[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 29 (Tuesday, February 12, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3541-3544]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-01949]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions, 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) intend to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the benefits and
impacts of the proposed West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions
(WSBLE), a light rail transit extension project. The project would
improve public transit service along the WSBLE corridor between and
through the West Seattle, Downtown, and Ballard neighborhoods in
Seattle, King County, Washington. It would respond to a growing number
of transportation and community needs identified in the agency's
regional transit system plan, Sound Transit 3 (ST3).
FTA and Sound Transit will prepare the EIS in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), FTA environmental
regulations, Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act),
and Washington's State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). This Notice
initiates formal scoping for the EIS, provides information on the
nature of the proposed transit project, invites participation 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
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potential environmental effects to be considered. It also invites
comments from interested members of the public, tribes, and agencies on
the scope of the EIS and announces upcoming public scoping meetings.
Alternatives being considered for evaluation include a No-Build
alternative and various build alternatives to develop light rail in the
WSBLE corridor. The alternatives were developed through a local
planning process including a Regional Transit Long-Range Plan, a
regional system plan of transit investments (ST3), and a SEPA early
scoping and alternatives development process specific to the WSBLE
corridor. Results of the SEPA early scoping process, the alternatives
development process and findings, and other background technical
reports are available at Sound Transit's office located at 401 S
Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104-2826, on the project website:
www.soundtransit.org/WSBLink, or by contacting the project line at
(206) 903-7229.
DATES: The public scoping period will begin on the date of publication
of this Notice and will continue through March 18, 2019 or 30 days from
the date of publication, whichever is later. Please send written
comments on the scope of the EIS, including the draft purpose and need
statement, the alternatives to be considered in the EIS, the
environmental and community impacts to be evaluated, and any other
project-related issues, to the Sound Transit address listed in
ADDRESSES below.
Public scoping meetings will be held at the times and locations
indicated in ADDRESSES below. Sound Transit and FTA will accept written
(via mail and online) and verbal comments recorded by a court reporter
at those meetings. FTA and Sound Transit have also scheduled a meeting
to receive comments from agencies and tribes who have an interest in
the proposed project (on March 5, 2019). Invitations to the agency and
tribal scoping meeting have been sent to appropriate Federal, tribal,
state, and local governmental units.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS must be received by
March 18, 2019 or 30 days from the publication of this Notice,
whichever is later. Please send comments to: WSBLE (c/o Lauren Swift,
Central Corridor Environmental Manager) Sound Transit, 401 S. Jackson
Street, Seattle, WA 98104-2826, or by email to
[email protected]. Comments will also be accepted at
the public scoping meetings which will be held at:
1. February 27, 2019, 6:00-8:30, Alki Masonic Center, 4736 40th
Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98116.
2. February 28, 2019, 6:00-8:30, Ballard High School, 1418 NW 65th
St., Seattle, WA 98117.
3. March 7, 2019, 5:00-7:30, Sound Transit, Union Station, 401 S.
Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104.
All public meeting locations are accessible to persons with
disabilities. To request materials be prepared and supplied in
alternate formats or languages, please call the project line, (206)
903-7299/TTY Relay 711 at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.
Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may call (888) 713-4900/TTY
Relay 711.
Information about the proposed project, the alternatives
development process, scoping, and the EIS process will be available at
the scoping meetings, at Sound Transit offices, on the project website:
http://www.soundtransit.org/WSBLink, or by contacting the project line
at (206) 903-7229.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Assam, FTA Environmental
Protection Specialist, phone: (206) 220-4465 or Lauren Swift, Sound
Transit Central Corridor Environmental Manager, phone: (206) 398-5301.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background. NEPA ``scoping'' (40 CFR 1501.7) has specific and
fairly limited objectives, one of which is to identify the light rail
alignment alternatives' significant issues that will be examined in
detail in the EIS, while simultaneously limiting consideration and
development of issues that are not truly significant. The NEPA scoping
process should identify potentially significant environmental impacts
caused by the project and that give rise to the need to prepare an EIS;
impacts that are deemed not to be significant need not be developed
extensively in the context of the impact statement. The EIS must be
focused on impacts of consequence consistent with the ultimate
objectives of the NEPA implementing regulations--``to make the
environmental impact statement process more useful to decision makers
and the public; and to reduce paperwork and the accumulation of
extraneous background data, in order to emphasize the need to focus on
real environmental issues and alternatives . . . [by requiring] impact
statements to be concise, clear, and to the point, and supported by
evidence that agencies have made the necessary environmental
analyses.'' Executive Order 11991, of May 24, 1977. Transit projects
may also generate environmental benefits, which should also be
highlighted; the EIS process should draw attention to positive impacts,
not just negative.
The Proposed Project. Sound Transit is proposing to expand Link
light rail transit service from downtown Seattle to West Seattle's
Alaska Junction neighborhood, and to Ballard's Market Street area. The
project corridor is approximately 11.8 miles long. The project is part
of the ST3 Plan of regional transit system investments, approved for
funding by voters in the region in 2016. The ST3 Plan is available on
Sound Transit's website at: https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/documents-reports/st3-2016-guide.
