Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 214 / Friday, November 3, 2000 / Notices 66297
Land use in the corridor consists of a Downtown Transit Mall via Griffin ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an major concentration of employment Street; and (2) Love Field: an alternative Environmental Impact Statement. with residential uses occurring east of alignment to serve Love Field has been IH 35E and in the northern portions of proposed, swinging east of the UPRR SUMMARY: The Federal Transit the Study Area. Industrial and right-of-way and entering the Love Field Administration (FTA) and Dallas Area commercial land uses are primarily Terminal area east of Cedar Springs Rapid Transit (DART) have issued this confined to land adjacent to IH 35E. Road. notice to advise interested agencies and Traffic volumes on IH 35E parallel to the public of their intent to prepare an the Carrollton LRT Line are expected to IV. Probable Effects Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be more than 300,000 vehicles per day The FTA and DART will evaluate all on the proposed Southeast Corridor in 2020, an increase of 30 percent from significant environmental, social, and Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project, in 1995 levels. The EPA has designated the economic impacts of the alternatives Dallas, Texas. The EIS will be prepared Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area as analyzed in the EIS. Impact areas to be in accordance with the National a ‘‘serious’’ non-attainment area for the addressed include: land use, zoning, Environmental Policy Act of 1969 pollutant ozone. and economic development; secondary (NEPA), as amended. The Dallas-Fort The proposed LRT project is part of a development; land acquisition, Worth region is currently designated as multi-modal strategy that also displacements, and relocation of a serious non-attainment area for ozone incorporates bus service refinements, existing uses; historic, archaeological, by the Environmental Protection highway and HOV lane improvements, and cultural resources; parklands and Agency. Transportation System Management/ recreation areas; visual and aesthetic The Southeast Corridor Light Rail Travel Demand Management (TSM/ qualities; neighborhoods and Transit (LRT) Project is the product of TDM), and bicycle and pedestrian communities; environmental justice; air the Southeast Corridor Major improvements. This strategy was quality; noise and vibration; hazardous Investment Study (MIS), completed by developed during the preparation of the materials; ecosystems; water resources; DART in early 2000. The MIS identified Northwest Corridor MIS completed by energy; safety and security; utilities; a Locally Preferred Investment Strategy DART in early 2000. traffic and transportation impacts. (LPIS), which included the light rail being advanced into the EIS phase of III. Alternatives Potential impacts will be assessed for the long-term operation of each project development at this time. A The transportation alternatives alternative and the short-term separate EIS is also being prepared for proposed for consideration in this construction period. Measures to avoid, a DART LRT extension in the Northwest project area include: minimize, or mitigate any significant Corridor of the Dallas metropolitan area. No-Build Alternative—The No-Build adverse impacts will be identified. DATES: Comment Due Date: Written Alternative involves no change to comments on the scope of the V. FTA Procedures transportation services or facilities in alternatives and impacts to be the corridor beyond already committed The EIS process will be performed in considered should be sent to John projects. accordance with applicable laws and Hoppie, Project Manager by December Build Alternative—The Carrollton Federal Transit Administration 20, 2000. See ADDRESSESS below. Line LRT project is approximately 17 regulations and guidelines for preparing Scoping Meetings: Three public miles in length and extends from the an Environmental Impact Statement. scoping meetings will be held at the downtown Dallas West End area to The impacts of the project will be following locations and dates. Scoping Frankford Road in Carrollton. The assessed, and, if necessary, the scope of material will be available at the meeting alignment will use the former UPRR the project will be revised or refined to or in advance of the meeting. DART will ROW, purchased by DART for future minimize and mitigate any adverse conduct public scoping meetings on the transit use in 1990, and surface streets impacts. After its publication, the draft following dates and at the following where required to make key EIS will be available for public review locations: connections. The project will connect and comment. One or more public Tuesday, November 28, 2000, from 6:30 with the existing LRT system in the hearings will be held during the draft p.m. to 9 p.m., Baylor—Tom Landry West End area of downtown and will EIS public comment period. On the Center, 411 N. Washington Ave., operate in a shared use corridor with basis of the draft EIS and comments Dallas, Texas freight traffic and Trinity Railway received, the project will be revised or Wednesday, November 29, 2000, from Express commuter rail traffic for a further refined as necessary and the 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Martin Luther distance of approximately two miles. final EIS prepared. King Jr. Senior Center, 2922 Martin The alignment will use a combination of Issued on: October 30, 2000. Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dallas, Texas surface streets and UPRR right-of-way in Thursday November 30, 2000, from 6:30 Robert C. Patrick, order to serve the Medical Center area p.m. to 9 p.m., Pleasant Mound UMC, and the Love Field environs Regional Administrator. 8301 Bruton Rd., Dallas, Texas (approximately three miles). North of [FR Doc. 00–28302 Filed 11–2–00; 8:45 am] Interagency Coordination Meeting: the Love Field area, the alignment BILLING CODE 4910±57±P DART will conduct an interagency remains within the UPRR right-of-way coordination meeting with appropriate to Frankford Road (12 miles). Where the federal, state, and local agencies on the alignment is within the UPRR right-of- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION following date and at the following way there will be potential shared use location: with freight traffic. Eleven (11) LRT Federal Transit Administration Wednesday, December 6, 2000, 10 a.m. Stations have been identified for service Environmental Impact Statement on access. Two significant design options to 12 p.m., DART Board Conference Transportation Improvements Within Room 1–C, 1401 Pacific Avenue, have been identified for evaluation the Southeast Corridor in Dallas, TX during the EIS process: (1) Griffin Dallas, Texas alignment: an alignment between the AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, ADDRESSES: Written comments on the proposed Victory Station and the DOT. project scope should be sent to John
