Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 246 / Monday, December 23, 2002 / Notices 78267

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION needs of the Tappan Zee Bridge, as well study. An outline of the public as other existing infrastructure in the participation program is also contained Federal Highway Administration Corridor. The AA will document the in the information packet. identification, evaluation and screening Three public scoping meetings will be Environmental Impact Statement/ of a large number of possible actions to conducted, one each in Westchester, Alternatives Analysis: Westchester produce a reasonable range of Rockland, and Orange Counties, to and Rockland Counties, NY, Tappan alternatives that meet the proposed solicit public comments on the scope of Zee Bridge/Interstate-287 Corridor Project’s purpose and need. The DEIS the AA/DEIS. Each scoping meeting will AGENCIES: Federal Highway (which will incorporate the findings of run from 4–9 p.m. and consist of an Administration (FHWA) and Federal the AA) will then document the informal open house setting and two Transit Administration (FTA), United evaluation of those identified formal presentations. Formal States Department of Transportation alternatives in terms of their presentations will be made at 4:30 p.m. environmental impacts and other and again at 6:30 p.m. after which ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an relevant factors as compared to a comments will be received in the group Alternatives Analysis (AA) and an baseline case (i.e., the No Build forum. Those wishing to speak must Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) alternative). A preferred alternative(s) sign up by 8:45 pm. A court reporter for the I–287 Corridor between Suffern, will be identified in a Final EIS (FEIS). will be available to record the formal (Rockland County) and Port meeting and public comments. The Chester, New York (Westchester FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Arnold, Division Administrator, public scoping meetings will be held in County). Included within the corridor is the following locations: the Tappan Zee Bridge. Federal Highway Administration, New York Division, Leo W. O’Brien Federal Westchester County Public Scoping SUMMARY: FHWA and FTA, in Building, 7th Floor, Clinton Avenue and Meeting: Tuesday, January 14, 2003, cooperation with the New York State North Pearl Street, Albany, New York, Sleepy Hollow High School, 200 North Thruway Authority (NYSTA) and the 12207. Telephone: (518) 431–4127; or , Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591. Metro-North Railroad, a subsidiary of Irwin B. Kessman, Director of Planning Rockland County Public Scoping the Metropolitan Transportation and Program Development, Federal Meeting: Wednesday, January 15, 2003, Authority (MTA/MNR), will prepare an Transit Administration, One Bowling Adler Room, Palisades Mall, 1000 AA and an EIS for the I–287 Corridor in Green, Room 429, New York, NY 10004 , West Nyack, NY Westchester and Rockland Counties, Telephone: (212) 668–2177; or 10994. Orange County Public Scoping NY, which includes the Tappan Zee Christopher A. Waite, Executive Project Meeting: Thursday, January 16, 2003, Bridge, the Corridor’s most important Manager, Orange County Community College, 115 infrastructure element. The FTA and Authority, 200 Southern Boulevard, South Street, Middletown, NY 10940. FHWA are the federal lead agencies Albany, NY 12209. Telephone: (518) The public comment period will be under NEPA and the NYSTA and MTA/ 436–3190; or Janet M. Mainiero, Deputy open for a minimum of 45 days MNR are the project sponsors. The AA Project Manager, MTA Metro-North following the January 16 meeting. and the DEIS are being prepared in Railroad, 347 Madison Avenue, New Comments will be accepted until March accordance with the National York, NY 10017. Telephone: (212) 340– 4, 2003. Environmental Policy Act of 1969 4085. The project sponsors will also (NEPA), as amended, and implemented SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: conduct two governmental agency by the Council on Environmental 1. Scoping scoping meetings, one each in New York Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR parts City and Albany, to solicit input and 1500–1508), the FTA/FHWA FHWA and FTA invite interested comments from local, state and federal Environmental Impact regulations (23 individuals, organizations, and federal, agencies. The agency meetings will be CFR part 771), and the FTA/FHWA state, and local agencies to provide held at the following times and Statewide Planning/Metropolitan comments on the scope of the Tappan locations: Planning regulations (23 CFR part 450). Zee Bridge/I–287 Corridor AA/EIS. January 21, 2003, 2–4 p.m., MTA/ This study will also comply with the Comments should suggest alternatives MNR Headquarters, 347 Madison requirements of the National Historic that meet the Project’s transportation Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, goals and objectives and have the January 22, 2003, 1–3 p.m., New York section 4(f) of the 1966, U.S. Department potential to reduce environmental State Thruway Authority, 200 Southern of Transportation Act, the 1990 Clean impacts. Comments should also focus Boulevard, Albany, NY 12209. Air Act Amendments, the Executive on specific environmental issues and Order 12898 on Environmental Justice, other relevant factors that should be 2. Description of the Project Area and and other applicable statutes, rules, and evaluated during the course of the Transportation Needs regulations. The EIS and the Project. The Tappan Zee Bridge/I–287 environmental review process will also To assist interested parties in Corridor extends from the I–287/I–87 satisfy requirements of the New York formulating their comments, a scoping in Suffern to the I–287/I–95 State Environmental Quality Review Act information packet has been prepared interchange in Port Chester for (SEQRA); this Notice of intent and is available upon request from the approximately 30 miles through eliminates the need for a positive FHWA, FTA, NYSTA, or MTA/MNR Rockland and Westchester Counties. declaration under that statute. representatives identified above or The Corridor includes the lifeline 3.1 The purpose for the study is to online at the project’s Web site mile-long Tappan Zee Bridge crossing of identify and evaluate alternative (www.tzbsite.com). The information the , and encompasses a multimodal highway and transit packet includes the project’s purpose critical section of the New York State proposals to address the transportation and need, goals and objectives, a Thruway, as well as the entire Cross needs of the Tappan Zee Bridge/I–287 preliminary list of alternatives, and Westchester Expressway (CWE). The Corridor (the project). The study will environmental areas that will be Corridor intersects all five of MNR’s also take into account the structural addressed during the course of the commuter rail lines (Port Jervis, Pascack

