[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 140 (Monday, July 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 43964]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-17506]
[[Page 43964]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Southwest Light Rail Transit Extension Project
(Formerly Referred to as the Southwest Transitway)
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Department of
Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental
Impact Statement
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Federal lead
agency, and the Metropolitan Council (Council), the local lead agency,
intend to publish a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(SDEIS) for the Southwest Light Rail Transit Extension (SWLRT) Project
(formerly referred to as the Southwest Transitway Project), in
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), its
implementing regulations, provisions of the Moving Ahead for Progress
in the 21st Century (MAP-21), and the Minnesota Environmental Policy
Act (MEPA). The original Notice of Intent to prepare a DEIS for the
Project was issued on September 23, 2008. The Project's Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was published on October 12,
2012, with a public comment period concluding on December 31, 2012. The
Project is a new 15.8-mile light rail alignment with 17 new light rail
stations, several new park-and-ride lots, and one new light rail
operations and maintenance facility (OMF). The project requires
modification to existing freight rail alignments within the project
vicinity. The SDEIS will evaluate environmental impacts associated with
proposed adjustments to the Locally Preferred Alternative, freight rail
alignments, and location of the OMF. The SDEIS will also incorporate
pertinent issues raised during the DEIS comment period.
For commenting purposes under NEPA, written comments on the scope
of the SDEIS should be directed to Ms. Nani Jacobson, Project Manager,
Southwest Light Rail Transit Project Office, 6465 Wayzata Boulevard,
Suite 500, St. Louis Park, MN 55426, Telephone: 612-373-3808; Email:
[email protected]. Comments on the scope may be submitted
within 20 days of publication of the preparation notice in the state
publication, the EQB Monitor. Notice in the EQB Monitor is anticipated
to be published on July 22, 2013, with the 20 day period for submitting
written comments ending on August 12, 2013. In accordance with MEPA,
comments received within this period, and responses to the comments,
will be included in the SDEIS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on FTA's NEPA
review, please contact Maya Sarna, Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE., East Building, Washington DC 20590, Telephone:
(202) 366-5811.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The SWLRT Project will operate from downtown
Minneapolis through the southwestern suburban cities of St. Louis Park,
Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie, passing in close proximity to
the city of Edina. The proposed alignment is primarily at-grade and
will include 17 new stations and approximately 15.8-miles of double
track. The line will connect major activity centers in the region
including downtown Minneapolis, Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park,
the Opus/Golden Triangle employment area in Minnetonka and Eden
Prairie, and, the Eden Prairie Center Mall. Ridership in 2030 is
projected at 29,660 weekday passengers. The project will connect with
the Green Line (Central Corridor LRT), which will provide a one-seat
ride to destinations such as the University of Minnesota, the State
Capitol, and downtown St. Paul. The proposed SWLRT will be part of an
integrated system of transitways, including connections to the METRO
Blue Line, the Northstar Commuter Rail line, a variety of major bus
routes along the alignment, and proposed future transitway and rail
lines.
The SDEIS will supplement the evaluation of impacts included in the
Project's DEIS where there have been adjustments to the design of
proposed LRT and freight rail alignments, stations, park-and-ride lots,
and an OMF site that would likely result in impacts not documented in
the Project's DEIS. FTA and the Council anticipate that the SDEIS scope
will include, but not be limited to, the following areas: Eden Prairie
LRT alignment and stations; LRT OMF site; freight rail alignments
(i.e., Relocation and Co-location); and other areas where FTA and the
Council determine that there is a need to be supplemented with
additional information which was not included in the Project's October
2012 DEIS.
Notice regarding the intent to prepare the SDEIS will be sent to
the appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies. Following
publication and review of the SDEIS, a FEIS will be prepared and
circulated.
The Paperwork Reduction Act seeks, in part, to minimize the cost to
the taxpayer of the creation, collection, maintenance, use,
dissemination, and disposition of information. Consistent with this
goal and with principles of economy and efficiency in government, it is
FTA policy to limit insofar as possible distribution of complete
printed sets of NEPA documents. Accordingly, unless a specific request
for a complete printed set of the NEPA document is received before the
document is printed, FTA and its grant applicants will distribute only
electronic copies of the NEPA document. A complete printed set of the
environmental document will be available for review at the Metropolitan
Council's offices and elsewhere as will be noted in the Notice of
Availability; and electronic copy of the complete environmental
document will be available on the Metropolitan Council's Southwest
Light Rail Transit Project Web site (http://www.swlrt.org).
Issued on: July 11, 2013.
Marisol Simon,
Regional Administrator, FTA Region V.
[FR Doc. 2013-17506 Filed 7-19-13; 8:45 am]
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