Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 169 / Monday, August 31, 2020 / Notices 53903

appropriate. The request should also CATS will conduct live virtual public Administration, 230 Peachtree Street state what expertise you would bring to meetings on the following dates: NW, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30303, the NPOAG as related to issues and Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 5:30 phone: 404–865–5600, email: concerns with aircraft flights over tribal p.m.; Focus Area 1: Wilkinson [email protected]. lands and national parks. The term of Boulevard (City of Belmont to I–485) SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The early service for NPOAG members is 3 years. Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 5:30 scoping process will be part of the On August 13, 2014, the Office of p.m.; Focus Area 2: Wilkinson ongoing planning analysis required by Management and Budget issued revised Boulevard (I–485 to West Morehead Title 49, United States Code (U.S.C.) guidance regarding the prohibition Street) Sec. 5309. Early scoping meetings have against appointing or not reappointing Thursday, September 17, 2020 at 5:30 been planned and are announced below. federally registered lobbyists to serve on p.m.; Focus Area 3: Center City (West The planning analysis completed to date advisory committees (79 FR 47482). Morehead Street to Charlottetowne has resulted in a locally preferred, Therefore, before appointing an Avenue) planning-level light rail transit applicant to serve on the NPOAG, the Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 5:30 alternative which was adopted by the FAA and NPS will require the p.m.; Focus Area 4: Independence Metropolitan Transit Commission prospective candidate to certify that Boulevard (Charlottetowne Avenue to (MTC) and the metropolitan planning they are not a federally registered Idlewild Road) organizations (MPOs) for the Charlotte lobbyist. Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 5:30 region. CATS recently initiated further p.m.; Focus Area 5: Independence study to refine the locally preferred Issued in El Segundo, CA, on August 26, Boulevard (Idlewild Road to just 2020. alternative, which will then be the south of I–485 at CPCC Levine) ‘‘proposed action’’ subject to Keith Lusk, Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 5:30 Program Manager, Special Programs Staff, environmental review under the p.m.; Focus Area 6: Union County National Environmental Policy Act Western-Pacific Region. Extension [FR Doc. 2020–19064 Filed 8–28–20; 8:45 am] (NEPA) and other environmental laws Individuals who require special and regulations. BILLING CODE 4910–13–P assistance to participate in early scoping The SLP Corridor is approximately 26 should contact Ms. Ajonelle Poole, miles in length. From the City of CATS Public and Community Relations DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Belmont, it traverses through Center Specialist, at 704–336–RIDE or City Charlotte, and the Town of Federal Transit Administration [email protected] at Matthews, with a potential two-mile least seven days prior to the meetings. extension into Union County. The Early Scoping Notice for Charlotte Ms. Poole can also be contacted for hard transit improvements passing through Area Transit System (CATS) Proposed copies of the early scoping materials. these communities would serve LYNX Silver Line Project in the An interagency early scoping meeting residential neighborhoods and Charlotte Metropolitan Area, North will be conducted virtually on Monday, employment centers, key destinations Carolina September 14, 2020 from 9:30 a.m. to like Charlotte Douglas International 11:30 a.m. Representatives of Native Airport, future Charlotte Gateway AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, American tribal governments and of Station (with intercity rail and bus Transportation (DOT). Federal, State and local agencies that connections), Bank of America Stadium, ACTION: Early scoping notice. may have an interest in the project will BB&T Ballpark, Ovens Auditorium, be invited by phone, letter, or email. Bojangles Coliseum, Novant Health SUMMARY: The Federal Transit In addition to the early scoping Presbyterian and Matthews Medical Administration (FTA) and the Charlotte meetings described herein, CATS and Center, and Central Piedmont Area Transit System (CATS) issue this FTA will conduct the scoping activities Community College, and will connect to early scoping notice to advise other required by the subsequent NEPA the existing CATS LYNX Blue Line agencies and the public that they intend process to identify the nature and scope Light Rail and the CATS CityLYNX to explore, through the early scoping of environmental issues to be addressed Gold Line Streetcar. process of the Council on in the NEPA document. If the proposed At the conclusion of the planning Environmental Quality (CEQ), proposed action resulting from the planning analysis, the MTC will adopt a refined light rail transit in the West and analysis would have significant impacts locally preferred planning-level Southeast Corridors, now known as the requiring an environmental impact alternative, which will then be the proposed LYNX Silver Line Project statement (EIS), FTA will publish a ‘‘proposed action’’ subject to an (SLP). Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS appropriate environmental review DATES: Written comments on the scope in the Federal Register, and that NOI under NEPA. If the proposed action of the ongoing planning analysis, will announce the dates and locations would have significant impacts, FTA including previous studies developed for EIS scoping meetings. and CATS would initiate an EIS by by local planning and transportation ADDRESSES: Written comments should conducting a scoping process to agencies, purpose and need, alternatives be sent to Ms. Ajonelle Poole, CATS determine the appropriate scope of the to be considered, potential impacts to be Public and Community Relations EIS. In particular, the purpose and need assessed, and public outreach methods Specialist, 600 E. Fourth Street, for the project, the range of alternatives should be sent to CATS by October 14, Charlotte, NC 28202, phone: 704–336– to be considered in the EIS, the 2020. See ADDRESSES below for the RIDE, email: LYNXSilverLine@ environmental and community impacts address to which written public publicinput.com. The details of early to be evaluated, and the evaluation comments may be sent. Instructions for scoping meetings are given above under methodologies to be used would be participating in online and live virtual DATES. subject to public and interagency review early scoping meetings are available at FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. and comment, in accordance with 40 http://RideTransit.org/LYNXSilverLine, Julia Walker, Environmental Protection CFR parts 1500–1508 and 23 CFR part along with early scoping materials. Specialist, Region 4, Federal Transit 771.

