[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 148 (Thursday, August 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46676-46677]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-18515]
[[Page 46676]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement; Los Angeles and San Bernardino
Counties, California; Notice of Intent
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent (NOI).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the California Department of
Transportation (Caltrans), is issuing this Revised Notice of Intent to
inform the public of changes to the proposed High Desert Corridor
project in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, California. The
Federal Railroad Administration has also been added as a Cooperating
Agency.
DATES: Public scoping meetings were previously conducted as follows:
(1) Palmdale, CA on September 27, 2010, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
(2) Lancaster, CA on September 28, 2010, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
(3) Apple Valley, CA on September 29, 2010, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
(4) Victorville, CA on September 30, 2010, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Meetings have also been held at various locations along the
proposed corridor during April 2011 and January, February and December
2012 to keep the public, agencies, and elected officials appraised of
the status of the project, including the modification of two project
alternatives to include high speed rail. Additional meetings will be
held in July of 2013.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ronald Kosinski, Deputy District
Director, California Department of Transportation District 7 Division
of Environmental Planning, 100 South Main Street, Mail Stop 16A, Los
Angeles, CA 90012.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective July 1, 2007, the FHWA assigned,
and Caltrans assumed, environmental responsibilities for these projects
pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327. Caltrans, as the delegated National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) lead agency, initiated studies on the
High Desert Corridor project. The NOI was published in the Federal
Register on October 12, 2007 (Vol. 72, No. 197) and a revised NOI was
published on September 24, 2010 (Vol. 75, No. 185).
A draft Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared for a
proposal to construct the High Desert Corridor, a new freeway/
expressway, and possible toll way, extending approximately 63 miles
between SR-14 in Los Angeles County and SR-18 in San Bernardino County.
On March 22, 2012, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation
Authority (Metro) Board of Directors took action to recognize this
project as a Strategic Multipurpose Corridor, which provides mobility,
as well as economic and environmental benefits. To satisfy this
directive, the proposed corridor is being evaluated for potential
inclusion of the highway (freeway/expressway), a toll way, a bike path,
energy production and/or transmission facilities, and a high speed rail
feeder service line. The proposed route would run primarily in an east-
west direction and would roughly follow the alignment of the Avenue P-8
corridor near SR-14 in Los Angeles County and Air Expressway near I-15
in San Bernardino County. East of I-15, the proposed route would curve
south until it terminates at SR-18.
The development of this corridor is considered necessary to provide
for the existing and projected traffic demand attributed to large-scale
growth and increasing population in the Antelope, Victor and Apple
Valley areas of Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. This growth
has resulted in inadequate capacity and accessibility along the
existing east-west trending roadways as well as an increase in demand
for goods movement corridors and access to regional airports.
Alternatives under consideration are: (1)--No-Build; (2)--
Transportation System Management/Transportation Demand Management (TSM/
TDM). This includes several key elements under consideration: An eight-
lane grade-separated freeway from SR-14 to 30th Street East; a
transition to a four-lane at-grade expressway from 30th Street East to
Longview Road; a four-lane at-grade highway connecting to SR-138 and
extending east to US-395 along SR-18; a six-lane arterial highway along
SR-18 (Palmdale Road) from US-395 to I-15; and minor roadway and signal
improvements along SR-18 from I-15 to Bear Valley Road. These TSM/TDM
roadway improvements would maintain at-grade intersections with local
roads and driveway access; (3)--Freeway/Expressway (Avenue P-8, I-15
and SR-18). This would consist of a route with a controlled-access
freeway in some areas and an expressway in others, depending on what is
warranted by traffic demand. Interchange locations will be determined
based upon traffic projections. This alternative generally follows
Avenue P-8 in Los Angeles County and runs just south of El Mirage Road
in San Bernardino County and then extends to Air Expressway Road near
I-15 and curves south terminating at Bear Valley Road. The
incorporation of green energy technologies and a bike path along the
alternative will also be considered. Four variations along the main
alignment of this alternative will be considered. In Variation A, the
freeway/expressway would run slightly south of the main alignment,
approximately between 15th Street East and Little Rock Wash near
Palmdale. In Variation B, the freeway/expressway would run slightly
south of the main alignment between Oasis Road and Caughlin Road east
of the county line. In Variation D, the freeway/expressway would swing
south of the main alignment just south of Avenue R approximately
between 180th Street East and 230th Street East near the community of
Lake Los Angeles. In Variation E, the freeway/expressway would swing
south of the federal prison near the cities of Adelanto and
Victorville; (4)--Freeway/Toll Way (Avenue P-8, I-15 and SR-18). This
would consist of engineering geometrics similar to Alternative 3 with
alterations made in coordination with a Public Private Partnership (P3)
analysis. Variations A, B, D and E would also be considered; (5)--
Freeway/Expressway with High Speed Rail Feeder Service. This
Alternative is the same as the Alternative 3 (including Variations A,
D, B and E) and includes a High Speed Rail (HSR) Feeder Service between
Palmdale and Victorville. The HSR Feeder Service would utilize proven
steel wheel on steel track technology and have a maximum operating
speed of 180 miles per hour. Additional details of this operating
feature, including the type of train technology (electric vs. diesel-
electric), its location in relation to the HDC and its connections to
existing and proposed rail stations are being evaluated as part of the
ongoing Public-Private Partnership analysis and Alternatives Analysis.
The incorporation of green energy technologies and a bike path will
also be considered; (6)--Freeway/Tollway with High Speed Rail Feeder
Service. This would consist of engineering geometrics similar to
Alternative 4 with the consideration of additional right-of-way for a
High Speed Rail (HSR) facility. The HSR Feeder Service would utilize
proven steel wheel on steel track technology and have a maximum
operating speed of 180 miles per hour. Additional details of this
operating feature, including the type of train technology (electric vs.
diesel-electric), its location in relation to the HDC and its
connections to existing and proposed rail stations are being evaluated
as part of the ongoing P3 analysis and Alternatives Analysis. The
[[Page 46677]]
incorporation of green energy technologies and a bike path will also be
considered; and (7)--Hybrid Corridor. This would consist of a
combination of the previously identified alternatives, whose elements
(TSM/TDM, Freeway, Expressway, Tollway, HSR Feeder Service, Green
Energy Technologies, bike path) would be pieced together to best fit
the needs of each section of the corridor. The determination of which
elements to use, and at which locations, would be based on the results
of the traffic study, environmental studies and public input. It is
anticipated that the proposed project may require the following federal
approvals and permits: A Biological Opinion from the United States Fish
and Wildlife Service; approval of a PM10 and
PM2.5 Hot Spot Analysis determination by the Conformity
Working Group for transportation conformity under the Clean Air Act;
Section 401, 402 and 404 permits under the Clean Water Act; and a
Farmland Conversion Impact Rating under the Farmland Protection Policy
Act.
Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will
be sent to appropriate Federal, State and local agencies, Participating
Agencies, Tribal governments, and to private organizations and citizens
who have previously expressed or are known to have an interest in this
proposal. 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.
Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the draft EIS
should be directed to Caltrans 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.)
Issued on: July 22, 2013.
Matt Schmitz,
Director State Programs, Federal Highway Administration, Sacramento,
California.
[FR Doc. 2013-18515 Filed 7-31-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P