[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 58 (Tuesday, March 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11391-11394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-05721]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Tacoma Dome Link Extension, King and Pierce Counties, Washington

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS).

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SUMMARY: FTA and the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority 
(Sound Transit) intend to prepare an EIS to evaluate the benefits and 
impacts of the proposed Tacoma Dome Link Extension (TDLE), a light rail 
transit extension project. The project would improve public transit 
service between the Federal Way Transit Center in Federal Way, King 
County and the Tacoma Dome Station in Tacoma, Pierce County. 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). The project would also cross the lands of the Puyallup Tribe 
of the Puyallup Reservation (Puyallup Tribe of Indians).
    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 general information on the range of 
alternatives being considered for evaluation in the EIS, and identifies 
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 and 
various build alternatives to develop light rail in the TDLE 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 TDLE corridor. The results of SEPA 
early scoping and alternatives planning, as well as other background 
information, are summarized in the Tacoma Dome Link Extension Scoping 
Information Report, which is available at Sound Transit's office 
located at 401 S Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104-2826, on the project 
website: www.soundtransit.org/tdlink, or by contacting the project line 
at (206) 903-7118.

DATES: The public scoping period will begin on the date of publication 
of this Notice and will continue through May 1, 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 
comments at those meetings, along with comments via mail and online, 
during the duration of the comment period. There is also an opportunity 
to give verbal comments that will be recorded by a court recorder at 
the 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 April 16, 2019. Invitations to the agency and 
tribal scoping meeting will be sent to appropriate federal, tribal, 
state, and local governmental units.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS must be postmarked 
by May 1, 2019 or 30 days from the publication of this Notice, 
whichever is later. Please send comments to: TDLE Project, c/o Elma 
Borbe, Senior Environmental Planner, 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 that will be held at:
    1. April 16, 2019, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Fife Community Center, 2111 
54th Avenue E, Fife, WA.
    2. April 17, 2019, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Tacoma Convention Center, 
1500 Commerce Street, Tacoma, WA.

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    3. April 23, 2019, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Federal Way Performing Arts 
and Event Center, 31510 Pete von Reichbauer Way S, Federal Way, WA.
    All public meeting locations are accessible to persons with 
disabilities. For information in alternative formats, call 1-800-201-
4900/TTY Relay: 711 or email [email protected].
    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 
at www.soundtransit.org/tdlink, or by contacting the project line at 
(206) 903-7118. An online open house is also available to submit 
comments at http://tdlink.participate.online.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Assam, FTA Environmental 
Protection Specialist, (206) 220-4465 or Elma Borbe, Sound Transit 
Senior Environmental Planner, (206) 398-5445.

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 the Federal Way Transit Center to the 
Tacoma Dome Station area. The project corridor is approximately 10 
miles long, with four proposed stations and two park-and-rides. The 
representative project is part of the ST3 Plan of regional transit 
system investments, funding for which was approved by voters in the 
region in 2016. The ST3 Plan is available on Sound Transit's website 
at: www.soundtransit3.org/document-library.
    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 TDLE 
project is to expand the Link light rail system from the Federal Way 
Transit Center to the Tacoma Dome Station area, 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 in the TDLE corridor from the Federal Way Transit Center to 
the Tacoma Dome Station area to meet projected transit demand.
     Connect communities of Federal Way, Milton, Fife, Tacoma, 
and the Puyallup Tribe of Indians to regional centers and destinations 
on the regional high-capacity transit (HCT) system as described in 
adopted regional and local land use, transportation, and economic 
development plans and Sound Transit's Regional Transit Long-Range Plan 
(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 nonmotorized access to 
stations such as bicycle and pedestrian connections 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.
    The project is needed because:
     Chronic roadway congestion on Interstate 5 (I-5) and State 
Route 99 (SR 99) -- two primary highways connecting communities along 
the corridor -- delays today's travelers, including those using 
transit, and degrades the reliability of bus service traversing the 
corridor, particularly during commute periods.
     These chronic, degraded conditions are expected to 
continue and worsen as the region's population and employment grows.
     Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), the regional 
metropolitan planning organization, and local plans call for HCT in the 
corridor consistent with VISION 2040 (PSRC 2009) and Sound Transit's 
Regional Transit Long-Range Plan (Sound Transit 2014).
     South King and Pierce counties citizens and communities, 
including transit-dependent residents and low-income or minority 
populations, 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. A range of light rail transit build 
alternatives has been identified for the TDLE 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 range of light rail transit 
alternatives was 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

