Re-Evaluation State Highway 121 (Southwest Parkway
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RE-EVALUATION STATE HIGHWAY 121 (SOUTHWEST PARKWAY) FROM IH 30 TO FM 1187 CITY OF FORT WORTH, TARRANT COUNTY, TEXAS FHWA-TX-EIS-99-05-F CSJs: 0504-02-008, 0504-02-013, 0504-02-022 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NORTH TEXAS TOLLWAY AUTHORITY MAY 2009 Toll Re-Evaluation SH 121 – IH 30 to FM 1187 CSJs: 0504-02-008, 0504-02-013, 0504-02-022 Tarrant County Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................... 1 2.0 NEED AND PURPOSE ..................................................................................................... 1 3.0 PROJECT HISTORY ........................................................................................................ 2 4.0 CHANGES TO PROPOSED PROJECT ........................................................................... 3 4.1 Approach ............................................................................................................... 3 4.2 Project Design and Operation Presented in the October 2004 FEIS .................... 3 4.3 Proposed Design Refinements.............................................................................. 5 4.4 Proposed Operational Changes ............................................................................ 5 4.5 Right-of-Way ......................................................................................................... 6 4.6 Public Involvement for the Proposed Design and Operational Changes............... 6 5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES STUDIED ............................................................................ 7 5.1 Land Use Impacts ................................................................................................. 7 5.2 Prime and Unique Farmlands................................................................................ 7 5.3 Social Impacts ....................................................................................................... 7 5.4 Public Safety Impacts............................................................................................ 7 5.5 Relocation Impacts................................................................................................ 8 5.6 Economic Impacts ................................................................................................. 8 5.7 Pedestrian and Bicycle Impacts ............................................................................ 8 5.8 Section 4(f) Impacts .............................................................................................. 8 5.9 Noise Impacts........................................................................................................ 8 5.10 Water Quality Impacts ........................................................................................... 9 5.11 Permits .................................................................................................................. 9 5.12 Jurisdictional Waters of the U.S. and Wetland Impacts......................................... 9 5.13 Water Body Modification and Wildlife Impacts ...................................................... 9 5.14 Floodplain and Floodway Impacts......................................................................... 9 5.15 Wild and Scenic River Impacts.............................................................................. 9 5.16 Coastal Barriers and Coastal Zone Impacts.......................................................... 9 5.17 Threatened or Endangered Species ................................................................... 10 5.18 Trees, Vegetation, and Wildlife Habitat ............................................................... 10 5.19 Historic Resources Impacts................................................................................. 11 5.20 Hazardous Waste Sites....................................................................................... 11 5.21 Visual Impacts ..................................................................................................... 11 5.22 Light Impacts ....................................................................................................... 11 5.23 Railroad Impacts ................................................................................................. 11 5.24 Air Quality............................................................................................................ 11 5.24.1 Mobile Source Air Toxics......................................................................... 12 5.24.2 Project Specific MSAT Information.......................................................... 14 5.24.3 Monitored Levels of MSAT near the Project Area ................................... 14 5.24.4 Sensitive Receptor Analysis .................................................................... 15 5.24.5 MSAT Environmental Consequences...................................................... 16 5.24.6 Unavailable Information for Project Specific MSAT Impact Analysis....... 17 5.24.7 Summary of Existing Credible Scientific Evidence Relevant to Evaluating the Impacts of MSAT ............................................................................... 19 5.24.8 Relevance of Unavailable or Incomplete Information to Evaluating Reasonably Foreseeable Significant Adverse Impacts on the Environment, and Evaluation of Impacts Based Upon Theoretical Approaches or Research Methods Generally Accepted in the Scientific Community............................................................................................... 20 5.25 Environmental Justice ......................................................................................... 21 May 2009 Page i Toll Re-Evaluation SH 121 – IH 30 to FM 1187 CSJs: 0504-02-008, 0504-02-013, 0504-02-022 Tarrant County 5.25.1 Toll Pricing............................................................................................... 26 5.25.2 Electronic Toll Collection Systems........................................................... 26 5.25.3 Methods of Toll Charge Collection........................................................... 27 5.25.4 Origin-Destination Analysis...................................................................... 28 5.26 Relationship Between Local Short-Term Uses of Man’s Environment and the Maintenance and Enhancement of Long-Term Productivity................................ 30 5.27 Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitments on Resources Which Would Be Involved in the Proposed Action.......................................................................... 30 5.28 Summary ............................................................................................................. 30 6.0 INDIRECT AND CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ..................................................................... 32 6.1 Indirect Impacts ................................................................................................... 33 6.1.1 Step 1 - Scoping ...................................................................................... 33 6.1.2 Step 2 – Identify the Study Area’s Direction and Goals........................... 34 6.1.3 Step 3 – Notable Features....................................................................... 36 6.1.4 Step 4 – Impact-Causing Activities of the Proposed Improvements........ 36 6.1.5 Step 5 – Indentify Potential Significant Indirect Effects ........................... 47 6.1.6 Steps 6 – 8 – Analyze Indirect Effects, Evaluate Analysis Results, and Assess Consequences/Develop Mitigation.............................................. 48 6.1.7 Indirect Regional Toll and Managed/HOV System .................................. 48 6.2 Cumulative Impacts............................................................................................. 51 6.2.1 Methodology and Scoping ....................................................................... 52 6.2.2 Steps 1 and 2 – Identify Resources and the Study Area for Each Affected Resource ................................................................................................. 52 6.2.3 Step 3 – Current Health and Historical Context....................................... 52 6.2.4 Step 4 – Identify Direct and Indirect Impacts........................................... 53 6.2.5 Step 5 – Other Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions ........................ 54 6.2.6 Steps 6 and 7 – Assess Potential Cumulative Impacts and Report the Results..................................................................................................... 54 6.2.7 Step 8 – Assess and Discuss Mitigation Issues ...................................... 55 6.2.8 Cumulative Regional Toll and Managed/HOV System............................ 55 7.0 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 67 May 2009 Page ii Toll Re-Evaluation SH 121 – IH 30 to FM 1187 CSJs: 0504-02-008, 0504-02-013, 0504-02-022 Tarrant County List of Tables Table 1 State and Federal Listed Species Changes for Tarrant County..........................10 Table 2 Local Monitor Data ..............................................................................................15 Table 3 Sensitive Receptors ............................................................................................15 Table 4 Sensitive Receptors Along Project Corridor ........................................................16 Table 5 Daily Mass of MSAT Emissions