U.S. DEPARTMENT of TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration RECORD OF DECISION April 2015 Trinity Parkway From IH-35E/SH-183 To US-175/SH-310 Dallas County, Texas Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Control Section Job (CSJ) 0918-45-121 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... 1 II. DECISION ................................................................................................................................................ 3 III. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED ........................................................................................................... 4 III.A. No-Build Alternative ........................................................................................................................ 5 III.B. Build Alternatives ............................................................................................................................. 5 III.B.1. Initial Identification of Potential Corridors ............................................................................... 5 III.B.2. Development and Modification of Reasonable Alternatives .................................................... 6 III.B.3. Alternatives Screening Process: Executive Orders Practicability Analysis ................................ 9 III.B.4. EO Practicability Analysis Findings .......................................................................................... 10 III.B.5. Only Practicable Alternative Findings as to Wetlands and Floodplains .................................. 11 III.B.6. EO Practicability Analysis Conclusion...................................................................................... 14 III.B.7. The Environmentally Preferable Alternative .......................................................................... 16 IV. SECTION 4(f) and SECTION 6(f) ........................................................................................................ 17 V. MITIGATION MEASURES .................................................................................................................... 18 V.A. Compatibility with Local Use Plans/Policies ................................................................................... 18 V.B. Social ............................................................................................................................................... 18 V.C. Economics ....................................................................................................................................... 20 V.D. Cultural Resources and Parklands .................................................................................................. 21 V.E. Impacts to Water Features ............................................................................................................. 22 V.F. Vegetation and Wildlife Impacts ..................................................................................................... 24 V.G. Potential Impacts to Water Quality and Water Use ....................................................................... 25 V.H. Floodplain Impacts ......................................................................................................................... 27 V.I. Air Quality Impacts and Project Level Conformity Determination .................................................. 28 V.J. Noise Impacts .................................................................................................................................. 29 V.K. Visual Impacts ................................................................................................................................. 30 V.L. Hazardous/Regulated Materials ..................................................................................................... 30 V.M. Utilities........................................................................................................................................... 31 V.N. Energy and Mineral Impacts .......................................................................................................... 31 V.O. Temporary Impacts during Construction ....................................................................................... 31 V.P. Indirect Effects ................................................................................................................................ 33 TRINITY PARKWAY RECORD OF DECISION PAGE i V.Q. Cumulative Impacts ........................................................................................................................ 33 V.R. Regional Indirect and Cumulative Effects of Tolled Facilities and Managed Lanes........................ 35 VI. MONITORING OR ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM ............................................................................... 36 VII. COMMENTS RECEIVED ON THE FEIS ............................................................................................. 37 VIII. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................... 37 Exhibit (found at the end of the Record of Decision (ROD)) Exhibit 1. Selected Alternative 3C Map Appendices Appendix A. Design Modifications to the Recommended Alternative as Presented in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) Appendix B. List of Mitigation Measures and Commitments Appendix C. Comments on the FEIS and Responses Appendix D. Agency Coordination since Publication of the FEIS PAGE ii TRINITY PARKWAY RECORD OF DECISION I. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY This document is the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Record of Decision (ROD) for the proposed Trinity Parkway project. This ROD describes FHWA’s selection of Alternative 3C, henceforth referred to as the Selected Alternative 3C, as described in the Trinity Parkway Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) dated March 7, 2014 and updated in this ROD. The FEIS and the administrative project record are available for review by written request to the Texas Division of the FHWA. This ROD is FHWA approval of the Selected Alternative 3C for the Trinity Parkway and completes the environmental review process for the project. The FHWA (lead agency), the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA), the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and the City of Dallas are project sponsors. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) are cooperating agencies for the project. As set forth in this ROD, the Selected Alternative 3C is the most practicable alternative in terms of both project cost and the needs and welfare of the community, and best serves the need for and purpose of this project. As shown in Exhibit 1, the Trinity Parkway project area comprises approximately 7,474 acres and is located on the west side of the Dallas Central Business District (CBD) in central Dallas County. The proposed project is a limited-access toll facility extending from the IH-35E/SH-183 interchange (northern terminus) to the US-175/SH-310 interchange (southern terminus), a distance of approximately 8.8 miles. This will provide a reliever route generally to the west of the Dallas CBD for Lower Stemmons (segment of IH-35E from the Mixmaster north to the Dallas North Tollway), Mixmaster (IH-30/IH-35E interchange), and the Canyon (depressed segment of IH-30 south of the CBD) thereby alleviating a major traffic bottleneck affecting mobility throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex in the north central Texas region. For the Trinity Parkway, the alternative alignments were developed within the project area to fulfill the need for and purpose of the project, to minimize potential environmental impacts, and to respond to public/landowner and resource agency comments. A Recommended Alternative was not identified in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS, February 2005), the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS, February 2009), or the Limited Scope Supplemental (LSS, March 2012). After extensive evaluation and analyses in addition to response to and consideration of all substantive public and agency input, a Recommended Alternative (Build Alternative 3C) was included in the FEIS (March 2014). TRINITY PARKWAY RECORD OF DECISION PAGE 1 All four of the Build Alternatives described in the FEIS would affect both wetlands and floodplains, thus federal Executive Order (EO) 11988 (Floodplain Management) and EO 11990 (Protection of Wetlands) required the use of a ‘practicability analysis’ for the decision-making process. These EOs direct federal agencies to avoid new construction in floodplains and wetlands unless the head of the agency determines that there is no practicable alternative to such construction and the proposed action includes all practicable measures to minimize harm to floodplains and wetlands which may result from such use. As set forth in the FEIS and this ROD, FHWA finds that the Selected Alternative 3C is the only practicable alternative after following the required policies contained in EOs 11988 and 11990 and FHWA implementing regulations and guidance. After consideration of the agency and public comments received, the merits of the No-Build Alternative and the other Build Alternatives, as well as updated environmental data and impacts, mitigation planning for the Selected Alternative 3C has been included in this ROD. The concept of the Trinity Parkway project