Chapter 1: Project Purpose and Need

A. INTRODUCTION The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), proposes to reconstruct a portion of Route 9A between Chambers and West Thames Streets in Lower . This area is being considered for reconstruction as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, that destroyed the World Trade Center (WTC) and severely damaged or destroyed additional nearby structures and transportation infrastructure including portions of Route 9A. The proposed project, which is being reviewed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as a supplement to the 1994 Route 9A Reconstruction Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), is one of several federally funded recovery projects proposed in response to the devastation of September 11, 2001. As a transportation cornerstone in this recovery effort, the project is intended to provide a safe and efficient transportation facility that meets the goals and objectives established for Route 9A, prior to and since September 11, 2001.

B. PROJECT IDENTIFICATION / LOCATION Located near the between Battery Place and in Manhattan (see Figure 1-1), Route 9A (also known as West Street) is a six- to eight-lane principal urban arterial with a continuous bikeway and walkway. Route 9A, which is part of the National Highway System, is a multi-modal facility used by cars, trucks, buses, bicycles, and pedestrians. As discussed above, the proposed project would affect only a portion of Route 9A. This section lies at the southern end of New York State Route 9A, which begins at Battery Place and extends northward for approximately 47.5 miles, until it merges with U.S. Route 9 in Peekskill NY, in northern Westchester County. NYSDOT has jurisdiction over all of Route 9A, including the bikeway/walkway, except at the WTC Site where the Port Authority of New York and (PANYNJ) has easements relating to several of their facilities located under the roadway. As described below, this includes a portion of the former WTC basement now exposed as part of the “bathtub.” The existing at-grade street right-of-way extends from the building line on the east side to the westerly edge of the bikeway. The title of the remaining right-of-way from the bikeway to Park City (BPC) property line and former U.S. bulkhead line was to be vested from for the state-legislated Hudson River Park (HRP). At the time of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the title transfer of New York City lands had not yet occurred. The Route 9A corridor is 250 feet wide except at the WTC Site where it widens to 260-270 feet. As shown in Figure 1-1, NYSDOT is currently progressing two separate actions related to the reconstruction of Route 9A south of Chambers Street. In addition to the subject of this Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS), NYSDOT is reconstructing the Promenade South Project south of West Thames Street. Because of its similarity to the Selected

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Alternative from the 1994 Record of Decision, an FEIS re-evaluation for the Promenade South Project was performed to determine whether any supplemental analysis was required. Since the Promenade South Project would not result in any new significant adverse impacts from those discussed in the 1994 FEIS neither an environmental assessment (EA) or EIS is necessary for the project. A brief description of the Promenade South Project is included later in this chapter.

C. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION At the time of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the reconstruction of Route 9A pursuant to the 1994 FEIS Record of Decision (ROD) was nearly complete. The attacks destroyed the section of the roadway in the vicinity of the WTC, between Liberty and Vesey Streets. In this area, Route 9A consisted of four northbound and four southbound lanes, with a sidewalk on the eastern side of the roadway. The sidewalk, as well as the two easternmost northbound lanes, rested on top of the WTC garage structure, within what later became commonly known as the “bathtub.” This area, which is approximately 47 feet wide, was obliterated during the attacks. The attacks also heavily damaged the remaining portions of the roadway, which suffered further damage as the result of the post-September 11, 2001 recovery and cleanup efforts. The North Bridge, a pedestrian connection between the WTC and the World Financial Center (WFC) was also destroyed. As soon as access into the damaged area was permitted, NYSDOT constructed a six-lane interim roadway between Liberty and Vesey Streets. Opened in late March 2002, the interim roadway restored vehicular access and mobility on Route 9A and allowed the reopening of the - Battery Tunnel (BBT). (See Figure 1-2). The interim roadway, which is still in place, consists of three northbound and three southbound lanes, with no median and no turning lanes. To construct it, NYSDOT, in conjunction with PANYNJ, closed the entry ramps that had led to the WTC garage and removed the above-grade elements of Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) ventilation structures. A haul road, with access restricted to construction vehicles only, was constructed east of the northbound lanes to permit the hauling of material from the WTC Site. The interim roadway was constructed with temporary pavement and provides less capacity than the eight-lane roadway (the selected alternative from the 1994 ROD) that existed prior to September 11, 2001. After September 11, 2001, a temporary pedestrian bridge was constructed by NYSDOT in the vicinity of Rector Street to facilitate the crossing of Route 9A. NYSDOT also constructed a temporary pedestrian bridge at Vesey Street, which opened in November 2003 to support the reopening of the temporary PATH Terminal. The proposed project also takes into consideration the redevelopment efforts in Lower Manhattan; specifically, those at the WTC Site. As discussed in the planning context below, these other initiatives have resulted in a new set of existing and future conditions, such as the WTC Memorial, which could not be foreseen in the 1994 FEIS. Therefore, while the project’s goals and objectives from the 1994 FEIS still apply, they have been updated and expanded to reflect this new set of conditions.

