[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 189 (Thursday, September 29, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60587-60590]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-25050]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement; North Corridor Transit Project, 
Seattle (WA) Metropolitan Area (King and Snohomish Counties)

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

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

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), the Federal Transit Administration and the Central Puget Sound 
Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) intend to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Sound Transit's proposed 
extension of the Central Link Light Rail system from Seattle in King 
County to the city of Lynnwood in Snohomish County, Washington. The EIS 
will also be prepared in accordance with Washington's State 
Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). This Notice of Intent initiates 
scoping for the EIS, invites interested parties to participate in the 
EIS process, provides information about the purpose and need for the 
proposed transit project, includes the general set of alternatives 
being considered for evaluation in the EIS, and identifies potential 
environmental effects to be considered. With this notice, Sound Transit 
and FTA invite public comments on the scope of the EIS, and announce 
the public scoping meetings that will be conducted. Alternatives being 
considered for evaluation in the EIS include a No-Build alternative and 
various build alternatives to develop light rail in the North Corridor. 
The light rail alternatives are based on the most promising 
alternatives identified through an Alternatives Analysis study 
completed by the project. Early scoping for the alternatives analysis 
phase was previously announced in the Federal Register on September 27, 
2010. Results of the alternatives analysis are described below.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of alternatives and impacts to be 
considered in the EIS must be received no later than October 31, 2011, 
and must be sent to Sound Transit as indicated below.
    Information about the proposed project, the Alternatives Analysis 
findings, and the EIS process will be available at three public scoping 
meetings and one tribal and agency scoping meeting. Sound Transit and 
FTA will accept comments at those meetings, which will be held on the 
following dates and locations:

Public Meetings

    October 11, 2011: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Shoreline Conference Center, 
18560 1st Avenue NE., Shoreline, WA 98155.
    October 13, 2011: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Embassy Suites, 20610 44th Ave. 
W, Lynnwood, WA 98036.
    October 18, 2011: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Ingraham High School, 1819 N. 
135th St., Seattle, WA 98133.

Agency and Tribal Meeting

    October 11, 2011: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Shoreline Conference Center, 
18560 1st Avenue NE., Shoreline, WA 98155.
    Invitations to the interagency scoping meeting have been sent to 
appropriate Federal, tribal, state, and local governmental units.
    All public meeting locations are accessible to persons with 
disabilities who may also request materials be prepared and supplied in 
alternate formats by calling Roger Iwata, (206) 689-4904 at least 48 
hours in advance of the meeting for Sound Transit to make necessary 
arrangement. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may call (888) 
713-6030 TTY.
    Scoping information as well as other general information and a 
project library are available on Sound Transit's Web site at: http://www.soundtransit.org/NCTP.
    The scoping period extends to October 31, 2011, or 30 days from the 
date of this notice, whichever is later. Written scoping comments are 
requested by October 31, 2011 at the address below, or they can be 
submitted at the public meetings.

ADDRESSES: Lauren Swift, North Corridor Transit Project, Sound Transit, 
401 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104-2826, or by e-mail to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Witmer, Community Planner, 
Jackson Federal Building, 915 Second Avenue, Suite 3142, Seattle, WA 
98174; Phone: (206) 220-7964; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: On September 27, 2010, FTA and 
Sound Transit issued an early scoping notice in the Federal Register 
for the North Corridor Transit Project Alternatives Analysis. Sound 
Transit has now completed the Alternatives Analysis, which provides the 
basis for identifying the most promising alternatives to be evaluated. 
FTA and Sound Transit are now informing the public of their intent to 
initiate the NEPA review, based on the findings of the Alternatives 
Analysis.

Description of the North Corridor

    The proposed project would begin at Northgate Transit Center in 
north Seattle and end at the Lynnwood Transit Center. The corridor 
generally follows Interstate 5 (I-5), the major north-south route 
through Washington State and serves a large commuter market traveling 
between Snohomish and King Counties and the City of Seattle. It is 
within a geographically constrained area between Puget Sound to the 
west and Lake Washington to the east, which limits transportation 
options. This dense urban area comprises one of the region's most 
productive markets for transit.