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Hoppie, Project Manager, DART Alternatives were considered. Based on development of single-family residential Planning, P.O. Box 660163, 1401 Pacific work group and public input, and based housing in the Pleasant Grove and Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75266. Telephone on the technical analysis, the above- Buckner Terrace areas is filling the last (214) 749–2525, Fax (214) 749–3670, described Build Alternative was remaining land for housing E-mail: [email protected]. selected. While some alignment developments. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. refinements will continue for the Build DART’s 10.2-mile Southeast Corridor Jesse Balleza, Community Planner, Alternative, the other alternatives LRT extension, like its original 20-mile Federal Transit Administration, Region considered were dropped from further starter System, is contained entirely VI; Telephone (817) 978–0550. consideration. The EIS will consider the within the Dallas city limits. The No Build Alternative in addition to University of North Texas Center for SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Southeast LRT Line as the Build Economic Development and Research I. Scoping Alternative (see ALTERNATIVES assessed the impacts of the DART LRT Starter System and estimated over $850 The FTA and DART invite interested below). DART’s Southeast Corridor contains a million has been invested in and around individuals, organizations, and federal, dynamic mix of land uses including a DART’s new LRT stations. Development state, and local agencies to participate in burgeoning, eclectic entertainment currently completed or planned at refining the Southeast Corridor LRT district; one of the region’s most DART stations varies from a new hotel Line including alignment and station prestigious hospital facilities; a multi- and mixed-use development downtown, locations. Comments should focus on faceted, 277 acre, cultural, historical, to new residential and municipal identifying any significant social, museum, and entertainment complex; facilities in a redevelopment area economic, or environmental issues and large areas of single-family and around the Cedars Station south of related to the alignment. Specific multi-family housing. downtown Dallas. suggestions related to additional The existing corridor and station area Along with the previously mentioned alternatives to be examined and issues development character in the Southeast transit supportive land use to be addressed are welcome and will be Corridor has three distinct subareas: considerations, some of the other considered in the final scope for the (1) The Baylor HCS/Deep Ellum/ influencing conditions within the project. Scoping comments may be Bryan Place is a redeveloping/ Southeast Corridor include: made at the scoping meetings or in revitalizing area of a previously urban Environmental Justice and Equity writing no later than December 20, core environment of warehouses and Issues—Within the 47 census tracts 2000. (see DATES and ADDRESSES above.) commercial uses into multi-family lofts, covering the Southeast Corridor study Scoping comments should focus on artists’ studios, retail, and service area, the majority of tracts have a higher identifying specific social, economic, or businesses. The area is anchored by percentage of minority and/or low- environmental impacts to be evaluated, Baylor HCS. This area includes income population than the average for and suggesting alternatives that are less pedestrian oriented development. The the county. Through the extensive costly or less environmentally Deep Ellum area has been designated a public involvement and outreach efforts damaging, which achieve similar transit historic district. Hundreds of new for the project, equity issues related to objectives. Comments should focus on housing units have been created through the South Dallas neighborhood and the the issues and alternatives for analysis, new construction or conversion of older Fair Park area have been identified. It is and not on a preference for a particular buildings. This area is within the City perceived by the neighborhoods that the alternative. Additional information on of Dallas Intown Housing Program needs of the community have been the EIS process, alternatives, and impact boundary, which is a local initiative overshadowed or set aside for the issues to be addressed will be included aimed at increasing the vitality of the economic benefit of Fair Park. Fair Park in the ‘‘Scoping Information Central Business District by providing has expanded several times since its Document’’. Copies of the document mixed income housing through joint establishment; many times residences will be available from DART ventures with private developers. (2) were purchased by the city to immediately prior to the scoping The South Dallas/Fair Park area is accommodate the expansion. meetings (see DATES and ADDRESSES characterized by commercial/light Additionally, special events at the above.) industrial and loft apartments park’s numerous venues can create immediately west of Fair Park; a strip of traffic problems and congestion in the II. Description of Study Area and commercial businesses along R.B. neighborhoods. In the Pleasant Grove Project Need Cullum; and single-family residential area, equity issues related to transit The Southeast Corridor Light Rail with some apartments and duplexes to service have been identified. Many Transit (LRT) Project includes 10.2 the south and west of Fair Park. Fair residents perceive the Southeast miles of LRT running on new double Park is a 277-acre city park, which is Corridor as the last to receive LRT tracks in existing railroad corridors with listed on the National Register of service it has been promised. However, some street running along Good Latimer Historic Places. This area is one of the DART services and the concept of LRT and Parry Avenue. There are 9 LRT most transit dependent areas of the city. in the corridor are widely supported. stations, including 6 with Park & Ride In the South Dallas/Fair Park area, The LRT project is seen as providing Lots (totaling just under 2000 parking several community-based organizations better transit service and a catalyst for spaces), and 2 with transfer facilities to have on-going in-fill housing programs. economic development. other modes. (3) The Pleasant Grove/Buckner Terrace Station Area Economic Development The Southeast Corridor Major area is primarily composed of Potential—Economic development Investment Study defined and evaluated residential, industrial, and retail/ potential of the terminus station was a range of project alternatives using a commercial uses. The commercial identified by the DART Board of two-phased evaluation process. In activities are concentrated along Directors as one of the primary criteria addition to the No Build Alternative, a Buckner Boulevard/Loop 12. This area to be used to compare two vastly Transportation Systems Management contains a large amount of vacant land, different alternative alignments for the (TSM) Alternative, and several which is dedicated parkland and/or final two-mile segment of the LRT line. variations of Light Rail Transit (LRT) located in the floodplain. Additionally, This further emphasizes the growing
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