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Environmental Impact Statement: Downtown/Natomas/Airport Corridor in Sacramento, CA
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: December 12, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 239)]
[Notices]
[Page 64339-64341]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12de01-160]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Environmental Impact Statement: Downtown/Natomas/Airport Corridor
in Sacramento, CA
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement
(EIS).
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Sacramento
Regional Transit District (RT), intend to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) and an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in
accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for
proposed transit improvements from 7th Street and K Street in downtown
Sacramento, north through the South and North Natomas areas to the
Sacramento International Airport. To date, 11 alternatives have been
identified to be addressed in the EIS/EIR. These alternatives include a
no-action alternative, Transportation Systems Demand (TSM) alternative,
transit service improvements, bus service expansion alternatives, bus
rapid transit (BRT) alternatives, and light rail transit (LRT)
alternatives. In addition, alternatives that are identified from the
scoping process will be evaluated in the EIS/EIR. Scoping will be
accomplished through correspondence and discussions with interested
persons; organizations; and federal, state, and local agencies; and
through public and agency meetings.
DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of alternatives
and impacts to be considered in the EIS/EIR must be received no later
than January 28, 2002, and must be sent to RT at the address indicated
below. Scoping Meetings: RT will conduct three identical scoping
meetings. These meetings will be held on December 11, 2001 from 2 p.m.
to 4 p.m. at the Regional Transit Administration Building in the
Auditorium, located at 1400 29th Street, Sacramento, California 95812;
on December 12, 2001 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Club at North
Natomas, located at 2101 Club Center Drive, Sacramento, California
95835; and December 13, 2001 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the South Natomas
Community Center, located at 2921 Truxel Road, Sacramento, California
95833.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Mr. David M. Melko,
Policy and Program Manager, Sacramento Regional Transit District, P.O.
Box 2110, Sacramento, California 95812-2110. Phone: (916) 321-2992.
Fax: (916) 444-2156.
To be added to the mailing list, contact Ms. Susan Willson, Project
Manager of Community Relations, The Hoyt Company, 660 J Street, Suite
444, Sacramento, California 95814, (916) 448-2440, e-mail address:
swillson@ns.net. Please specify the mailing list for the Downtown/
Natomas/Airport Corridor Alternatives Analysis/Draft Environmental
Impact Statement/Report (DNA AA/DEIS/R). Persons with special needs
such as sign language interpretation also should contact Susan Willson,
Project Manager of Community Relations, as indicated above. The dates
and addresses of the scoping meetings are given in the DATES section
above. All locations are accessible to people with disabilities.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request a scoping information
packet, contact Mr. David Melko, Policy and Program Manager, Sacramento
Regional Transit District, P.O. Box 2110, Sacramento, California 95812-
2110. Phone: (916) 321-2992. Fax: (916) 444-2156. The Federal Agency
contact is Mr. Jerome Wiggins, Office of Planning and Program
Development, FTA, 201 Mission Street, Room 2210, San Francisco, CA
94105. Phone: (415) 744-3115.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Description of Study Area and Scope
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), as joint lead agency with
the
[[Page 64340]]
Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT), will prepare an EIS/EIR on a
proposal to improve transit service in an approximately 13-mile-long
corridor in north Sacramento, California. The study area begins in
downtown Sacramento at 7th and K Streets. The southern terminus of the
study boundary is typical of an urban downtown environment, with a
mixture of land uses. Traveling north, the proposed action would cross
the Union Pacific Railyard at the northern edge of downtown and the
American River, possibly on a new bridge, traversing the American River
Parkway at Discovery Park. It would pass through the South Natomas area
(which consists of a mixture of single- and multi-family residential
units, and commercial uses), cross Interstate 80 (I-80) and enter the
North Natomas area (which consists of a combination of single- and
multi-family residential units, commercial and light industrial uses,
agricultural, and open space). The northern terminus of the proposed
action is reached by crossing I-5/State Route 99, connecting to the
Sacramento International Airport, located approximately 13 miles
northwest of downtown Sacramento. The Airport now has a mixture of
agricultural and urban uses surrounding it. RT will perform conceptual
engineering for transit alternatives within the Sacramento Downtown/
Natomas/Airport (DNA) Corridor for a Draft EIS/EIR that satisfies both
NEPA and CEQA requirements. In addition, a financial plan will be
developed that examines alternative funding sources, including airport
related funding opportunities.