The Regional Transit System and the North Corridor

    Sound Move, Sound Transit's first phase of regional transit 
investments for urbanized Pierce, King and Snohomish counties, was 
approved and funded by voters in 1996. The Sound Move program included 
light rail, commuter rail and regional express bus infrastructure and 
service, including the Central Link light rail system between the 
University of Washington, downtown Seattle, Tukwila and SeaTac. In 
2009, Sound Transit began light rail operations between downtown 
Seattle and SeaTac. Link light rail north from downtown Seattle to the 
University of Washington is now under construction and is scheduled to 
open in 2016. The North Link extension from the University of 
Washington to Northgate is planned to begin operation in 2021. Voters 
in 2008 authorized funding for the extension of the regional light rail 
system in the North Corridor from Northgate to Lynnwood as part of the 
Sound Transit 2 (ST2) Plan. In addition, the ST2 Plan includes an East 
Link light rail line from downtown Seattle to Bellevue and Redmond to 
the east, and a South Link extension from SeaTac to Redondo/Star Lake 
in southern King County.

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Alternatives Analysis and Results

    The North Corridor Transit Project Alternatives Analysis (AA) 
Report and SEPA Addendum(available at http://www.soundtransit.org/NCTP) 
responds to Federal regulations for transit projects seeking New Starts 
funding (Title 49 United States Code [U.S.C.] 5309.) The AA report also 
serves as an addendum under the Washington State Environmental Policy 
Act (SEPA) to Sound Transit's Supplemental EIS on the Regional Transit 
Long-Range Plan (June 2005).
    The North Corridor AA considered a Transportation Systems 
Management (TSM) Alternative, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) alternatives, and 
an array of light rail alternatives. The BRT and light rail routes 
included I-5, SR 99, and portions of 15th Avenue NE, with a variety of 
station locations and alignments. All alternatives ran from the 
Northgate light rail station currently being developed through the 
North Link project at the existing Northgate Transit Center, to the 
Lynnwood Transit Center.
    Sound Transit evaluated these alternatives considering their 
ability to meet the project's purpose and need statement (stated 
below), and weighing factors such as ridership and transportation 
performance, land use, community equity, environmental effects, cost, 
cost effectiveness and constructability.
    Sound Transit conducted the AA in coordination with the 
jurisdictions and agencies with interests in the corridor, including 
the cities of Seattle, Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds and 
Lynnwood; King and Snohomish counties; Metro Transit, Community Transit 
and the Washington State Department of Transportation.
    The AA concluded by identifying the most promising alternatives for 
further analysis. It identified light rail as the only mode that fully 
satisfies the North Corridor Transit Project's Purpose and Need related 
to transportation effectiveness and the corridor's mobility, access, 
and capacity needs. Bus rapid transit alternatives do not meet project 
purpose and need elements calling for improved capacity, reliability, 
ridership, or travel times. Transportation Systems Management (TSM) 
alternatives also do not meet project purpose and need for the same 
reasons.
    The AA found that light rail must operate in an exclusive right of 
way with full separation from other traffic in order to provide the 
capacity, reliability and travel time savings needed to address the 
growing demand for high capacity transit in the corridor and meet the 
Purpose and Need of the project.
    The AA also found that light rail located along or within the I-5 
corridor offers the best overall performance across the broad set of 
evaluation criteria, including ridership and transportation 
performance, consistency with regional land use plans, and cost-
effectiveness. Other light rail alignments were also evaluated, 
including an SR 99 elevated alternative. While that alternative has the 
potential to meet the project's purpose and need, it does not perform 
as well as the I-5 alternative in most respects and would have 
substantially higher capital costs, property acquisitions and community 
impacts during construction. At-grade or mixed-profile light rail along 
SR 99 would not effectively address the project's purpose and need due 
to inadequate capacity, low reliability and low travel time benefits, 
and would be less effective in supporting regional land use objectives 
than other alternatives.
    Elevated and at-grade light rail alignment alternatives along 15th 
Avenue NE were evaluated in the AA process but not recommended for 
further consideration because they caused more environmental impacts, 
particularly to property and neighborhoods, and had lower 
transportation benefits than other alternatives.
    The Alternatives Analysis findings are available on the North 
Corridor Web site at http://www.soundtransit.org/NCTP . Summary 
information about the AA process and its conclusions is also provided 
in the Environmental Scoping Information Report available at the same 
Web site.

