MTA New York City Transit Canarsie Tunnel Project Supplemental Environmental Assessment and Section 4(f) Review July 2018 Prepared by MTA New York City Transit Prepared for Federal Transit Administration MTA New York City Transit Canarsie Tunnel Project Supplemental Environmental Assessment Abstract The Metropolitan Transportation Authority New York City Transit (MTA NYCT) proposes to implement a Alternative Services Plan (ASP), which will serve the L train ridership during a planned 15-month, full- time, double-track closure of the L train in Manhattan and between Brooklyn and Manhattan. The proposed ASP has been developed to provide transit and mobility options to L train riders to the greatest extent practicable during the temporary 15-month service suspension, balanced against the needs of residents in the vicinity of existing L train service and other users of the transportation network. MTA NYCT has conducted significant analysis and public outreach to inform the proposed ASP and has presented details of the proposed ASP to the affected communities in an iterative fashion as plans have been developed. The proposed ASP can be summarized as follows: Increased temporary alternative subway service during peak and off-peak hours New temporary bus routes, including one across 14th Street and four over the Williamsburg Bridge between Brooklyn and Manhattan New temporary ferry service between Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Stuyvesant Cove, Manhattan Station access and capacity improvements Additional temporary bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure Traffic management strategies, including a temporary busway on 14th Street and the temporary implementation of HOV3+ on the Williamsburg Bridge This Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the NEPA regulations and guidance issued by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) (40 CFR Part 1500 et seq.), and the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) policies and procedures for implementing NEPA provided in 23 CFR Part 771. This SEA was also prepared in compliance with Section 4(f) of the US Department of Transportation Act of 1966 (as amended by 49 U.S.C. §303), and FTA’s implementing regulations at 23 CFR Part 774. The purpose of this SEA is to provide information regarding the Proposed Action’s potential impacts on the human and natural environments. The FTA would be a funding agency for the Proposed Action and is the lead federal agency for the NEPA environmental review process. Based on the analyses presented in the SEA and after considering public comments, the FTA will determine whether or not the Proposed Action would result in any significant adverse environmental impacts. If applicable, the FTA will issue a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) if there are no significant environmental impacts. July 2018 MTA New York City Transit Canarsie Tunnel Project Supplemental Environmental Assessment Contents ES. Executive Summary ................................................................................................ I ES.1 PURPOSE AND NEED ............................................................................................................. I I ES.2 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ..................................................................................................... III ES.3 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .......................... IV ES.4 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................... IX Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Need .............................................................................................. 3 2.1 CANARSIE TUNNEL REHABILITATION PROJECT ................................................................ 3 2.2 ALTERNATIVE SERVICE PLAN ............................................................................................... 3 Approved Project ................................................................................................ 5 3.1 PRIOR APPROVALS ................................................................................................................ 5 3.1.1 Canarsie Tunnel Rehabilitation Project............................................................................... 5 3.1.2 Other Efforts Coordinated with Canarsie Tunnel Rehabilitation Project ............................. 5 3.2 TUNNEL CLOSURE PLAN ....................................................................................................... 6 Analytical Framework ........................................................................................ 7 Discussion of Alternatives............................................................................... 12 5.1 NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE ................................................................................................... 12 5.1.1 Subway and Bus Service Enhancements ......................................................................... 12 5.1.2 Existing Planned Projects ................................................................................................. 14 5.2 PROPOSED ASP ELEMENTS AND OPTIONS CONSIDERED ............................................ 15 5.2.1 Estimated Demand for Proposed ASP Elements ............................................................. 15 5.2.2 Subway ............................................................................................................................. 16 5.2.3 Bus 17 5.2.4 Ferry .................................................................................................................................. 29 5.2.5 Bicycles ............................................................................................................................. 32 5.2.6 Pedestrians ....................................................................................................................... 32 5.3 SUMMARY OF PROPOSED ACTION .................................................................................... 33 Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ........................... 34 6.1 TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS .............................................................................................. 35 6.1.1 Subway Transit ................................................................................................................. 35 6.1.2 Bus Transit ........................................................................................................................ 37 6.1.3 Traffic and Roadways ....................................................................................................... 39 6.1.4 Ferries ............................................................................................................................... 42 6.1.5 Pedestrians ....................................................................................................................... 43 6.1.6 Bicycles ............................................................................................................................. 43 6.1.7 Parking .............................................................................................................................. 44 6.2 AIR QUALITY .......................................................................................................................... 46 6.2.1 No Action Alternative......................................................................................................... 47 6.2.2 Proposed Action ................................................................................................................ 47 6.3 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................... 51 6.3.1 No Action Alternative......................................................................................................... 51 6.3.2 Proposed Action ................................................................................................................ 53 6.4 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ..................................................................................................... 55 6.4.1 No Action Alternative......................................................................................................... 55 6.4.2 Proposed Action ................................................................................................................ 55 6.5 HISTORIC, CULTURAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES ....................................... 57 6.5.1 No Action Alternative......................................................................................................... 57 July 2018 Page | i MTA New York City Transit Canarsie Tunnel Project Supplemental Environmental Assessment 6.5.2 Proposed Action ................................................................................................................ 57 6.6 NOISE AND VIBRATION ........................................................................................................ 71 6.6.1 No Action Alternative......................................................................................................... 71 6.6.2 Proposed Action ................................................................................................................ 71 6.7 SOCIAL RESOURCES AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS ............................................................