Environmental Impact Statement: SR 104Kingston Ferry Terminal (Kitsap County) to the SR 104/101 I/C (Jefferson County), Washington; Notice of Intent/Notice of Scoping

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 171 (Friday, September 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48447-48448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-22985]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: SR 104--Kingston Ferry Terminal 
(Kitsap County) to the SR 104/101 I/C (Jefferson County), Washington; 
Notice of Intent/Notice of Scoping

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), USDOT, in cooperation 
with Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

ACTION: Notice of intent and notice of scoping.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an 
environmental impact statement will be prepared to evaluate potential 
solutions to identified safety problems and traffic congestion along SR 
104 in Kitsap and Jefferson Counties, Washington.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gene Fong/Jim Leonard, Federal Highway 
Administration, 711 South Capitol Way, Suite 501, Olympia, Washington 
98501, Telephone: (360) 753-9413/9408; or Gary Demich/Cassandra 
Brotherton, Washington State Department of Transportation, Olympia 
Region, PO Box 47440, Tumwater, WA 98504-7440, Telephone (360) 357-
2605/2722.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the WSDOT, 
will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on alternative 
solutions that can reduce the accident rate and provide additional 
capacity to meet current and future needs along a 24.5 mile stretch of 
the State Route 104 corridor on the Olympia Peninsula. The SR 104 
project is a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) ``pilot'' 
project, intended to evaluate and improve the application of the NEPA 
process. The ``pilot'' process was developed cooperatively by 
Washington State and Federal agencies, and is jointly sponsored by 
Washington State Department of Transportation and FHWA.
    The primary need in the SR 104 corridor is to provide multi-modal 
transportation linkage to the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas that 
enables safe, efficient and economical movement of

[[Page 48448]]

people and goods. The purpose is to do so in a manner that respects and 
provides for the competing needs: preserving scenic and natural beauty, 
historic and rural character of the area, the current quality of life 
for both residents and users, and the integrity of the natural 
environment.
    This segment of SR 104 includes five areas along the corridor where 
the projected 20 year traffic growth will cause level of service `F', 
or system breakdown due to high congestion. There are also three areas, 
generally one mile or longer, that currently have a five-year history 
of higher than average accident occurrences (HAC).
    There are also six locations where existing roadway geometrics, 
traffic volumes, and other factors indicate a high potential for 
vehicles to run off the roadway (Risk).
    Solutions are needed to reduce the rate and severity of accidents 
and to provide for the projected traffic demand. While alternatives 
have not yet been identified, a series of reasonable alternatives that 
could meet the purpose and need, as generated by the corridor 
stakeholders and adopted by the study Steering Committee will be 
considered in the EIS. The list of possible alternative solutions to be 
addressed in the EIS will be developed after evaluation/consideration 
of scoping comments.

Scoping

    Announcements describing the proposed study/actions and soliciting 
comments will be sent to appropriate Federal, State, Tribal, and local 
agencies, and to private organizations and citizens who have previously 
expressed or are known to have interest in this proposal. Three 
meetings will be held to identify the scope of issues to be addressed, 
the significant issues, and the possible improvement alternatives. The 
first two meetings will be conducted on September 22, 1999, at, the 
Kingston Community Center in Kingston, Washington. The first meeting 
from 3 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. will be conducted to focus on input from 
governmental agencies and tribes. The second, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., 
will be conducted primarily for the public. The third meeting, also for 
the public, will be held on September 23, 1999 at the Port Ludlow Fire 
Hall, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Written scoping comments may be 
submitted to the FHWA or WSDOT at the address provided above.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues are identified, 
comments, and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. 
Comments or questions concerning this action and the EIS should also be 
directed to the FHWA or WSDOT at the address provided above.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing 
Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on 
Federal programs and activities apply to this program.)
James A. Leonard, P.E.,
Transportation and Environmental Engineer, Federal Highway 
Administration--Washington Division.
[FR Doc. 99-22985 Filed 9-2-99; 8:45 am]
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