Environmental Impact Statement; Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties, Wisconsin

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration

Environmental Impact Statement; Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties,

Wisconsin

agency: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT; Federal Transit

Administration (FTA), DOT.

action: Notice of intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

summary: The FHWA, the FTA, and the Wisconsin Department of

Transportation (WisDOT) are issuing this notice to advise the public

and all other interested parties that in accordance with the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

will be prepared for transportation improvements in the central East-

West Transportation Corridor of Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties,

Wisconsin. The WisDOT will ensure that the EIS also satisfies the

requirements of the Wisconsin Environment Policy Act (WEPA). The Draft

EIS (DEIS) will include a Major Investment Study (MIS) in accordance

with 23 Code of Federal Regulations part 450.

Among the alternatives that the EIS will evaluate are the No-Action

and Transportation System Management (TSM) alternatives; light rail

transit, freeway modernization, with and without special lanes for

buses and carpools; and combinations of freeway modernization and fixed

transit alternatives. Any new prudent and feasible alternatives

generated through the Scoping process will also be considered.

Scoping will be accomplished through correspondence with interested

persons, organizations, and federal, state and local agencies, and

through two public meetings.

This notice supersedes the previous FTA Notice of Intent published

in the Federal Register on March 27, 1992 (Vol. 57, No. 60, Page

10691).

for further information contact: Mr. Richard Schimelfenyg, Statewide

Projects Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, 4502 Vernon

Boulevard, Madison, WI 53705-4905, phone (608) 264-5437, fax (608) 264-

5959; Mr. Joel Ettinger, Regional Administrator, Federal Transit

Administration, 55 East Monroe Street, Suite 1415, Chicago, Illinois

60603, phone (312) 353-2789, fax (312) 886-0351; or Mr. James Beckwith,

Project Manager, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, District 2,

141 NW. Barstow Street, Waukesha, Wisconsin 53188, phone (414) 548-

8675, fax (414) 548-8655.

cooperating agencies: The FHWA, FTA and WisDOT have determined that the

following agencies will be asked to be Cooperating Agencies in

preparation of this EIS:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE),

U.S. Coast Guard (CG),

U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA),

U.S. Department of the Interior--National Park Service (NPS), and

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Any other agency that believes it may have either jurisdiction-by-

law or special expertise related to this project should consult with

the individuals listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The central East-West Transportation

Corridor is a major travel corridor bisecting Milwaukee and Waukesha

Counties. The Corridor includes portions of seven cities: Brookfield,

Glendale, Milwaukee, New Berlin, Waukesha, Wauwatosa, and West Allis;

three villages: Elm Grove, Shorewood and West Milwaukee; and three

towns: Brookfield, Pewaukee and Waukesha.

The central East-West Transportation Corridor study area is

generally a corridor approximately four to six miles wide extending

from the junction of State Trunk Highway (STH) 16 and Interstate

Highway (IH) 94 in Waukesha County 18 miles easterly to downtown

Milwaukee and Lake Michigan in Milwaukee County. The central East-West

Transportation Corridor generally follows the east-west route of IH-94

and extends north at it's eastern terminus to include the University of

Wisconsin--Milwaukee Campus and the near north shore communities

adjacent to the City of Milwaukee.

While there are other East-West transportation corridors both north

and south of the central transportation corridor, they do not directly

serve the central business district of downtown Milwaukee, except by

connections to north-south transportation corridors.

Transportation improvements in the central East-West Corridor are

intended to improve accessibility in the corridor. A substantial

portion of the corridor is largely composed of a low income, non-white,

and transit-dependent population. Improved transportation should better

serve the bidirectional travel needs of the area's growing employment

base and population. Transit and highway improvements would also reduce

traffic congestion, improve travel safety, and reduce accidents.

Improved transportation operations in the corridor may alleviate

regional air quality problems by providing alternatives to the single

occupant automobile for many trips. Further, improved transit may

alleviate traffic and parking problems that prevail in some of the most

densely populated portions of the corridor and assist in opportunities

for improved land use patterns and jobs development. In light of the

above factors, the purpose of the central East-West Corridor study is

to identify the best approach for improving long term transportation

service in the corridor in a cost-effective, equitable, and publicly

acceptable manner.

Previous Activity

As noted earlier, on March 27, 1992 the FTA announced through a

Notice of Intent in the Federal Register that an Alternatives Analysis/

Environmental Impact Statement (AA/EIS) would be prepared for transit

improvements in the East-West Corridor in Milwaukee and Waukesha

Counties. During the alternatives analysis reasonable and promising

alternatives including technology type, alignment, and location of

train storage yards and a maintenance center, were evaluated according

to FTA criteria. Twelve alternatives were developed and presented at

public meetings, Technical Advisory Committee meetings, and Study

Advisory Committee meetings. After FTA approval, the twelve

alternatives were being evaluated in an AA/DEIS (that was not

circulated). These twelve alternatives included the No Build and

Transportation System Management (TSM) alternatives, high occupancy

vehicle (HOV) lanes for buses and carpools, express and rapid light

rail transit (XLRT and RLRT), rapid busway (RBUS), minimum length

routes for both LXRT and RLRT, and combinations of all modal

alternatives described above.

In late 1993, a committee of local mayors, county executives,

village presidents, and state and regional transportation officials,

known as the Study Advisory Committee, identified Alternative 12 as

their preliminary [[Page 7265]] recommendation, while deferring the

selection of specific route and station location until the next stage

of study, preliminary engineering. The Alternative 12 concept included:

--17 miles of busway or special lanes for carpools and buses parallel

to IH 94 between downtown Milwaukee and the City of Waukesha,

--16 miles of light rail transit extending from Glendale through

downtown Milwaukee to the County Grounds in western Milwaukee County,

and a

--30% increase in metro area bus service split equally between

Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties.

