign, Decatur and Springfield, Illinois with St. Louis, Missouri, 
with a one-way terminal-to-terminal trip time of approximately two 
hours, utilizing a maximum speed of 220 mph. Also in 2009, an 
Expression of Interest was prepared by the French National Railways 
(SNCF) in response to the FRA's Request for Expression of Interest 
dated December 11, 2008. The SNCF proposed a high-speed rail route to 
be located adjacent to existing rail corridors and sharing existing 
rail corridors in urban approaches at lower speeds. IDOT intends to 
further study the 220 mph project concept, including

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development of an investment-grade business plan and the preparation of 
a separate Tier 1 EIS.
    The Midwest Regional Rail Initiative (MWRRI) is an effort led by 
the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and supported by eight other 
Midwestern States to upgrade Amtrak service in those States, with 
maximum speeds of 79 to 110 mph depending on the level of improvements 
made. A Chicago-St. Louis corridor is included in MWRRI's September 
2004 Executive Report and November 2006 Benefit Cost and Economic 
Analysis. Additional corridors proposed by MWRRI include: Chicago-Green 
Bay, Wisconsin; Chicago-Minneapolis, Minnesota; St. Louis-Kansas City, 
Missouri; Chicago-Cincinnati, Ohio; Chicago-Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago-
Detroit, Michigan; Chicago-Port Huron, Michigan; Chicago-Carbondale, 
Illinois; Chicago-Quincy, Illinois; and Chicago-Omaha, Nebraska. 
Several other feeder corridors connecting smaller municipalities to the 
primary corridors are also included. More information is available at 
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/rail.htm.
    Public Involvement: Letters describing the proposed action and 
soliciting comments will be sent to appropriate Federal, State, and 
local agencies, and to private organizations and citizens who have 
previously expressed or are known to have interest in this proposal. A 
minimum of two public informational meetings will be held during the 
study. In addition, a public hearing will be held on the Draft EIS. 
Public notice will be given of the time and place of the meetings and 
of the hearing. The Draft EIS 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 that all significant issues are identified, 
comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. 
Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS 
should be directed to IDOT or FRA at the addresses provided above.
    Scoping and Comments: FRA encourages broad participation in the EIS 
process during scoping and review of the resulting environmental 
documents. Comments are invited from all interested agencies and the 
public to ensure the full range of issues related to the proposed 
action, and the reasonable alternatives, are addressed and all 
significant issues are identified. In particular, FRA is interested in 
identifying areas of environmental concern where there might be a 
potential for significant impacts. Public agencies with jurisdiction 
are requested to advise FRA and IDOT of the applicable permit and 
environmental review requirements of each agency, and the scope and 
content of the environmental information that is germane to the 
agency's statutory responsibilities in connection with the proposed 
Project. Public agencies are requested to advise FRA if they anticipate 
taking a major action in connection with the proposed Project and if 
they wish to cooperate in the preparation of the EIS. Public scoping 
meetings have been scheduled as an important component of the scoping 
process for both the State and Federal environmental review. The 
scoping meetings described in this Notice will also be the subject of 
additional public notification.
    FRA is seeking participation and input of all interested Federal, 
State, and local agencies, Native American groups, and other concerned 
private organizations and individuals on the scope of the EIS. This 
Project is a federal undertaking with the potential to affect historic 
properties. As such, it is subject to the requirements of section 106 
of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 
470(f)). In accordance with regulations issued by the Advisory Council 
on Historic Preservation, 36 CFR part 800, FRA intends to coordinate 
compliance with section 106 of the NHPA with the preparation of the 
EIS, beginning with the identification of consulting parties through 
the scoping process, in a manner consistent with the standards set out 
in 36 CFR 800.8.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 9, 2011.
Mark E. Yachmetz,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Policy and Development.
[FR Doc. 2011-3248 Filed 2-11-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P