[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 189 (Tuesday, September 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58861-58863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-23248]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Environmental Impact Statement for West Lake Corridor Project in 
Lake County, Indiana and Cook County, Illinois

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of 
Transportation.

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

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), as the Federal Lead 
Agency, and the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District 
(NICTD), as the Local Project Sponsor, intend to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the West Lake Corridor Project 
(Project) in Lake County, Indiana and Cook County, Illinois. The 
Project is an approximately 9-mile proposed southern branch extension 
of NICTD's existing South Shore Line (SSL) between Dyer and Hammond, 
Indiana. Additionally, the Project would operate on about 15 miles of 
existing SSL and Metra Electric District's (MED) line to the Millennium 
Station in downtown Chicago. Alternatives to be considered include a No 
Build, Commuter Rail, and several design options for the latter in 
terms of route alignment, station locations, maintenance facility 
sites, and vehicle mode. More information can be found on the Project's 
Web site at: http://www.nictdwestlake.com.
    The EIS will be prepared in accordance with regulations 
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as well as 
provisions of Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-
21). The purpose of this notice is to alert interested parties 
regarding FTA's plan to prepare the EIS; provide information on the 
nature of the proposed Project; solicit public and agency input 
regarding the scope of the EIS including the project's purpose and 
need, alternatives to be considered, and the impacts to be evaluated; 
and announce that public and agency scoping meetings will be conducted. 
This input will be used to assist decision makers in determining a 
locally preferred alternative (LPA) and preparing a Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (DEIS). If the No Build alternative is eliminated, an 
LPA will be selected and the project sponsors will request permission 
from FTA to enter into Project Development per requirements of 49 
U.S.C. 5309. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record 
of Decision (ROD) would be issued after the project has entered Project 
Development. FTA intends to issue a single FEIS and ROD document 
pursuant to MAP-21 Section 1319 requirements, unless FTA determines 
statutory criteria or practicability considerations preclude issuance 
of the combined document pursuant to Section 1319.
    Dates, Times and Locations: A public scoping meeting to present 
information and accept comments on the study will be held on Tuesday, 
October 28, 2014 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in The Center for Visual 
and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, IN 46321.
    Comparably, an interagency scoping meeting for federal, state, 
regional and local resource and regulatory agencies will be held on 
Tuesday, October 28, 2014 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in The Center for 
Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Road, Munster, IN 46321. 
Appropriate agencies that may have an interest in this project, or have 
a potential interest in becoming a participating agency, will be 
notified of the meeting through separate direct correspondence.
    The building used for the meetings is accessible to persons with 
disabilities. Any person who requires special assistance, such as a 
language interpreter, should contact the NICTD West Lake Corridor 
Project at 219-250-2920 at least 48 hours before the meeting.

[[Page 58862]]

    Comment Due Date: Written comments on the purpose and need for the 
proposed improvements, and the scope of alternatives and impacts to be 
considered should be sent to NICTD West Lake Corridor Project via any 
of the methods outlined in the Addresses section below, on or before 
Tuesday, November 11, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent to: 
NICTD West Lake Corridor Project, 33 East U.S. Highway 12, Chesterton, 
IN 46304; via email at [email protected]; or on the 
project's Web site at http://www.nictdwestlake.com/comment-online.html.
    Additional Information: Contact Mark Assam, Environmental 
Protection Specialist, Federal Transit Administration, Region 5, 200 W. 
Adams Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60606, 312-353-4070, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Project Background

    The concept of providing more direct access to transit in central, 
southern, and western Lake County has been considered for more than 25 
years in regional transportation studies. As early as 1989, the 
Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) released a 
study that identified a South Shore extension as a potentially viable 
means to expand mass transit in the region. Since that time, multiple 
evaluations have occurred. In 2011, NICTD's West Lake Corridor Study 
concluded that a rail-based service between the Munster/Dyer area and 
Metra's Millennium Station in Downtown Chicago would best meet 
intraregional public transportation needs of the study area. In June 
2014, NICTD released its 20-Year Strategic Business Plan, which 
highlighted the importance of the West Lake Corridor Project.

II. Scoping

    The FTA and NICTD will undertake a scoping process for the Project 
that will allow the public and interested agencies to comment on the 
scope of the environmental review process. NEPA scoping has specific 
objectives to identify the significant environmental issues associated 
with alternatives to be examined in detail, while also limiting 
consideration of issues that are not truly significant. As such, the 
FTA and NICTD invite all interested individuals and organizations, 
public agencies, and Native American tribes to comment on the scope of 
the EIS, including the project's purpose and need, alternatives to be 
studied, impacts to be evaluated, and evaluation methods to be used.

