[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 101 (Friday, May 24, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31628-31629]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-12435]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Environmental Impact Statement for the Milwaukee, WI to 
Minneapolis, MN Rail Corridor

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

ACTION: Revised notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: On December 9, 2010, FRA published a notice of intent to 
advise the public that a Tier I environmental impact statement (EIS) 
would be prepared for the Milwaukee, WI to Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN 
(Milwaukee-Twin Cities) High-Speed Rail Corridor Program. The original 
project included passenger stations, maintenance facilities, and the 
construction of a high-speed rail line between Milwaukee and the Twin 
Cities. Alternatives originally under consideration included taking no 
action (No Build), as well as several build alternatives along a 
variety of corridors between Milwaukee and the Twin Cities. However, to 
prioritize the limited funding available for the EIS, the Minnesota 
Department of Transportation (MnDOT) now intends to focus the Tier 1 
EIS on improvements to existing service using the existing route on the 
Milwaukee to Twin Cities passenger rail corridor (the Corridor) from 
Milwaukee Intermodal Station to the Minneapolis Transportation 
Interchange.
    Purpose and Need: The purpose of the current proposed action is to 
meet future regional travel demand and provide intermodal connectivity 
to existing and planned transportation systems in Minnesota and 
Wisconsin. The proposed action offers an opportunity to provide 
reliable and competitive passenger rail service as an attractive 
alternative transportation choice between Milwaukee and the Twin Cities 
by: decreasing travel times, increasing frequency of service, and 
providing safe and reliable service. The need for the proposed action 
is based on the limitations and vulnerabilities of available travel 
modes between Milwaukee and the Twin Cities. Existing transportation 
modes, including highway, bus, and air travel, have inherent problems 
including congested highways near the Milwaukee, Madison, and Twin 
Cities metro areas and airport capacity issues at Minneapolis-St. Paul 
International Airport and Milwaukee's General Mitchell International 
Airport. Improved and expanded passenger rail service can provide an 
alternative mode and/or relief to these congested roadways and 
airports.
    The environmental process will identify improvements to 
infrastructure that would allow for increased train frequency and 
reduced travel times for passenger rail service along the existing 
route on the Corridor. The existing route currently has passenger 
service; Amtrak's Empire Builder serves the Corridor, and, therefore, 
provides the best opportunity to implement a phased approach for 
infrastructure improvements.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Daniel Krom, Director, Passenger 
Rail Office, Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), 395 John 
Ireland Boulevard, MS 480, St. Paul, MN 55155, telephone (651) 366-
3193; or Ms. Colleen Vaughn, Office of Railroad Policy and Development, 
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., MS-
20/W38-303, Washington, DC 20590, telephone (202) 493-6096.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Vision of the Minnesota Comprehensive 
Statewide Freight and Passenger Rail Plan is to develop a robust 
intrastate and interstate intercity passenger rail system which results 
in improved travel options, costs and speeds for Minnesota and 
interstate travelers. One of the priority program elements identified 
in the Statewide Rail Plan is to advance corridors incrementally and 
simultaneously with MnDOT's support, sequencing corridors and 
improvements depending on financing, right-of-way (ROW) acquisition and 
agreements with freight railroads.
    MnDOT is cognizant of hurdles faced in completely funding the 
vision for the Corridor in a single funding cycle in favor of partial 
or incremental funding and building of a passenger rail route in phases 
allowing for incremental increases in frequency as well as ``phased'' 
reduction in travel time. The existing passenger rail service route 
between Milwaukee and the Twin Cities provides the best opportunity to 
implement a phased approach for infrastructure improvements due to its 
potential to incrementally implement a reduction in travel time and 
increase in frequency. This phased approach recognizes the constraints 
associated with funding requirements for major infrastructure 
improvements at the state and federal levels and is consistent with the 
Minnesota Statewide Rail Plan.
    Currently, MnDOT and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation 
(WisDOT) are coordinating with Amtrak to determine the feasibility of 
increasing the frequency of the current service from one round-trip per 
day to two with the introduction of the second Empire Builder train 
between the Twin Cities and Chicago via Milwaukee.

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 (NEPA), and FRA's 
Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts (64 FR 28545; May 26, 
1999). FRA and MnDOT will 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 Program. The Tier 1 EIS will address 
broad corridor-level issues. Subsequent Tier 2 reviews would analyze, 
at a greater level of detail, narrower site-specific projects based on 
the decisions made in the Tier 1 EIS.
    The Tier 1 EIS will result in a NEPA document with the appropriate 
level of

[[Page 31629]]

detail for corridor-level decisions and will address broad overall 
issues of concern, including but not limited to:
     Confirming the purpose and need for the proposed action.
     Identifying the infrastructure and equipment investment 
requirements for the reasonable and feasible alternatives.
     Identifying the operational changes required for the 
reasonable and feasible alternatives.
     Describing the environmental impacts associated with 
proposed changes in passenger rail train frequency, speed, and on-time 
performance.
     Characterizing the environmental consequences of the 
reasonable and feasible alternatives.
     Establishing the timing and sequencing of independent 
actions to maintain a state of good repair and to implement the 
proposed action.
     Selecting component projects for Tier 2 NEPA 
documentation.
    Additional information on the Project can be obtained by visiting 
the Project Web site at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/mwrri/phase7.html or sending an email to [email protected].

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 17, 2013.
Corey Hill,
Director, Passenger and Freight Programs, Federal Railroad 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2013-12435 Filed 5-23-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P