Final Environmental Impact Report The Long Beach - Los Angeles Rail Transit Project March 1985 o LACFC Final Environmental Impact Report (SCH No 83091415) The Long Beach-Los Angeles Rail Transit Project March 1985 Parsons Brinckerhoff I Kaiser Engineers in Association With: • MYRA L. FRANK & ASSOCIATES • J. WARREN & ASSOCIATES • KENNARD DESIGN GROUP • PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERS • SEDWAY COOKE ASSOCIATES • WILLIAMS-KUEBELBECK and ASSOCIATES • BOLT BERANEK AND NEWMAN, INC. Kadison, Pfaelzer, Woodard, Quinn & Rossi PARTICIPATING GOVERNMENT AGENCIES COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES • Department of Regional Planning • Road Department • Engineer· Facilities • Community Development Commission • Flood Control District CITY OF LOS ANGELES • Department of Transportation • Planning Department • Department of Public Works • Community Redevelopment Agency CITY OF COMPTON • Planning Department • Department of Public Works • Community Redevelopment Agency CITY OF LONG BEACH • Department of Public Works • Department of Planning and Building • Department of Community Development • Long Beach Transit SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RAPID TRANSIT DISTRICT CITY OF CARSON - Department of Public Works CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IN COOPERATION WITH SOUTHERN PACIFIC TRANSPORTATION COMPANr--------------, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND PO NER LACTC/RCC UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD LIBRARY ATCHISON, TOPEKA AND SANTA FE RAILWAY oLAO[ LOS ANGELES COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION HE 4491 .L72 L67 1965 0.6 .05113 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY S-100 HISTORY OF THE PROCESS S-1 S-200 ORGANIZATION OF THE FEIR 5-9 ADDENDUM: OPTIONAL ELEMENTS AND REVISIONS TO THE PROJECT 1-1 100 INTRODUCTION 1-1 200 DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES 1-4 210 CONNECTION AT THE LA-2 SUBWAY PORTAL FOR THE HARBOR FREEWAY TRAN51TWAY (Possible Request Accompanying Approval) 1-4 211 Description 1-4 212 During Construction 1-4 212. 1 Impacts Assessment 1-4 212.2 Mitigation Measures 1-5 213 Operations 1-5 213. 1 Impacts Assessment 1-5 213.2 Mitigation Measures 1-5 214 Significance 1-5 300 MID-CORRIDOR 1-6 310 MODIFICATIONS TO MID-CORRIDOR TRAFFIC ANALYSIS 1-6 311 Revised Traffic Signal Program at Grade Crossings (Revision) 1-6 311 •1 Description 1-6 311 .2 Construction 1-7 311.21 Impacts Assessment 1-7 311.22 Mitigation Measures 1-7 311 .3 Operations 1-7 311. 31 Impacts Assessment 1-7 311 .32 Mitigation Measures 1-10 311.4 Significance 1-11 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) 312 Additional Grade Separations in the Mid-Corridor (Possible Request Accompanying Approval) 1-12 312. 1 Description 1-12 312.2 Construction 1-13 312.21 Impacts Assessment 1-13 312.22 Mitigation Measures 1-14 312.3 Operations 1-14 312.31 Impacts Assessment 1-14 312.32 Mitigation Measures 1-15 312.4 Significance 1-15 320 RELOCATION OF TRACKS IN MID-CORRIDOR ( Revision) 1-16 321 Description 1-16 322 Construction 1-16 322. 1 Impacts Assessment 1-16 322.2 Mitigation Measures 1-20 323 Operations 1-20 323. 1 Impacts Assessment 1-20 323.2 Mitigation Measures 1-21 324 Significance 1-22 330 LOWERING THE TRACK PROFILE IN THE MID-CORRIDOR (Revision) 1-23 331 Description 1-23 332 Construction 1-23 332. 1 Impacts Assessment 1-23 332.2 Mitigation 1-24 333 Operations 1-24 333. 