II. Purpose and Need
Freeways, highways, streets, and RT's 226 buses and 36 light rail
vehicles are currently the primary transportation components
responsible for the movement of people and goods in the Sacramento
region. All types of services, such as public and private transit
services, bicycles and pedestrians, use the existing highway and
roadway network. Implementation of the proposed action will serve one
of the fastest growing areas of the Sacramento region. The population
in RT's service area is expected to grow by about 40 percent over the
next 25 years and employment levels are expected to grow even faster.
In the DNA Corridor, population is expected to increase by 100 percent
(80,000 persons), and employment by 64 percent (83,000 jobs) by 2025.
The Sacramento region is a non-attainment area for air quality and
measures are needed to reduce mobile source emissions. In addition,
RT's current service levels are lower than most of its peer cities of
comparable size around the U.S. An expanded transit system will provide
greater transportation mobility in a corridor that currently has the
lowest amount of transit service in the region, and support economic
development in a rapidly growing corridor.
III. Alternatives
The alternatives under consideration include a No-Action
Alternative, a Transportation Systems Management (TSM) alternative, two
Enhanced Bus Alternatives, two Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Alternatives,
and five Light Rail Transit (LRT) Alternatives. In addition, several
sub-alternatives will be evaluated as well as any other alternatives
that are identified during the public scoping process. A brief
description of the alternatives is provided below. These alternatives
will be developed further during the preparation of the Draft EIS/EIR.
Alternative 1: No-Action. This alternative consists of highway and
transit systems existing as of year 2000, plus programmed improvements.
It serves as the NEPA baseline against which the transportation,
environmental, and community impacts of the other alternatives are
compared.
Alternative 2: TSM Alternative. This alternative consists of all
reasonable cost-effective transit service improvements within the DNA
corridor that are in the financially constrained regional
transportation plan, short of an investment in a New Starts project.
The New Starts Program is a federal program that provides funds for
qualifying bus, rail and other transit-related projects.
Alternative 3: Enhanced Bus to North Natomas Town Center. This
alternative consists of major expansion in the level of bus service
from downtown Sacramento to the North Natomas Town Center, including
bus enhancements and high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane capital
improvements along major corridor freeways.
Alternative 4: Enhanced Bus to Sacramento International Airport.
This alternative consists of major expansion in the level of bus
service from downtown Sacramento to the Sacramento International
Airport, including bus enhancements and HOV lane capital improvements
along major corridor freeways.
Alternative 5: Bus Rapid Transit to North Natomas Town Center. This
alternative consists of major expansion in the level of bus service,
HOV lane capital improvements along major corridor freeways, and a Bus
Rapid Transit (BRT) guideway from downtown Sacramento to the North
Natomas Town Center (following the light rail alignment, including an
exclusive BRT bridge across the American River at Discovery Park).
Alternative 6: Bus Rapid Transit to Sacramento International
Airport. This alternative consists of major expansion in the level of
bus service, HOV lane capital improvements along major corridor
freeways, and a BRT guideway from downtown Sacramento to the Sacramento
International Airport (following the light rail alignment, including an
exclusive BRT bridge across the American River at Discovery Park).
Alternative 7: Light Rail Transit to Richards Blvd/Bus Rapid
Transit to Airport. This alternative consists of modest expansion in
the level of bus service, with light rail service from downtown
Sacramento to Richards Boulevard and a BRT connection to the North
Natomas Town Center and the Sacramento International Airport.
