Environmental Impact Statement on Canal Street Spine Streetcar Project

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Environmental Impact Statement on Canal Street Spine Streetcar

Project

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

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

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

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Regional

Transit Authority (RTA) intend to prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy

Act (NEPA) for transportation improvements in the Canal Street Corridor

within the City of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Locally Preferred

Alternative (the Proposed Action) for transportation improvements

consists of the construction of a streetcar rail route in the neutral

ground (median) of Canal Street extending from the Riverfront streetcar

line to City Park Avenue with a connection along Carrollton and Orleans

Avenues to City Park and Delgado Community College.

The FTA and RTA will prepare the draft and final EIS in conformance

with 40 CFR Parts 1500-1508, Council on Environmental Quality,

Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Requirements of the

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and 49 CFR Part 622, FTA,

Environmental Impact and Related Procedures. In addition, in

conformance with Federal Transit Laws, as codified at 49 U.S.C. 5301 et

seq., and FTA policy, the Draft EIS will be prepared as a follow-on

document to the Canal Street Corridor Project, Major Investment Study

(March

[[Page 15561]]

1995) and the Canal Street Corridor Project, Locally Preferred

Alternative Report (March 1995). In addition, both the Draft and Final

EIS will be prepared in conjunction with Preliminary Engineering for

the Canal Street Spine Streetcar Project.

DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of alternatives

and impacts to be considered should be sent to Mr. Jeffrey Roesel,

Project Manager, RTA by May 8, 1996. Scoping Meeting: A public scoping

meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 30, 1996, at the St. John

Lutheran Church Fellowship Center. See ADDRESSES below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the project scope should be sent to Mr.

Jeffrey Roesel, Project Manager, RTA, 6700 Plaza Drive, New Orleans,

Louisiana 70127-2677.

A Scoping Meeting will be held beginning at 7:00 p.m. on April 30,

1996, at the following location: St. John Lutheran Church Fellowship

Center, 136 North Pierce Street, New Orleans, LA 70119.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Peggy Crist, Director, Planning

and Program Development, FTA, (817) 860-9663.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

The FTA and RTA invite the public and affected Federal, State, and

local agencies to comment on the alternatives that will be evaluated in

the EIS and identify any significant issues related to the

alternatives. Written materials describing the Proposed Action, the

expected environmental impacts, a public involvement program, and the

preliminary work schedule are being mailed to affected Federal, State,

and local agencies and to interested parties on record. Others may

request these scoping materials by calling or writing to Mr. Jeffrey

Roesel, Project Manager, RTA, 6700 Plaza Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana

70127-2677; Telephone (504) 248-3899.

A scoping meeting is set for April 30, 1996, at the St. John

Lutheran Church Fellowship Center. Verbal and written comments may be

submitted at this meeting, and RTA staff will be available for

questions. Opportunity for additional public comment will be provided

during the study. If you would like to be placed on the mailing list to

receive further information on the project and notices of public

meetings and hearings, please contact Mr. Roesel at the above address.

II. Description of Study Areas and Project Need

The Canal Street Corridor is delineated by the area bounded by and

including the abutting properties from the intersection of City Park

Avenue and the I-10 to Canal Boulevard to the Norfolk Southern Railroad

right-of-way to the Bayou St. John to St. Ann Street to Decatur Street

to Elysian Fields Avenue to the Mississippi River to Poydras Street to

the I-10 to the intersection with City Park Avenue. This corridor

contains several of the City's oldest and most famous neighborhoods,

some of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The neighborhoods in the study area include Mid-City, Treme, the French

Quarter, Faubourg Marigny, the Warehouse District, the Central Business

District (CBD), and the New Orleans Regional Medical Center.

The RTA, in cooperation with the FTA, is undertaking the Canal

Street Spine Streetcar Project as part of an overall plan to upgrade

and expand transit ridership and services in the New Orleans

Metropolitan Area. The project is needed to improve local commuting

access along the Canal Street Corridor and into the New Orleans CBD.

Other transportation goals include increasing transit system ridership

and operating efficiency, while reducing conflicts between transit

vehicles and passenger cars.

III. Alternatives

Transportation improvements proposed for consideration in the Canal

Street Corridor EIS include the No Build Alternative and the Proposed

Action. The No Build Alternative consists of a continuation of the

current five bus lines operating in the Canal Street Corridor. Issues

to be evaluated under the No Build Alternative include elimination of

underutilized stops and modification of traffic signals to incorporate

priority control.

The Proposed Action consists of re-occupation of the traditional

street rail corridor in the neutral ground (median) of Canal Street

from the foot of Canal Street (connection to the Riverfront Line) to

City Park Avenue. It also includes a spur line that would depart from

the Canal Spine at Carrollton Avenue, travel along Carrollton to

Orleans Avenue, and follow Orleans across City Park Avenue to a

terminus in Marconi Boulevard near the entrances to City Park and

Delgado Community College at Victory Drive. Service will begin at the

Esplanade station on the Riverfront Line and proceed along the existing

Riverfront Line to the foot of Canal Street. From the foot of Canal,

service will proceed in the Canal Street neutral ground (median) to the

terminus at City Park Avenue or the Marconi Boulevard terminus. The

entire route, consisting of double-tracked rail, is approximately 5.6

miles (9.0 km) in length.

In addition, the Proposed Action will include the construction of a

maintenance facility for daily service, inspection, and storage of the

Canal Street Spine and Riverfront streetcar fleet (SIS Barn).

Preliminary screening of locations has identified three potential

locations for the SIS Barn: (1) and (2) Lafitte Avenue Sites I and II,

located within the rail corridor bounded by St. Louis Street, Lafitte

Avenue, North Claiborne Avenue, and North Dorgenois Street; and (3)

Jefferson Davis/Tulane Site, bounded by Tulane Avenue, South Jefferson

Davis Parkway, Julia Street, South Genois Street, and South Clark

Street. All existing facilities have also been considered.

IV. Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis

The FTA and RTA propose to evaluate in the EIS all significant

social, economic, and environmental impacts of the alternatives under

consideration. The impacts evaluated will include: noise; residential

and business displacements; changes in development patterns and land

use; community disruption due to traffic, noise, displacements, and

parking changes; safety considerations; effects on parks and historic

sites (Sections 106 and 4(f)); degradation of the air quality and water

quality; encroachment on wetlands and floodplains, ecologically

sensitive areas, hazardous waste sites; changes to wildlife habitat;

and the overall aesthetic quality of the area. These impacts will be

evaluated for both the construction period and for the long-term

operation of each alternative. Measures to mitigate identified impacts

will be discussed.

V. FTA Procedures

In accordance with Federal transportation planning regulations, the

DEIS will be prepared as a follow-on document to the Canal Street

Corridor Project, Major Investment Study (March 1995) and the Canal

Street Corridor Project, Locally Preferred Alternative Report (March

1995) as approved by the City of New Orleans. In addition, both the

Draft and Final EIS will be prepared in conjunction with Preliminary

Engineering for the Canal Street Spine Streetcar Project. Upon

completion of the DEIS, and in consideration of comments received from

the public and

[[Page 15562]]

affected agencies, the RTA, as the lead agency, will continue with

further preliminary engineering and preparation of a Final EIS.

Issued on: April 3, 1996.

Wilbur E. Hare,

Regional Administrator.

[FR Doc. 96-8649 Filed 4-5-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910-57-P