[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 32 (Tuesday, February 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9306-9309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03325]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement for the Chicago to Joliet
High-Speed Rail Project, Cook and Will counties, Illinois
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS).
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SUMMARY: FRA issues this Notice of Intent (Notice) to advise the public
that FRA and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will
jointly prepare a Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the
Chicago to Joliet High-Speed Rail (HSR) Project (Project). The EIS will
evaluate environmental and related impacts of upgrading the rail system
and associated infrastructure between the Chicago, IL Union Station and
the Joliet, IL Union Station to implement high-speed passenger rail
service, increase rail capacity, and improve reliability for identified
incremental service additions.
FRA issues this Notice to solicit public and agency input into the
development of the scope of the EIS and to advise the public that
outreach activities conducted by FRA and IDOT will be considered in the
preparation of the EIS. To ensure all significant issues are identified
and considered, the public, governmental agencies, and all other
interested parties are invited to comment on the scope of the EIS,
including the purpose and need, alternatives to be considered, impacts
to be evaluated, and methodologies to be used in the evaluation.
DATES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be provided to
IDOT within thirty (30) days of the publication of this Notice, at the
address listed below. Comments may also be provided orally or in
writing at the scoping meetings for the Project. Scoping meeting dates,
times and locations, in addition to Project information can be found
online on the FRA Web site at http://www.fra.dot.gov and on the Project
Web site at www.idothsr.org. Three scoping meetings will be held during
February 2014. These meetings will be advertised locally and are
scheduled for the following locations on the dates indicated below from
4 p.m.-7 p.m.
February 24, 2014: Chicago Union Station, The Union
Gallery, 500 W. Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60661.
February 26, 2014: Jacob Henry Mansion, Victorian
Ballroom, 15 S. Richards Street, Joliet, IL 60433.
February 27, 2014: Homewood Suites by Hilton Orland Park,
6245 S La Grange Road, Orland Park, IL 60467.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be mailed or
emailed within thirty (30) days of the publication of this Notice to
Mr. John Oimoen, Deputy Director, Department of Intermodal and Public
Transit, Illinois Department of Transportation, 100 West Randolph
Street, Suite 6-600, Chicago, Illinois 60601, [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Andrea Martin, Environmental
Protection Specialist, Office of Railroad Policy and Development,
Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, (Mail Stop
20), Washington, DC 20590, [email protected]; or Mr. John Oimoen at
the above address. Information and documents regarding the EIS process
will also be made available through the FRA Web site at www.fra.dot.gov
and on the Project Web site at www.idothsr.org
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FRA is preparing an EIS for the Project
proposed by IDOT that will provide HSR service along the Rock Island
District (RID) Railroad corridor between Chicago and Joliet, IL. The
proposed Project consists of additional track, geometric improvements
(e.g., curves), bridge/culvert improvements, grade separations at
selected highway-rail crossings, a rail-rail flyover, highway-rail
grade crossing warning device improvements, safety improvements to
existing Metra Stations to accommodate the HSR through traffic, and a
new HSR station or improvements to an existing Metra Station to
accommodate HSR service. Scenarios of HSR service will be developed and
evaluated including additional frequencies (i.e., number of trips),
ridership projections (i.e., estimated number of passengers), and
operating speeds.
The Project is intended to implement a portion of the Chicago to
St. Louis HSR Corridor Program consistent with the overall purpose and
need that was established in the Tier 1 EIS. Because of inadequate rail
capacity and deficiencies in the existing rail infrastructure, there is
currently a modal imbalance within the Chicago to St. Louis corridor.
Currently, 98 percent of the 51 million trips made annually within the
Chicago to St. Louis corridor are accomplished through automobile, with
only one percent by passenger rail. This modal imbalance contributes to
high roadway congestion, reduced
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overall traveler safety, increased air pollutant emissions and energy
consumption, travel delays, and increased travel unreliability. The
purpose of the proposed Chicago to St. Louis HSR Corridor Program is to
enhance the passenger transportation network in the Chicago to St.
