[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 61 (Tuesday, March 31, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17147-17150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07287]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the GA 400 Transit Initiative in Fulton County, Georgia

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) and Section 4(f) Evaluation.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Metropolitan 
Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) issue this Notice of Intent 
(NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and an 
evaluation per 49 U.S.C, 303 and 23 CFR 774 (``Section 4(f)'') for the 
extension of high capacity, rapid transit in the Georgia (GA) 400 
corridor in north Fulton County, GA from Dunwoody to Alpharetta. The 
EIS and Section 4(f) Evaluation will be prepared in accordance with 
regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
and 40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508, Section 4(f), as well as FTA's 
regulations and guidance implementing NEPA (23 CFR 771).
    The purpose of this NOI is to: (1) Advise the public and agencies 
that MARTA in coordination with the FTA is preparing an EIS for the 
proposed project; (2) provide information including previous planning 
studies and decision, purpose and need, and alternatives being 
considered; and, (3) invite public and agency participation in the EIS 
process, which includes a

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review and written comments on the scope of the EIS.

DATES: Scoping Meeting Dates: Public Scoping meetings will be held on 
April 14, 16, and 30, 2015 at locations within the study area. The 
Scoping meeting locations are accessible by transit and to persons with 
disabilities. Confirmed times and locations will be published in local 
notices and on the project Web site at http://www.itsmarta.com/north-line-400-corr.aspx.
    The dates, times, and locations of the Scoping meetings are:
     Scoping Meeting 1: Tuesday, April 14, 2015 at the North 
Fulton Government Service Center located at 7741 Roswell Road #104, 
Sandy Springs, GA 30350.
     Scoping Meeting 2: Thursday, April 16, 2015 at the Georgia 
State University Alpharetta Center located at 3775 Brookside Parkway, 
Alpharetta, GA 30022.
     Scoping Meeting 3: Thursday, April 30, 2015 at the East 
Roswell Park located at 9000 Fouts Road, Roswell, GA 30076.
    All meetings will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Directional 
signage will be posted at all meeting locations to inform participants 
of the meeting room number and location.
    All meeting locations are considered private property. With the 
exception of on-duty law enforcement and/or security officials, weapons 
will not be allowed on the premises of any meeting locations under any 
circumstances. If there are questions concerning weapons policies for 
Scoping meeting locations or if translation, signing services, or other 
special accommodations are needed, please contact MARTA's Office of 
External Affairs, Toni Thornton at [email protected] or 404-848-
5423 at least one week before the scoping meetings.
    Written Comments: Written or electronic mail (email) comments 
should be sent to Mark Eatman, Project Manager, MARTA, 2424 Piedmont 
Road NE., Atlanta GA 30324-3330 or by email at [email protected]. 
If submitting an email comment, please type ``Scoping Meeting Comment 
for MARTA'' in the subject line of the email. MARTA maintains a 
Facebook page for the GA 400 Corridor project and will notify Facebook 
followers, in conjunction with publication of this notice, to submit 
comments to the aforementioned email address as well. The address for 
the Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/Connect400. Information 
on the project may also be found on the project Web site, http://www.itsmarta.com/north-line-400-corr.aspx.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Stan Mitchell, Environmental 
Protection Specialist, FTA Region IV, 230 Peachtree Street NW., Suite 
1400, Atlanta, GA 30303 or email: [email protected], telephone 
404-865-5643.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

    FTA and MARTA will undertake a Scoping process that will allow the 
public and interested agencies to comment on the scope of the 
environmental review process. Scoping is the process of determining the 
scope, focus, and content of an EIS. NEPA Scoping has specific 
objectives, identifying issues that will be examined in detail during 
the EIS, while at the same time limiting consideration and development 
of issues that are not truly significant to the purpose and need for 
the project. FTA and MARTA invite all interested individuals, members 
of the public, Native American tribes, and Federal, State, and local 
agencies to review and comment on the scope of the Draft EIS.
    To facilitate public and agency comment, a Scoping Information 
Packet will be prepared for review and will be available before each 
Scoping meeting and for handout at each Scoping meeting. This packet 
will include draft descriptions of the project purpose and need, the 
alternatives considered, impacts to be assessed, early alternatives 
that are currently not being considered, and the public outreach and 
agency coordination process.

II. Study Area Description

    The project study area is located in Fulton County, Georgia, and 
includes small portions of the cities of Sandy Springs, Roswell, 
Milton, Dunwoody, Johns Creek and Alpharetta. The corridor study area 
extends approximately 12 miles along GA 400 from North Springs heavy 
rail station (the current northern terminus of the MARTA heavy rail 
service) northward to Windward Parkway near the Fulton/Forsyth county 
line.

