[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 13, 1999)] [Notices] [Pages 2270-2272] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 99-725] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration Major Investment Study/Environmental Impact Statement: Northeast Corridor in Indianapolis, Indiana; Hamilton and Marion Counties
Agency
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
Action
Notice of intent.
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Summary
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) are jointly issuing this notice to advise the public that a Major Investment Study (MIS)/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared for proposed transportation improvements in the Northeast Corridor of the Indianapolis region. The MIS, which is currently underway, will be used as input to the EIS.
Dates
A public scoping and information meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 26, 1999 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a presentation at 5:30 p.m. in Indianapolis. Written comments on the scope of the alternatives and impacts to be considered should be sent by March 15, 1999.
Addresses
The meeting will be held at the Indiana Government Center South Conference Center, Room A, located at 100 North Senate Avenue, in downtown Indianapolis. Written comments on the scope of the alternatives and impacts to be considered should be sent to:
Steve Cecil, Chief, Pre-Engineering and Environment Division at the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), 100 North Senate Avenue, Indiana Government Center North, Room N848, Indianapolis, IN 46204, scecil@indot.state.in.us; or, Lori Miser, Transportation Planning Manager, 200 East Washington Street, Suite 1841, Indianapolis, IN 46204, lmiser@indygov.org.
For Further Information Contact
Mr. Joel P. Ettinger, FTA Region 5, 200 West Adams St, Suite 2410, Chicago, IL 60606: Telephone: (312) 353- 2789. Ms. Joyce Newland, FHWA--Indiana Division, 575 N. Pennsylvania Street, Room 254, Indianapolis, IN 46204, Telephone: (317) 226-5353.
Supplementary Information
The FHWA and FTA, in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), will prepare a MS and a Draft EIS (DEIS) for transportation improvements in the Northeast Corridor of the Indianapolis region. The MIS/DEIS is being prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and in accordance to FHWA/FTA's planning and environmental impact procedures and regulations (23 CFR 450 and 23 CFR 771). A major investment study in the Northeast Corridor is underway to consider a range of alternative investment strategies for transportation improvements that will include: Transportation System Management (TSM) and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), High- Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) facilities, public transit improvements including bus system enhancements, commuter rail, light rail, and other transit technologies, roadway and freeway improvements, as well as a No-Action Alternative. (No-Action Alternative includes existing and committed elements of the region's transportation plan, except for the proposed new start or investment.) Alternatives generated through the scoping process will also be considered. Scoping will be accomplished through written correspondence with interested persons, organizations, and federal, state, and local agencies as well as through the public meeting listed in DATES and ADDRESSES.
Scoping
FHWA, FTA, INDOT, and the MPO invite all interested individuals, organizations, and federal, state, and local agencies to participate in the scoping process defining the alternatives to be evaluated in the MIS/DEIS and identifying any significant social, economic, or environmental issues related to the alternatives. An information packet describing the purpose and need of the project, the proposed alternatives, the impact areas to be evaluated, the citizen involvement program, and the preliminary project schedule will be mailed to affected federal, state, and local agencies and will be provided upon request to interested parties on record. Requests for the scoping materials should be directed to Ms. Lori Miser at the address above or by calling her at (317) 327-5136. Scoping comments may be made verbally at the public scoping meeting, or in writing. See the DATES and ADDRESSES sections above for the location and time. During the scoping phase, comments should focus on identifying specific social, economic, or environmental impacts to be evaluated and suggesting less costly or less environmentally damaging alternatives that achieve similar objectives. However, scoping is not the appropriate time to indicate a preference for a particular alternative. Comments on preferences should be communicated after the MIS/DEIS has been completed. If you wish to be placed on the mailing list to receive further information as the project develops, contact Lori Miser as previously described.
Description of Study Area and Project Needs
The Northeast Corridor is a major travel corridor that stretches from Noblesville in the northeast to just south of the Indianapolis Central Business District (CBD). Major highway facilities in the corridor include I-69 south and west of 126th Street, I-465 from just west of the US 31 interchange to the I-70 interchange, and I-70 from the east leg of I-465 to the CBD. In addition, the study area includes SR 37/Fall Creek Parkway from just north of Noblesville to the CBD, US 31 from north of Carmel to the CBD, and Allisonville Road, Keystone Avenue, and the Meridian Street corridor.
Alternatives
Transportation alternatives to be considered within the corridor include new and/or improved bus services, busways (facilities exclusively for buses), light rail, commuter rail, TSM/TDM/ITS strategies and roadway and highway expansion.
Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis
FHWA, FTA, INDOT, and the MPO plan to evaluate in the MIS/DEIS all significant social, economic, and environmental impacts of the alternatives. Among the primary issues are transportation service changes, including transit cost, service, patronage change, and its financial implications as well as the effect on traffic movement and railroad operations. Other key issues include community impacts, including land use planning and zoning compatibility, neighborhood compatibility, local and regional economic change, aesthetics, and utility relocation; cultural resource impacts, including effects on historic, archaeological, and park resources; and natural resource impacts, including air quality, noise and vibration, removal of pre- existing hazardous wastes, water resources, natural features, and ecosystems. The proposed impact assessment and its evaluation criteria will take into account both positive and negative impacts, direct and indirect impacts, short-term (construction) and long-term (operation) impacts, and site-specific and corridor-wide impacts. Evaluation criteria will be consistent with the applicable Federal, State of Indiana, and local standards, criteria, regulations, and policies. Mitigation measures will be explored for any adverse impacts that are identified as part of the analyses.
Procedures
In accordance with the regulations and guidance established by CEQ, as well as with 23 CFR part 450 and 23 CFR part 771 of the FHWA/FTA planning and environmental regulations and policies, the MIS/DEIS will include an evaluation of the social, economic, and environmental impacts of the alternatives. The MIS/DEIS will also comply with the requirements of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA) and with the Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice. After its publication, the MIS/DEIS will be available for public and agency review and comment, and a public hearing will be held. On the basis of the MIS/DEIS and the comments received, INDOT and the MPO will select a locally preferred alternative for a major investment strategy. The locally preferred alternative will then be reaffirmed by the MPO for inclusion into the Indianapolis Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The MIS shall lead to specification of the project's mode, the design concept and scope in sufficient detail to meet the requirements of the US Environmental Protection Agency's transportation conformity regulations [40 CFR part 93 and 23 CFR 450.322(b)(8)]. INDOT and the MPO will then seek approval from FHWA and FTA to continue with Preliminary Engineering and the preparation of the Final EIS.
Issued on: January 6, 1999. Lawrence D. Tucker, Planning and Program Development Manager, Federal Highway Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Joel P. Ettinger, Region 5 Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Chicago, Illinois. [FR Doc. 99-725 Filed 1-12-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-22-M