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Environmental Impact Statement on the South Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Project in Metropolitan Louisville, Kentucky
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: October 24, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 206)]
[Notices]
[Page 63673-63675]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24oc00-118]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Environmental Impact Statement on the South Central Corridor
Light Rail Transit Project in Metropolitan Louisville, Kentucky
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, USDOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS).
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), in cooperation with
the Transit Authority of River City (TARC), intends to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Louisville South Central
Corridor Rapid Transit Project in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The EIS will consider alternatives for improving rapid transit
service within an approximately 15-mile-long corridor that begins at
the Ohio River in the Louisville Central Business District (CBD) and
proceeds through the Medical Center; through Smoketown and Shelby Park;
through the University of Louisville campus and the Louisville
International Airport and ends on the west side of I-65 near the Gene
Snyder Freeway/Interstate 65 interchange.
The EIS will evaluate the following alternatives: a No-Build
Alternative, a Transportation Systems Management (TSM) Alternative
consisting of low to medium cost improvements to local bus services and
facilities, Light Rail Transit (LRT) Alternatives, any additional
reasonable alternatives identified during the EIS scoping process. The
LRT alternatives will include a supporting bus plan.
[[Page 63674]]
The Major Investment Study (MIS) for this project, the
Transportation Tomorrow (T2) Major Investment Study, was completed by
TARC in November 1998. A corridor refinement study was completed in
August 2000. Other previous studies leading to the proposed LRT
include: the 1993 TARC Transitional Study that recommended two priority
corridors, including the South Central Corridor, for detailed
consideration of alternative transit improvements; the 1995 KIPDA
Regional Mobility 2010 Transportation Plan; and the Phase 1 systemwide
plan re-examination that resulted in the 1997 selection of the South
Central Corridor as the priority corridor for the MIS.
Scoping will be accomplished through meetings and correspondence
with interested persons and businesses, organizations, the general
public, federal and state agencies.
DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the range of alternatives
and impacts to be considered must be postmarked no later than December
29, 2000 and should be sent to the Transit Authority of River City. See
ADDRESSES below. Scoping Meetings: Two public scoping meetings will be
held:
(1) November 29, 2000 from 12:00 noon until 2:00 p.m., at the
Jefferson County Court House, Room 402, 527 West Jefferson Street, and
(2) November 29, 2000 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Holy Name
Church Gymnasium, 2921 South Fourth Street.
A brief presentation of the project purpose and alternatives will
be provided at the beginning of each meeting. TARC and consultant staff
will be present to take agency and public input regarding the scope of
the environmental studies, key issues, and other suggested
alternatives. Both locations are accessible to disabled citizens and
both meeting will be signed for the hearing impaired.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to: Bill Sexton, P.E.,
Project Director, TARC, 1000 West Broadway, Louisville, KY 40203. The
addresses for the public scoping meetings are provided above under
DATES. For additional information about the scoping meetings such as
directions to the meeting sites, or to be placed on the project mailing
list for future project information, please contact Nina Walfoort,
Project Outreach Manager, at 1000 West Broadway, Louisville, Kentucky,
by phone at 502-561-5122 or by e-mail at nwalfoort@ridetarc.org.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Anthony Dittmeier, Federal Transit
Administration, Region IV at (404) 562-3512.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Description of Project Area
The FTA, as joint lead agency with TARC, plans to prepare an EIS on
a proposal to improve rapid transit service within an approximately 15-
mile-long corridor beginning at the Ohio River in the Louisville
Central Business District (CBD) and extending south to just north of
the Gene Snyder Freeway. In addition to the CBD, the project would
serve the Medical Center, Smoketown, Shelby Park, Old Louisville, the
University of Louisville Student Center and Stadium, the Kentucky Fair
and Exposition Center, Louisville International Airport, UPS, Ford
Motor Company, and park-and-ride lots near the Outer Loop and the Gene
Snyder Freeway. The environmental impact analysis will build upon
previous evaluations of route and mode alternatives conducted over the
past seven years as well as the current work directed to refine the
recently completed MIS. The corridor refinement study determined a more
specific alignment as well as the locally preferred mode, Light Rail
Transit (LRT), for future analyses. TARC will perform alignment
refinements; identify transit station and stop locations and design
concepts; identify alternative storage yard locations; define right of
way requirements and costs; identify the maximum service potential of
the LRT alternative in the context of enhanced, integrated feeder and
background bus systems; and prepare, with FTA, a Draft EIS.