The Project's Preliminary Statement of Purpose and Need

    The purpose of the North Corridor Transit Project is to improve 
regional mass transit service from Seattle north into Snohomish County 
by:
    1. Providing reliable, rapid, and efficient two-way, peak and off-
peak transit service of sufficient capacity to meet the existing and 
projected demand between the communities and activity centers located 
in the North Corridor and the other urban centers in the Central Puget 
Sound area;
    2. Providing a mobility alternative to travel on congested 
roadways, and improving connections to the regional multimodal 
transportation system;
    3. Supporting North Corridor communities' and the region's adopted 
land use, transportation and economic development vision, which 
promotes the well-being of people and communities, ensures economic 
vitality and preserves a healthy environment; and
    4. Supporting the long-range vision, goals, and objectives for 
transit service established by Sound Transit's Long-Range Plan for high 
quality regional transit service connecting major activity centers in 
King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, including a connection between 
Seattle and Everett.
    The project is needed to:
     Meet the rapidly growing needs of the corridor and the 
region's future residents and workers by increasing mobility, access, 
and transportation capacity to and from regional growth and activity 
centers in the North Corridor and the rest of the region, as called for 
in the region's adopted plans, including the Puget Sound Regional 
Council's VISION 2040 and Transportation 2040, as well as related 
county and city comprehensive plans.
     Address the problems of increasing and unreliable travel 
times for transit users in the North Corridor, who are now dependent on 
the corridor's highly congested roadway and HOV systems.
     Address overcrowding facing current and future North 
Corridor transit riders due to insufficient capacity of the current 
transit system.
     Provide an alternative to automobile trips on I-5 and SR 
99, the two primary highways serving the corridor, which are unreliable 
and over capacity throughout significant portions of the day.
     Implement the long-range vision for HCT service 
established by Sound Transit's Regional Transit Long-Range Plan, with a 
regional transit investment that supports economic vitality, preserves 
the environment, preserves communities, and allows for the future 
extension of HCT north to Everett.
     Ensure long-term regional mobility, multimodal 
connectivity, and convenience for North Corridor citizens and 
communities, including travel-disadvantaged residents and low income 
and minority populations.
     Provide the transit infrastructure needed to support the 
development of Northgate and Lynnwood as designated regional growth 
centers providing housing, employment, public services, and multimodal 
transportation connections.
     Help support the environmental and sustainability goals of 
the state and region, including state regulations setting goals for 
reducing annual per capita vehicle miles traveled by 2050, in 
accordance with RCW 47.01.440, and the reduction of greenhouse gas 
emissions Chapter 70.235 RCW (Limiting Green House Gas Emissions)

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Potential EIS Alternatives

    The results of the AA have led Sound Transit and FTA to consider 
for inclusion in the EIS the following range of alternatives, on which 
Sound Transit and FTA request public and agency comments.

No-Build Alternative

    NEPA requires consideration of a No-Build Alternative. It reflects 
the existing transportation system plus any committed transportation 
improvements. It does not include a major investment in the North 
Corridor.

