[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 125 (Thursday, June 30, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39157-39159]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-13947]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Early Scoping Notice for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit 
Authority's (MARTA) Proposed Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative in 
Fulton County and DeKalb County, Georgia

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

ACTION: Early scoping notice.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Metropolitan 
Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) issue this early scoping notice 
to advise tribes, agencies, and the public that FTA and MARTA will 
explore potential alternatives for high-capacity, fixed-guideway 
transit extending from Lindbergh Center in the City of Atlanta, Fulton 
County, GA to the City of Decatur in DeKalb County, GA. The project 
would enhance mobility and accessibility by providing a more robust 
transit network by linking to existing heavy rail transit lines, with 
the potential to connect to other planned regional transit expansion 
projects. This notice invites the public and agency officials to help 
support the ongoing alternatives analysis and system planning efforts 
by reviewing information and commenting.

[[Page 39158]]


DATES: Two in-person public information open houses will be held at the 
following times:
     Thursday, July 14, 2022 at 6:30 p.m., at the Emory 
University Rollins School of Public Health Auditorium, located at 1518 
Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30322.
     Saturday, July 16, 2022 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in 
the atrium of MARTA Headquarters, located at 2424 Piedmont Road NE, 
Atlanta, GA 30324.
    MARTA Headquarters is located at the western terminus of the 
proposed project in Atlanta's Lindbergh/Morosgo neighborhood, near the 
existing Lindbergh Center MARTA rail station.
    Two online public early scoping meetings will be held at the 
following times (all times are Eastern Daylight Time):
     Tuesday, July 19, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.
     Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.
    Registration information for these public forums can be found 
below. Pre-registration is not required to attend the in-person forums 
but is recommended for planning purposes.

 Online Public Early Scoping Meeting #1--Tuesday, July 19, 
2022, at 10:00 a.m.: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqdO2grz4tHdX-yuIUdBt6HInsuDJ0GGGL
 Online Public Early Scoping Meeting #2--Wednesday, July 20, 
2022, at 6:30 p.m.: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMlfuuvpzMpGtL3bCvFQ4S649P1S_JmFwk9
 In-person Public Information Open House #1--Emory Rollins 
School of Public Health Auditorium. Thursday, July 14, 2022, at 6:30 
p.m.: https://tinyurl.com/4hxxmumb
 In-person Public Information Open House #2--MARTA Atrium. 
Saturday, July 16, 2022, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N8DC2RQ

    In-person or electronic scoping comments are requested by August 
30, 2022, and may be mailed or emailed to the MARTA Project Manager at 
the address below or provided via a comment form on the project website 
here: https://ConnectClifton.com. Virtual forums will be recorded and 
made available via the project website.

ADDRESSES: Written or electronic comments should be sent to Bryan 
Hobbs, Project Manager, MARTA, 2424 Piedmont Road NE, Atlanta, GA 
30324-3330 or by email to [email protected]. If submitting an 
electronic comment, please type ``Clifton Corridor Study Early Scoping 
Comment for MARTA'' in the subject line of the email. MARTA maintains 
social media accounts for general announcements and will notify social 
media followers, in conjunction with publication of this notice, to 
submit comments to the email address above. Registration links for the 
early scoping forums can be found on the project website: https://ConnectClifton.com.
    The forums will include accessibility accommodations for persons 
with disabilities. If translation, closed captioning, or other special 
accommodations are needed, please contact the Project Manager, Bryan 
Hobbs at ([email protected] or 404-848-5733) at least two weeks 
before the early scoping forums.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julia Walker, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, FTA Region IV, 230 Peachtree Street, NW, Suite 1400, 
Atlanta, GA 30303 or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Early Scoping

    The early scoping process is intended to support the alternatives 
analysis, any future National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scoping 
process, and will help streamline the future development of an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), if warranted. In addition, it 
supports FTA's planning requirements associated with the Capital 
Investment Grants New Starts (``Section 5309'') funding program for 
major capital transit investments. While recent legislation has led to 
changes in the New Starts process, MARTA will comply with all relevant 
FTA requirements relating to planning and project development to help 
analyze and screen alternatives in preparation for the NEPA process. 
Early scoping is an optional step in the NEPA process that precedes 
NEPA scoping, which normally begins when the FTA and the grant 
applicant publish a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS. Early scoping 
is intended to generate public and agency review and comments on the 
scope of a planning effort within a defined transportation corridor, 
which helps the agency to determine which alignment variations should 
receive more focused study and project development to streamline the 
NEPA process. Early scoping can streamline the NEPA process, but also 
firmly links transportation planning and NEPA; and allows the public 
and interested agencies the opportunity to review and provide comments 
on the results of the planning activities and studies that inform the 
NEPA process. Early scoping for the Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative 
is being conducted in accordance with the Council on Environmental 
Quality's (CEQ) and FTA's regulations and guidance for implementing 
NEPA (40 CFR 1501.2 through 1501.8 and through 23 CFR 771.111), which 
encourage federal agencies to initiate NEPA early in their planning 
processes. Early scoping begins as soon as there is enough information 
to describe the proposal so that the public and relevant agencies can 
participate effectively. This is particularly useful in situations when 
a proposed action involves a broadly defined corridor with an array of 
possible transit investment alternatives. This early scoping notice 
invites public and agency involvement with the ongoing supplementary 
planning activities and studies for the Clifton Corridor, including 
review of the (a) purpose and need, (b) the proposed alternatives, and 
(c) the potential environmental, transportation, and community impacts 
and benefits to consider during the NEPA process.