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Valley, Hudson, Harlem and New existing Tappen Zee Bridge with regarding intergovernmental consultation on Haven). However, MNR’s commuter rail improved roadway and transit facilities. Federal programs and activities apply to this lines in the Corridor are all oriented Bridge, tunnel, and combination bridge program.) north and south and none cross the and tunnel solutions have been Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 23 CFR 771.123 Hudson River. suggested. Dated: December 13, 2002. The Tappan Zee Bridge opened to • Corridor Improvements: these are traffic in 1955 and carried an average of the various proposals to upgrade and/or David W. Nardone, 18,000 vehicles daily. Today, add new transportation infrastructure Senior Operations Engineer, Federal Highway approximately 135,000 vehicles cross elsewhere in the Corridor such as new Administration, Albany, New York. the bridge on an average weekday, with commuter rail, light rail or guided [FR Doc. 02–32258 Filed 12–20–02; 8:45 am] volumes as high as 170,000 vehicles on busway. BILLING CODE 4910–22–M some peak days. During the past 20 All alternatives will include years, traffic volumes have grown maintaining the Interstate highway link. significantly in the Corridor, by over 50 Through a process of technical DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION percent on the CWE and by more than evaluation and public input, the National Highway Traffic Safety 70 percent on the Tappan Zee Bridge. relatively large number of alternatives Administration As a result, the Corridor experiences developed in the early stages of the varying levels of traffic congestion AA’s program will be reduced to a [Docket No. NHTSA 2002–13272] throughout its 30-mile length. The smaller set considered most likely to steady increase in traffic demand over achieve the Project’s goals and Reports, Forms and Record Keeping the years, together with only limited objectives. The reduced set of Requirements; Agency Information increases in roadway capacity and a alternatives will be evaluated in the Collection Activity Under OMB Review paucity of east-west modal alternatives, DEIS along with the No Build AGENCY: National Highway Traffic have resulted in continual increases in alternative. Safety Administration, DOT. travel time and delay. These problems 4. Probable Effects ACTION: Notice. are most acute in the vicinity of the Tappan Zee Bridge itself during the Impacts of the final set of Tappen Zee SUMMARY: In compliance with the eastbound morning and westbound Bridge/I–287 Corridor-wide alternatives Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 evening peak periods. This congestion is will be evaluated in the DEIS will U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice projected to worsen, detrimentally summarize the results of coordination announces that the Information affecting mobility and the economic with federal, state, and local agencies; Collection Request (ICR) abstracted health and quality of life in the present the appropriate federal, state, below has been forwarded to the Office Corridor. and local regulations and policies; of Management and Budget (OMB) for In addition to addressing the mobility inventory and compile previous studies; review and comment. The ICR describes needs in the Tappan Zee Bridge/I–287 describe the methodology used to assess the nature of the information collections Corridor, the Project will also address impacts; identify the affected and their expected burden. The Federal the structural needs of the Tappan Zee environment; predict and analyze the Register Notice with a 60-day comment Bridge, the Corridor’s most important construction-related (short-term) and period was published on September 9, infrastructure element. operational (long-term) impacts (direct, 2002 (67 FR 57270–57271). indirect, and cumulative) of reasonable DATES: Comments must be submitted on 3. Alternatives Being Considered alternatives; and identify opportunities or before January 22, 2003. Based on previous studies, as well as and measures for mitigating significant numerous public meetings convened to adverse impacts. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: discuss the matter, a preliminary list of • Specific scopes for the George Person at the National Highway alternatives has been developed to environmental studies to be conducted Traffic Safety Administration, Office of address the mobility and structural for the DEIS will be established during Defects Investigation, 202–366–5210, needs of the Corridor. The potential the public and agency scoping process. 400 Seventh Street, SW., Room 5326, alternatives identified to date, which are The DEIS analysis will cover relevant Washington, DC 20590. expected to be supplemented during the aspects of the natural and human SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: public scoping process, have been environment expected to be affected by Agency: National Highway Traffic organized into four broad categories as each alternative. Safety Administration. follows: Title: Defect and Noncompliance • Transportation Demand/System 5. FHWA/FTA Procedures Reports, Part 573. Management Strategies: these are Upon completion, the AA, and OMB Number: 2127–0004. generally lower cost management subsequently the DEIS, will be available Type of Request: Renewal. strategies intended to impact travel for public and agency review and Abstract: NHTSA’s statute at 49 demand, choice of travel mode, or time comment. Public hearings will be held U.S.C. sections 30112 and 30116 of travel; or actions to improve the on the DEIS within the study area. On through 30121 requires manufacturers overall efficiency of the existing the basis of the AA/DEIS and the public of motor vehicles and motor vehicle transportation system. and Agency comments, a preferred equipment to recall and remedy their • New/Improved Transit Services: alternative will be selected and fully products that do not comply with these are generally actions to improve described in the FEIS. Following applicable Federal motor vehicle safety existing transit services or add new ones completion of the FEIS a Record of standards or that contain a defect that do not require the construction of Decision (ROD) will be issued by the related to motor vehicle safety. The major new transportation infrastructure federal lead agencies. manufacturer must notify NHTSA, in the Corridor. owners, purchasers, and dealers of such • (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance River Crossing Improvements: these Program Number 20.205, Highway Research, defects and noncompliances. include all of the various proposals put Planning and Construction. The regulations To implement this authority, in 1978 forward to rehabilitate or replace the implementing Executive Order 12372 NHTSA promulgated 49 CFR part 573,

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