III. Purpose and Need for Project

    NICTD's existing SSL provides a vital transportation link that 
connects Northwest Indiana to Chicago and Cook County, Illinois. NICTD 
is proposing the Project as a branch extension of the SSL route to 
reach high-growth areas in Lake County, Indiana. The Project would 
expand NICTD's service coverage between Northwest Indiana and the 
Chicago region, improve mobility and accessibility, and stimulate local 
job creation and economic development opportunities for Lake County. 
Specifically, the Project is intended to:
     Serve high-growth areas in central, southern, and western 
Lake County, Indiana
     Conveniently connect more Northwest Indiana residents to 
downtown Chicago jobs and major activity centers
     Establish a solid modal alternative between the two 
metropolitan sub-regions other than driving
     Lower commuting travel times and costs
     Increase NICTD system ridership
     Promote economic development opportunities
     Create local jobs in Northwest Indiana
     Attract and retain families and younger residents
     Provide a valued transportation asset for use by all 
Northwest Indiana residents

IV. Alternatives

    The EIS for the Project will evaluate a No Build Alternative and a 
Commuter Rail Alternative. The two alternatives are described as 
follows:
    No Build Alternative: The No Build Alternative is defined as the 
existing transportation system, plus any committed transportation 
improvements included in NIRPC's 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan. It 
would not include a major transit investment in the West Lake Corridor. 
As such, the No Build Alternative serves as the NEPA baseline against 
which the environmental effects of the proposed project are measured.
    Commuter Rail Alternative: The Commuter Rail Alternative would 
include an approximately 9-mile southern extension of NICTD's existing 
SSL between Dyer and Hammond, Indiana. The project would involve new 
track improvements along the existing CSX Transportation and former 
Monon railroad corridors, with a flyover to the existing SSL in 
Hammond. Four potential stations would be included at Munster/Dyer Main 
Street, Munster Fisher/45th Streets, South Hammond, and Downtown 
Hammond. A maintenance facility would also be needed to store and 
maintain the vehicles. Trains on the new Project branch line would 
connect with the existing SSL and ultimately the MED line to the north, 
providing new transit service between Dyer and Metra's Millennium 
Station in Downtown Chicago, and as such, core capacity improvements to 
the existing MED line and Millennium Station may be required to 
accommodate the Project.
    Two alignment design options are also being considered for the 
Project, including a possible extension to St. John, Indiana on the 
southern end, and another along the Indiana Harbor Belt Kensington 
Branch through Calumet City, Burnham, and Chicago, Illinois on the 
northern end. Design options for four other possible station locations 
and three potential maintenance facility sites are also being studied. 
Vehicle mode options include Electric Heavy Rail, Diesel Heavy Rail, 
and Combined Electric/Diesel Rail. The Project route alignment, station 
locations, maintenance facility sites, and vehicle mode will be further 
refined during the environmental review process, working in close 
consultation with the public, agencies, and key stakeholders.

V. Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis

    The FTA and NICTD will evaluate each alternative for significant 
social, economic, and environmental impacts. Anticipated primary 
resource topics include: Transportation, land use, socioeconomics and 
economic development, parklands and trails, neighborhoods and community 
facilities, environmental justice, noise and vibration, hazardous 
materials, ecosystems, water resources, and short-term construction 
impacts. The EIS will also address displacements and relocations, 
historic and archaeological resources, visual quality, vegetation, 
farmlands, air quality, and energy. The potential impacts to these 
resources will be evaluated both for the short-term construction period 
and long-term operation of each alternative. In addition, indirect and 
cumulative effects of the proposed project will be identified. Measures 
to avoid or minimize and mitigate project impacts will be developed, as 
needed.

VI. FTA Procedures

    The FTA and NICTD will comply with applicable federal environmental 
laws, regulations, and executive orders

[[Page 58863]]

during the environmental review process. These requirements include, 
but are not limited to, the regulations of the Council on Environmental 
Quality implementing NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508) and FTA's 
Regulations on Environmental Impact and Related Procedures (23 CFR Part 
771). The FTA and NICTD will also comply with the requirements of the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's air quality conformity 
regulations (40 CFR part 93), Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, Section 
404 of the Clean Water Act, Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, Section 4(f) 
of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act, Executive Order 11988 on 
Floodplain Management, Executive Order 11990 on Wetlands, Executive 
Order 12898 on Environmental Justice, and DOT Order 5610.2(a) on 
Environmental Justice.
    Under a Commuter Rail scenario, NICTD intends to seek federal 
funding for the Project under FTA's New Starts program. The New Starts 
program involves a multi-year, multi-step process, including completion 
of the environmental review procedures, which project sponsors must 
traverse before funding is approved. The steps in the New Starts 
process and basic requirements of the funding program can be found on 
FTA's Web site at www.fta.dot.gov.

VII. 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 NEPA documents. Accordingly, unless a specific request 
for a complete hardcopy of the NEPA document is received before it is 
printed, FTA and its grant applicants will distribute only electronic 
versions of the NEPA document. A complete copy of the environmental 
document will be available for review at the grant applicant's offices; 
an electronic copy of the complete environmental document will be 
available on the grant applicant's Project Web site at 
www.nictdwestlake.com.

Marisol R. Sim[oacute]n,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014-23248 Filed 9-29-14; 8:45 am]
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