Louis HSR Corridor by improving high-speed passenger rail service,
resulting in a more balanced use of different travel options by
diverting trips made by automobile and air to rail. Enhancements to
passenger rail service would include reduced travel times, improved
service reliability, increased frequency of trips, and increased
capacity. Increased use of passenger rail is expected to result in an
overall improvement in traveler safety in the corridor, and a reduction
in air pollutant emissions and energy consumption. The EIS will
evaluate the potential environmental and related impacts of
constructing and operating the Project within the existing RID Railroad
corridor between Chicago and Joliet, IL.
Environmental Review Process
The EIS will be developed in accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR part 1500 et. seq.)
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C.
321 et seq.) (NEPA) and FRA's Procedures for Considering Environmental
Impacts (64 FR 28545, May 26, 1999). In addition to NEPA, the EIS will
address other applicable statutes, regulations and executive orders,
including the 1980 Clean Air Act Amendments, Section 404 of the Clean
Water Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and Section 4(f) of
the Department of Transportation Act, the Endangered Species Act and
Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice. The FRA and IDOT are
using a tiered process, as provided for in 40 CFR 1508.28 and in
accordance with FRA guidance, in the completion of the environmental
review of the Project. ``Tiering'' is a staged environmental review
process applied to environmental reviews for complex projects. The Tier
1 EIS addressed broad corridor-level issues and alternatives. The Tier
2 EIS will analyze, at a greater level of detail, narrower site-
specific proposals based on decisions made in Tier 1.
The purpose of the Tier 2 EIS will be to provide the FRA, reviewing
and cooperating agencies, and the public with information to assess
alternatives that will meet the Project's purpose and need; to evaluate
the potential environmental impacts of each alternative; and to
identify potential measures necessary to mitigate or avoid
environmental impacts associated with the proposed Project
alternatives.
Project Background
The FRA initiated the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR)
Program in June 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (ARRA). On January 28, 2010, Illinois was selected for a $1.2
billion federal award to bring high-speed passenger rail service to
Illinois between Dwight and the East St. Louis area. In addition, the
Illinois Capital Bill appropriated $400 million for high-speed rail. In
December 2010, an additional $42.3 million was received for
construction upgrades. The City of Alton and Madison County also
received a $13.9 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic
Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant for a transportation center in
late 2011. And, in January 2012, $186.3 million was received for
corridor improvements between Joliet and Dwight, IL. IDOT, local
municipalities, and the UPRR have provided matching funds to this
overall funding package.
In 2012, FRA completed a Final Program EIS for the Chicago to St.
Louis HSR Corridor Program as the first phase of a tiered environmental
review process, and issued a Record of Decision on the Final Program
EIS on December 18, 2012. The Chicago to St. Louis HSR Corridor Program
encompasses a corridor that is approximately 284 miles long with trains
operating primarily on UPRR track with service provided by Amtrak. The
improvements to the route will allow future passenger rail service from
Chicago to St. Louis to operate at speeds up to 110 miles per hour
(mph). The Tier 1 EIS established the purpose and need for the Chicago
to St. Louis HSR Corridor Program, analyzed the Chicago to St. Louis
HSR Corridor Program, and considered and evaluated alternatives
including a no action alternative and multiple alternative alignments
along existing rail corridors between Chicago and St. Louis. The Tier 1
EIS considered increasing the frequency of high-speed passenger rail
service, as well as increasing the currently planned maximum speed of
such service up to 110 miles per hour (mph), in the Corridor.
As part of the Tier 1 evaluation, FRA selected the Rock Island
(RID) Corridor as the Preferred Alternative between Joliet and Chicago;
the existing Amtrak route as the Preferred Alternative between Joliet
and St. Louis; and a consolidated route along 10th Street through
Springfield as the Preferred Alternative for the Springfield Rail
Improvements Project. These proposed improvements were considered in
addition to those improvements from Dwight to St. Louis associated with
FRA's 2004 Record of Decision for the Chicago to St. Louis HSR Project
and the 2011 Environmental Assessment (EA)/Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI) for the UPRR's Track Improvement Project from Joliet to
Dwight, IL.
As previously mentioned, FRA and IDOT will be responsible for
implementing the Project and will jointly prepare a Tier 2 EIS. This
Tier 2 EIS represents the next stage in the tiered environmental review
process associated with the Chicago to St. Louis HSR Corridor Program.
The Chicago to Joliet Tier 2 EIS will evaluate reasonable Build
Alternatives that would be associated with the development and
implementation of HSR service along the existing Rock Island Corridor
(RID) Corridor in more detail, this component of the Selected
Alternative carried forward from the Tier 1 study.
