[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 98 (Monday, May 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43975-43976]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11003]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Maryland 
Transit Administration Baltimore Red Line Project

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The FTA, as lead Federal agency, and the Maryland Transit 
Administration (MTA), as local project sponsor and joint lead agency, 
issue this notice to advise other Federal, State, and local agencies, 
Tribes, and the public that a Supplemental

[[Page 43976]]

Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) will be prepared in accordance 
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the Red Line 
Project (``the Project''). The Project, a proposed high-frequency, 
high-capacity, approximately 14-mile transit line for the Baltimore 
Region, will fill a major gap in east-west transit service between 
Woodlawn and Bayview, through downtown Baltimore, Maryland.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    For FTA: Heidi Krofft, Environmental Protection Specialist, FTA 
Region 3, 1835 Market Street, Suite 910, Philadelphia, PA 19103, 215-
656-7053.
    For MTA: Allison Scott, Red Line Senior Project Director, 6 St. 
Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, 410-767-3769.
    All previous environmental documents as well as current project 
documents and additional information are available on the Project's 
website: https://redlinemaryland.com/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Project was first identified as a 
priority for transit investment in Baltimore City and Baltimore County 
in the 2001 Maryland Comprehensive Transit Plan and the 2002 Baltimore 
Regional Rail Systems Plan. Subsequently, FTA issued the Notice of 
Intent to Prepare a Draft EIS for the Project on April 11, 2003 (68 FR 
17855) and issued the Record of Decision (ROD) in February 2013. In 
2015, MTA cancelled the project to focus on other statewide priorities 
and the ROD was rescinded in 2015.
    Following the recission of the ROD, local and regional planning 
studies continued to study an east-west transit line. The 2020 Regional 
Transit Plan ranked the project corridor high for near-term transit 
investment. The Project was subject to more detailed exploration in the 
2022 East-West Corridor Feasibility Study, which confirmed the public's 
continued support for east-west transit. The State officially restarted 
the Project in June 2023.
    The Project's SEIS will build upon the previous technical reports 
and NEPA analyses, as well as recent local and regional planning 
studies. The original purpose and need articulated in the previous EIS 
remains consistent. The purpose of the proposed Project is to provide 
high-frequency, high-capacity transit service in the corridor in a 
manner that improves transit efficiency; increases access to transit 
near work and activity centers; enhances connections among existing 
transit routes; provides transportation choices for east-west 
commuters; and supports economic development and community 
revitalization. The Red Line alignment was subject to more detailed 
exploration in the 2022 East-West Corridor Feasibility Study, which 
confirmed the public's continued support for east-west transit based on 
the same needs identified in the 2008-2013 FTA NEPA review (https://redlinemaryland.com/resources/).
    The SEIS will reassess tunneling options, as well as changes to the 
eastern end of the proposed Project alignment. The SEIS will focus on 
any changes in the affected environment and project impacts, 
operational changes, regulations, and mitigation measures; and will 
include coordination activities and input from Federal, State, and 
local agencies; consultation with tribes; and public involvement. The 
Project may result in new or changed significant impacts that were not 
evaluated in the FEIS. Therefore, pursuant to 23 CFR 771.130(a), FTA 
has determined that a SEIS is necessary to identify and disclose any 
new significant impacts. The SEIS will follow the same process and 
format as the Project's EIS, except that in accordance with 23 CFR 
771.130(d), additional scoping is not required. Per 40 CFR 1506.13, the 
SEIS will follow Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations 
that were in effect when the original Notice of Intent was published 
for the Project on April 11, 2003.
    Consistent with NEPA's requirements, FTA and MTA are committed to 
meaningful and equitable stakeholder and public engagement during 
preparation of the SEIS. Insights and commitments from the work 
previously completed provides a strong foundation to build upon. 
Ongoing stakeholder and public engagement activities such as online 
surveys, pop-up events, on-street engagement, community meetings, in-
person public workshops, and stakeholder conversations will be used to 
inform and exchange information related to the project's key 
considerations and decisions. Interagency Review Meetings will be held 
to present the study approach and results of major study findings to 
Cooperating and Participating Agencies.
    Once completed, the SEIS will be available for public, agency, and 
tribal review and comment prior to the public hearing(s). After public 
review, FTA and MTA anticipate issuing a combined Final SEIS/ROD 
pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 304a(b) and 23 U.S.C.139(n)(2) and 23 CFR 771.124 
unless FTA determines that statutory criteria or practicability 
considerations preclude issuance of such a combined document.
    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 139(n)(2), 23 CFR part 771, 40 CFR 1506.6, and 
49 CFR 1.81(a)(5) and 1.91(c).

Theresa Garcia Crews,
Regional Administrator, FTA Region 3.
[FR Doc. 2024-11003 Filed 5-17-24; 8:45 am]
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