Miami River – Miami Intermodal Center Capacity Improvement Project Public Hearing May 24, 2016 Presented by: MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 2 Project Purpose & Need . Purpose o Increase rail capacity within the southernmost 1.25 miles of South Florida Rail Corridor . Need o Improve System Linkage o Address Existing and Future Transportation Demands & Operational Constraints o Support Economic Development o Improve Modal Interrelationships MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 3 This public hearing is held in accordance with, but not limited to: • National Environmental Policy Act • Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended • Chapter 23 of United States Code 128 • Executive Order Number 11988, • Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations “Floodplain Management” Parts 1500 through 1508 • Executive Order Number 11990, • Title 23 of the Code of Federal Regulations “Protection of Wetlands” Part 771 • Executive Order Number 12898, • Federal Aid Highway Act of 1968, as “Environmental Justice” amended • US Department of Transportation • Florida Statute 339.155 Act of 1966 • Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 • Title 50 Code of Federal Regulations, • Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, “Wildlife and Fisheries” as amended MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 4 MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 5 Alternatives Analysis Environmental Assessment (EA), Preliminary Engineering 2016 Final Design PublicInvolvement Construction MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 6 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): Environmental Assessment (EA) . Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Lead Federal Agency o US Coast Guard (USCG) as Cooperating Agency . Completed Environmental Reports o Cultural Resource Assessment (CRAS) Report o Wetland Evaluation Report (WER) o Contamination Screening Evaluation Report (CSER) o Noise and Vibration Report o Air Quality Report o Endangered Species Biological Assessment Report (ESBAR) MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 7 MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 8 Stakeholder Coordination . Agency/Stakeholder Kick-Off Meeting . Project Alternatives Public Workshop . Miami River Marine Group and Upper River Waterway Taskforce Meetings . Miami River Commission and Urban Infill Working Group Meetings . Property Owner Meetings . County Commissioner Briefing MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 9 Agency Coordination . Florida Department of Transportation . Federal Transit Administration (Lead Agency) . Miami-Dade County . Miami-Dade Expressway Authority . Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization . Miami-Dade Transit . South Florida Water Management District . State Historic Preservation Officer . US Army Corps of Engineers . US Coast Guard (Co-operating Agency) MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 10 Existing Conditions: Corridor . Single-Track Section o Rail corridor right-of-way is ~60 ft. Hialeah Market Station o Single platform on the west side o Adjacent Hialeah Seaboard Air Line Railway Station building is historic . Miami Airport Station o Re-opened April 2015 o End of the Tri-Rail System MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 11 Existing Conditions: Miami River Bridge . Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge o Constructed in 1920s, National Register of Historic Places eligible historic structure. Limited Bridge Openings o On-call bridge tender. o Bridge not locking properly. o Causes delays and additional costs to address safety concerns. AirportLink Metrorail Extension o New fixed bridge with 40-foot vertical clearance in close proximity to South Florida Rail Corridor. Navigable Section of Miami River o Extends approximately 1,000 feet upstream of South Florida Rail Corridor to the Flood Control Structure. MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 12 Operational Requirements . Future Conditions o 50 Tri-Rail trains per weekday • Future southwest extensions (Dolphin, Kendall) o 6 to 8 freight trains per weekday o 4 Amtrak trains per weekday (Fall 2016) • Plus additional trains to and from Hialeah Yard for maintenance, cleaning, and refueling MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 13 Project Description . Add mainline track(s) to the South Florida Rail Corridor from the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC) to north of the Hialeah Market Tri-Rail Station. o Includes grade-crossing and signal improvements . Two (2) tracks meet current and future capacity demands o A new platform is necessary at the Hialeah Market Station to serve the additional track o A new bridge is necessary to provide two tracks over the Miami River MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 14 Hialeah Market Station – Preferred Alternative: Center Platform with At-Grade Access MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 15 Bridge Alternatives . No Build Alternative: Rehabilitate existing bridge . Build Alternative 1: Rehabilitate existing bridge, add a new fixed bridge MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 16 Preferred Bridge Alternative . Build Alternative 2: Remove existing bridge, add a new fixed bridge MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 17 Impacts to Natural Environment .Wetlands & Floodplains o No significant encroachment on the floodplain. o No wetland impacts. .Endangered and threatened species within project area o High likelihood for West Indian Manatee • US Fish and Wildlife Service Standard Manatee Protection Construction Conditions for In-Water Work will be implemented during construction. • All in-water operations will be shutdown if a manatee(s) comes within 50 feet. o No habitat in the project area for any other protected species. MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 18 Impacts to Natural Environment .Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) assessment o EFH present – sand bottoms and water column o National Marine Fisheries Service Recommendation – Implement Stormwater Management Plan o Project is not located within nor will have any impacts on Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC). MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 19 Impacts to Physical Environment .Air Quality o No impacts to air quality anticipated. .Noise & Vibration o No anticipated impacts to surrounding land uses. MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 20 Impacts to Physical Environment .Contamination o Contamination Screening Evaluation identified High, Medium, and Low risk sites. o South Florida Rail Corridor (SFRC) is the only Medium or High risk site impacted by project. • Avoidance, minimization, and remediation measures will be employed. o Asbestos and lead based paint evaluation will be performed for the existing bridge. MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 21 Impacts to Physical Environment .Construction o Construction of new bridge may damage existing bridge. • Techniques will be employed to minimize impacts. o Best Management Practices will be employed to minimize impacts on traffic, air quality, noise, and vibration. • Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) • Watering trucks to minimize dust, • Minimization of unnecessary vehicle and equipment idling, • Covering trucks hauling debris. MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 22 Social Impacts .Social Impacts o Project is consistent with existing and future land use. o No adverse effect on minority and low-income populations, therefore no disproportionate impacts will occur. • Build Alternatives are expected to provide benefit to the users of the transit system, including minority and low-income populations. o No expected impacts to visual and aesthetic resources. Industrial land use along corridor MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 23 Right of Way Impacts o Right-of-Way acquisition will be conducted consistent with Florida Statute and the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act. • Owners of property to be acquired will be paid fair market value MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 24 Navigation Impacts to Adjacent Property Owners 1. Eugene Eisenberg TRS • Vacant Marina 3 2. South Florida Water 2 Management District 4 1 • Flood Control Structure 3. MDX 7 • Vacant Property 5 6 7 4. River Properties Inc. • Red Coach Bus 5. BRACUSA LLC 6 • SuperMix Concrete Batch Plant 6. Miami-Dade Transit 7. FPT Florida Land, LLC Potential Early Right-of- Potential Compensation • Recycling Plant/Scrap Way Acquisition for Loss of River Access Yard MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 25 Historic Resources • Cultural & Historic Resources o National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) – listed sites • Hialeah Seaboard Air Line Railway Station o National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) – eligible sites • CSX Railroad • Miami Central Station Railroad Spur • CSX Railroad Bridge • Miami River/Miami Canal MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 26 Historic Resources Miami Central Hialeah Seaboard Station Railroad CSX Railroad Air Line Railway Spur (8DA11868) (8DA10753) Station (8DA103) 1 2 3 5 CSXT Railroad Bridge 4 (8DA5910) Miami Canal (8DA6525) MR-MICCI Public Hearing Environmental Assessment 27 Section 106 Consultation & Section 4(f) Applicability .Section 106 Evaluation and Determination of Effects (DOE) o Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) requires Federal agencies to take into account the effects of their undertakings on historic properties. o Evaluating the effects of each alternative on the Historic Resources. o Coordinating with local, State (State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO)), and Federal