III. Purpose and Need for the Proposed Project

    MARTA invites comments on the following preliminary statement of 
the project's purpose and need:
    The purpose of the GA 400 Corridor project is to provide high 
capacity transit (bus and/or rail) through the corridor study area, 
improve transit linkages and coverage to communities within the study 
area, and enhance mobility and accessibility to and within the study 
area by providing a more robust transit network that offers an 
alternative to automobile travel.
    The GA 400 Corridor is the transportation spine of northern Fulton 
County, one of the fastest growing sub-regions in the metro-Atlanta 
region. The corridor is home to many employment centers, including 
Perimeter Center in the southern portion of the corridor, one of the 
largest employment centers in the region. Transit service to and within 
the study area is provided primarily by MARTA heavy rail and bus. MARTA 
heavy rail service extends from Downtown Atlanta to major retail and 
employment centers, including the Medical Center and Perimeter Center 
in Dunwoody and Sandy Springs in the southern portion of the corridor. 
MARTA bus service in the corridor study area primarily functions as 
feeder service to the North Springs heavy rail station from areas to 
the north, including Roswell, Alpharetta and Milton. The Georgia 
Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) also operates two express bus 
routes during peak hours that connect the southern portion of the GA 
400 corridor to/from north and southeast destinations outside the GA 
400 corridor.
    The following needs for the proposed project stem from existing 
conditions and deficiencies in the corridor study area:
     Travel demand--Increased travel demand and traffic 
congestion;
     Transit mobility--There is inadequate transit connectivity 
within the northern Fulton County study area and between the study area 
and DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Cobb Counties and central Atlanta. In 
addition, east-west transit connectivity is inadequate. The limited 
routes across the Chattahoochee River reflect the inadequate transit 
connectivity;
     Transit travel times--Transit travel times are not 
competitive with auto travel times due to the lack of express service; 
this is true for north-south trips within the study area and for trips 
with origins and destinations outside the study area. Transit and auto 
travel times cannot be compared for east-west trips as there is no 
east-west transit service; and,
     Economic development--Traffic congestion caused by 
insufficient transportation system capacity affects both personal 
travel and goods movement, which constrains economic development 
opportunities.

IV. Alternatives Analysis and Results

    In 2011, MARTA initiated the GA 400 Corridor Transit Initiative 
Alternatives Analysis (AA) to analyze the corridor based on current 
trends and conditions.

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The AA study process identified ways to enhance transportation choices, 
improve transit service, and increase access to jobs and activity 
centers for commuters and residents in the GA 400 corridor. MARTA and 
corridor stakeholders examined a broad range of alternatives for high 
capacity, fixed route transit investments in the corridor. The AA study 
process reduced the number of potentially viable alternatives through a 
multilayered screening methodology and by engaging the public and 
stakeholders. The AA process concluded that the GA 400 right-of-way 
from the North Springs station to Windward Parkway near the Fulton/
Forsyth County line is the preferred alignment. The transit 
technologies requiring further evaluation were identified as heavy rail 
transit (HRT), light rail transit (LRT), and bus rapid transit (BRT). 
Additional technical and public and stakeholder input received during 
Early Scoping (conducted in 2013 and 2014) established the basis for 
selecting a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) within the GA 400 
Corridor.
    The LPA is a HRT line that would cross to the west side of Georgia 
400 north of North Springs Station but south of Spalding Dr. This 
alternative would have a second crossover back to the east side of GA 
400 north of the Chattahoochee River. The HRT alternative received the 
strongest public support throughout the study process due to the higher 
level of transit service for corridor commuters and residents. In 
addition, two BRT alignments will be considered as lower-cost options 
as part of the DEIS. Stakeholder input received during Early Scoping, 
poor performance shown in technical study and preliminary analysis 
eliminated the LRT alternative. The MARTA Board of Directors adopted 
the HRT transit concept as the LPA for the GA 400 corridor along with 
consideration of the additional BRT alternatives on March 5, 2015.
    The results of the AA study, Early Scoping, and the Preliminary 
Engineering and Environmental Analysis study are available at http://www.itsmarta.com/north-line-400-corr.aspx, under Documents.

V. EIS Alternatives Considered

    Based on the technical analysis and input received from the public 
and stakeholders regarding the GA 400 corridor, the following proposed 
alternatives, along with a brief description for each, will be 
evaluated during the EIS:
    No-Build Alternative: The No-Build Alternative includes all 
transportation improvement projects within the GA 400 Corridor project 
area that are programmed in the Atlanta Regional Commission's Regional 
Transportation Plan (RTP) with the exception of the GA 400 Corridor 
project. The No-Build Alternative serves as a comparison baseline for 
the project build alternatives.
    Build Alternative 1: Build Alternative 1 is an extension of MARTA's 
HRT Red line. It includes segments that are at-grade, tunnel and on 
aerial structure. From the North Springs station, the alignment for 
Build Alternative 1 would cross GA 400 south of Spalding Drive to run 
along the west side of GA 400, cross the Chattahoochee River, and then 
cross back over GA 400 to run along the east side of GA 400 to Windward 
Parkway. The Build Alternative 1 is the LPA for the study corridor.
    Build Alternative 2: Build Alternative 2 is a new BRT exclusive 
guideway that includes segments that are at-grade and on aerial 
structure. The alignment would extend from the North Springs station, 
cross GA 400 south of Spalding Drive to run along the west side of GA 
400, cross the Chattahoochee River and then cross over GA 400 to run 
along the east side of GA 400 to Windward Parkway.
    Build Alternative 3: Build Alternative 3 is a new BRT line 
operating in a future Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) 
Managed Lanes project on GA 400 that includes segments that are at-
grade and on aerial structure. Except when serving the station at 
Windward Parkway, this alternative would not cross over GA 400.

