[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 68 (Thursday, April 9, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17471-17473]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-9284]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement: Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller
Counties, Texas
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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[[Page 17472]]
SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an
environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared for a proposed
highway expansion project in Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller Counties,
Texas.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
John Mack, P.E., District Engineer, Federal Highway Administration,
Room 826, Federal Office Building, 300 East 8th Street, Austin, Texas
78701, Telephone (512) 916-5516, or James G. Darden, P.E., Project
Development, Houston District, Texas Department of Transportation, P.O.
Box 1386, Houston, Texas 77251-1386, Telephone (713) 802-5241.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Texas
Department of Transportation, (TxDOT), will prepare an EIS for a
proposed expansion of the Interstate 10 West Katy Freeway (IH-10 Katy
Freeway), from the Houston's central business district, extending along
the IH-10 Katy Freeway to the Brazos River approximately 65.98
kilometers (41 miles). The study area includes major parallel arterials
and the TxDOT right-of-way through Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller
Counties (recently purchased from Union Pacific Railroad formerly known
as the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad). Cities and towns affected in
this region include Houston, Brookshire, Hedwig Village, Bunker Hill
Village, Hilshire Village, Hunters Creek Village, Katy, Piney Point
Village, and Spring Valley.
A comprehensive transportation study of the 40 mile corridor along
the IH-10 Katy Freeway between downtown Houston and the Brazos River,
referred to as a Katy Freeway Corridor Major Investment Study (MIS)
identified several strategies to meet the existing and future travel
needs within the corridor. These strategies range from a No-Build and
Transportation System Management (TSM) approach to a major emphasis on
high occupancy vehicles (HOV) and transit, as well as the single
occupancy vehicle (SOV). Combinations of these approaches were also
evaluated. As a result of these evaluations, a preferred alternative
for meeting the corridor's transportation needs was then selected.
Strategies, approaches, and alternatives will be discussed in the Draft
EIS. Other topics to be discussed (in detail) in the Draft EIS include
land use; traffic and transportation; economic development;
displacement and relocation; neighborhood quality and cohesion; access
to community facilities; safety and security; geology and soils;
hazardous materials; noise; visual and aesthetics; water resources;
biological resources and endangered and threatened species; wetlands;
air quality; and cultural resources.
Impacts caused by the construction and operation of the IH-10 Katy
Freeway corridor will vary in accordance with the preferred alternative
alignment. Generally, impacts would include construction detours,
construction traffic, mobility improvement and evacuation route
improvements, air and noise impacts from construction equipment and
roadway operations, water impacts from construction areas and roadway
storm water runoff, impacts to waters of the United States, and impacts
to residents and businesses based on potential relocations.
In March 1995, the TxDOT Houston District initiated the Katy
Freeway Corridor MIS study. This study followed guidelines designed by
the Federal government for major investments in transportation, as
outlined in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of
1991. This study involved the development of key elements of a MIS
encompassing the IH-10 Katy Freeway, major arterials, and the adjacent
parallel Union Pacific ROW which has been purchased by the State. The
Katy Freeway Corridor MIS was a cooperative effort between TxDOT and an
interagency committee with representatives from the Houston-Galveston
Area Council, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the
Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO), the FHWA, the Federal Transit
Administration, and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.
The purpose of this MIS was to evaluate the transportation needs of the
corridor and provide an opportunity for TxDOT and participating
agencies to identify the most reasonable, effective, and efficient
transportation option for addressing these needs. Goals and objectives
were developed with the assistance of over 150 community and business
representatives who participated in a round of public meetings held in
July of 1995.
As a result of the July 1995 public meetings, a set of twenty-two
alternative transportation improvement concepts were developed to
address the problems and needs of the corridor. These twenty-two
concepts included transportation modes such as highway, bus, and rail.
The twenty-two initial concepts were then screened based on the goals
and objectives for the MIS study, resulting in eleven corridor-wide
conceptual alternatives. These eleven alternatives were presented for
review and comment at a second round of public meetings in November of
1995.
Using the input from the second round of public meetings, the
corridor-wide conceptual alternatives were again screened to a short
list of seven alternatives to be carried forward for further analysis.
Each alternative was evaluated based on travel forecasts, environmental
impacts, capital costs, and financial feasibility. These alternatives
are described as follows:
Alternative I: No-Build--This alternative includes improvements
that are already committed to and expected to be in place by the year
2020, including additional arterial enhancement, reversible HOV
connection from IH-10 east of Studemont into downtown, HOV direct
connection between the Northwest Transit Center and the IH-10 Katy
Freeway at the Interstate 610 West Loop (IH-610 West Loop), and
localized intersection improvements. Transit service would be increased
according to METRO 2020 plans, including a new transit center between
Shepherd and Durham near the IH-10 Katy Freeway. The capacity of the
No-Build alternative is the same as the current IH-10 Katy Freeway.
Alternative II: TSM/Transportation Demand Management (TDM)--The
TSM/TDM alternative is designed to improve mobility in the corridor
without major capital investment. The alternative is designed to
improve the operating flow in the corridor rather than increase
capacity. The TSM/TDM alternative includes the No-Build improvements
plus synchronized traffic signals, ramp meterings, park and pool
facilities, geometric improvements, motorist information systems, and
other low-cost enhancements. Transit service would be further
increased, including an expanded and relocated Kingsland Park & Ride
lot and a new transit center at Memorial City Mall.
Alternative III-1: Moderate SOV, Moderate HOV--This alternative
includes all No-Build and TSM/TDM improvements. From downtown to IH-610
West Loop, no SOV lanes are added; however, a two-lane, two-way HOV
facility is added. From IH-610 West Loop to Katy, one SOV lane in each
direction is added to provide a total of eight SOV lanes. The existing
reversible HOV lane is upgraded and extended to provide a two-lane,
two-way HOV facility to Katy. From Katy to Brookshire no additional SOV
or HOV lanes are provided. From Brookshire to the Brazos River, one SOV
lane in each direction is added, for a total of six SOV lanes. Transit
service would benefit from increased speeds in both directions with the
HOV lane improvements. The West
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Belt Park & Ride lot would be expanded and relocated.
Alternative IV-2: Major SOV, Moderate HOV--This alternative
includes all No-build and TSM/TDM improvements. From downtown to IH-610
West Loop, no SOV lanes are added but a two-lane, two-way HOV facility
is added. From IH-610 West Loop to Katy, two SOV lanes in each
direction are added to provide a total of ten SOV lanes. The existing
reversible HOV lane is upgraded and extended to provide a two-lane,
two-way HOV facility all the way to Katy. From Katy to Brookshire no
additional SOV or HOV lanes are provided. From Brookshire to the Brazos
River, one SOV lane in each direction is added, for a total of six SOV
lanes. Transit service would benefit from increased speeds in both
directions with the HOV lane improvements. The West Belt Park & Ride
lot would be expanded and relocated.
Alternative V-2: Moderate SOV, Special Use Lane--This alternative
includes all No-Build and TSM/TDM improvements. From downtown to IH-610
West Loop, no SOV lanes are added but a two-lane, two-way HOV facility
is added. From IH-610 West Loop to Katy, one SOV lane in each direction
is added to provide a total of eight SOV lanes. The existing reversible
HOV lane is upgraded to provide a four-lane, two-way HOV/Special Use
facility between IH-610 West Loop and State Highway 6 (SH 6). The
special use lanes could be express lanes with an option of a toll
charged for use. A two-lane, two-way HOV facility would be added
between SH 6 and Katy. From Brookshire to the Brazos River, one SOV
lane in each direction is added, for a total of six SOV lanes. Transit
service would benefit from increased speeds in both directions with the
HOV lane improvements. The West Belt Park & Ride lot would be expanded
and relocated.
Alternative V-3: Low SOV, Fixed-Guideway--This alternative includes
all No-Build and TSM improvements. From downtown to Brookshire, no SOV
lanes are added. From Brookshire to the Brazos River, one SOV lane in
each direction is added, for a total of six SOV lanes. A fixed-guideway
system would be constructed from downtown to Katy. The fixed-guideway
would allow service on three to four car trains on double tracks with
grade separations at major arterials. Service would operate
approximately every ten minutes in both directions during peak periods.
The fixed-guideway system would provide connections to buses at each of
the eleven stations, including the Northwest Transit Center for service
to the Uptown/Post Oak and the terminus station at the north end of
downtown for service to downtown.
Alternative VI-1: Major SOV, Special Use Lane--This alternative
includes all No-Build and TSM improvements. From downtown to IH-610
West Loop, no SOV lanes are added but a two-lane, two-way HOV facility
is added. From IH-610 West Loop to Katy, two SOV lanes in each
direction are added to provide a total of ten SOV lanes. The existing
reversible HOV lane is upgraded to provide a four-lane, two-way HOV/
Special Use facility between IH-610 West Loop and SH 6. The special use
lanes could be express lanes with an option of a toll charged for use.
A two-lane, two-way HOV facility would be added between SH 6 and Katy.
From Brookshire to the Brazos River, one SOV lane in each direction is
added, for a total of six SOV lanes. Transit service would benefit from
increased speeds in both directions with the HOV lane improvements. The
West Belt Park & Ride lot would be expanded and relocated.
A detailed evaluation of the seven alternatives was presented to
the public during a round of open house meetings in January of 1997 for
input and feedback. The meetings were held January 27, 28, 29, and 30,
1997 at the following locations: Monday, January 27 at the City of
Houston West End Multi Service Center, 170 Heights Boulevard, Houston,
Texas; Tuesday, January 28 at the Brookshire Convention Center, 4027
Fifth Street, Brookshire, Texas; Wednesday, January 29 at the Spring
Branch Community Center, 1721 Pech, Houston, Texas; and Thursday,
January 30 at the Holiday Inn Select, 14703 Park Row, Houston, Texas.
Based on the detailed analysis of the seven alternatives and public
input and feedback, it was determined that Alternative V-2: Moderate
SOV, Special Use Lane, was selected as the locally preferred
(recommended) alternative. In order to select the recommended
alternative, the seven alternatives, including the No-Build Alternative
and the TSM/TDM Alternative, were evaluated for their engineering
feasibility, potential environmental and community impacts, financial
feasibility, and their ability to meet the goals and objectives of the
community.
The preferred alternative was then presented to the public during a
final round of public meetings in July of 1997. The public meetings
were held July 8, 9, and 10 at the following locations: Tuesday, July 8
at West Memorial Jr. High School Cafeteria, 22311 Provincial Blvd.,
Houston, Texas; Wednesday, July 9 at the Memorial Senior High School
Cafetorium, Echo Lane at IH-10, Houston, Texas; and the First Baptist
Church Fellowship Center, 7401 Katy Freeway at Post Oak Blvd., Houston,
Texas. Each meeting format was set up as a combination open-house/
public forum format. The first two hours of each meeting was an open-
house where information was available regarding the locally preferred
alternative and the decision-making process. Members of the study team
were present during the open-house to answer questions and record
comments. Immediately following the open-house, a short presentation
was given. The floor was then opened for public comments. Members of
the study team were also available after the public forum for
additional questions or comments.
A summary of the public input and feedback regarding the final
rounds of public meetings was presented to the Transportation Policy
Committee of the MPO for review and concurrence in October 1997.
Letters describing the proposed action soliciting comments will be
sent to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, and to private
organizations and citizens who have previously expressed or are known
to have interest in this proposal. A Public Scoping meeting will be
held at a later date to request public comments on the proposed action
and the preferred alternative. A public hearing will also be held at a
later date, with copies of the Draft EIS available for public and
agency review and comment prior to the public hearing.
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 EIS should be
directed to the FHWA at the address provided above.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205,
Highway Research, Planning and Construction. The regulations
implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental
consultation on Federal programs and activities apply to this
program)
Issued on: March 23, 1998.
John Mack, P.E.,
District Engineer, Austin, Texas.
[FR Doc. 98-9284 Filed 4-8-98; 8:45 am]
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