TRANSPORTATION SERVICE Route 9A serves regional, arterial, and local transportation activities and needs. It connects with the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel (BBT); the Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Drive and the East River Bridges via the (BPU); the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels; and the

1-2 ROUTE 9A PROJECT - LOWER MANHATTAN REDEVELOPMENT D015183, PIN NYCD.01.322 FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT West Thames Street to Chambers Street

WINTERWINTER 3WFC 2WFC2WFC GARDENGARDEN

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VESEY STREET ORIGINAL ROUTE 9A LIMITS VESEY STREET 3WFC3WFC INTERIMINTERIM ROUTEROUTE 9A9A LIMITSLIMITS

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SouthSouth BridgeBridge April 2002 - Interim Roadway Opened 3/29/02(Looking North)

Original Route 9A Limits Temporary Connection

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April 2002 - Interim Roadway opened 3/29/02 (Looking North) September 2002 - Interim Roadway with improvements (Looking North) May 2002 - Temporary Rector Street Pedestrian Bridge Opened 5/2/02 (Looking South)

Route 9A Interim Roadway Photos FIGURE 1-2 Chapter 1: Project Purpose and Need

Henry Hudson Parkway, which provides access to the and Westchester County. The roadway is a major north-south artery in Manhattan’s street grid that serves through movements in the borough. It is also a local street that provides vehicular and pedestrian access to the activities, businesses, and residences that line its right-of-way. Prior to September 11, 2001, this portion of Route 9A served 240,000 people per day, walking, biking, and driving. This figure included approximately 80,000 vehicles and 110,000 pedestrians. Each weekday morning peak hour, approximately 260 commuter buses carrying 14,000 people exited the BBT High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane onto Route 9A. Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Bridges and Tunnels own and operate the BBT, which connects Brooklyn and I-278/Gowanus Expressway/Brooklyn-Queens Expressway with Lower Manhattan. Prior to September 11, 2001, three bridges, in addition to several at-grade crossings, provided pedestrian access across Route 9A. They connected the WFC and BPC with the WTC, subway and PATH stations, and other developments further east. The north and south bridges connected the WTC complex with the WFC, and a pedestrian bridge near Chambers Street facilitated crossings to Stuyvesant High School. The south bridge connected the WFC with Liberty Street via an escalator. Since September 11, 2001, Route 9A crossing provisions for pedestrians have been reduced due to the loss of the north pedestrian bridge. A new temporary pedestrian bridge was erected across Route 9A at Rector Street. Another temporary bridge was constructed at Vesey Street. The south pedestrian bridge at Liberty Street was reopened with a temporary, covered, and elevated approach walkway leading along Liberty Street to the east. There is also a pedestrian bridge remaining at the north side of Chambers Street which is used used particularly by pedestrians going to and from Stuyvesant High School and BPC. Over the next 20 years, several development projects in Lower Manhattan will introduce or restore vehicular trips to Lower Manhattan. As described later in this FSEIS, residential and commercial development projects are anticipated to complete the build out of and the Washington Street Urban Renewal Area. New residential projects are also planned near the South Street Seaport, the Stock Exchange, and south of the WTC Site. As proposed under the WTC Memorial and Redevelopment Plan, the WTC Site itself will be developed with a memorial and memorial-related uses, 8 million square feet of office, up to 1 million square feet of retail, a hotel, and cultural facilities. Many of the residents, workers, and visitors to these developments will use Route 9A and its connections to the BBT, the , and the George Washington Bridge. Thus, traffic along the Route 9A corridor in the vicinity of the WTC Site will increase by 17 percent or more as compared to 2003 levels.

