Table of Contents 1 Purpose of this Report ........................................................................................................................................... 1 2 Introduction........................................................................................................................................................... 2 3 Purpose and Need .................................................................................................................................................. 5 4 What was the Concept Development Process? ....................................................................................................... 5 5 What was the Concept Screening Process? ........................................................................................................... 14 6 How has FRA Advanced Concepts to Preliminary Alternatives? ............................................................................. 23 6.1 Bus Access via New York Avenue Viaduct ................................................................................................ 24 6.2 Underground Bus Facility within the Station Area .................................................................................... 24 6.3 Metrobus/Commuter Bus in the Bus Facility ............................................................................................ 25 6.4 Element Options Outside Railyard Footprint, including Parking under Columbus Plaza ............................. 25 6.5 Repurposing the Historic Passenger Concourse ........................................................................................ 32 6.6 Bus Program Size ..................................................................................................................................... 35 6.7 Parking Program Size ............................................................................................................................... 35 6.8 Alternative Concept 5 that Separates Buses from Train Hall ..................................................................... 36 6.9 Reinstating the Ends of the Historic Passenger Concourse ........................................................................ 36 6.10 Alternate Belowground Parking Access Options ...................................................................................... 37 6.11 Bus Facility on 1st Street NE ..................................................................................................................... 37 7 What are the Preliminary Alternatives? ................................................................................................................ 38 8 What Issues will be Considered during Alternatives Refinement? ......................................................................... 42 9 What Follows Alternatives Refinement? ............................................................................................................... 44 Appendices………………. ................................................................................................................................................. 45 A Public Meeting Summary…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………46 B Agency Comments ................................................................................................................................... 51 C Public Comments…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 87 List of Figures 2-1 Project Area ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 2-2 Private Air-Rights Area ..................................................................................................................................... 4 4-1 Shared Track Plan Options (TI 14 and TI 16) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7 4-2 Combined Concourse Plan Common To All Concepts……………………………………………………………………………………….. 7 Concept Screening Report i July 31, 2017 4-3 Ride-for-Hire Options Common to All Concepts………………………………………………………………………………………………….8 4-4 Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Common to All Concepts……………………………………………………………………………………..8 4-5 Historic Station Common to All Concepts……………………….…………………………………………………………………………………..8 4-6 Concept 1A ........................................................................................................................................................ 9 4-7 Concept 1B ........................................................................................................................................................ 9 4-8 Concept 2A ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 4-9 Concept 2B ...................................................................................................................................................... 10 4-10 Concept 3A ...................................................................................................................................................... 11 4-11 Concept 3B ...................................................................................................................................................... 11 4-12 Concept 4A ...................................................................................................................................................... 12 4-13 Concept 4B ...................................................................................................................................................... 12 4-14 Concept 5 ........................................................................................................................................................ 13 5-1 Retained Concept 1A ....................................................................................................................................... 20 5-2 Retained Concept 1B ....................................................................................................................................... 20 5-3 Retained Concept 4A ....................................................................................................................................... 21 5-4 Retained Concept 4B ....................................................................................................................................... 22 5-5 Retained Concept 5 .......................................................................................................................................... 23 6.4-1 Overview of Outside the Railyard Footprint Options ........................................................................................ 26 6.4-2 Belowground Constraints for Sites 1a, 1b, and 2 ............................................................................................... 28 6.4-3 Conceptual Future WMATA Metrorail Rail Line and Station .............................................................................. 29 6.4-4 Postal Square Building Sketch .......................................................................................................................... 30 6.5-1 Existing and Proposed Pedestrian Flow Diagram .............................................................................................. 34 7-1 Preliminary Alternative 1A ............................................................................................................................... 40 7-2 Preliminary Alternative 1B ............................................................................................................................... 40 7-3 Preliminary Alternative 4B ............................................................................................................................... 41 7-4 Preliminary Alternative 5 ................................................................................................................................. 41 8-1 Bicycle Access .................................................................................................................................................. 43 8-2 Pedestrian Access ............................................................................................................................................ 43 List of Tables 1-1 Steps in Concepts to Alternatives Process for WUS Expansion Project .............................................................. 1 4-1 Summary of Concepts ................................................................................................................................... 13 5-1 Project Purpose and Screening Criteria ........................................................................................................... 15 5-2 Screening Results ........................................................................................................................................... 18 Concept Screening Report ii July 31, 2017 Concept Screening Report 1. Purpose of This Report This Concept Screening Report was prepared by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), an agency within the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), for the Washington Union Station (WUS or the Station) Expansion Project (Project). This report was produced as part of the development of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 United States Code [USC] § 321 et seq.); the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)