[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 116 (Monday, June 17, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36298-36300]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-14296]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Federal Way Transit Extension, King County, Washington

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Central Puget 
Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) are planning to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Sound Transit's 
proposed Federal Way Transit Extension (FWTE) project. The FWTE project 
would allow Sound Transit to improve public transit service between the 
cities of SeaTac and Federal Way in King County, Washington. The FWTE 
project would also respond to a growing number of transportation and 
community needs identified in the agency's regional transit system 
plan, Sound Transit 2 (ST2).
    The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Washington's State Environmental 
Policy Act (SEPA). This Notice of Intent initiates formal 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. This notice invites public 
comments on the scope of the EIS and announces the public scoping 
meetings to receive comments. Alternatives being considered for 
evaluation include a No-Build alternative and various build 
alternatives to develop light rail in the FWTE corridor. The light rail 
alternatives were developed through an early scoping process, and an 
alternatives analysis study. Early scoping notification for the 
alternatives analysis phase was announced in the Federal Register on 
October 16, 2012. Results of the early scoping process, the 
alternatives analysis findings, and other background technical reports 
are available on the project Web site.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of alternatives and impacts to be 
considered in the EIS must be received no later than July 15, 2013, and 
must be sent to Sound Transit as indicated below. Information about the 
proposed

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project, the alternatives analysis findings, the Scoping Information 
Folio, and the EIS process will be available at two public scoping 
meetings (on June 19 and June 26) and one scoping meeting for tribal 
and agency representatives (on June 25) at the locations described 
below. Sound Transit and FTA will accept comments at those meetings.

1. June 19, 2013, 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

    Federal Way Transit Center, 31621 23rd Ave S., Federal Way, WA 
98003.

2. June 26, 2013, 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.

    Parkside Elementary School, 2104 S. 247th Street, Des Moines, WA 
98198.

3. (Agency and Tribal Meeting) June 25, 2013, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

    Sound Transit, Union Station, Ruth Fisher Boardroom, 401 S. Jackson 
Street, Seattle, WA 98104.
    Invitations to the agency and tribal 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 Tralayne Myers, (206) 398-5014 at least 48 
hours in advance of the meeting. Persons who are deaf or hard of 
hearing may call (888) 713-6030 TTY.
    Scoping information as well as general information is available at: 
http://www.soundtransit.org/FWextension.
    The scoping period extends to July 15, 2013, or 30 days from the 
date of this notice, whichever is later. Written scoping comments are 
requested by July 15, 2013 at the address above, or they can be 
submitted at the public meetings.

ADDRESSES: Federal Way Transit Extension (c/o Kent Hale, Senior 
Environmental Planner) Sound Transit, 401 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, 
WA 98104-2826, or by email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Saxton, FTA Transportation 
Program Specialist, phone: (206) 220-4311.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    The Proposed Project. Sound Transit is proposing to extend Link 
light rail transit service from the future Angle Lake Link light rail 
station at South 200th Street in SeaTac to the Federal Way Transit 
Center area in Federal Way. The project corridor is approximately 7.6 
miles long and parallels State Route 99 (SR 99) and Interstate 5 (I-5). 
It generally follows a topographic ridge between Puget Sound and the 
Green River Valley where the city limits of SeaTac, Des Moines, Kent, 
and Federal Way meet. The project is part of the ST2 Plan of transit 
investments approved by the voters in 2008. Currently, there is 
projected funding to construct to Kent/Des Moines in the vicinity of 
Highline Community College.
    Purpose of and Need for the Project. The purpose of the Federal Way 
Transit Extension is to expand the Sound Transit Link light rail system 
from SeaTac to the cities of Des Moines, Kent, and Federal Way in King 
County in order to meet the following objectives:
     Provide a rapid, reliable, accessible, and efficient 
alternative for travel to and from the corridor and other urban growth 
and activity centers in the region with sufficient capacity to meet 
projected demand.
     Expand mobility alternatives to traveling on congested 
roadways and improve connections to the regional multimodal 
transportation system with peak and off-peak service.
     Provide the high-capacity transit (HCT) infrastructure to 
support adopted regional and local land use, transportation, and 
economic development plans.
     Advance the long-range vision, goals, and objectives for 
transit service established by the Sound Transit Long-Range Plan for 
high-quality regional transit service connecting major activity centers 
in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.
     Implement a financially feasible system that seeks to 
preserve and promote a healthy environment.
    The following conditions within the project corridor demonstrate 
the need for the project:
     North-south transit demand is expected to grow by 30 to 40 
percent by 2035 as a result of residential and employment growth in the 
FWTE corridor and regionally.
     The FWTE corridor population is a highly transit-dependent 
population with needs for efficient, reliable regional connectivity.
     Congestion on I-5 and on the key corridor arterials 
leading in and out of the study area will increase and further degrade 
existing transit performance and reliability.
     There is a lack of reliable and efficient peak and off-
peak transit service connecting persons in the FWTE corridor with the 
region's growth centers.
     Regional and local plans call for HCT in the corridor 
consistent with PSRC's VISION 2040 and the Regional Transit Long-Range 
Plan.
     Implementing the project will help meet environmental and 
sustainability goals of the state and region, including reduced vehicle 
miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions.
    Potential EIS Alternatives. Sound Transit and FTA are considering 
multiple alternatives for study in the EIS including a No-Build 
alternative and several light rail alternatives operating between the 
cities of SeaTac and Federal Way. Preliminary light rail alternatives 
were developed through an alternatives analysis process, the early 
scoping process (October 18 through November 19, 2012), and previous 
regional and local planning studies. Each light rail alternative 
includes three general station locations: the vicinity of South 240th 
Street (near Highline Community College), the vicinity of South 272nd 
Street (near the Redondo and Star Lake park-and-ride facilities), and 
the vicinity of South 317th Street (near the Federal Way Transit 
Center). The alternatives may include other additional station 
locations identified through the early scoping and alternatives 
analysis processes. FTA and Sound Transit invite comments on these 
preliminary alternatives. Public and agency input received during the 
scoping period will help FTA and Sound Transit develop a range of 
reasonable alternatives to evaluate in the Draft EIS.
    No Build Alternative. NEPA requires consideration of a No-Build 
Alternative. It reflects the existing transportation system plus the 
transportation improvements included in PSRC's Transportation 
Improvement Program.
    Potential I-5 Alternatives. The potential I-5 Alternatives consist 
of light rail guideway along I-5 in two configurations. In one 
configuration, the guideway would run along the south side of the 
proposed SR 509 right-of-way to I-5 and then along the west side of the 
I-5 right-of-way. The guideway would deviate west from the I-5 right-
of-way near 317th Street to access the Federal Way Transit Center area. 
For the other configuration, the alignment would transition from the 
west side of I-5 to the median of I-5 south of S. 240th Street, briefly 
transition back to the west side at 272nd Street, then continue in the 
median to 317th Street before transitioning back to the west side to 
access the Federal Way Transit Center area Station locations proposed 
for evaluation with the I-5 Alternative include the vicinity of South 
240th Street near Highline Community College; the vicinity of South 
272nd Street near the Star Lake park-and-ride facility; and the 
vicinity of South 317th Street near the Federal Way Transit Center.
    Potential SR 99 Alternatives. The potential SR 99 Alternatives 
would