VI. Potential Effects

    FTA and MARTA will evaluate project-specific direct, indirect, and 
cumulative effects, including benefits, to the existing human and 
natural environmental setting in which the Build Alternatives could be 
located. The permanent or long-term effects to be investigated during 
this study include effects to public parks and recreation lands 
(Section 4(f) Evaluation), traffic and transportation, land use and 
socioeconomic, visual character and aesthetics, noise and vibration, 
historical and archaeological resources, community effects, and natural 
resources. Temporary effects during construction may include effects to 
transportation and traffic, air quality, water quality, noise and 
vibration, natural resources, and encounters with hazardous materials 
and contaminated soils.
    The analysis will be undertaken in conformity with Federal 
environmental laws, regulations, and executive orders applicable to the 
proposed project during the environmental review process. These 
requirements include but are not limited to NEPA, Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations, FTA guidance and relevant 
environmental planning guidelines, Section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act (NHPA), Section 4(f) of the Department of 
Transportation Act, Executive Order 12898 regarding minority and low-
income populations, Executive Order 11990 regarding the protection of 
wetlands, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and 
the Clean Air Act of 1970 along with other applicable Federal, state, 
and local laws and regulations. Opportunities for review and comment on 
the potential effects will be provided to the public and agencies. 
Comments received will be considered in the development of the final 
scope and content of the EIS. The final scope and content of the EIS 
will be documented in the Scoping Summary Report and the Annotated 
Outline for the EIS.

VII. FTA's Public and Agency Involvement Procedures

    The regulations implementing NEPA and FTA guidance call for public 
involvement in the EIS process. In accordance with these regulations 
and guidance, FTA and MARTA will: (1) Extend an invitation to other 
Federal and non-Federal (state and/or local) agencies and Native 
American Tribes that may have an interest in the proposed project to 
become participating agencies (any interested agency that does not 
receive an invitation can notify any of the contact persons listed 
earlier in this NOI); (2) provide opportunity for involvement by 
participating agencies and the public to help define the purpose and 
need for the proposed project, as well as the range of alternatives for 
consideration in the EIS; and (3) establish a plan for coordinating 
public and agency participation in, and comment on, the environmental 
review process.
    Input on a Public Involvement Plan will be solicited at Scoping 
meetings and on the project Web site. The documents will outline public 
and agency involvement for the project. Once completed, these documents 
will be available on the project Web site or through written request to 
the MARTA Project Manager.

VIII. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The Paperwork Reduction Act seeks, in part, to minimize the cost of 
the taxpayer of the creation, collection, maintenance, use, 
dissemination, and disposition of information. Consistent with this 
goal and with the principles of

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economy and efficiency in government, it is FTA's policy to limit, 
insofar as possible, distribution of complete printed sets of NEPA 
documents. Accordingly, unless a specific request for a complete 
printed set is received before the document is printed, FTA and its 
grant applicants (including MARTA) will only distribute electronic 
copies of the NEPA document. A complete printed set of the 
environmental documents produced for this project will be available for 
review at the grant applicant's office (MARTA Headquarters office 
listed in ADDRESSES above) and in other possible locations within the 
project corridor. An electronic copy of the complete environmental 
documents will be available on the grant applicant's project Web site 
at http://www.itsmarta.com/north-line-400-corr.aspx.

IX. Summary and Next Steps

    With the publication of this NOI, the Scoping process and the 
public comment period for the project begins allowing the public to 
offer input on the scope of the EIS until May 11, 2015. In accordance 
with the Federal regulations, this date is at least 45 days following 
the publication of this NOI. Public comments will be received through 
those methods explained earlier in this NOI and will be incorporated 
into a Scoping Summary Report. The Scoping Summary Report will detail 
the scope of the EIS and the potential environmental effects that will 
be considered during the study period. After the completion of the 
Draft EIS, a public and agency review period will allow for input on 
the Draft EIS and these comments will be incorporated into the Final 
EIS for this project. In accordance with Section 1319 of the Moving 
Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), Accelerated 
Decision-making in Environmental Reviews, FTA may consider the use of 
errata sheets attached to the DEIS in place of a traditional Final EIS 
and/or development a single environmental decision document that 
consists of a Final EIS and a Record of Decision (ROD), if certain 
conditions exist following the conclusion of the public and agency 
review period for the project's Draft EIS.

Yvette G. Taylor,
Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Atlanta, GA.
[FR Doc. 2015-07287 Filed 3-30-15; 8:45 am]
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