1 Impacts Assessment 1-24 333.2 Mitigation Measures 1-25 334 Significance 1-25 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page 340 NON-REVENUE CONNECTION AT THE PROPOSED CENTURY FREEWAY TRANSITWAY (Revision) 1-26 341 Description 1-26 342 Construction 1-26 342.1 Impacts Assessment 1-26 342.2 Mitigation Measures 1-26 343 Operations 1-28 343.1 Impacts Assessment 1-28 343.2 Mitigation Measures 1-28 344 Significance 1-28 350 SECURITYI CENTRAL CONTROL FACI LITY ( Revision) 1-29 351 Description 1-29 352 Construction 1-29 352.1 Impacts Assessment 1-29 352.2 Mitigation Measures 1-29 353 Operations 1-31 353.1 Impacts Assessment 1-31 353.2 Mitigation Measures 1-32 354 Sign ificance 1-32 360 ALTERNATE MAIN YARD AND SHOP SITE (Option) 1-33 361 Description 1-33 362 Construction 1-35 362.1 Impacts Assessment 1-35 362.2 Mitigation Measures 1-37 363 Operations 1-37 363.1 Impacts Assessment 1-37 363.2 Mitigation Measures 1-40 364 Significance 1-40 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page 400 LONG BEACH 1-41 410 DESIGN REFINEMENT OF LB-5, SOUTH OF 7th STREET (Option) 1-41 411 Description 1-41 412 Construction 1-41 412. 1 Impacts Assessment 1-41 412.2 Mitigation Measures 1-43 413 Operations 1-45 413. 1 Impacts Assessment 1-45 413.2 Mitigation Measures 1-48 414 Significance 1-48 420 EMBANKMENT AT HILL STREET PUMP STATION (Option) 1-49 421 Description 1-49 422 Construction I-51 422. 1 Impacts Assessment I-51 422.2 Mitigation Measures I-51 423 Operations I-51 423. 1 Impacts Assessment I-51 423.2 Mitigation Measures I-52 424 Significance I-52 II ALTERNATIVES EVALUATION 11-1 100 INTRODUCTION 11-1 200 OVERVIEW OF THE TECHNICAL EVALUATION PROCESS 11-3 210 MAJOR ELEMENTS AND CONSIDERATIONS 11-3 300 SELECTION OF EVALUATION MEASURES 11-3 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page 400 TECHNICAL EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES 11-6 410 DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES 11-6 411 Ridership (Measures 1 & 2) 11-6 412 Transit Service (Measures 3-10) 11-7 413 Cost and Revenue (Measures 11-14) 11-9 414 Energy (Measures 15-17) 11-10 415 Environmental Impacts (Measures 18-27) 11-10 416 Comformity with Plans and Policies (Measure 28) 11-13 420 MID-CORRIDOR 11-20 421 Ridership (Measures 1 & 2) 11-20 422 Transit Service (Measures 3-10) 11-20 423 Cost and Revenue (Measures 11-14) 11-21 424 Energy (Measures 15-17) 11-21 425 Environmental Impacts (Measures 18-27 11-21 426 Conformity with Plans and Policies (Measure 28) 11-24 430 LONG BEACH 11-31 431 Ridership (Measures 1 & 2) 11-31 432 Transit Service (Measures 3-10) 11-31 433 Cost and Revenue (Measures 11-14) 11-33 434 Energy (Measures 15-17) 11-33 435 Environmental Impacts (Measures 18-27 11-33 436 Conformity with Plans and Policies (Measure 28) 11-37 500 RECOMMENDATIONS 11-44 510 DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES 11-44 511 Principal Conclusions 11-44 512 Project Recommendation for Downtown Los Angeles 11-48 v TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page 520 MID-CORRIDOR 11-49 521 Comparison of Basic Alternatives 11-49 522 MC-3 Enhancements II-53 523 Comparison of Alternatives MC-1 and MC-3 II-53 524 Project Recommendation for the Mid-Corridor II-56 530 LONG BEACH II-58 531 Analysis of Baseline Alternatives II-58 531 . 1 Summary Rankings II-58 531.2 Ranking With Service and and Impact Measures 11-61 531.3 Public Opinion 11-64 531.4 Policy Implications of Available Choices 11-65 532 Analysis of Optional Treatments 11-69 532. 