Purpose of and Need for the Project. The Purpose and Need statement
establishes the basis for developing and evaluating a range of
reasonable alternatives for environmental review and assists with the
identification of a Preferred Alternative. The purpose of the WSBLE
project is to expand the Link light rail system from downtown Seattle
to West Seattle and Ballard, to make appropriate community investments
to improve mobility, and to increase capacity and connectivity for
regional connections in order to:
Provide high quality rapid, reliable, and efficient light
rail transit service to communities in the project corridor as defined
through the local planning process and reflected in the ST3 Plan (Sound
Transit, 2016).
Improve regional mobility by increasing connectivity and
capacity through downtown Seattle to meet projected transit demand.
Connect regional centers as described in adopted regional
and local land use, transportation, and economic development plans and
Sound Transit's Regional Transit Long-Range Plan Update (Sound Transit,
2014).
Implement a system that is technically and financially
feasible to build, operate, and maintain.
Expand mobility for the corridor and region's residents,
which include transit-dependent, low-income, and minority populations.
Encourage equitable and sustainable urban growth in
station areas through support of transit-oriented development and
multimodal integration in a manner that is consistent with local land
use plans and policies, including Sound Transit's Transit Oriented
Development and Sustainability policies.
Encourage convenient and safe non-motorized access to
stations such as bicycle and pedestrian connections
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consistent with Sound Transit's System Access Policy.
Preserve and promote a healthy environment and economy by
minimizing adverse impacts on the natural, built, and social
environments through sustainable practices.
The project is needed because:
When measured using national standards, existing transit
routes between downtown Seattle, West Seattle and Ballard currently
operate with poor reliability. Roadway congestion in the project
corridor will continue to degrade transit performance and reliability
as the city is expected to add 70,000 residential units and 115,000
jobs by 2035, without any major expansions in roadways.
Increased ridership from regional population and
employment growth will increase operational frequency in the existing
downtown Seattle transit tunnel requiring additional tunnel capacity.
Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), the regional
metropolitan planning organization, and local plans call for High
Capacity Transit (HCT) in the corridor consistent with VISION 2040
(PSRC, 2009) and Sound Transit's Regional Transit Long-Range Plan
Update (Sound Transit, 2014).
The region's citizens and communities, including transit
dependent residents and low-income and minority population, need long-
term regional mobility and multimodal connectivity as called for in the
Washington State Growth Management Act.
Regional and local plans call for increased residential
and/or employment density at and around HCT stations, and increased
options for multimodal access.
Environmental and sustainability goals of the state and
region, as established in Washington state law and embodied in PSRC's
VISION 2040 and 2018 Regional Transportation Plan, include reducing
greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing vehicle miles traveled.
Proposed Alternatives. Three light rail transit (LRT) build
alternatives have been identified for the WSBLE project, as well as a
no-build alternative, as required under NEPA, that serves as a baseline
against which to assess the impacts of the proposed alternatives. The
mode and corridor served for the proposed project were identified
through the years-long planning process for the Sound Transit Regional
Transit Long-Range Plan and ST3 Plan. The three LRT alternatives were
developed through an alternatives development process which built off
of the Regional Transit Long-Range Plan and ST3 planning work. The
planning and alternatives development processes included technical
analysis, public engagement, and input from affected local
jurisdictions. Sound Transit developed an initial range of alternatives
from agency and public input during the SEPA early scoping process
(February 2 through March 5, 2018). The project Elected Leadership
Group (ELG), a comprehensive group of elected officials that represent
the service corridor, and the Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG), an
advisory group consisting of members of the community appointed by the
ELG, then recommended how to narrow and refine these alternatives based
on additional analysis and community, agency, and tribal input.
Consistent with 23 CFR part 450.318, FTA is relying on the results of
these local planning processes to inform the mode, corridor, and range
of reasonable alternatives to be evaluated during the environmental
process.
FTA and Sound Transit invite comments on these alternatives. The
input received during the scoping period will help FTA and Sound
Transit identify alternatives to evaluate in the Draft EIS. After
scoping concludes, 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 identifying the preferred alternative and other alternatives to be
considered in the Draft EIS.
No Build Alternative. The No Build Alternative reflects the
existing transportation system plus the transportation improvements
included in PSRC's Transportation Improvement Program.
Light Rail Transit Alternatives. Each LRT alternative is
approximately 11.8 miles and includes fourteen stations that serve the
following areas: Alaska Junction, Avalon, Delridge, SODO, the sports
stadiums, International District/Chinatown, Midtown, Westlake, Denny,
South Lake Union, Seattle Center, Smith Cove, Interbay, and Ballard.
FTA and Sound Transit may also examine several design options and
potential minimal operable segments for the proposed alternatives.
