Environmental Impact Statement on the Third Street Light Rail Project in San Francisco, CA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Environmental Impact Statement on the Third Street Light Rail

Project in San Francisco, CA

Agency: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

Action: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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Summary: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the San Francisco

Municipal Railway (MUNI) hereby give notice that they intend to prepare

an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), on the proposed construction of a

light rail transit service along the Third Street corridor in San

Francisco. The Third Street Light Rail Project would extend from a

southern terminus connecting with the Bayshore CalTrain Station, travel

along Bayshore Boulevard, cross Highway 101 to operate in a dedicated

median right-of-way on Third Street through the Bayview commercial

core, then past the Central Waterfront and Potrero Hill to King Street.

North of Third and King Streets, surface and subway options would

extend the light rail line through South of Market, the downtown area,

crossing Market Street to the downtown area, with a northern terminus

in Chinatown near Sacramento or Washington Street. Other options would

operate directly into the Market Street MUNI Metro subway. As part of

the project, a new light rail maintenance and storage facility is

proposed for a site just east of I-280, between 16th and Mariposa

Streets.

The local lead agency--the City and County of San Francisco,

Planning Department, Office of Environmental Review (OER)--will ensure

that the environmental document also satisfies the requirements of the

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). In addition to the Third

Street Light Rail Project, the EIS/EIR will evaluate a No Build

Alternative, as well as any feasible alternatives generated through the

scoping process. Scoping will be accomplished through correspondence

with interested persons, organizations and federal, state and local

agencies, and through two public scoping meetings. In addition, a

Technical Advisory Committee and a Community Advisory Group will be

established to provide input to the project. Numerous local community

workshops and public informational forums are also planned to take

place throughout the project corridor.

Meeting Dates: Public scoping meetings will be held at the following

times and locations:

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Day Date Time Location

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Wednesday..................... November 20, 1996............ 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m........... ANA Hotel, 50

Third Street.

Thursday...................... November 21, 1996............ 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m........... Southeast

Community Center,

1600 Oakdale

Avenue.

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The meetings will have an Open House format from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00

p.m., with a presentation and public comments on the EIS/EIR scope

planned from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

ADDRESS FOR WRITTEN COMMENTS: Written comments on the scope of

alternatives and impacts to be considered in the EIS/EIR should be sent

to the local lead agency by December 6, 1996. Written comments should

be sent to Mr. Paul Deutsch, Planning Department, Office of

Environmental Review, 1660 Mission Street, Fifth Floor, San Francisco,

CA 94103.

FOR FURTHER PROJECT INFORMATION CONTACT: Sue Olive, Project Manager,

Service Planning Department, San Francisco Municipal Railway, 949

Presidio Ave., San Francisco, CA. 94115. Phone (415) 923-6100; or Donna

Turchie, Office of Planning and Program Development, Federal Transit

Administration, 201 Mission St., Rm. 2210, San Francisco, CA 94105.

Phone (415) 744-3115.

Supplementary Information:

Scoping

FTA and the local lead agency invite interested individuals,

organizations, and federal, state and local agencies to participate in

defining the alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS/EIR and

identifying any significant social, economic, or environmental issues

related to the alternatives. An information packet describing the

purpose of the proposed federal action, the proposed alternatives, the

impact topics to be evaluated, the community involvement program, and

the preliminary project schedule will be available at the Public

Scoping Meetings. Persons may request the scoping materials by

contacting Paul Deutsch at the address above, or by calling him at

(415) 558-6383. Scoping comments may be made verbally at either of the

public scoping meetings or in writing. See the DATES and ADDRESSES

sections above for locations and times. During scoping, comments should

focus on identifying specific social, economic or environmental impacts

to be evaluated and suggesting design options

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which are less costly or less environmentally damaging while achieving

similar transit objectives. Scoping is not the appropriate time to

indicate a preference for a particular alternative. Comments on

preferences should be communicated after the Draft EIS/EIR has been

completed. If you wish to be placed on the mailing list to receive

further information as the project develops, contact Sue Olive as

previously described.

Description of Study Area and Project Need

The project is to construct an electrified light rail line on the

surface and in subway along the Third Street corridor in San Francisco

as an alternative to the MUNI 15 and 9X diesel bus lines that currently

serve the area. The project would provide many San Francisco residents

with more efficient access to downtown job centers, the Mission Bay

project area and proposed new waterfront ballpark, and would enhance

mobility by improving connections with local and regional transit

lines. This major transit investment is also intended to help achieve

desired community and economic development objectives for the Bayshore

Corridor communities of Potrero Hill, Bayview-Hunters Point and

Visitacion Valley. The new light rail line would connect these

neighborhoods with downtown San Francisco, and possibly Chinatown.

Alternatives

The Third Street Light Rail Project is examining two alternatives

to be carried forward into environmental analysis (Draft EIS/EIR). The

two alternatives are:

The ``No Build'' Diesel Bus Alternative would be a

continuation or expansion of the MUNI 15-Third and 9X San Bruno

Expresses that are currently the major trunk lines serving the project

area, and

A ``Build'' Light Rail Alternative, which assumes

construction of a light rail line linking some or all of Chinatown,

Downtown, South of Market, Potrero Hill, Bayview-Hunters Point and

Visitacion Valley neighborhoods, primarily along Third Street. The

Light Rail Alternative has multiple downtown and Mission Bay alignment

options that will be evaluated and screened during the initial seven-

month study phase. All options share a common alignment along Third

between the southern terminus at the Bayshore CalTrain Station and 16th

Street. The Third Street light rail line would operate in a dedicated

median right-of-way along Bayshore Boulevard and use the existing

Highway 101 overcrossing to reach Third Street. Along Third Street, the

alignment would remain in the median as it traverses the Bayview

commercial core, over Islais Creek, and through the Central Waterfront

area to 16th Street. A new light rail operations and maintenance

facility is proposed for a 10-acre site east of I-280 between 16th

Street and Mariposa Streets. North of 16th Street, three primary

surface and subway alignment options, each containing suboption

variants, are being studied. The project also hopes to use rail as a

catalyst for revitalizing the Third Street commercial core in Bayview-

Hunters Point.

Probable Effects

FTA and the local lead agency plan to evaluate in the EIS/EIR all

significant social, economic, and environmental impacts of the

alternatives. Among the primary issues are the expected increase in

transit ridership, traveltime savings, the capital outlays needed to

construct the project, the cost of operating and maintaining the

facilities created by the project, and the financial impacts on the

funding agencies. Environmental and social impacts and benefits

proposed for analysis include: land use and neighborhood impacts;

parklands; traffic and parking impacts, particularly in the Bayview

commercial core and near stations; visual impacts; impacts on historic

architecture properties and archaeological resources; and noise and

vibration impacts. Impacts on natural areas, biology, hazards, air and

water quality, groundwater and geology will also be covered. The

impacts will be evaluated both for the construction period and for the

long-term period of operation. Measures to mitigate significant adverse

impacts will be considered.

FTA Procedures

In accordance with the Federal Transit Act and FTA policy, the

Draft EIS/EIR will be prepared first. After its publication, the Draft

EIS/EIR will be available for 45-day public and agency review and

comment period, and a public hearing will be held. On the basis of the

Draft EIS/EIR and the comments received, the San Francisco Public

Transportation Commission will select a locally preferred alternative.

Then the Final EIS/EIR will be prepared responding to all comments on

the Draft EIS/EIR, and FTA will issue a Record of Decision on the

proposed federal action.

Issued on: October 22, 1996.

Leslie Rogers,

Regional Administrator, FTA.

[FR Doc. 96-27496 Filed 10-24-96; 8:45 am]

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