Federal Register/Vol. 74, No. 55/Tuesday, March 24, 2009/Notices
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 55 / Tuesday, March 24, 2009 / Notices 12445 received into any of our dockets by the public participation in the EIS process ADDRESSES: Comments will be accepted name of the individual submitting the (including providing comments on the at the public scoping meetings or they comment (or signing the comment, if scope of the Draft Environmental Impact may be sent to Ms. Dolores Roybal submitted on behalf of an association, Statement (DEIS), to announce that Saltarelli, AICP, Project Manager, Los business, labor union, etc.). You may public scoping meetings will be Angeles County Metropolitan review DOT’s complete Privacy Act conducted, and to identify participating Transportation Authority, One Gateway Statement in the Federal Register and cooperating agency contacts. Plaza, Mail Stop? Los Angeles, CA published on April 11, 2000 (Volume DATES: Written comments on the scope 90012, or via e-mail at 65, Number 70; Pages 19477–78). of the EIS, including the project’s [email protected]. The locations of the Issued in Washington, DC on March 18, purpose and need, the alternatives to be public scoping meetings are given above 2009. considered, the impacts to be evaluated, under DATES. Grady C. Cothen, Jr., and the methodologies to be used in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety evaluations should be sent to LACMTA Ray Tellis, Team Leader, Los Angeles Standards and Program Development. on or before May 11, 2009 at the address Metropolitan Office, Federal Transit ADDRESSES [FR Doc. E9–6400 Filed 3–23–09; 8:45 am] below. See below for the Administration, 888 South Figueroa address to which written public BILLING CODE 4910–06–P Street, Suite 1850, Los Angeles, CA comments may be sent. Public scoping 90017, phone (213) 202–3950, e-mail meetings to accept comments on the [email protected]. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION scope of the EIS/EIR will be held on the following dates: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: • Federal Transit Administration Monday, March 30, 2009; 4:30 p.m. Scoping to 6 p.m.; at the University of Southern Intent To Prepare an Environmental California (USC), Alumni Room, The FTA and LACMTA invite all Impact Statement for Proposed Transit Davidson Conference Center, 3415 S interested individuals and Improvements in the Regional Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90007. organizations, public agencies, and Connector Transit Corridor, Los • Tuesday, March 31, 2009; 6:30 p.m. Native American Tribes to comment on Angeles, CA to 8 p.m.; at the Lake Avenue Church, the scope of the EIS, including the 393 N Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA project’s purpose and need, the AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, 91101. alternatives to be studied, the impacts to DOT. • Wednesday, April 1, 2009; 6:30 be evaluated, and the evaluation ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an p.m. to 8 p.m.; at the Japanese American methods to be used. Comments should environmental impact statement. National Museum (JANM), 369 E 1st focus on: Alternatives that may be less Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. costly or have less environmental or SUMMARY: The Federal Transit • Thursday, April 2, 2009; Noon to community impacts while achieving Administration (FTA) and the Los 1:30 p.m.; at the Los Angeles Central similar transportation objectives, and Angeles County Metropolitan Library, Board Room, 630 W 5th Street, the identification of any significant Transportation Authority (LACMTA) Los Angeles, CA 90071. social, economic, or environmental intends to prepare an environmental The project’s purpose and need and issues relating to the alternatives. impact statement (EIS) for the Regional the description of alternatives for the Project Initiation Connector Transit Corridor Project in proposed project will be presented at Los Angeles County, California. these meetings. The buildings used for The FTA and LACMTA will prepare LACMTA operates the Metro transit the scoping meetings are accessible to an Environmental Impact Statement/ system in Los Angeles County. The persons with disabilities. Any Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) proposed project would provide a direct individual who requires special for the Regional Connector Transit link connecting several light rail service assistance, such as a sign language Corridor pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 139 and lines in operation or in construction interpreter, to participate in the scoping the California Environmental Quality through downtown Los Angeles, CA. meeting should contact Ms. Ann Act (CEQA). LACMTA is serving as the The project area lies entirely within Kerman, Community Relations Manager, local lead agency for purposes of CEQA the City of Los Angeles and is within LACMTA, at (213) 922–7671, or environmental clearance, and FTA is the densely developed downtown core [email protected]. serving as the federal lead agency for that includes multi-family residences, Scoping materials will be available at purposes of National Environmental