Tier 2 analyses are also being conducted for the Springfield
flyover and Granite City to St. Louis segments. The Tier 2 evaluation
for the Springfield Rail Improvements Project was conducted
concurrently to the Tier 1 study. More information regarding the
development, evaluation, and selection of alignments during the Tier 1
EIS process, the Chicago to St. Louis HSR Tier 1 Draft EIS, Final EIS,
and ROD can be viewed at the following Web site: www.idothsr.org/tier_1.
In addition to the remaining Tier 2 Project components of the
Chicago to St. Louis HSR Corridor Program that were identified in the
Tier 1 ROD, there are four regional rail programs that relate to the
Chicago to Joliet HSR Project being studied in this Tier 2 EIS: the
Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program
(CREATE), Chicago-St. Louis 220 mph High-Speed Rail Express, Midwest
Regional Rail Initiative (MWRRI), and Chicago-Detroit/Pontiac Passenger
Rail Corridor Program.
CREATE is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Department of
Transportation, the State of Illinois, the City of Chicago, the
Metropolitan Rail Corporation (Metra), the National Railroad Passenger
Corporation (Amtrak), and six freight railroads to improve freight and
passenger rail efficiency and to reduce rail/highway traffic conflicts.
There are five projects specifically identified by CREATE: P1 (63rd
Street and State Street in Chicago); P2 (74th Street in Chicago), P3
(75th
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Street in Chicago) and EW2 (80th Street in Chicago), which are being
evaluated together as the 75th Street Corridor Improvement Project; and
P4 (Grand Crossing in Chicago) that may involve high-speed rail service
within the Chicago-Joliet portion of the corridor, depending on the
corridor recommendations of this EIS study. More information is
available at the CREATE Web site at http://www.createprogram.org, the
75th Street Corridor Improvement Project Web site at http://75thcip.org, and the Grand Crossing Rail Project Web site at http://grandcrossingrail.com.
The Chicago-St. Louis 220 mph High-Speed Rail Express is a concept
being pursued by IDOT. This service, at speeds up to 220 mph, may
utilize existing rail corridors, a new corridor, or a combination of
both, and could serve different travel markets. The 220 mph concept is
intended as a complementary service to the HSR service that was
evaluated in the Chicago-St. Louis Tier 1 EIS. A feasibility study was
prepared in 2009 by the Midwest High Speed Rail Association that
indicated that a completely grade separated route could be established
by modifying existing rail corridors to connect Chicago, Champaign,
Decatur and Springfield, Illinois with St. Louis, Missouri, with a one-
way terminal-to-terminal trip time of approximately two hours,
utilizing a maximum speed of 220 mph. Also in 2009, an Expression of
Interest was prepared by the French National Railways (SNCF) in
response to the FRA's Request for Expression of Interest dated December
11, 2008. The SNCF proposed a HSR route to be located adjacent to
existing rail corridors and sharing existing rail corridors in urban
approaches at lower speeds. IDOT intends to further study the 220 mph
project concept, including development of an investment-grade business
plan. IDOT completed a preliminary feasibility study for the 220 mph
project in September 2013.
MWRRI is an effort of nine Midwestern States to upgrade Amtrak
service in those states, with maximum speeds of 79 to 110 mph depending
on the level of improvements made. A Chicago-St. Louis corridor is
included in MWRRI's September 2004 Executive Report and November 2006
Benefit Cost and Economic Analysis. Additional corridors proposed by
MWRRI include: Chicago-Green Bay, Wisconsin; Chicago-Minneapolis,
Minnesota; St. Louis-Kansas City, Missouri; Chicago-Cincinnati, Ohio;
Chicago-Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago-Detroit, Michigan; Chicago-Port Huron,
Michigan; Chicago-Carbondale, Illinois; Chicago-Quincy, Illinois; and
Chicago-Omaha, Nebraska. Several other feeder corridors connecting
smaller municipalities to the primary corridors are also included. More
information is available at www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/rail.htm.