D. PROJECT BACKGROUND Thirty years ago, the portion of Route 9A between Chambers and West Thames Street was part of the , an elevated limited-access structure that carried through traffic. A service road and local streets ran at-grade and served the active waterfront and adjacent pier uses. With the decline of the shipping industry in the 1960s, and the deterioration of the elevated roadway and partial collapse in 1972, the West Side Highway structure was removed in the 1980s. The surface roadway was repaved to serve as an interim roadway while a permanent replacement was planned. A proposal for a limited-access Interstate highway, known as Westway, was developed but was enjoined by court action in 1986. Interstate funds were

1-3 Route 9A Project FSEIS

“traded-in” and the “Interstate” Westway proposal was abandoned. The roadway was no longer designated as an Interstate highway, but as a principal arterial. Subsequent to the Westway project’s “trade-in,” the Route 9A Reconstruction Project was developed. The Route 9A Reconstruction Project was a project to reconstruct Route 9A between Battery Place and 59th Street as an at-grade urban boulevard with a continuous bikeway. A study was concluded in 1994 with the publication of a NEPA/State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) EIS/Section 4(f) and ROD. In Lower Manhattan from the Battery Park Underpass to Chambers Street, the selected alternative referred to as the Enhanced Basic Reconstruction Alternative featured an at-grade roadway with generally four northbound lanes and four southbound lanes; left turn lanes at appropriate locations; a bike and walkway lying just to the west of the roadway; wide landscaped medians; urban design features; and, in the area of the WTC, direct connections to the WTC garage and a southbound connection to the BBT (see Figures 1-3A and 1-3B). North of Harrison Street, Route 9A features three southbound lanes and four northbound lanes. The fourth northbound lane is dropped at where northbound 10th Avenue intersects Route 9A. The following is a summary of actions related to the design/environmental study for Route 9A: • Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Section 4(f) (DEIS/Section 4(f)) and Updated DEIS/Section 4(f)—May and September 1993. • Final EIS (FEIS)/Section 4(f)—May 1994. • Record of Decision/State Environmental Quality Review Findings—July 1994. • Construction of the 1994 Route 9A selected alternative began in March 1996 with the first of the seven design segments. • The Segment 2 construction, encompassing the current project limits, started in February 1997. That contract was about 95 percent complete at the time of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Between 1994 and 1998, eight reevaluations of the 1994 FEIS were conducted as the project proceeded through final design and construction. Per 23 CFR 771.129, if the project social, economic, or environment is changed, or the project scope is modified, or a significant period of time has passed (equal to or greater than 3 years) after the publication of the FEIS, a reevaluation of the FEIS is required to determine if the FEIS is still valid. The reevaluations were conducted in response to design refinements and were also required by FHWA for Plans, Specifications, and Estimate (PS&E) authorization prior to construction. The reevaluations and their approval date by FHWA were: • Segment 4 (Clarkson Street to Horatio Street) PS&E for Construction—December, 1995. • Evaluation for Right of Way Acquisitions—December, 1995. • Battery Park City Walkway Alignment/Right turn into Chelsea Piers—April, 1996. • Segment 2 Design Modifications—December 1996. • Segment 7 (40th Street to 59th Street) PS&E for Construction—February, 1997 • Segment 5 (Horatio Street to 25th Street) PS&E for Construction—August, 1997 • Segment 3 (Harrison Street to Clarkson Street) PS&E for Construction—November,1997 • Segment 6 (25th Street to ) PS&E for Construction—January 1998 None of the design changes resulted in new significant adverse impacts requiring a Supplemental EIS.

1-4 ROUTE 9A PROJECT - LOWER MANHATTAN REDEVELOPMENT D015183, PIN NYCD.01.322 FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT West Thames Street to Chambers Street

RTE. 9A SEG. 1- POSSIBLE MORRIS STREET PROMENADE SOUTH PROJECT LIMITS SEIS PROJECT LIMITS BATTERY PLACE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE BATTERY PLACE REALIGNMENT & (ROUTE 9A - SEGMENT 1 STUDY) BATTERY PARK CITY SOUTH END AVE. BIKEWAY EXTENSION C

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Route 9A Pre 9/11 Plan (Southend) FIGURE 1-3A ROUTE 9A PROJECT - LOWER MANHATTAN REDEVELOPMENT D015183, PIN NYCD.01.322 FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT West Thames Street to Chambers Street

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SOUTH END AVENUE SEIS PROJECT LIMITS

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PRE-9/11 SECTION A-A Existing at WTC Site/Winter Garden

Route 9A Pre 9/11 Plan (Northend) FIGURE I-3B Chapter 1: Project Purpose and Need

A reevaluation was being prepared for Segment 1 at the time of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Subsequently, a reevaluation was prepared for the Promenade South project which includes the limits of Segment 1. See page 1-7 for a further discussion of the Promenade South Project.

