REVISED DRAFf ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACf REPORT PASADENA-LOS ANGELES RAIL TRANSIT PROJECf· STATE CLEARINGHOUSE NO. 88042713 Prepared for: Los Angeles County Transportation Commission 403 West 8th Street, Suite 500 Los Angeles, California 90014 (213) 626-0370 Contact: Lupe Valdez.. Community Relations Specialist in association with: Bechtel Civil, Inc. Michael Brandman Associates, Inc. DKS Associates, Inc. Walter V. Okitsu Engineering Anil Verma Associates Barrio Planners Acoustical Associates, Inc. Ralph Stone and Company, Inc. November 1989 The following organizations and individuals participated in the preparation of this draft EIR. Los An~eles County Transportation Commission Executive Director ....................................... Neil Peterson Director of Rail Development ............................ , Richard Stanger Rail Development Manager .............................. : .. Susan Rosales Senior Rail Development Planner ........................... Fred Silverman Rail Development Planner ................................. N aney Michali Community Relations Manager ................................ Steve Lantz Community Relations Specialists .............................. Lupe Valdez Paula Will ins Michael Brandman Associates Principal-in-Charge ............................ Thomas E. Smith, Jr., AICP Project Director .................................. Curtis E. Alling, AICP Project Manager . .. Marc T. Blodgett Bechtel Civil. Inc. Project Manager . .. Ben Beasley Project Engineer. .. Jack Flannigan DKS Associates. Inc. Senior Transportation Engineer . EHline Guillot Transportation Planner .................................... GarY Hamrick Walter J. Okjtsu Engineering Walter Okitsu 1 Anjl Verma Associates Principal. .. Anil Verma Barrio Planners ............................................. Raul Escobedo Rex Stapfer Acoustical Analysis A<;sociates. Inc. Supervisory Consultant ................................. Michael P. Bucka Ralph Stone and Company. Inc. Senior Engineer ........................................... Dihru Patel Draftsman ............................................ Romy Deleon JOB/458-0004 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................... 1-1 1.1 Purpose and Use of the EIR ............................... 1-1 1.2 EIR Focus and Effects Found Not to be Significant . .. 1-2 1.3 Public Review Process ....................... 0 • • • • • • • • • •• 1-3 1.4 EIR Format . .. 1-4 :2 SUMMARY . .. 2-1 2.1 Summary Description of the Proposed Project .................. 2-1 2.2 Environmental Effects and Mitigation Measures . .. 2-2 2.3 Cumulative Impacts .................................... 2-22 2.4 Alternatives to the Proposed Project ............ .. 2-22 2.5 Identified Areas of Controversy and Issues to be Resolved . .. 2-25 3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .................................... 3-1 3.1 Project Location . .. 3-1 3.2 Project Objectives . .. 3-1 3.3 History of the Project . .. 3-2 3.4 Physical Characteristics ............... .. 3-3 35 Operational Characteristics ............................... 3-13 3:6 Phased Development of the Proposed Project ................. 3-14 3.7 Construction Cost and Projected Patronage of Proposed Project . .. 3- ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS ........................ 4-1 4.1 Land Use ............................................. 4-2 4.2 Transportation and Circulation ............................ 4-18 4.3 Geology and Earth . .. 4-43 4.4 Air Quality . .. 4-52 4.5 Biological Resources . .. 4-68 4.6 Noise and Vibration .................................... 4-73 4.7 Light and Glare ....................................... 4-89 4.8 Risk of Upset ........................................ , 4-91 ! HE 4.9 Population and Housing ................................. 4-96 4491 4.10 Public Services ....................................... 4-100 $P37 4.11 Public Utilities ....................................... 4-113 R49 4.12 Aesthetics .......................................... 4-117 1989 4.13 Recreation . .. 4-123 4.14 Cultural Resources . .. 4-126 5 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS .................................... 5-1 Related Projects . .. 5-1 5.2 Related Projects Near the Proposed Alignments ................ 5-6 5.3 Related Projects in the Project Area ....................... " 5-8 JOB/458-0004 II TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Section 6 ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT ................. 6-1 6.1 Description of Alternatives . .. 6-1 6.2 Environmental Analysis of Alternatives ....... .. 6-5 7 SIGNIFICANT UNAVOIDABLE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ........ 7-1 8 LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT ....... 