Environmental Impact Statement for the Metrorail Extension to Largo Town Center, Prince Georges County, Maryland

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Environmental Impact Statement for the Metrorail Extension to

Largo Town Center, Prince Georges County, Maryland

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Maryland Mass

Transit Administration (MTA), in cooperation with Prince George's

County and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA),

intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a

Metrorail Extension from the Addison Road Metrorail Station to Largo

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Town Center in Prince George's County, Maryland. The EIS, which will be

performed concurrently with Preliminary Engineering (PE), is being

prepared in conformance with the National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA), the Maryland Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), and relevant

local regulations and ordinances of Prince George's County. Other key

supporting agencies include the Metropolitan Washington Council of

Governments (MWCOG), and the Maryland-National Capital Park and

Planning Commission (M-NCPPC).

The EIS will evaluate transportation improvements in the corridor

between the Addison Road Metrorail Station and Largo Town Center in

Prince George's County. Transportation alternatives proposed for

consideration in the project area include: (1) The No-Build option,

under which the existing and programmed bus, rail, and roadway

improvements in the study area would be assumed to be implemented; (2)

a Transportation Systems Management (TSM) alternative which consists of

increased coverage of the bus service network; and (3) the Metrorail

Extension from the Addison Road Metrorail Station to Largo Town Center,

a three mile (4.8 kilometer), two station addition to the region's rail

transit system. Options to mitigate adverse impacts and to support

local land use will be considered.

Scoping Process--The Scoping Meeting will be held on: Wednesday,

March 27, 1996, 6:00-9:00 p.m., Thomas G. Pullen Arts Magnet School,

700 Brightseat Road, Landover, Maryland.

A sign language interpreter will be available for the hearing

impaired. A TDD number is also available: (410) 539-3497. The building

is accessible to persons with disabilities.

The purpose of the Public Scoping Meeting is to provide interested

individuals with an introduction to and an overview of the EIS and PE

processes, and to offer the opportunity for comments on the significant

issues and impacts to be addressed in the EIS. Comments may be

submitted orally or in writing at the Scoping Meeting or mailed to Mr.

Harvey Flechner, Project Manager, Maryland Mass Transit Administration,

William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland

21202-1614 during the Scoping comment period which ends Monday, April

15, 1996. The MTA will address comments received during the Scoping

period during the preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact

Statement (DEIS).

The Scoping Meeting will begin with an ``open house'' where

attendees will be able to view graphics and discuss the project with

project representatives. A presentation on the project will be given at

7:30 p.m., followed by additional opportunity for questions and

answers. Scoping materials will be available at the meeting or in

advance of the meeting by contacting Mr. Harvey Flechner at (410) 767-

3786 or the Deputy Project Manager, Mr. Andy Smith at (410) 767-3597.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Alfred Lebeau, Transportation Program Specialist, Federal Transit

Administration, Region III, (215) 656-6900.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

FTA and the MTA invite interested individuals, organizations, and

federal, state and local agencies to participate in defining the

alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS and identifying any significant

social, economic, or environmental issues related to the alternatives.

Scoping comments may be made at the Public Scoping Meeting or in

writing; See ``Scoping Process'' section above for locations and times.

During Scoping, comments should focus on identifying specific social,

economic or environmental impacts to be evaluated and suggesting

alternatives which are more cost effective or have less environmental

impacts while achieving similar transit objectives.

II. Background

In 1990, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), in

cooperation with Prince George's County, the Maryland-National Capital

Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), the City of Bowie, the

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), and the

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) began work on

the Addison Road to Bowie Corridor Alternatives Analysis/Preliminary

Environmental Impact Study (AA/PEIS), which followed the Federal

Transit Administration's (FTA) technical guidelines for an Alternatives

Analysis/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (AA/DEIS). Planning work

was performed to provide preliminary cost and impact information for

evaluating a set of alternatives designed to address the transportation

needs in the corridor. The alternatives included bus, light rail, and

Metrorail extending from the present terminus of the Washington

Metrorail Blue Line at Addison Road to Largo and Bowie. Major aspects

of this study involved: (a) Screening a variety of alignment options;

(b) identifying a list of alternatives for further evaluation; (c)

detailing an analysis of the transportation, environmental and

financial effects of the alternatives; and (d) documenting the results.

An extensive public involvement program, including public meetings,

newsletters, and a score of meetings with interested groups was central

to the development, refinement, and evaluation of the alternatives.