E. CURRENT PLANNING CONTEXT NYSDOT has identified and analyzed a range of alternatives for this portion of Route 9A (see Figure 1-4) that is consistent with the project’s original goals and objectives, while considering the modified environment of Lower Manhattan. The alternatives have been developed in consideration of the other Lower Manhattan recovery projects, especially the proposed WTC Memorial and Redevelopment Plan which is adjacent to the project site. A summary of the key elements guiding the redevelopment of the WTC Site and Lower Manhattan is included in this section. The major contributors include the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) WTC master planning effort and the WTC Memorial; Governor Pataki’s “Lower Manhattan Transportation Strategies,” and other federally funded transportation projects, including PANYNJ’s permanent WTC PATH Terminal and projects by MTA/New York City Transit (NYCT).

WTC MEMORIAL AND REDEVELOPMENT PLAN LMDC was created in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, and is a joint city and state public- benefit corporation that is tasked with overseeing the revitalization and rebuilding of Lower Manhattan. LMDC is undertaking, in cooperation with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and PANYNJ, a WTC Memorial and Redevelopment Plan. Based on a master plan by Studio , the project includes the construction of a WTC Memorial and memorial-related improvements, as well as commercial, retail, and hotel space; museum and cultural facilities; open space; new street configurations; and infrastructure improvements at the WTC Site and adjacent parcels. A key part of LMDC’s planning efforts is the creation of a permanent memorial to those who were lost in the attacks on September 11, 2001 and in the prior attack in 1993. The memorial at the WTC Site is expected to attract an estimated 5.5 million visitors annually. In effect, the memorial would increase the daily number of visitors in Lower Manhattan and the WTC Site to levels significantly above the pre-September 11, 2001 levels. An FGEIS for the project was published on April 13, 2004 with a Record of Decision on June 2, 2004. LMDC released proposed amendments to the General Project Plan (GPP) on December 11, 2004 and released an environmental assessment on the Proposed Refinements in April 2005. Key features, some of which will influence and affect the analysis and development of Route 9A alternatives, include: • The extension of Fulton Street to connect with Route 9A and the continuation of Greenwich Street through the WTC Site. • The Memorial and Memorial Center, which will allow for viewing of a portion of the WTC slurry wall that survived the terrorist attacks. The exposed slurry wall is on the western edge of the WTC Site, adjacent to Route 9A. Pre-September 11, 2001 portions of the northbound Route 9A roadway were supported within the slurry wall bathtub. • A design of a distinctive skyline featuring a Freedom Tower as the first of five proposed office buildings.

1-5 ROUTE 9A PROJECT - LOWER MANHATTAN REDEVELOPMENT D015183, PIN NYCD.01.322 FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT West Thames Street to Chambers Street

1 2 3 4 5 6 BBT Plaza Approach Roads and Battery Park Garage Looking South at Battery Park Underpass Portal Looking South at Battery Park Underpass Portal At Grade Pedestrian Crossing at Morris Street Looking East Between Carlisle and Looking North at Liberty St. Pedestrian Bridge Rector Streets SEIS LIMITS (WEST THAMES STREET TO CHAMBERS STREET

4 POSSIBLE MORRIS STREET WFC ry PEDESTRIAN BRIDGEtte Ba P (ROUTE 9A - SEGMENT 1 STUDY) lace Battery Park City

Chambers Street 2 WFC North Pedestrian Bridge Pedestrian Bridge 4 5 1 3 WFC WFC SITE 26 SITE 26 PS/IS BATTERY PARK UNDERPASS2 89 3 8 10 11 6 7 75 ROUTE 9A

MORRIS STREET WEST MARRIOT STREET 90 9 HOTEL WEST BROOKLYN STREET 140 BATTERY TUNNEL South Pedestrian Bridge WEST 1 STREET