industrial and public lands, commercial the meetings and on the LACMTA Web Policy Act (NEPA) environmental and retail establishments, government site (http://www.metro.net/ clearance. This notice shall alert office buildings, and private high-rise regionalconnector). Paper copies of the interested parties to the preparation of office towers. scoping materials may also be obtained the EIS/EIR, describe the alternatives The EIS will be prepared in from Ms. Ann Kerman, Community under consideration, invite public accordance with the requirements of the Relations Manager, LACMTA, at (213) participation in the EIS/EIR process, National Environmental Policy Act 922–7671, or [email protected]. An and announce the public scoping (NEPA) and its implementing interagency scoping meeting will be meetings. FTA and LACMTA will invite regulations. LACMTA will also use the held on Thursday, March 26, 2009 at interested Federal, State, tribal, regional EIS document to comply with the 1:30 p.m. at LACMTA, in the Gateway and local government agencies to be California Environmental Quality Act Plaza Room, One Gateway Plaza, Los participating agencies under the (CEQA), which requires an Angeles, CA 90012. Representatives of provisions of section 6002 of Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The Native American tribal governments and SAFETEA–LU. purpose of this notice is to alert of all Federal, State, regional and local interested parties regarding the intent to agencies that may have an interest in Purpose and Need for the Project prepare the EIS, to provide information any aspect of the project will be invited The purpose of this project is to on the nature of the proposed project to be participating or cooperating improve the region’s public transit and possible alternatives, to invite agencies, as appropriate. service and mobility. The overall goal of VerDate Nov<24>2008 01:06 Mar 24, 2009 Jkt 217001 PO 00000 Frm 00143 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\24MRN1.SGM 24MRN1 mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES 12446 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 55 / Tuesday, March 24, 2009 / Notices the project is to improve mobility Flower Street) to the Metro Gold Line few blocks so as to provide full coverage within the corridor by connecting to the (Pasadena and Eastside) at the Little of the area. Each shuttle route would be light rail service of the Metro Gold Line Tokyo/Arts District Station at 1st Street one and one-half to two miles in length. to Pasadena, the Metro Gold Line and Alameda Street. This connection At-Grade Emphasis LRT Alternative: Eastside Extension, the Metro Blue Line, would provide through service between This alternative would extend from the and the Metro Expo Line. This link the Metro Blue Line to Long Beach, the underground 7th Street/Metro Center would serve communities across the Metro Gold Line to Pasadena and East Station, head north under Flower Street, region, allowing greater accessibility Los Angeles, and the Metro Expo Line surface to at-grade north of 5th Street, while serving population and to Culver City. With the implementation cross 3rd Street, enter Bunker Hill, and employment growth in downtown Los of the Regional Connector project, these turn northeast through a new entrance Angeles. Mobility issues throughout the four lines would share tracks and to the existing 2nd Street tunnel. The region and the identified need to join stations in downtown Los Angeles. alignment would continue along 2nd the unconnected segments of the light The various alternatives to be Street where it would split into an at- rail system have been documented in considered for the Regional Connector grade couplet configuration on Main several past studies, including the project generally traverse Flower Street and Los Angeles Streets (one track on Pasadena—Los Angeles Light Rail north from 7th Street, 2nd Street each roadway) to Temple Street. Then it Transit Project Environmental Impact between Flower and Alameda, Main and would head east on Temple Street and Report (1993), the Blue Line Connection Los Angeles Streets between Temple realign into a dual track configuration Preliminary Planning Study (1993), and Street and 2nd Street, Temple Street just north of the Metro Gold Line Little the Regional Light Rail Connector Study between City Hall and Alameda Street, Tokyo/Arts District Station on Alameda (2004). and Alameda Street between U.S. Street. Due to the high volume of trains Additional considerations supporting Highway 101 and 2nd Street. that would traverse the Regional the need for the Regional Connector Connector, an automobile underpass Alternatives Transit Corridor project include: and pedestrian overpass would be Increased travel times and station The Regional Connector Transit constructed at the intersection of overcrowding occurring due to multiple Corridor Final Alternatives Analysis Temple and Alameda Streets to transfers required to traverse the project Report (2009) prepared by LACMTA eliminate pedestrian-train and area; a project area that has many transit identified four alternatives for further automobile-train conflicts. dependent residents; poor system consideration in the EIS/EIR.