While Alternative 12 appeared to be the concept that best addressed

the needs of the corridor, there were issues and concerns about

specific route options for light rail and the busway. It became

apparent that more detailed work would be required on the exact

alignments of light rail transit and special lanes as well as their

benefits, costs, and impacts before a locally preferred alternative

could be recommended.

Concurrent with the AA/EIS study, the WisDOT was evaluating

alternatives for modernization of the IH 94 corridor in Waukesha and

Milwaukee Counties, including reconstruction of the Zoo, Stadium, and

Marquette interchanges. The IH 94 modernization studies were considered

as part of the No Build scenario in the AA/EIS. However, the IH 94

modernization studies had to consider how transit alternatives

presented in the AA/EIS would affect design alternatives.

In order to be consistent with recent rule changes to 23 CFR part

450, the FTA, FHWA, WisDOT and the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional

Planning Commission (the metropolitan planning organization, or MPO,

for the region) agreed that the IH 94 modernization studies and the

East-West Corridor transit studies be combined in a Draft EIS and Major

Investment Study (DEIS/MIS).

The DEIS/MIS will address issues concerning specific route options,

alignments, and location of special lanes for potential transit

facilities and will also define and evaluate IH 94 highway

improvements. The scope of work and alternatives proposed for

evaluation in the DEIS/MIS are consistent with the Wisconsin Department

of Transportation's recently endorsed Translinks 21 statewide

transportation plan as well as the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional

Planning Commission's Regional Transportation System Plan, adopted on

December 7, 1994.

Among the alternatives that the DEIS/MIS will evaluate are the No-

Action and Transportation System Management (TSM) alternatives; light

rail transit, freeway modernization, with and without special lanes for

buses and carpools; and combinations of freeway modernization and fixed

transit alternatives. Any new prudent and feasible alternatives

generated through the Scoping process will also be considered.

Scoping will be accomplished through correspondence with interested

persons, organizations, and federal, state and local agencies and two

public Scoping meetings. Written comments on the scope of alternatives

and the type of impacts to be considered should be sent to WisDOT by

March 16, 1995.

FHWA, FTA and WisDOT invite interested individuals, organizations,

and federal, state and local agencies to participate in defining the

alternatives to be evaluated in the MIS/EIS and identifying any

significant social, economic, or environmental issues related to the

alternatives.

An information packet describing the purpose of the project, the

proposed alternatives, the impact areas to be evaluated, the citizen

involvement program, and the preliminary project schedule is being

mailed to affected federal, state and local agencies and to interested

parties on record. Others may request the Scoping materials by

contacting Mr. James Beckwith at the address listed above.

Scoping comments may be made verbally at any of the public Scoping

meetings or in writing. Scoping comments should focus on identifying

specific social, economic or environmental impacts to be evaluated and

suggesting alternatives which are less costly or less environmentally

damaging while achieving similar transportation objectives. Scoping is

not the approprite time to indicate a preference for a particular

alternative. Comments on preferences should be communicated after the

DEIS/MIS has been completed. If you wish to be placed on the mailing

list to receive further information as the project develops, contact

Mr. James Beckwith at the address listed above.

Probable Effects

FHWA, FTA and WisDOT plan to evaluate in the EIS all significant

social, economic and environmental impacts of the alternatives. Among

the primary issues are transportation service changes, including

transit cost, service, patronage change, and its financial

implications; the effect on traffic movement and railroad operations;

community impacts, including land use planning and zoning

compatibility, neighborhood compatibility, local and regional economic

change, aesthetics, and utility relocation; cultural resource impacts,

including effects on historic, archeological, and park resources; and

natural resource impacts, including air quality, noise and vibration,

removal of pre-existing hazardous wastes, and effects on water

resources and quality, natural features, and ecosystems. The proposed

impact assessment and its evaluation criteria will take into account

both positive and negative impacts direct and indirect impacts, short-

term (construction) and long-term (operation) impacts, and site-

specific and corridor-wide impacts. Evaluation criteria will be

consistent with the applicable Federal, State of Wisconsin, and local

standards, criteria, regulations, and policies. Mitigation measures

will be explored for any adverse impacts that are identified as part of

the analysis.

FHWA/FTA Procedures

In accordance with the Federal Aid Highway Act and FHWA policy, and

the Federal Transit Act, as amended, and FTA policy, the DEIS/MIS will

be prepared in conjunction with an analysis of alternatives and initial

Preliminary Engineering. After its publication, the DEIS/MIS will be

available for public and agency review and comment, and a public

hearing will be held. On the basis of the DEIS/MIS and the comments

received, WisDOT will select a locally preferred alternative for its

major investment strategy. The Regional Transportation System Plan and

Transportation Improvement Program will be revised to incorporate the

selected strategy. Detailed Preliminary Engineering and preparation of

a Final EIS will be completed following FHWA and FTA approval.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205,

Highway Planning and Construction; 20.500, Federal Transit Capital

Improvement Grants; and 20.507, Federal Transit Capital Operating

Assistance Formula Grants. The regulations implementing Executive

Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on Federal

programs and activities apply to this program.

Issued on: January 27, 1995.

Richard Schimelfenyg,

Statewide Projects Engineer, FHWA.

[FR Doc. 95-2882 Filed 2-6-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-22-M