Light Rail Alternatives

    The North Corridor light rail alternatives would operate light rail 
trains between Northgate and Lynnwood in two directions, 20 hours per 
day. Trains up to four cars long would run every 4 minutes during the 
peak periods and every 10 minutes off-peak. All of the alternatives 
would provide for a fully exclusive guideway, with no part of the 
alignment shared with other vehicles. All of the light rail 
alternatives would require Sound Transit to purchase new light rail 
vehicles, and would involve other transit system and network 
modifications. As part of the larger ST2 program to expand the regional 
light rail system, the North Corridor Transit Project would also rely 
upon expanded regional light rail operations and maintenance 
facilities, in conjunction with ST2 plans for extensions of light rail 
to the east and south. The expansion of Sound Transit's regional light 
rail operations and maintenance facilities is independent of the North 
Corridor Transit Project and has a separate environmental review 
process.

Potential I-5 Light Rail Alternatives

    Potential I-5 light rail alternatives would be located generally 
along I-5 with new stations proposed at NE., 145th Street, NE., 185th 
Street, Mountlake Terrace Transit Center (I-5 at SW., 236th Street), 
and the Lynnwood Transit Center. Park-and-ride structures with up to 
500 new stalls each would be located at the North 145th Street, North 
185th Street, and Lynnwood Transit Center stations.
    The AA produced a conceptual I-5 alignment that Sound Transit is 
using to identify other potential I-5 alignment alternatives to be 
considered further in the EIS. The general I-5 alignment from the AA 
includes at-grade and elevated light rail sections along the east side 
of I-5 from Northgate to Mountlake Terrace, in the median north of 
Mountlake Terrace before crossing to the west of I-5 to reach the 
Lynnwood Transit Center. This general alignment builds on existing 
park-and-ride and transit center investments and local service 
connections, avoids repeated crossings of I-5, and avoids major 
reconstruction of I-5 roadways.
    Variations could include alignments at different locations relative 
to the east or west sides of I-5 or the I-5 median, different locations 
for crossing I-5, or different combinations of elevated or at-grade 
profiles or station locations and layouts.

Potential SR 99 Light Rail Alternatives

    A SR 99 light rail elevated alternative would be based on the AA 
conceptual alignment, which begins on an elevated structure at the 
Northgate Link Station, continuing north and then turning west over I-
5, and then along Northgate Way and North 110th Street to the median of 
SR 99. It would transition from the median to the west side of SR 99 at 
about North 120th Street, then operate on elevated structure on the 
west side of SR 99 to SR 104 where it turns east to reach a Mountlake 
Terrace Station at 236th Street SW., and I-5. This general alignment 
avoids multiple crossings and reconstruction of SR 99, and directly 
serves the Shoreline Park-and-Ride. From the Mountlake Terrace station 
it would continue north to Lynnwood similar to the I-5 light rail 
alternatives. The five light rail stations assumed in the AA were 
located at SR 99 near North 130th Street, North 160th Street, and the 
Shoreline Park-and-Ride, with Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood Transit 
Center stations the same as those assumed for I-5 light rail. At the 
Shoreline Park-and-Ride, a 1,100 stall parking structure would be 
developed at the Shoreline Park-and-Ride, adding 500 new spaces, and 
relocating 200 spaces from the Aurora Village Transit Center. The 
Aurora Village Transit Center would also be relocated to the Shoreline 
Park-and-Ride to create a consolidated multimodal transit hub.
    If SR 99 corridor light rail alternatives are advanced to the EIS 
for further study, variations could include alignments at different 
locations relative to the east or west sides of SR 99 or the SR 99 
median, or alternate station locations and layouts.