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Previous Studies and community services by Planning and Environmental Linkages environmental justice populations. (PEL) process with the initiation of early Rapid transit has been discussed in The preliminary purpose of the SLP is scoping, so that the results of planning Charlotte for decades, and in 1998, the to provide high-capacity transit service studies may be considered during the City of Charlotte prepared the 2025 in dedicated right-of-way along the US formal NEPA environmental review Integrated Transit/Land Use Plan. This 74 (Wilkinson Boulevard), Cedar Street/ process. was the original transit and land use Graham Street, 11th Street, US 74 CATS may seek New Starts funding plan that proposed using rapid transit to (Independence Boulevard), and Monroe for the proposed project under 49 U.S.C. support focusing future growth in Road transportation corridors that: Sec. 5309 and will, therefore, be subject Charlotte’s key centers and corridors. • Provides a competitive and reliable to New Starts regulation (49 CFR part The West Corridor (along Wilkinson alternative to automobiles; 611). The New Starts regulation requires Boulevard) and the Southeast Corridor • Improves local connectivity a planning analysis that leads to the (along Independence Boulevard) were between and access to transit, housing, selection of a locally preferred two of the identified corridors. Since employment, and community services alternative by CATS and the inclusion 1998, there have been various planning in the corridor; of the locally preferred alternative in the • efforts, and the plan has since been Promotes opportunities for long-range transportation plan adopted updated to the 2030 Transit System development consistent with local by MPOs. The planning analysis will Plan. vision, goals, plans, and policies; • examine alignments, station locations, In 2016, CATS completed the Provides a transit system that is costs, funding, ridership, economic Southeast Corridor Transit Study, which financially sustainable to build, operate, development, land use, engineering considered various transit technologies and maintain; and, • feasibility, and environmental factors in and alignments. The MTC approved the Preserves and protects the natural the study area. The New Starts recommendation of a light rail locally and built environment. regulation also requires the submission preferred alternative for the 13-mile Alternatives of certain project-justification Southeast Corridor from Center City FTA and CATS are considering information in support of a request to Charlotte to the Mecklenburg and Union initiate the engineering phase. County border. The locally preferred refinements to the light rail locally alternative resulted from a detailed preferred alternative which came out of Authority: 49 CFR 622.101, 23 CFR technical evaluation and outreach effort the Southeast Corridor Transit Study 771.111, and 40 CFR 1501.7. to the public and stakeholders. and the LYNX System Update, including shifts in alignment to address Yvette Taylor, More recently, CATS studied various new opportunities and risks, and Regional Administrator. technology and alignment alternatives terminus options including an [FR Doc. 2020–19069 Filed 8–28–20; 8:45 am] for the West Corridor and Center City as approximate two-mile extension into BILLING CODE 4910–57–P part of the LYNX System Update, and in Union County. February 2019, the MTC adopted a light In addition to what is described rail locally preferred alternative for the above, other reasonable alternatives DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY West Corridor, and combined the West identified through the early scoping and Southeast Corridor locally preferred process will be considered for potential Open Meeting of the Federal Advisory alternatives as one continuous 26-mile inclusion in the planning analysis. Committee on Insurance light rail corridor from Belmont to Matthews known as the LYNX Silver FTA Procedures AGENCY: Departmental Offices, U.S. Line. An extension into Union County Early scoping is an optional element Department of the Treasury. will also be evaluated, as directed by the of the National Environmental Policy ACTION: Notice of open meeting. MTC. Act (NEPA) process that is particularly SUMMARY: This notice announces that Purpose and Need for Action useful in situations where, as here, alignment variations are under the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Previous planning analysis and consideration in a broadly-defined Federal Advisory Committee on discussions with stakeholders have study area. While NEPA scoping Insurance (‘‘Committee’’) will meet via helped to identify key transportation normally begins with issuance of a teleconference on Tuesday, September needs in the West and Southeast Notice of Intent which describes the 29, 2020 from 12:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Corridors. These needs will be refined proposed action, it ‘‘may be initiated Eastern Standard Time. The meeting is and detailed during planning and earlier, as long as there is appropriate open to the public. through environmental review, as public notice and enough information DATES: The meeting will be held via analysis continues, and input is available on the proposal so that the teleconference on Tuesday, September received from the public, stakeholders, public and relevant agencies can 29, 2020, from 12:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. and regulatory agencies. Initially, the participate effectively.’’ See the Council Eastern Time. key transportation concerns are on Environmental Quality’s ‘‘Forty Most ADDRESSES: The Committee meeting continued population and employment Asked Questions Concerning CEQ’s will be held via teleconference and is growth in the Charlotte region, a National Environmental Policy Act open to the public. The public can congested roadway network with Regulations,’’ 46 FR 18026, 18030 attend remotely via live webcast at increased travel times, reduced (1981). In this case, the available www.yorkcast.com/treasury/events/ reliability of the transportation system, information is more than adequate to 2020/09/29/faci. The webcast will also and local goals to address equity permit the public and relevant agencies be available through the Committee’s concerns such as limited transportation to participate effectively in early website at https://home.treasury.gov/ options for transit-dependent scoping and the planning analysis. Early policy-issues/financial-markets- populations, and inadequate scoping can also serve to link financial-institutions-and-fiscal-service/ connectivity between and access to transportation planning and NEPA. federal-insurance-office/federal- transit, affordable housing, employment, CATS intends to formalize the Federal advisory-committee-on-insurance-faci.

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