WORLD TRADE CENTER Battery Place Legend SITE 5 Photo Location Proposed Reconstruction of Battery Place Route 9A Segment I (PIN X024.22) Slurry Wall & Morris Street Pedestrian Bridge Study Pedestrian Bridge

Northbound Roadway Southbound Roadway

North Pedestrian Bridge

South Pedestrian Bridge

7 8 9 10 11 Route 9A Looking North from South Route 9A Looking South From North Pedestrian Looking North at Chambers St. Route 9A Bikeway/Walkway Looking North From Chambers Street Pedestrian Bridge Bridge Pedestrian Bridge

Photo Location Plan/Corridor Photos Pre 9/11 Route 9A FIGURE 1-4 Route 9A Project FSEIS

• Incorporation of a Museum/Cultural Complex. • Open spaces, extensive office space provided in five towers, additional retail space at-grade, and potential hotel and conference space. • Creation of a Wedge of Light Park in the plaza adjacent to the Fulton Street extension as well as , south of Liberty Street, east of Route 9A. • Truck access and parking below grade at the WTC Site. • Extension of the slurry wall to the south across Liberty Street to the south side of Cedar Street/Albany Street.

GOVERNOR’S LOWER MANHATTAN TRANSPORTATION STRATEGIES On April 24, 2003, Governor Pataki distributed his plan for the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan. The plan, developed in coordination with LMDC, builds on many of the tenets of Mayor Bloomberg’s “Vision for a 21st Century Lower Manhattan” plan, and envisions an upgraded transportation network, which will complement development at the WTC Site and act as a catalyst for the economic rebirth of Lower Manhattan. The document sets out the following four fundamental pillars for the plan: • To provide a respectful setting for a memorial and create a grand promenade along West Street; • To create a new grand point of arrival in Lower Manhattan; • To rationalize and improve Lower Manhattan’s tangled web of subway lines; and • To create direct rail and ferry access to Long Island and the region’s three major airports. Key elements include: • A Route 9A/West Street promenade from Chambers Street to Battery Place; • Fulton Street and Greenwich Street Renewal; • A new temporary bridge (at Vesey Street) reconnecting the WFC, BPC, and PATH terminal with the rest of Manhattan. The new Vesey Street pedestrian bridge was opened in November 2003 to correspond with and support the temporary PATH station reopening; • Direct rail access from Long Island/John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty Airports; • Extension of the PATH train to Newark Liberty Airport; • New PATH terminal at the WTC Site; • A new Fulton Street Transit Center (FSTC) at and Fulton; • A redesigned and modernized South Ferry subway station; • Improvements to ferry service; • Short-term capital projects to improve accessibility and enhance the quality of life in and around Lower Manhattan; and

1-6 Chapter 1: Project Purpose and Need

• Promote tourism and small business growth through the Empire State Development Corporation’s program. The plan proposes modifications to create a promenade to beautify Route 9A/West Street and provide connectivity between BPC and the rest of Lower Manhattan. It envisions Route 9A/West Street as a tree-lined promenade. The Route 9A alternatives analysis examines how each of these proposals can be supported and implemented through redevelopment/reconstruction of the Route 9A/West Street roadway.

PROMENADE SOUTH PROJECT As indicated in Figure 1-1, NYSDOT is progressing a separate action as part of the overall reconstruction of Route 9A and redevelopment of Lower Manhattan. The Promenade South Project, which is compatible with all project alternatives, includes the following elements: • Reconstruction of Route 9A and creation of a promenade from Battery Place to West Thames Street. • Reconstruction of Battery Place from West Street (Route 9A) to Washington Street. (The Reconstruction of Battery Place from Washington Street to State Street to be performed under MTA-New York City Transit South Ferry Terminal Project). • NYCDOT rehabilitation of the West Street Tunnel (from West Street to BBT approach) and Battery Park Underpass (BPU) (from Route 9A to FDR Drive). As previously discussed, the Promenade South Project, is very similar to the 1994 FEIS/ROD Selected Alternative, including the same number of traffic lanes. Consequently, a Reevaluation of the 1994 FEIS was completed to satisfy NEPA environmental review requirements. The NYCDOT rehabilitation work in the BPU/West Street tunnels is being added to this project to facilitate maintenance and protection of traffic and expedite the construction through joint staging in one contract. Promenade South creates a landscaped promenade to enhance the urban environment. It adds extensive at-grade pedestrian-friendly, aesthetic features that will serve to support neighborhood redevelopment and economic recovery in lower Manhattan. Construction of the project began in late 2004.