Purpose and Need for the Project

    The purpose of the proposed project is to provide a high capacity, 
fixed-guideway transit service to the Clifton Corridor in a manner that 
increases the reliability and frequency of existing transit services to 
and within the corridor; improves access and connectivity within the 
Clifton Corridor; and provides alternative travel options in the event 
of emergencies that impair roadway travel within the corridor.
    The proposed transit investment would improve accessibility, travel 
time reliability, and economic development by providing high-capacity 
transit services for commuters accessing activity centers within the 
Clifton Corridor and the greater Atlanta region.
    The primary needs for the Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative are 
listed below and are supported by the existing conditions in the 
corridor and broader Atlanta region:
     Provide high-capacity transit to a major regional 
population and employment center
     Address the need for reliable and frequent transit
     Improve access and connectivity within the Clifton 
Corridor.

Project Description

    A high-capacity, fixed-guideway transit within a corridor extending 
from the Lindbergh Center in the City of Atlanta, Fulton County, GA to 
the City of Decatur in DeKalb County, GA. Potential high-capacity, 
fixed-guideway alternatives would improve transit linkages and coverage 
within the study corridor, providing high-capacity transit and regional 
connectivity to one of the

[[Page 39159]]

metro area's major regional jobs corridors that includes the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Emory University and 
Hospital, the Atlanta Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, Emory 
Decatur Hospital, and several clusters of growing multi-family 
residential, office, and commercial centers. The project would enhance 
mobility and accessibility to and within the study corridor by 
providing a more robust transit network that offers an alternative to 
automobile travel and would link to existing heavy rail transit lines, 
with the potential to connect to other planned regional transit 
expansion projects. The current study evaluates transit modal 
alternatives that would operate in or adjacent to the CSX 
Transportation freight rail corridor from the Lindbergh Center MARTA 
station area to a point near Belt Junction at the Emory-Clairmont 
Campus in DeKalb County. Transit service would continue east along 
either: (a) North Decatur Road, DeKalb Industrial Way, N Arcadia Way 
and E Ponce de Leon Avenue to the Avondale MARTA Station; or (b) 
continue along Clairemont Avenue to the Decatur MARTA Station.

Project Context and History

    The Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative was initiated by MARTA in 
2009, in cooperation with the Clifton Corridor Transportation 
Management Association (CCTMA), to identify and select a transit 
solution that would provide access to the CDC and Emory University and 
Hospital Area. An initial alternatives analysis study evaluated several 
alignment and transit mode alternatives and resulted in a Locally 
Preferred Alternative (LPA) that was adopted by the MARTA Board of 
Directors in 2012. Since that time, MARTA has evaluated an extensive 
number of additional alternatives to maximize operational efficiency 
and ridership potential, reduce project costs, and reduce environmental 
and community impacts in a highly complex study area with limited 
right-of-way (ROW), freight rail, established historic and residential 
areas, and a rapid pace of real estate development.

Next Steps

    FTA and MARTA invite comments on all planning activities and 
developments, which include, but are not limited to, the Purpose and 
Need of the Project, the Project study area, potential impacts, and 
potential alternatives. At the end of the alternatives analysis 
process, FTA and MARTA anticipate identifying a preferred mode and 
corridor for further evaluation during the NEPA process. The 
classification of the NEPA documentation (Categorical Exclusion, 
Environmental Assessment, or Environmental Impact Statement) will be 
determined by FTA at the end of the alternatives analysis. If the 
preferred mode and alignment involve the potential for significant 
environmental impacts, an EIS may be required. If an EIS is required, a 
Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS will be published in the Federal 
Register by FTA, and the public and interested agencies will have the 
opportunity to participate in a review and comment period on the scope 
of the EIS.
    Authority: 49 CFR 622.101, 23 CFR 771.111, and 40 CFR 1501.7.

Yvette Taylor,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2022-13947 Filed 6-29-22; 8:45 am]
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