[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 211 (Tuesday, November 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67533-67534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-28232]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Cities of South Lake Tahoe, CA 
and Stateline, NV

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an 
Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared for a proposed highway 
realignment project on US Highway 50 (US 50) in the Cities of South 
Lake Tahoe, California and Stateline, Nevada.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cesar Perez, Senior Transportation 
Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, 650 Capitol Mall, Suite 4-
100, Sacramento, California 95814, telephone (916) 498-5065.
    Suzanne Melim, Senior Environmental Coordinator, California 
Department of Transportation, 703 B Street, P.O. Box 911, Marysville, 
CA 95901, telephone (530) 741-4484.
    Steve Cooke, Chief, Nevada Department of Transportation, 1263 S. 
Stewart Street, Carson City, NV 89712, telephone; (775) 888-7686.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The California and Nevada Divisions of FHWA, 
in cooperation with the California Department of Transportation 
(Caltrans), the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), the Tahoe 
Transportation District, and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), 
will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal to 
realign US Highway 50 (US 50) around the Stateline casino corridor area 
and convert the existing US 50 roadway, between Pioneer Trail in 
California and Lake Parkway in Nevada into a two-lane roadway. The 
California Division FHWA, in cooperation with Nevada FHWA, will serve 
as the lead Federal agency for compliance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act. The joint document will also serve as 
environmental compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act 
(Environmental Impact Report) and TRPA's own EIS requirements. The work 
includes converting the existing US 50 into a two-lane roadway (one 
travel lane in each direction). Additional work may include a center 
median, landscaping and turn pockets at major driveways and 
intersections. Expanded sidewalks and bicycle lanes are proposed to be 
constructed in this section within the casino corridor to improve 
pedestrian safety and encourage use of alternative transportation 
modes, and traffic signals would be installed and synchronized to 
improve the flow of traffic. The affected segment of existing US 50 is 
approximately 1.1 miles long.
    The proposed action involves realigning US 50 from its intersection 
at Lake Parkway in Nevada along Lake Parkway on the mountain 
(southeast) side of the Stateline casino corridor area behind Montbleu 
and Harrah's casinos. West of the casinos, the realigned US 50 would 
continue behind (south of) Heavenly Village Center (Raley's Shopping 
Center) and then along a new alignment between Fern and Echo Roads, 
rejoining the existing US 50 at its intersection with Pioneer Trail in 
California. The proposed new US 50 alignment would be four lanes (two 
travel lanes in each direction) with left-turn pockets at 
intersections. One Build Alternative includes a new, two-lane 
roundabout at the intersection of US 50 and Lake Parkway in Stateline, 
Nevada. The other Build Alternative under consideration would have a 
signalized intersection rather than a roundabout. A number of other 
Build Alternatives have been investigated, but have not been carried 
through for additional consideration. These alternatives and 
evaluations will be fully disclosed in the EIS.
    The realignment of US 50 is considered necessary to: (1) Improve 
pedestrian safety, mobility, and multi-modal transportation options to 
accommodate increased pedestrian traffic created by existing and 
proposed resort development in the project area; (2) help achieve 
TRPA's adopted environmental threshold carrying capacities and TRPA, 
Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP) and Lahontan 
Regional Water Quality Control Board (LRWQCB) regulations and 
requirements, while enhancing the community and tourism experience; and 
(3) mitigate severe summer and winter peak period traffic congestion 
along US 50 in the project area by achieving and maintaining acceptable 
Levels of Service for existing and future traffic demand. The EIS will 
also address the intent of the Loop Road System concept described in 
Article V(2) of the Tahoe Regional Planning Compact (Pub. L. 96-551), 
1980 and incorporate the various regional and local plans for the area 
including the Lake Tahoe Regional Transportation Plan, the Lake Tahoe 
Environmental Improvement Program, and Stateline/Ski Run Community Plan
    Alternatives under consideration include (1) Taking no action; (2) 
a Build Alternative with a roundabout at Lake Parkway in Stateline and 
(3) a Build Alternative that it would install a signalized intersection 
at the intersection of US 50 and Lake Parkway instead of a roundabout; 
and (4) potentially one or more additional Build Alternatives 
identified in the scoping or environmental evaluation process that will 
address identified impacts and achieve project goals. Grade and 
alignment design variations will be incorporated into and studied with 
the build alternatives' footprints.
    Notices 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. Two public scoping meetings 
will be held in November and December 2011. At least two public 
hearings on the draft EIS will also be held. The draft EIS will be 
available for public and agency review and comment prior to the 
hearings. Public notices giving the time and place of the meetings and 
hearings will be widely circulated, including notification in locally 
prominent media.
    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. Comments and 
questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be 
directed to the FHWA, NDOT, and/or Caltrans at the addresses provided 
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.)


    Authority:  42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., 49 CFR 1.48(d)(17), and 40 
CFR 1501.7.


[[Page 67534]]


    Issued on: October 26, 2011.
Steve Pyburn,
Senior Transportation Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, 
Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2011-28232 Filed 10-31-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P