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input during the SEPA early scoping process (April 2 through May 3, 
2018). The project Elected Leadership Group (ELG), a comprehensive 
group of elected officials that represent the service corridor, 
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. The full-length project connecting 
from Federal Way to the Tacoma Dome Station is approximately 10 miles 
long and includes four stations: South Federal Way, Fife, East Tacoma, 
and the Tacoma Dome. 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/tdlink, or by contacting the project line 
at (206) 903-7118. For purposes of this Notice, the project can be 
generally described as follows:
    Based on planning efforts to date, the alternatives evaluated for 
the project follow the I-5 corridor, the SR 99 corridor, or a 
combination of the two corridors, and include four stations and two 
park-and-rides located at the South Federal Way and Fife stations. The 
project begins just south of the Federal Way Transit Center and 
includes three general alternative routes in South Federal Way: I-5, 
Enchanted Parkway, and SR 99. The I-5 alternatives run parallel to the 
west side of I-5 with station options in the vicinity of S 356th 
Street. The Enchanted Parkway alternatives curve from I-5 to Enchanted 
Parkway between S 344th Street and S 359th Street with station options 
in the vicinity of S 352nd Street. The SR 99 alternatives use either SR 
99 or a short stretch of I-5 to reach an SR 99 station near S 348th 
Street before continuing south along SR 99, or returning to the west 
side of I-5. Just south of Porter Way, I-5 and SR 99 make a 90-degree 
curve to the west near the city limits for Milton and Fife. Due to the 
topography and a new interchange with SR 167 that the Washington State 
Department of Transportation plans to start constructing in 2019, all 
alternatives converge along the SR 99 corridor as they enter Fife. The 
station and park-and-ride site options in Fife are generally located 
north of SR 99 between 59th Street E and 54th Street E. West of 54th 
Street E, the alternatives follow either the south side of the SR 99 
corridor or the north side of the I-5 corridor. All of the alternatives 
are anticipated to cross the Puyallup River on a new bridge to the 
north of I-5. From East Tacoma to the Tacoma Dome Station area, the 
alternatives would curve slightly north to follow either E 26th Street, 
E 25th Street, or Puyallup Avenue. There is also an option for an 
alignment to follow E 26th Street or E 27th Street to a station site at 
the Tacoma Dome near East D Street. The East Tacoma station location is 
anticipated to be a block east or west of Portland Avenue E. The Tacoma 
Dome light rail station would be located in the vicinity of East G 
Street or East D Street.
    The build alternatives would also include access enhancements such 
as transit-related roadway, bicycle, and pedestrian improvements around 
station areas, and the Puyallup River Bridge crossing. These 
improvements may be eligible for federal funding and could be part of 
the transit project or constructed as part of a joint effort with 
agency partners.
    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, hazardous materials, 
energy use, safety and security, water resources, floodplains, and 
ecosystems, including threatened and endangered species, and potential 
marine mammals. The EIS will evaluate the impacts of short-term 
construction, long-term operations, and indirect and cumulative 
conditions. 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 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 Senior 
Environmental Planner identified above under ADDRESSES.
    FTA and Sound Transit will prepare a draft Coordination Plan 
guiding agency, tribe, and public involvement. Interested parties will 
be able to review this draft Coordination Plan at the project website: 
http://www.soundtransit.org/tdlink. The Plan will identify the 
project's coordination approach and structure, detail the major 
milestones for agency and public involvement, and include an initial 
list of interested agencies and organizations.
    Combined FEIS and Record of Decision. Under 23 U.S.C. 139, FTA is 
to combine the Final EIS and Record of Decision if practicable. 
However, because the EIS will be a joint document meeting both NEPA and 
SEPA requirements, and because SEPA requires a waiting period between 
the FEIS and decisions about the project, FTA and Sound Transit have 
determined that a combined FEIS and Record of Decision is not 
practicable.
    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

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specific request for a complete printed set of environmental documents 
is received before the document is printed, FTA and Sound Transit will 
distribute 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 documentation will be 
available for review at 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. 2019-05721 Filed 3-25-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE P