[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 128 (Monday, July 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36477-36478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-17820]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Environmental Impact Statement on New Rochelle Intermodal
Transportation Center Project, New Rochelle, New York
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement
(EIS).
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and as implemented by the
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-
1508) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulations under 23 CFR
Part 771, the FTA and the Westchester County Department of
Transportation (WCDOT) intend to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to assess the impacts of a project known as the New
Rochelle Intermodal Transportation Center. The EIS will also comply
with the requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) and
Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice.
The project consists of a proposed multi-level garage and other
vehicular and pedestrian circulation improvements to be constructed on
the site of the existing at-grade parking lot along the southbound
Metro-North railroad tracks at the New Rochelle Train Station in New
Rochelle (Westchester County), New York. The proposed project is
intended to be financed through FTA and local funding sources. The
project is being administered by the City of New Rochelle (City)
Department of Development on behalf of WCDOT.
The proposed garage and station site redesign are intended to
better serve Metro-North and Amtrak train operations, Westchester
County bus service, taxi and private bus operations, and commuters
parking at the station, and improve pedestrian and vehicle circulation.
The proposed project includes a new 1,000-space parking structure,
improved vehicular and pedestrian circulation, bicycle storage, and
separate taxi, bus, and auto passenger pick up/drop off areas. The
project will be designed to be in character with the New Rochelle train
station building on the project site.
In addition to assessing the proposed intermodal center, the EIS
will evaluate the No Build alternative and any other reasonable
alternatives determined through the scoping process. Scoping will occur
both through correspondence with interested persons, organizations, and
federal, state, and local agencies and through a public meeting.
Involved agencies may include: National Railroad Passenger
Corporation (Amtrak), New York State Thruway Authority, Metro-North
Railroad (MTA), and New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of alternatives
and impacts to be considered should be sent to the City of New Rochelle
by and will be accepted by the Department up to thirty days following
the close of the public scoping meeting. Oral comments may be given at
the scoping meeting. Scoping Meeting: A public scoping meeting will be
held on Tuesday, July 21, 1998, 8:00 PM, in City Hall, 515 North
Avenue, New Rochelle, NY.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the project scope should be sent to Mark
Stellato, City of New Rochelle, Department of Development, New Rochelle
City Hall, 515 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony G. Carr, Director, Planning
and Program Development, Federal Transit Administration, at 212-264-
8162.
SUPPLEMENATRY INFORMATION:
Scoping
The FTA is initiating a scoping process for the purpose of
determining the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS. All
interested individuals, organizations, and Federal, State, and local
agencies are invited to participate in identifying any significant
social, economic, and environmental issues related to the proposed
project and defining the alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS. A
draft Scoping Document describing the purpose of the project and impact
issues is being mailed to affected Federal, State, and local agencies
as well as interested parties. Copies of the draft Scoping Document may
be obtained from Mark Stellato, City of New Rochelle Department of
Development at (914) 654-2191.
Following a presentation on the project, comments on the scope of
the EIS will be received and transcribed at this meeting. Scoping
comments may be submitted at the public scoping meeting and/or
submitted in writing at the address listed above. It is important that
interested parties and Federal, State, and local agencies take this
opportunity to identify environmental concerns that should be addressed
in the EIS. Further, because the preliminary design components of the
New Rochelle Intermodal Transportation Center Project are currently
being formulated and refined, the scoping process offers an opportunity
to incorporate public environmental concerns into the urban design and
engineering processes of the project.
Description of Study Area and Project Need
The proposed action (New Rochelle Intermodal Transportation Center)
includes the construction of a 1,000-space, multi-level parking garage
on the site of the existing New Rochelle train station as well as the
reconfiguration and redesign of the train station site to
[[Page 36478]]
create an intermodal transportation center. The New Rochelle train
station is located in the central business district of the City of New
Rochelle, Westchester County, New York. The station site is bordered on
the north by the New England Section (I-95) of the New York State
Thruway; on the south by Metro-North's New Haven Division; on the east
by North Avenue, and on the west by Division Street. It is a major
commuter stop along the MTA Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Division
as well as Amtrak's New England Express, Springfield, and Vermont
lines. In addition, the New Rochelle station will be the only stop in
Westchester for Amtrak's high speed Northeast Corridor service between
Washington, DC and Boston, Massachusetts. The station is also a hub for
the County's Bee-Line bus service.
The City, the New York State Department of Transportation, and
WCDOT will consolidate to the maximum extent feasible various
transportation services into a single intermodal hub adjacent to the
train station building. The overall goals and objectives of this
project are to provide a convenient, secure, operationally efficient
transportation center which considers internal circulation, site
access, user friendliness, bus pick up and drop-off areas, commuter
parking, ADA access, taxi layover, kiss-and-ride, and pedestrian as
well as bicycle access.
Alternatives
The EIS will evaluate reasonable alternatives that will assist in
achieving the objectives of the New Rochelle Intermodal Transportation
Center Project. Alternatives to be analyzed would include a No Build
Alternative under which no change to the New Rochelle Station would
occur. Other alternatives to be considered would be developed during
the scoping and public comment period and could include design
alternatives.
Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis
The EIS will evaluate all potential significant social, economic,
and environmental impacts of the alternatives. Primary issues include
traffic and transportation, air quality, noise, and the landmark-
eligibility of the Train Station Building. Both positive and negative
impacts will be evaluated for the construction period and for the long
term period of operation. Measures to mitigate adverse impacts will be
identified, where reasonable and appropriate. The Build year for the
proposed project is anticipated to be 2001.
FTA and State Procedures
The EIS process will be conducted in accordance with the
regulations and guidance established by NEPA, as well as FTA's
regulations under 23 CFR 771 and associated guidance documents.
Following the completion of the scoping process, a draft EIS will
be prepared and made available for public review. There will be a 45-
day public comment period and public hearing on the draft EIS. After
its publication and the public hearing, a final EIS will be prepared
with appropriate revisions and additions responding to all substantive
comments received. The final EIS will serve as the basis for a Record
of Decision issued on the proposed action.
Because the proposed action also includes actions by New York
State, county, and local agencies, it will also be assessed in
accordance with the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act
(SEQRA). The City of New Rochelle will serve as the lead agency for
SEQRA documentation. The content and format of the Federal EIS will be
designed to also meet the requirements of SEQRA for the action. All
time frames, public notices, public hearings, and comment periods will
be coordinated in accordance with both NEPA and SEQRA requirements.
Issued on: June 30, 1998.
Letitia Thompson,
Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-17820 Filed 7-2-98; 8:45 am]
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