S ACRAMENTO A REA C OUNCIL OF G OVERNMENTS Final Environmental Impact Report for the Metropolitan Transportation Plan/ Sustainable Communities Strategy 2035 Update State Clearinghouse # 2011012081 Prepared by: Sacramento Area Council of Governments 1415 L Street, Suite 300 Sacramento, California, 95814 February 2012 Sacramento Area Council of Governments. 2012. Final Environmental Impact Report for the Metropolitan Transportation Plan /Sustainable Communities Strategy 2035 Update State Clearinghouse # 2011012081. Sacramento, CA. NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN/ SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES STRATEGY FOR 2035 AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETINGS ON THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION PLAN/ SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES STRATEGY FOR 2035 DATE: February 23, 2012 TO: Interested Agencies and Individuals FROM: Sacramento Area Council of Governments The Final Environmental Impact Report (SCH #2011012081) for the Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy for 2035 (MTP/SCS) is now available for review. Information on how the public can continue to be involved is provided below. The MTP/SCS and the associated EIR cover the area within the counties of Sacramento, Yolo, Yuba, Sutter, Placer, and El Dorado (excluding the Lake Tahoe basin). The MTP/SCS, prepared in coordination with cities, counties, and other public agencies in the SACOG region, is a long-range transportation plan and sustainable communities strategy to serve existing and projected residents and workers within the Sacramento region through the year 2035. The MTP/SCS accommodates another 871,000 residents, 361,000 new jobs, and 303,000 new homes with a transportation investment strategy of $35 billion. SACOG is required under federal and state law to update the MTP/SCS every four years. The MTP/SCS requires the approval of the SACOG Board of Directors. Final action on the plan is calendared to be taken at the Board’s April 19, 2012, 9:30 a.m. meeting. Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), SACOG has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR) that contains all comments received during the public comment period on the Draft EIR, provides responses to comments on the Draft EIR, and identifies revisions to the Draft EIR, as necessary, in response to comments or to amplify and clarify material in the Draft EIR. The Final EIR, together with the Draft EIR for the MTP/SCS, which is incorporated by reference, constitute the EIR for the proposed MTP/SCS. The Final Environmental Impact Report is now available for public review. The document is available for review at SACOG at 1415 L Street, 3rd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814. It is available in hard copy and in electronic format (CD ROM) and on the SACOG website at www.sacog.org/2035/2012/02/final-environmental-impact-report. Please contact A.J. Tendick at SACOG at (916) 340-6215 or [email protected] should you wish to view. For more information about the project, please contact SACOG at 916-321-9000 or [email protected]. Opportunities for further public involvement in the MTP/SCS and EIR. The MTP/SCS and Final EIR will be presented as an information item at the following SACOG meetings: March 1, 2012, 10 a.m., Transportation Committee meeting; March 1, 2012, 1 p.m., Land Use & Air Quality Committee meeting; March 5, 2012, 10 a.m., Government Relations & Public Affairs Committee meeting; April 5, 2012, 1 p.m., Land Use & Air Quality Committee meeting; April 9, 2012, 10 a.m., Government Relations & Public Affairs Committee meeting. The MTP/SCS and Final EIR will be presented and final action requested at the following SACOG meetings: April 5, 2012, 10 a.m., Transportation Committee meeting; April 19, 2012, 9:30 a.m., Board of Directors meeting. The public will have the opportunity to speak on the item at all of these meetings. All meeting are held at SACOG, 1415 L Street, 3rd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814. For further information about the meetings, please visit sacog.org/calendar or call (916) 321-9000. If you are a person with a disability who requires a modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services, in order to participate in a public meeting, you should contact SACOG by phone at 916-321-9000, e-mail ([email protected]), or in person as soon as possible and preferably at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTERS: Chapter 1 – Introduction .................................................................................... 1-1 Chapter 2 – List of Commenters ..................................................................... 2-1 Chapter 3 – Comments and Responses to Comments ........................... 3-1 Master Response A – Transit ............................................................................ 3-3 Master Response B – Health ............................................................................. 3-4 Master Response C – Safety ............................................................................. 3-6 Master Response D – Equity ............................................................................ 3-7 Master Response E – Priorities and Financial Analysis ..................................... 3-9 Master Response F – Complete Streets .......................................................... 3-10 Letter #1, Private Citizen, Richard Boylan, Ph.D. ............................................ 3-13 Letter #2, Private Citizen, Kerry Wicker ........................................................... 3-15 Letter #3, Private Citizen, Stanley Price .......................................................... 3-17 Letter #4, Yuba County, Roger Abe ................................................................. 3-20 Letter #5, Placer County, Rebecca Taber ....................................................... 3-28 Letter #6, Private Citizen, Michael Monasky .................................................... 3-30 Letter #7, Sacramento Regional Transit, Rosemary Covington ....................... 3-33 Letter #8, Private Citizen, Michael Monasky .................................................... 3-40 Letter #9, United Auburn Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria, David Keyser ........................................................................................ 3-44 Letter #10, Breath California, Kori Titus ........................................................... 3-55 Letter #11, Taylor & Wiley on behalf of StoneBridge Properties, LLC, James Wiley .......................................... 3-57 Letter #12, Davis Bicycles!, Mont Hubbard ...................................................... 3-60 Letter #13, Taylor & Wiley on behalf of Tsakopoulos Investments, James Wiley ......................................................................................... 3-64 Letter #14, Region Builders, Joshua Wood ..................................................... 3-67 Letter #15, Wilson Farms and Vineyards, Mark Wilson ................................... 3-88 Letter #16, Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA), Tricia Hedahl ......... 3-92 Letter #17, Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS), Jonathan Ellison ................................................................................. 3-104 Letter #18, North State BIA, Dennis Rogers .................................................. 3-113 Letter #19, WALKSacramento, Chris Holm ................................................... 3-117 Chapter 4 – Revisions to Draft Environmental Impact Report ............. 4-1 Chapter 5 – List of Preparers ........................................................................... 5-1 TABLES: Table 2.15. Table of Illustrative Projects ............................................................ 4-1 Table 5.2, Existing Air Quality Monitoring Sites ................................................. 4-6 Table 5.3, Number of Days per Year Ozone Levels Exceeded State 8-Hour Standard .......................................................... 4-7 Table 5.4, Number of Days Above National 8-Hour Standard for Ozone ................................................................................................ 4-8 Table 5.5, Number of Days Above National 8-Hour Standard for PM2.5 ............ 4-9 Table 5.6, Estimated Number of Days Above the State 24-Hour Standard for PM10 ................................................................................. 4-10 Table 5.7, Estimated Number of Days Above the National 24-Hour Standard for PM10 ................................................................................. 4-11 Table 7.2, Historic Districts Located in the MTP/SCS Plan Area ..................... 4-14 Table 11.5, Proposed MTP/SCS Transportation Projections with Structures in a Floodplain ..................................................................... 4-17 Table 11.6, Proposed MPT/SCS Transportation Projects Crossing Impaired Bodies of Water ..................................................................... 4-19 FIGURES: Figure 2.4, 2008 Transit Network ...................................................................... 4-3 Figure 2.5, 2035 Transit Network ...................................................................... 4-4 Figure 6.1, General Land Cover in Plan Area .................................................. 4-13 Figure 11.3. 100-Year and 200-Year Flood Plains .......................................... 4-16 CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION PURPOSE OF THIS FINAL EIR This document has been prepared to respond to comments on the Draft Environmental