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consist of light rail guideway along SR 99 in two configurations. In 
one configuration the guideway would follow the median for most of the 
length of SR 99. For the other configuration, the guideway could 
utilize and transition between the east side, west side, and/or median 
of SR 99. Station locations proposed for evaluation with the SR 99 
Alternatives include the areas near the vicinity of South 240th Street 
near Highline Community College; the vicinity of South 272nd Street 
near the Redondo park-and-ride facility; and the vicinity of South 
317th Street near the Federal Way Transit Center. The SR 99 
alternatives may include other additional station locations in the 
vicinities of South 216th Street and South 260th Street identified 
through the early scoping and alternatives analysis processes.
    Potential 30th Avenue Alternative. The potential 30th Avenue 
Alternative would consist of light rail guideway along a portion of 
30th Avenue South in the cities of Des Moines and Kent. From Angle Lake 
Station, the guideway would travel along SR 99 and transition east to 
30th Avenue at approximately South 220th Street. The guideway would 
remain on 30th Avenue South from South 224th Street to approximately 
South 240th Street. From South 240th Street, the guideway would 
transition to SR-99 or I-5 and continue towards Federal Way. The 
station locations would be the same as those described in the previous 
alternatives.
    Scope of Environmental Analysis. The EIS process explores in a 
public setting the potentially significant effects of implementing the 
proposed action (and alternatives to the proposed action) on the 
physical, human, and natural environment. Areas of investigation for 
this project may include, but might not be limited to, transportation, 
land use and consistency with applicable plans, land acquisition and 
displacements, socioeconomic impacts, 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. The EIS will 
identify measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate significant adverse 
impacts.
    Roles of Agencies and the Public. NEPA, and FTA's regulations for 
implementing NEPA, call for public involvement in the EIS process, 
including: (1) Invitations 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) opportunities 
for involvement by agencies and the public in helping to define the 
proposed project's purpose and need, as well as the range of 
alternatives for consideration in the impact statement, and (3) a plan 
for coordinating public and agency participation in and comment on the 
environmental review process.
    An invitation to become a cooperating or participating agency will 
be extended to Federal and non-Federal agencies and Indian tribes that 
may have an interest in the proposed project. Any agency or tribe 
interested in the project that does not receive such an invitation 
should promptly notify the Sound Transit Senior Environmental Planner 
identified above under ADDRESSES.
    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 and Sound Transit welcome comments from interested individuals, 
organizations, tribes and agencies. Comments are invited 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 considered. To assist the public 
during scoping, Sound Transit has prepared an Environmental Scoping 
Information Folio describing the project, potential alternatives, 
potential impact areas to be evaluated, and the preliminary EIS 
schedule. You may request a copy from Tralayne Myers, Sound Transit, 
401 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104-2826, telephone: (206) 398-
5014 or email: [email protected]. It is also available at 
http://www.soundtransit.org/FWextension. After the comment period, 
Sound Transit will publish a summary of the public and agency comments 
it receives. After scoping concludes later this year, the Sound Transit 
Board is expected to consider the scoping comments received and then 
act on a motion addressing the purpose and need for the project, the 
scope of environmental review, and alternatives to be considered in the 
draft EIS.
    FTA and Sound Transit will comply with all applicable Federal 
environmental laws, regulations, and executive orders during the 
environmental review process. 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 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); Executive Order 12898 on 
Environmental Justice, 11988 on floodplain management, and 11990 on 
wetlands; and DOT Order 5610.2(a) on Environmental Justice.
    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, FTA limits as much as possible the distribution of 
complete sets of printed environmental documents. Accordingly, absent a 
specific request for a complete printed set of environmental documents 
(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: June 11, 2013.
Kenneth A. Feldman,
Deputy Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2013-14296 Filed 6-14-13; 8:45 am]
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