Alternative 8: Light Rail Transit to North Natomas Town Center Plus
Modest Bus Expansion. This alternative consists of modest expansion in
the level of bus service, HOV lane capital improvements along major
corridor freeways, with light rail service from downtown Sacramento to
the North Natomas Town Center.
Alternative 9: Light Rail Transit to Airport Plus Modest Bus
Expansion. This alternative consists of modest expansion in the level
of bus service, HOV lane capital improvements along major corridor
freeways, with light rail service from downtown Sacramento to the
Sacramento International Airport.
Alternative 10: Light Rail Transit to North Natomas Town Center
Plus Major Bus Expansion. This alternative consists of major expansion
in the level of bus service, HOV lane capital improvements along major
corridor freeways, with light rail service from downtown Sacramento to
the North Natomas Town Center.
Alternative 11: Light Rail Transit to Airport Plus Major Bus
Expansion. This alternative consists of major expansion in the level of
bus service, HOV lane capital improvements along major corridor
freeways, with light rail service from downtown Sacramento to the
Sacramento International Airport.
Sub-Alternatives or alignment options to those described above are
being considered at specific locations. These include, but are not
limited to:
Interstate 5 Bridge and Landscape Corridor;
Truxel Road (including new bridge);
Highway 160 Bridge;
[[Page 64341]]
WAPA Power Line (in South Natomas);
Northgate Boulevard (in South Natomas);
Market Boulevard (in North Natomas); and
Direct access to Arco Arena.
IV. Probable Effects
The purpose of the EIS/EIR is to fully disclose the environmental
consequences of building and operating a major capital investment in
the DNA Corridor in advance of any decisions to commit substantial
financial or other resources towards its implementation. The EIS/EIR
will explore the extent to which study alternatives and alignment
options result in environmental impacts and will discuss actions to
reduce or eliminate such impacts.
Environmental issues to be examined in the EIS/EIR include:
potential changes to the physical environment (natural resources, air
quality, noise, water quality, geology, visual); changes in the social
environment (land use, development, business and neighborhood
disruptions); changes in traffic and pedestrian circulation; changes in
transit service and patronage; associated changes in traffic
congestion; and impacts on parklands and historic sites. Impacts will
be identified both for the construction period and for the long-term
operation of the alternatives. The proposed evaluation criteria include
transportation, social, economic, and financial measures, as required
by current federal (NEPA) and state (CEQA) environmental laws and the
implementing regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality and of
FTA.
To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed
action will be addressed and all significant issues identified,
comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties.
Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS/EIR
should be directed to the RT Program Manager as noted in the DATES
section above.
V. FTA Procedures
To streamline the NEPA process and to avoid duplication of effort,
the agencies involved in the scoping process will consider the results
of any previous planning studies or financial feasibility studies
prepared in support of a decision by the Sacramento Area Council of
Governments to include a particular alternative in the regional
transportation plan for metropolitan Sacramento. Prior transportation
planning studies may be pertinent to establishing the purpose and need
for the proposed action and the range of alternatives to be evaluated
in detail in the EIS. The Draft EIS/EIR will be prepared simultaneously
with conceptual engineering for the alternatives, including station and
alignment options. The Draft EIS/EIR process will address the potential
use of federal funds for the proposed action, including airport rleated
funding opportunities, as well as assesses the social, economic, and
environmental impacts of the station and alignment alternatives.
Station designs and alignment alternatives will be refined to minimize
and mitigate any adverse impacts.
After publication, the Draft EIS/EIR will be available for public
and agency review and comment, and a public hearing will be held. Based
on the Draft EIS/EIR and comments received, RT will select a locally
preferred alternative for further assessment in the Final EIS/EIR and
will apply for FTA approval to initiate Preliminary Engineering of the
preferred alternative.
Issued on: December 5, 2001.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Region IX Administrator.
[FR Doc. 01-30640 Filed 12-11-01; 8:45 am]
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