Information about the proposed project, the alternatives development
process, scoping, and the EIS process will be available at the scoping
meetings, at Sound Transit offices, on the project website: http://www.soundtransit.org/WSBLink, or by contacting the project line at
(206) 903-7229. For purposes of the Notice, the proposed alternatives
can be generally described as follows:
In West Seattle, the alternatives include several elevated and
tunnel station options in the Alaska Junction area in the vicinity of
SW Alaska Street on either 41st Avenue SW, 42nd Avenue SW, or 44th
Avenue SW. From the Alaska Junction, the alternatives travel east in
either an elevated or tunnel configuration with elevated or tunnel
station options at Avalon, and continue in an elevated configuration
along SW Genesee Street with an elevated station in Delridge along or
west of Delridge Way SW. The alternatives then cross the Duwamish River
on a high level fixed bridge parallel to the existing West Seattle
Bridge on either the north or south side. The alternatives continue
east in an elevated configuration before turning north following the
alignment of the E3 Busway to a new elevated or at-grade SODO station
and an at-grade Stadium station and connect to the existing downtown
Seattle transit tunnel.
A new downtown tunnel would begin in the vicinity of the Stadium
station, it would head north with alignments under 4th Avenue S or 5th
Avenue S through the International District/Chinatown and then travel
northwest along 5th Avenue or 6th Avenue through Midtown and Westlake.
The alternatives would then continue in a tunnel configuration along
Westlake Ave N to South Lake Union with a station near Denny Way before
turning northwest with a station near Aurora Ave N between Harrison and
Roy streets. The alternatives would continue in tunnel towards Seattle
Center with a station on either Republican or Mercer streets. The
alternatives then turn north and begin to transition to at-grade or
elevated configurations to serve a Smith Cove station along Elliott
Avenue W. From the Smith Cove station, the alternatives either continue
in an elevated configuration along 15th Avenue W or transition to at-
grade along the east side of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF)
railway tracks to a station in Interbay near W Dravus Street. From the
Interbay station, one alternative would continue in an elevated
alignment along 15th Avenue W and cross Salmon Bay with a movable
bridge. The other alternatives transition to the east of 15th Avenue W
and cross Salmon Bay with a high level fixed bridge or tunnel. Station
options in Ballard include elevated and tunnel stations near NW Market
Street on 15th Avenue NW or 14th Avenue NW.
The build alternatives could also include transit related roadway,
bicycle, maritime, and pedestrian projects by
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Sound Transit or others. These improvements may be eligible for federal
funding and could be part of the transit project or constructed
together with it as part of a joint effort with agency partners,
thereby meriting joint environmental analysis. This could include
access improvements around station areas and over waterway crossings.
Sound Transit would identify these improvements and could include them
as it works with partner agencies.
Possible Adverse Effects. Consistent with NEPA, FTA and Sound
Transit will evaluate, with input from the public, tribes, and
agencies, the potential impacts of the alternatives on the natural,
built, and social environments. Likely areas of investigation include,
transportation (including navigable waterways), 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
and marine mammals. The EIS will evaluate short-term construction
impacts and long-term operational impacts. It will also consider
indirect, secondary and cumulative impacts. The EIS will also propose
measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate significant adverse impacts.
In accordance with FTA policy and regulations, FTA and Sound
Transit will comply with all Federal environmental laws, regulations,
and executive orders applicable to the proposed project during the
environmental review process.
Roles of Agencies and the Public. NEPA, and FTA's regulations for
implementing NEPA, call for public involvement in the EIS process. FTA
and Sound Transit therefore invite Federal and non-Federal agencies to
participate in the NEPA process as ``cooperating'' or ``participating''
agencies. FTA will also initiate government-to-government consultation
with Indian tribes and will invite them to participate in the process.
Any agency or tribe interested in the project that does not receive
such an invitation should promptly notify the Sound Transit Corridor
Environmental Manager identified above under ADDRESSES.
FTA and Sound Transit will prepare a draft Coordination Plan for
agency involvement. Interested parties will be able to review the draft
Coordination Plan on the project website. The draft Coordination Plan
will identify the project's coordination approach and structure, will
provide details on the major schedule milestones for agency and public
involvement, and will include an initial list of interested agencies
and organizations.
Combined FEIS and Record of Decision. Under 23 U.S.C. 139, FTA
should combine the Final EIS and Record of Decision if it is
practicable. The EIS will be a joint document under NEPA and SEPA;
therefore, FTA and Sound Transit have determined that this is not
practicable to combine the Final EIS and Record of Decision.
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, unless a
specific request for a complete printed set of environmental documents
is received before the document is printed, FTA and Sound Transit will
distribute only the executive summary of the environmental document
that will include a compact disc of the complete environmental document
and a link to the project website where it can be accessed online. A
complete printed set of the environmental document will be available
for review at the Sound Transit's offices and local libraries; an
electronic copy of the complete environmental document will also be
available on Sound Transit's project website.
Linda M. Gehrke,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2019-01949 Filed 2-11-19; 8:45 am]
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