MORRIS STREET PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE A pedestrian bridge is being studied as a future project to connect BPC over Route 9A to the vicinity of Morris Street and the Battery Parking Garage. Extensions to the north over the BBT approach to Route 9A is being considered by MTA–Tunnels and Bridges. An easterly extension to the Greenwich Street area will be considered in concert with the LMDC/NYC Greenwich South study for air rights development and deck area over the BBT plaza area.

PERMANENT WTC PATH TERMINAL A temporary PATH station on the site of the original station was opened in November 2003. PANYNJ, in cooperation with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), proposes to construct a new permanent terminal in the same location, which is expected to serve more than 175,000 commuters per day by 2020. An FEIS was published in May 2005. As part of the project, there

1-7 Route 9A Project FSEIS would be a below-grade pedestrian concourse under Route 9A to link the Winter Garden, the new PATH Terminal, and the FSTC farther to the east along Broadway. The concourse will provide direct access between those transit hubs and the WFC and the WTC Site. Continued coordination with PANYNJ will be required through the Route 9A design stages to accommodate the proposed concourse. The project is expected to be in operation by 2009 with a final completion date of 2010.

FULTON STREET TRANSIT CENTER The FSTC is being proposed by the MTA and NYCT, in cooperation with the FTA. The FEIS was published in September 2004 and a ROD was issued in November 2004. The project will rehabilitate, reconfigure, and enhance the multilevel complex of subway stations serving nine different lines in the area of Fulton Street and Broadway. The project will provide a large station that will facilitate above- and below-ground connections to these subways. The facility has a proposed Dey Street Concourse to NYCT’s Cortlandt Street Station and the proposed Permanent WTC PATH Terminal described above. The project is to be completed by 2008.

SOUTH FERRY TERMINAL MTA/NYCT, in cooperation with FTA, plans to reconstruct the South Ferry Terminal on the Nos. 1/9 subway lines. Presently, South Ferry is a loop station with a single platform that can only accommodate five-car trains. MTA/NYCT proposes to replace the loop station with a stub- end terminal having two tracks and one platform able to accommodate 10-car trains. This project would increase both the capacity of the South Ferry Terminal and the Nos. 1/9 lines during peak periods. Work would also take place at Battery Place for the new connection and fan plant. Coordination is required with the Battery Place reconstruction portion of the Route 9A Promenade South Project. A finding of no significant impacts (FONSI) was completed by FTA in August 2004.

HUDSON RIVER PARK In 1998, the New York State legislature created the Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT) and vested it with the responsibility of managing and developing the west portion of the Route 9A corridor and waterfront piers as a linear park and esplanade adjacent to Route 9A. One of the many goals accomplished with this legislation was enhancement of pedestrian and bicycle mobility north and south through the Route 9A corridor as well as across it. Prior to September 11, 2001, HRPT, in consultation with the Route 9A Project team, Battery Park City Authority (BPCA), state and city park agencies, and other concerned groups, developed a master plan for the parkland that would run contiguously from Battery Place to 59th Street. The plan, outlined in the document entitled Hudson River Park, Design Guidelines Master Plan, provides for a bikeway plus walkways, as was constructed as part of the Route 9A project. Currently, the HRPT is in the process of implementing the master plan and has retained design consultants to prepare construction documents in completed sections of West Street/Route 9A. Since Route 9A was not fully completed prior to September 11, 2001, no definitive HRPT plans have been provided south of Chambers Street. The proposed Hudson River Park will be developed in conjunction with the Route 9A Project and in coordination with the HRPT. BPCA also has an interest in the proposed park and will be involved with the proposed park development.