1 Probable Adverse Impacts and Proposed Mitigation 11-69 532.2 Analysis and Conclusions 11-70 I 600 PROJECT IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 11-71 III COMMENTS REQUIRING RESPONSES II 1-1 100 INTRODUCTION 111-1 200 ABBREVIATIONS OF AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS COMMENTING 111-2 300 COMMENTS AND RESPONSES BY TOPIC - DEIR 111-5 301 Accessibility 111-6 302 Ai r Qual ity II 1-8 303 Alternatives Analysis 111-11 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page 304 Bus Service 1-12 305 Business Impacts 1-17 306 Community Involvements 1-19 307 Configuration 1-19 308 Construction Impacts 1-24 309 Coordination 1-29 310 Cumulative Impacts 1-31 311 Data Request 1-32 312 Displacement 1-34 313 Economics 1-34 314 Fare Collection 1-37 315 Financial 1-38 316 Freight Operations 1-43 317 General Impacts 1-47 318 Goals and Objectives I-54 319 Historic Issues I-56 320 Impacts on Churches 1-60 321 Impacts on Schools 1-62 322 Implementation/ Construction Methods 1-64 323 Land Use 1-65 324 Mitigation 1-68 325 Neighborhood Impacts 1-73 326 Noise and Vibration 1-73 327 Operations 1-77 328 Parking 1-83 329 Patronage 1-85 330 Pedestrian Issues 1-90 331 Presentation 1-92 332 Procedure 1-94 333 Rail Coordination 111-97 334 Residential Housing Impacts 111-100 335 Right-of-Way 111-102 336 Safety and Security 111-104 337 Seismic 111-110 338 Service 111-112 339 Socioeconomics 111-115 340 Soils and Geology 111-117 341 Stations 111-118 342 Technology 111-119 343 Traffic 111-122 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) Page 344 Travel Times 111-146 345 Vegetation 111-149 346 Vehicles 111-150 347 Visual Quality 111-151 348 Miscellaneous 111-157 349 Corrections and Additions 111-161 111-400 COMMENTS AND RESPONSES BY TOPIC - SEIR 111-177 401 Adequacy 111-177 402 Bus Service 111-181 403 Commun ity Services 111-186 404 Cumulative Impacts 111-186 405 Data Request 111-187 406 Displacement 111-188 407 Economic Activity 111-189 408 Financial 111-194 409 Impacts on Schools 111-195 410 Joint Development 111-196 411 Mitigation Measures 111-197 412 Noise and Vibration 111-198 413 Operations 111-208 414 Patronage 111-208 415 Procedure 111-213 416 Recreational Impacts 111-214 417 Regional Rail Connections 111-215 418 Related Projects 111-215 419 Residential 1mpacts 111-217 420 Right-of-Way 111-221 421 Safety and Security 111-222 422 Socioeconomics 111-225 423 Soils and Hydrology 111-227 424 Stations 111-228 425 Technology 111-230 426 Traffic 111-230 427 Utility Relocation 111-245 428 Vegetation and Wildlife 111-246 429 Visual Impacts 111-246 430 Miscellaneous 111-249 431 Correctionsand Additions 111-253 viii TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued) IV COMMENTS NOT REQUIRING RESPONSES IV-1 100 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (DEIR) IV-1 11 0 RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS IV-2 120 DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES ALTERNATIVES IV-2 130 MID-CORRIDOR ALTERNATIVES IV-4 140 LONG BEACH ALTERNATIVES IV-4 200 DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL EIR (SEIR) IV-6 210 RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS IV-6 220 SUMMARY OF OPINIONS IV-6 230 ANALYSIS OF OPINIONS IV-8 V CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS V-1 100 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (DEIR) V-1 200 DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL EIR (SEIR) V-23 VI PERSONS AND ORGANIZATIONS COMMENTING VI-1 100 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (DEIR) VI-1 200 DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL EIR (SEIR) VI-S APPENDIX LIST OF ADDITIONAL PREPARERS A-l ix LIST OF TABLES Table No.