As part of the Chicago-Detroit/Pontiac Passenger Rail Corridor
Program, FRA and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) are
jointly preparing a Tier 1 EIS to evaluate passenger rail service
improvements along the Chicago, Illinois to Detroit-Pontiac, Michigan
regional passenger rail corridor. Partnering state agencies in the
development of the EIS are IDOT and Indiana Department of
Transportation (INDOT). The objectives of the Tier 1 EIS are to
evaluate a reasonable range of alternatives, select a rail corridor,
and make decisions regarding future improvements to intercity passenger
rail service provided in the corridor, including increased train
frequency, reduced trip time, and improved on-time performance.
Alternatives under consideration will include a No-build Alternative,
as well as multiple build alternatives between Chicago, Illinois and
Porter, Indiana, near Battle Creek, Michigan, and in the Detroit,
Michigan region. The Build Alternatives may include infrastructure
improvements to the existing rail corridor, the development of a new
rail corridor, or a combination of both. More information is available
at www.greatlakesrail.org.
Although related, the successful implementation of the Chicago to
Joliet HSR Project is not dependent on the completion of the above four
programs. As indicated above, however, the five CREATE projects may
involve and affect high-speed rail service within the Project corridor.
The P1 CREATE project is under construction. The other four are
undergoing NEPA studies at this time. Where the three CREATE projects
still under study are integrated into the Chicago to Joliet HSR Project
alternatives, their impacts will be considered. Finally, the Chicago to
Joliet HSR Project will not restrict consideration of alternatives for
the above four projects.
Scoping and Public Involvement
FRA encourages broad participation in the Tier 2 EIS process during
scoping and review of the resulting environmental documents. Comments
are invited from all interested agencies and the public to ensure the
full range of issues related to the Project are addressed, reasonable
alternatives are considered, and significant issues are identified. In
particular, FRA is interested in identifying areas of environmental
concern where there might be a potential for significant impacts.
Public agencies with jurisdiction are requested to advise FRA and IDOT
of the applicable permit and environmental review requirements of each
agency, and the scope and content of the environmental information that
is germane to the agency's statutory responsibilities in connection
with the proposed Project. Public agencies are requested to advise FRA
if they anticipate taking a major action in connection with the
proposed Project and if they wish to cooperate in the preparation of
the EIS.
Public scoping opportunities and meetings will be scheduled as
described above and are an important component of the scoping process
for federal environmental review. FRA is seeking participation and
input of all interested federal, state, and local agencies, Native
American groups, and other concerned private organizations and
individuals on the scope of the EIS. The Project may affect historic
properties and may be subject to the requirements of Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 470(f)).
In accordance with regulations issued by the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation (36 CFR part 800), FRA intends to coordinate
compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA with the preparation of the
EIS, beginning with the identification of consulting parties through
the scoping process, in a manner consistent with the standards set out
in 36 CFR 800.8. FRA encourages broad participation in the Tier 2 EIS
process during scoping and review of the resulting environmental
documents. Comments are invited from the public, governmental agencies,
and all other interested parties to ensure the full range of issues
related to the Project are addressed, reasonable alternatives are
considered, and significant issues are identified. In particular, FRA
is interested in identifying areas of environmental concern where there
might be a potential for significant impacts. Public agencies with
jurisdiction are requested to advise FRA and IDOT of the applicable
permit and environmental review requirements of each agency, and the
scope and content of the environmental information that is germane to
the agency's statutory responsibilities in connection with the proposed
Project. Public agencies are requested to advise FRA if they anticipate
taking a major action in connection with the proposed Project and if
they wish to cooperate in the preparation of the EIS.
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Public scoping opportunities and meetings will be scheduled as
described above and are an important component of the scoping process
for federal environmental review. FRA is seeking participation and
input of all interested federal, state, and local agencies, Native
American groups, and other concerned private organizations and
individuals on the scope of the EIS. The proposed Project is a federal
undertaking with the potential to affect historic properties. As such,
it is subject to the requirements of Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 470(f)). In
accordance with regulations issued by the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation (36 CFR part 800), FRA intends to coordinate compliance
with Section 106 of the NHPA with the preparation of the EIS, beginning
with the identification of consulting parties through the scoping
process, in a manner consistent with the standards set out in 36 CFR
800.8.
Issued in Washington, DC, on February 11, 2014.
Corey W. Hill,
Director, Office of Passenger and Freight Programs.
[FR Doc. 2014-03325 Filed 2-14-14; 8:45 am]
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