1-8 Chapter 1: Project Purpose and Need

F. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The planning, development, and selection of a preferred alternative in the 1994 FEIS was guided by three major goals: • Provide effective, safe transportation service; • Provide efficient, cost-effective transportation service; and • Maximize benefits of the project, and minimize adverse impacts. More than 25 objectives were developed to support these goals. For this FSEIS, the goals and objectives have been combined into one simplified list that reflects the current planning objectives for Route 9A, the WTC Site and the overall redevelopment and economic recovery of Lower Manhattan. The project goals and objectives were presented at NYSDOT’s June 24 and November 19, 2003 Public Information presentations as well as the June 24, 2004 Public Hearing on the DSEIS. These goals and objectives are the guiding principles being followed in the NYSDOT development of a “preferred alternative” for Route 9A in Lower Manhattan and are as follows: • Permanently restore the functionality of Route 9A. • Improve pedestrian access and movements along and across Route 9A. • Provide for an appropriate and respectful setting for the World Trade Center Memorial. • Enhance green areas and open space. • Support economic recovery and development of Lower Manhattan. • Ensure community involvement and public participation in an open and inclusive process. • Coordinate with other major transportation and development projects. • Avoid or minimize environmental and construction impacts to the community. • Provide a safe, timely, and cost effective transportation solution.

G. DESIGN/ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS

DESIGN PROCESS The purpose of the Route 9A design process is to develop feasible and reasonable alternatives for evaluation in the FSEIS. Tasks that were undertaken to develop the alternatives include: utility investigations and mapping; surveying, traffic forecasting and analysis; geotechnical studies; urban design; preliminary design; and environmental analysis.

EIS PROCESS The alternatives for the Route 9A Project are being examined in this Supplement to the 1994 FEIS. This FSEIS presents and evaluates reasonable alternatives for the proposed project; identifies significant impacts, both beneficial and adverse; and recommends measures to mitigate adverse impacts, where possible and prudent. This FSEIS responds to comments on the DSEIS which was published on May 28, 2004. A Public Hearing on the DSEIS was held on June 24, 2004. In addition, this FSEIS recommends a preferred alternative. NYSDOT has prepared this FSEIS with and on behalf of FHWA, and in coordination with appropriate federal, state and city agencies, including sponsors of the other Lower Manhattan recovery projects. The FHWA has approved the FSEIS circulation for public review and comment. Notices of document availability have been published. The FSEIS has been sent to public officials, interest groups,

1-9 Route 9A Project FSEIS private individuals known to have an interest in the proposed action, and federal, state, and local agencies, as appropriate. The record will be open for public comment for 30 days after the Notice of Availability is published in the Federal Register per 23 CFR 771.127(a) and NYSDOT Project Development Manual Chapter 4, Section 4.4.3 NEPA Class I Phase IV.

LOWER MANHATTAN TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS COORDINATION NYSDOT, MTA/NYCT and PANYNJ have developed, in cooperation with FTA and FHWA, an Environmental Analysis Framework for Federally Funded Transportation Projects in Lower Manhattan. This framework seeks to evaluate and minimize potential adverse environmental effects, particularly the cumulative effects from other projects scheduled to be under construction in the area. It also intended to create a coordinated approach to environmental documentation and construction, and will be used by each public agency undertaking major construction in the area. It proposes to develop and incorporate environmentally friendly measures, i.e., Environmental Performance Commitments (EPCs), by each of the agencies undertaking projects in Lower Manhattan. The EPCs are discussed in Chapter 2, “Project Alternatives” (see Table 2-5). In addition to framework coordination, scheduling and efficient coordination or combining of projects will need to be considered. Early relocation of important utility infrastructure is also an important consideration. The framework establishes basic assumptions for analysis and describes commitments to be fulfilled by each agency’s project-specific environmental documentation. It considers the regulations enacted by the Council for Environmental Quality and considers guidance in the SEQRA and the New York City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) Process. The framework was formalized in the fall of 2003 by the project sponsors of federally funded transportation projects, as well as LMDC for their WTC Memorial and Redevelopment Plan. The framework specifically addresses four components as follows: • Green design, green construction, and sustainability principals; • Construction environmental protection plan; • Public involvement and governmental entities coordination plan; and, • Baseline assessment of resources and coordinated cumulative effects analysis approach. In addition, FTA prepared its Approach to Cumulative Effects Analysis for the Lower Manhattan Recovery Effort (July 2003), which has become the basis for much of the cumulative effects analysis in this and the other environmental documents. The analyses in the FSEIS reflect the adoption of the EPCs which are discussed in Chapter 2, “Project Alternatives,” and further in the technical chapters of the document, as necessary. Ï

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