Maryland Parkway High Capacity Transit Project Las Vegas, Nevada Environmental Assessment
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Maryland Parkway Environmental Assessment MARYLAND PARKWAY HIGH CAPACITY TRANSIT PROJECT LAS VEGAS, NEVADA ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT NOVEMBER 2018 FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION OF SOUTHERN NEVADA Maryland Parkway Environmental Assessment This page left intentionally blank Maryland Parkway Environmental Assessment MARYLAND PARKWAY HIGH CAPACITY TRANSIT PROJECT LAS VEGAS, NEVADA ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT November 2018 Prepared by U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration and Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada Pursuant to: National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C § 4321 et seq.), as amended Federal Transit Act (49 U.S.C § 5301 et seq.), as amended Title 23 U.S.C Highways Title 49 U.S.C Transportation Title 49 U.S.C § 303 (formally Department of Transportation Act of 1966), Section 4(f) Executive Order 11990 (Protection of Wetlands) Executive Order 11988 (Floodplains Management) Executive Order 12898 (Environmental Justice) National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Section 106 (16 U.S.C § 407f et seq.) Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or “FAST” Act (December 4, 2015) Maryland Parkway Environmental Assessment This page left intentionally blank Maryland Parkway Environmental Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ ES-1 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT ................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Project Location and Setting .................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Planning Background .............................................................................................................. 1-8 1.3 Corridor Vision ...................................................................................................................... 1-11 1.4 Project Need ......................................................................................................................... 1-11 1.5 Project Purpose .................................................................................................................... 1-15 2.0 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED..................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Alternatives Previously Considered ...................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Locally Preferred Alternative Refinement during Environmental Assessment .................... 2-2 2.3 Alternatives to be Evaluated During Environmental Assessment ...................................... 2-35 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION ........................................................................ 3-1 3.1 Land Use ............................................................................................................................... 3-2 3.2 Socioeconomics .................................................................................................................. 3-22 3.3 Environmental Justice ......................................................................................................... 3-30 3.4 Visual Resources ................................................................................................................. 3-34 3.5 Cultural Resources .............................................................................................................. 3-48 3.6 Water Resources and Water Quality .................................................................................. 3-73 3.7 Floodplains and Hydrologic Assessment ............................................................................ 3-78 3.8 Soils and Geology ................................................................................................................ 3-79 3.9 Hazardous Materials ........................................................................................................... 3-80 3.10 Air Quality ........................................................................................................................... 3-85 3.11 Noise and Vibration ............................................................................................................ 3-89 3.12 Safety and Security ........................................................................................................... 3-107 3.13 Wetlands and Jurisdictional Wetlands ............................................................................. 3-109 3.14 Biological Resources ......................................................................................................... 3-110 3.15 Section 4(f) ........................................................................................................................ 3-114 3.16 Climate Change ................................................................................................................. 3-117 3.17 Cumulative Impacts .......................................................................................................... 3-120 4.0 TRAFFIC IMPACTS AND MITIGATION .................................................................................4-1 4.1 Existing Conditions ................................................................................................................ 4-1 4.2 Impacts ............................................................................................................................... 4-12 4.3 Mitigation ........................................................................................................................... 4-16 i-1 Maryland Parkway Environmental Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 5.0 AGENCY COORDINATION AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT .......................................................5-1 5.1 Public Outreach Program Strategy ....................................................................................... 5-2 5.2 Public Invement Summary .................................................................................................... 5-3 6.0 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................6-1 7.0 LIST OF PREPARERS ..........................................................................................................7-1 TABLES Page ES-1 Maryland Parkway Environmental Assessment Evaluation Summary .................................... ES-3 ES-2 Technology Screening Analysis ................................................................................................ ES-8 ES-3 Maryland Parkway Proposed Mitigation Measures .............................................................. ES-12 ES-4 Permits Required for the Build Alternatives .......................................................................... ES-20 1.1-1 Maryland Parkway Corridor Population and Employment 2014-2040 ..................................... 1-8 2.2-1 Las Vegas Downtown and Medical District Population and Employment ................................ 2-5 2.2-2 Technology Screening Analysis ................................................................................................ 2-11 2.2-3 Side- versus Center-running Configuration Analysis ............................................................... 2-18 2.2-4 Initial Locally Preferred Alternative and Locally Preferred Alternative Capital and Operation and Maintenance Costs ........................................................................................................... 2-23 2.2-5 Maryland Parkway Corridor Capital Cost Estimates ................................................................ 2-27 2.2-6 Maryland Parkway Corridor Escalated Capital Costs at 3.5 Percent per Year ......................... 2-28 2.2-7 Operating Plan Variables ......................................................................................................... 2-30 2.2-8 Cost Model Input Variables ..................................................................................................... 2-30 2.2-9 LRT and BRT Estimated Operation and Maintenance Costs .................................................... 2-31 3-1 Maryland Parkway Environmental Assessment Evaluation Summary……………………………………3-2 3.1-1 Existing Land Use: Maryland Parkway Corridor Study Area ..................................................... 3-5 3.1-2 Existing Zoning for the City of Las Vegas in Maryland Parkway Corridor ................................ 3-11 3.1-3 Existing Zoning for Clark County in Maryland Parkway Corridor ............................................ 3-12 3.1-4 Potential Property Acquisitions for the Build Alternatives ..................................................... 3-16 3.5-1 Previously Recorded Archaeological Sites Within the Study Area ......................................... 3-54 3.5-2 Summary of Property Types more than 45 Years of Age in the APE ....................................... 3-56 3.5-3 Intensively-Surveyed Historic Properties within the Area of Potential Effect ........................ 3-57 3.9-1 Documented Hazardous Waste Releases in the Maryland Parkway Corridor that Remain on the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Active List ........................................... 3-83 3.10-1 National and Nevada Ambient Air Quality Standards ............................................................