Scope of Environmental Analysis

    The EIS process explores potentially significant effects of 
implementing the proposed action (and alternatives to the proposed 
action) on the physical, human, and natural environment. Areas of 
investigation include, but are not limited to, transportation, land 
use, development potential, land acquisition and displacements, park 
and recreation resources, historic and cultural resources, 
environmental justice, visual and aesthetic qualities, air quality, 
noise and vibration, energy use, safety and security, and ecosystems, 
including threatened and endangered species. These effects will be 
evaluated for both the construction period and the long-term period of 
operation. Indirect, secondary and cumulative impacts will also be 
evaluated. Through the EIS process, measures to avoid, minimize, or 
mitigate significant adverse impacts will be identified.
    FTA's regulations implementing NEPA (further described below), as 
well as provisions enacted through the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, 
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), 
call for public involvement in the EIS process. Section 6002 of 
SAFETEA-LU requires that this agency: (1) Extend an invitation to other 
Federal and non-Federal agencies and Indian tribes that may have an 
interest in the proposed project to become ``cooperating'' or 
``participating agencies,'' (2) provide an opportunity for involvement 
by agencies and the public in helping to define the purpose and need 
for a proposed project, as well as the range of alternatives for 
consideration in the impact statement, and (3) establish a plan for 
coordinating public and agency participation in and comment on the 
environmental review process.
    This notice of intent constitutes an invitation to other Federal 
and non-Federal agencies and Indian tribes that may have an interest in 
the proposed project to become a participating agency in the 
environmental review process. It is also an invitation for public and 
agency involvement. A draft Coordination Plan for public and agency 
involvement is available for review at the project Web site. It 
identifies the project's coordination approach and structure, details 
the major milestones for agency and public involvement, and includes an 
initial list of interested agencies and organizations. 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 implementing NEPA, and FTA's own NEPA regulations (40 CFR parts 
1500-1508, and 23 CFR part 771); the air quality conformity regulations 
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

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regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act (36 CFR part 800); the regulations implementing 
section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (50 CFR part 402); Section 4(f) 
of the Dept. of Transportation Act (23 CFR part 774); and Executive 
Orders 12898 on environmental justice, 11988 on floodplain management, 
and 11990 on wetlands.

Scoping

    FTA and Sound Transit invite comments from interested individuals, 
organizations, tribes and agencies. Comments are welcome regarding the 
preliminary statement of purpose and need; the alternatives to be 
evaluated in the EIS; and any significant environmental issues related 
to the alternatives. Suggested reasonable alternatives that meet the 
project purpose and need will be seriously considered.
    To assist the public during scoping, Sound Transit has prepared an 
Environmental Scoping Information Report describing the project, its 
planning history, the potential alternatives and station locations, the 
potential impact areas to be evaluated, summary of results from the 
Alternative Analysis (AA), and the preliminary EIS schedule. You may 
request a copy of it from Roger Iwata, Sound Transit, 401 S. Jackson 
Street, Seattle, WA 98104-2826, Telephone: (206) 689-4904, or e-mail: 
[email protected]. It is also available at http://www.soundtransit.org/NCTP.
    Following the close of the comment period, Sound Transit will 
publish a summary report documenting the public and agency comments it 
has received. In late 2011 or early 2012, the Sound Transit Board is 
expected to consider a motion confirming the purpose and need for the 
project, the scope of environmental review, and the alternatives to be 
considered in the draft EIS, possibly including identification of a 
locally-preferred alternative.

Paperwork Reduction

    The Paperwork Reduction Act seeks, in part, to minimize the cost to 
the taxpayer of the creation, collection, maintenance, use, 
dissemination, and disposition of information. Consistent with this 
goal and with principles of economy and efficiency in government, it is 
FTA policy to limit insofar as possible distribution of complete 
printed sets of environmental documents. Accordingly, unless a specific 
request for a complete printed set of environmental documents is 
received (preferably in advance of printing), Sound Transit will 
distribute only the executive summary of the environmental document 
together with a Compact Disc of the complete environmental document. A 
complete printed set of the environmental document will be available 
for review at the grantee's offices and elsewhere; an electronic copy 
of the complete environmental document will also be available on Sound 
Transit's web page.

    Issued on: September 19, 2011.
Linda Gehrke,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 10.
[FR Doc. 2011-25050 Filed 9-28-11; 8:45 am]
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