II. Project Purpose and Need
The primary project purpose is to improve rapid transit service in
this rapidly growing corridor by providing increased transit capacity
and faster, convenient access between and among the Louisville Central
Business District; the Louisville Medical Center; the Smoketown, Shelby
Park, and the Old Louisville neighborhoods; the University of
Louisville; Louisville International Airport; and the developing areas
south of the airport. Associated needs include the following: enhancing
regional connectivity by maximizing rail/bus integration; accommodating
future travel demand by expanding modal options to provide an
alternative to the growing traffic congestion in the I-65 corridor and
on major north-south streets; improving regional air quality by
reducing auto emissions; improving mobility options to employment,
education, medical, and retail centers for corridor residents, in
particular low-income, youth, elderly, disabled, and ethnic minority
populations; and supporting local community economic development goals
through coordinated transit and land use planning.
III. Alternatives
The No-Build Alternative will consist of all presently programmed
projects, that is, existing and fiscally committed elements of the
Region's Transportation Improvement Plan for this corridor and nearby
areas.
The TSM Alternative will include low to medium capital cost bus
system enhancements and traffic engineering, signalization, and other
modes capital improvements in addition to the programmed projects
included in the No-Build Alternative. The bus service enhancements are
expected to include new routes, more frequent service on existing
routes, new bus shelters, and new buses.
The LRT Alternative would provide light rail rapid transit service
in the South Central (Preston Street/I-65) Corridor from the Louisville
CBD to a terminus in the vicinity of the I-65/Gene Snyder Freeway
interchange. Stations or stops would be provided at key transfer points
to connect the line with communities to the east and west. Several of
these stations would include park-and-ride facilities. The proposed
station locations were determined as a part of the recently completed
MIS refinement effort. A vehicle storage facility also would be
included. Final locations for the stations/stops and storage facility
would be determined as part of the environmental studies based on
operational requirements; availability of land and costs; neighborhood
and site compatibility and development potential; proximity to major
activity centers; and, traffic circulation and access considerations.
Additional reasonable alternatives identified during scoping, including
alignment alternatives, alternative station locations, and alternative
sites for the rail storage and maintenance facility, also will be
evaluated.
IV. Probable Effects
Impacts proposed for analysis include changes in the physical
environment (natural resources, air quality, noise, water quality,
geology, wetlands, visual); changes in the social environment (land
use, business and neighborhood disruptions, environmental justice
issues); changes in traffic and pedestrian circulation; impacts on
parklands and historic sites; changes in transit service and patronage;
associated changes in highway congestion; capital, operating,
maintenance costs; and financial
[[Page 63675]]
implications. Impacts will be identified both for the construction
period and for the long-term operation of the alternatives. The primary
evaluation of the alternatives will focus on the extent to which an
alternative meets or promotes the project purpose and need. In
addition, FTA's national evaluation criteria include: transportation;
environmental; social, economic, and financial measures as required by
current federal (NEPA) and state environmental laws and by Council on
Environmental Quality (CEO) and FTA guidelines.
The TSM and LRT alternatives are expected to increase ridership,
and therefore may improve air quality and reduce automobile traffic
congestion in the South Central Corridor. Possible adverse effects of
these alternatives include localized traffic congestion or delay,
property acquisition/displacement, visual, noise/vibration, wetlands,
natural resources, hazardous materials, and temporary construction-
phase impacts. Mitigating measures will be explored for identified
adverse effects.
V. Scoping
To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed
action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Letters
describing the proposed action and soliciting comments were sent to the
appropriate federal, state and local agencies, and to private
organizations and citizens who have expressed or are known to have
interest in this proposal. Copies of the scoping package are available
from TARC upon request by calling, emailing, or writing Nina Walfoort
as provided above in the ADDRESSES section. During scoping, comments
should focus on identifying specific social, economic, or environmental
impacts to be evaluated, and suggesting alternatives that are less
costly or less environmentally damaging that achieve similar transit
objectives. Comments should focus on the issues and alternatives for
analysis, and not on a preference for a particular alternative.
Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS may
be made at the public scoping meeting or in writing directed to TARC at
the address provided above. Written comments must be postmarked no
later than December 29, 2000.
VI. FTA Procedures
In accordance with Federal transportation planning regulations and
environmental procedures (40 CFR Part 1500-1508 and 23 CFR Part 771),
the Draft EIS will be prepared and circulated to solicit public and
agency comments on the proposed action. Based on the comments received
on the Draft EIS, TARC will prepare the Final EIS. Opportunity for
public comment will be provided throughout this project development
process.
Issued on: October 18, 2000.
Jerry Franklin,
Region IV Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-27230 Filed 10-23-00; 8:45 am]
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