Federal and State resource agencies were also consulted during the

study. In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service participated in a field visit to review wetlands

and related environmental issues. As a result of this coordination, the

alignment of several alternatives was shifted to avoid and/or minimize

potential impacts.

The 1993 Addison Road to Bowie Corridor AA/PEIS planning process

led to the selection of the Metrorail Extension to Largo Town Center as

the preferred alternative in meeting the transportation needs of the

corridor, in conformance with the Major Investment Study (MIS)

requirements. The Metrorail Extension to Largo Town Center was also

approved as part of the National Capital Region's Transportation

Improvement Program (TIP), for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS),

and Preliminary Engineering (PE), as well as included in the Region's

Constrained Long Range Plan (CLRP) for construction, and in the

Maryland Department of Transportation's Statewide Transportation

Improvement Program (STIP).

In 1991, the U.S. Congress passed the Intermodal Surface

Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) which authorized $5 million for

the preparation of the federal Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and

Preliminary Engineering for the Metrorail Extension to Largo. The FTA

has granted the MTA approval to incur costs for EIS and PE work without

prejudice to possible future federal funds up to $5 million. Based on

the decision to include the Metrorail Extension to Largo in the

regional CLRP, the MTA is proceeding to the EIS and Preliminary

Engineering phase of the project. Preparation of the federal EIS will

include circulation of a Draft EIS (DEIS) for review and public

comment.

III. Description of Study Area and Project Need

The study area and corridor are wholly within Prince George's

County, beginning at the existing Addison Road Metrorail Station. The

study area is also bounded by Sheriff Road on the north,

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Central Avenue (MD 214) on the south, and Landover Road on the east.

Rail transit service to and from Washington DC to the study corridor is

available on the Metrorail Blue Line, provided by the Washington

Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Existing traffic is

primarily carried by Central Avenue (MD 214) and I-95/I-495 (the

Capital Beltway) with high traffic volumes and poor level-of-service at

many of the signalized intersections along Central Avenue and along

major portions of the Capital Beltway.

The proposed Metrorail Extension will provide rail transit service

to the rapidly developing areas in the Largo Town Center. The proposed

extension will also support economic development while contributing to

higher transit use to and from Washington, DC employment centers. This

increased transit ridership will improve cross-county public

transportation and help achieve regional clean air goals.

IV. Alternatives

Transportation alternatives proposed for consideration in the

project area include: (1) The No-Build option, under which the existing

and programmed bus, rail, and roadway improvements in the study area

would be assumed to be implemented; (2) a Transportation Systems

Management (TSM) alternative which consists of increased coverage of

the bus service network; and (3) the Metrorail Extension from the

Addison Road Metrorail Station to Largo Town Center, a three mile (4.8

kilometer), two station addition to the region's rail transit system.

Options to mitigate adverse impacts and to support local land use will

be considered.

V. Probable Effects

The FTA and MTA plan to evaluate in the EIS significant social,

economic and environmental impacts of the alternatives under

consideration. Among the primary issues are the expected increase in

transit ridership, the expected increase in mobility for the corridor's

transit dependent, the support of the region's air quality goals, 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. The environmental and social

impacts proposed for analysis include: Land use and economic activity,

displacements and relocations, neighborhoods, visual conditions,

traffic, air quality, noise and vibration, ecosystems, water resources,

hazardous waste disposal/neutralization, parklands, soils/geology/

topography, historic, cultural and archaeological resources, and energy

impacts. These impacts will be evaluated both for the construction

period and for the long-term operation of each alternative.

VI. FTA Procedures

In accordance with federal transportation planning regulations (23

CFR Part 450), the draft EIS will be prepared to include an evaluation

of the social, economic and environmental impacts of the alternatives.

The DEIS will be performed concurrently with Preliminary Engineering.

On the basis of the public and agency comments received on the DEIS,

the MTA Administrator in concert with the Secretary of the Maryland

Department of Transportation (MDOT) and in consultation with Prince

George's County, MWCOG, WMATA, M-NCPPC, and other affected agencies,

will select a preferred alternative. Then MTA, as lead agency, will

continue with further Preliminary Engineering and preparation of the

Final EIS. Opportunity for additional public comment will be provided

throughout all phases of project development.

Issued on: February 23, 1996.

Sheldon A. Kinbar,

Regional Administrator.

[FR Doc. 96-4691 Filed 2-28-96; 8:45 am]

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