8-1 8.1 Relationship Between Local Short-term Uses of Man's Environment and Maintenance and Enhancement of Long-Term Productivity ........................................... 8-1 8.2 Irreversible Environmental Changes Which Would be Involved in the Proposed Project if it Were Implemented ................ 8-2 9 GROWTH-INDUCING IMPACTS ............................. 9-1 9.1 Growth-Inducing Impacts: Land Use ........................ 9-1 9.2 Growth-Inducing Impacts: Population ....................... 9-2 9.3 Summary of Growth-Inducing Impacts ........................ 9-2 10 LIST OF PREPARERS AND REFERENCES .................... 11-1 ....., 10.1 Preparers of the ErR ................................... 11-1 10.2References .......................................... 11-2 lO.3Persons Contacted ..................................... 11-5 Appendices Included in This Report A Initial Study and Notice of Preparation B Responses to Notice of Preparation C Traffic Study (DKS Associates, Inc.) D Noise and Vibration Study (AAA, Inc.) E Biological Study Appendices Under Separate Cover F Engineering Drawings (Separate Report) JOB/458-0004 1Il LIST OF TABLES 1-1 Focus of Environmental Analysis 1-2 2-1 Summary of Environmental Impacts and Mitigations ................. 2-4 3-1 Summary of Alignment Characteristics . .. 3-4 3-2 Summary of Station Characteristics ............................. 3-10 3-3 Summary of Vehicle Characteristics. .. 3-13 4-1 DisplacementlRight-of-Way Impacts ............................. 4-7 4-2 Loss of Access and Parking Impacts 4-14 4-3 Sensitive Land Uses Adjacent to Proposed Project ................. 4-17 4-4 Level of Service Interpretation ................................ 4-22 4-5 Existing Level of Service-North Main Street Alignment .............. 4-23 4-6 Existing Level of Service-Highland Park Alignment ................. 4-23 4-7 Year 2010 Level of Service-Highland Park Route .................. 4-33 4-8 Year 2010 Level of Service-North Main Street Route ............... 4-34 4-9 Traffic Generation at LRT Stations for Phased and Nonphased Alternatives . .. 4-46 4-10 Year 2010 Level of Service With and Without Project Phases Highland Park Route .............. .. 4-47 4-11 Year 2010 Level of Service With and Without Project Phases North Main Street Route . .. 4-48 4-12 Year 2010 Level of Service at Critical Intersections ................. 4-50 4-13 Historic Earthquake Faults That Have Affected the Project Area . .. 4-57 4-14 Maximum CrediblelProbable Earthquake ......................... 4-60 4-15 Estimated Earth Removal .................................... 4-64 4-16 Class III Landfills in Los Angeles County ........................ 4-65 4-17 Maximum Pollutant Reading for 1983-1987 ....................... 4-67 4-18 Annual Summary of Air Quality Standards Violations and Maximum Readings for Each Year - Los Angeles North Main Station ........... 4-68 4-19 Effects of Major Pollutants ................................... 4-69 4-20 Estimated Usage of Construction Equipment . .. 4-76 4-21 Short-Term Construction Equipment Emissions .. .. 4-77 4-22 Projected Mobile Emissions .................................. 4-79 JOB/458-0004 tV LIST OF TABLES (continued) Section 4-23 Local Air Quality Impacts From Mobile Sources 4-80 4-24 Projected Stationary Emissions From Power Generation ............. 4-82 4-25 Noise and Vibration Measurement ............................. 4-90 4-26 Maximum A-Weighted Sound Levels for Various Transportation Modes .................................................. 4-93 4-27 Comparison of Noise Exposure for Various Transportation Modes. .... 4-93 4-28 Noise Exposure Impact - Highland Park Alternative ................ 4-94 4-29 Noise Exposure Impact - North Main Street Alternative ............. 4-98 4-30 Adverse Noise Exposure - Highland Park Alignment ................ 4-99 4-31 Pasadena-Los Angeles LRT EIR (SW) Construction Noise Estimates. .. 4-105 4-32 Hazardous Sites ........................................ " 4-112 4-33 Population and Housing Characteristics of Region ............... " 4-117 4-34 Population, Housing, and Employment Projections for Region ........ 4-118 4-35 Police Location, Personnel, and Equipment. .. 4-121 4-36 Los Angeles Fire Department Station Locations, Equipment, and Personnel .............................................. 4-127 4-37 Pasadena Fire Department Station Locations, Equipment, and Personnel .............................................. 4-130 4-38 Schools Located in Project Area ............................ " 4-133 4-39 LADWP Generation Breakdown ............................. 4-138 4-40 Projected Power Consumption ............................... 4-139 4-41 Summary of Impacts on Recreational Facilities ................... 4-150 4-42 Inventory of Historic Resources .............................. 4-152 4-43 Summary of Impacts on Historic Resources. .. 4-157 4-44 Recorded Archaeological Sites Within the Study Area 4-161 5-1 Related Projects