Environmental Impact Statement on the Mid-Harlem Third Track Project Between Mount Vernon West and Crestwood Stations, Westchester County, NY

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Environmental Impact Statement on the Mid-Harlem Third Track

Project Between Mount Vernon West and Crestwood Stations, Westchester

County, NY

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 Metro-North

Commuter Railroad Company (Metro-North) intend to prepare an

environmental impact statement (EIS), in accordance with the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), on a proposal by

Metro-North to undertake transportation improvements to its Harlem Line

between Mount Vernon West and Crestwood Stations (the ``Mid-Harlem

Third Track Project'' or the ``Proposed Action'').

Metro-North's Harlem Line, extending 76.6 miles from Grand Central

Terminal in Manhattan north through the Bronx, Westchester, Putnam and

Dutchess Counties, is the most densely traveled line in the Metro-North

system. Metro-North is fast approaching capacity on the entire Harlem

Line due to capacity constraints in the mid-Harlem section. The Mid-

Harlem Third Track Project will allow Metro-North to maintain, improve

and expand service for all Harlem Line customers, future users and the

region well into the 21st Century.

The Mid-Harlem Third Track Project includes Build Alternatives

which entail the upgrade of an existing third track between Mount

Vernon West and Fleetwood and the construction of a 2.5 mile third

track between Fleetwood and Crestwood Stations. The Proposed Action

includes a Build Alternative preferred by Metro-North which will be

identified throughout the NEPA process as the ``Preferred

Alternative.'' In addition to the Preferred Alternative, the EIS will

evaluate the No-Build Alternative, three (3) Build Alternatives, and

three (3) Operational Alternatives, as well as any other reasonable

alternative(s) raised during the scoping process.

Scoping for the Mid-Harlem Third Track Project will be accomplished

through correspondence with interested persons and organizations, as

well as with federal, state and local agencies. One (1) public scoping

meeting will be conducted. A draft Scoping Document will be made

available to those persons and agencies and may be obtained by

contacting the person designated below.

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

and impacts must be submitted by Friday, July 18, 1997. Written

comments should be sent to Ms. Kim A. Smith, Assistant Director--

Capital and Long Range Planning, Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company,

347 Madison Avenue--19th Floor, New York City, New York, 10017. Oral

comments should be made at the scoping meeting scheduled below. (Oral

comments made at the scoping meeting will be transcribed. Assistance

will be provided for the hearing impaired.) Scoping Meeting: The public

scoping meeting concerning the proposed Mid-Harlem Third Track Project

will be held on: June 18, 1997, 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Westchester

County Center, White Plains, New York.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Anthony Carr, Director, Office of Planning and Program Development,

Federal Transit Administration at (212) 264-8162.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

FTA and Metro-North invite all interested individuals and

organizations, as well as federal, state, and local agencies, to

participate in identifying the reasonable alternatives to be evaluated

in the EIS and identifying any significant social, economic, and

environmental issues related to the Mid-Harlem Third Track Project. A

draft Scoping Document describing the purpose of the project, the

proposed alternatives and the impact issues to be evaluated is being

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

parties. Others may request the draft Scoping Document by contacting

Ms. Smith at (212) 340-2693. Scoping comments may be made orally at the

public scoping meeting or submitted in writing by Friday, July 18,

1997. (See the Scoping Meeting section above for the time and

location.)

During the scoping process, comments should focus on identifying

specific social, economic, and/or environmental issues to be evaluated

and suggesting reasonable alternatives which may be less costly or less

environmentally damaging, while achieving similar transportation

objectives. Scoping is not the appropriate forum in which to indicate a

preference for a particular alternative. Comments on preferences should

be communicated after the draft EIS has been completed and issued for

review

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

further information as the project develops, contact Ms. Smith as

described above.

Following the public scoping meeting a final Scoping Document will

be prepared that will contain the transcript from the public scoping

meeting, any written comments received, as outline of the decisions

that have been made during the scoping process, and a summary of the

issues to be evaluated in a draft EIS.

II. Description of Study Areas and Project Need

Metro-North's Harlem Line extends 76.6 miles from Grand Central

Terminal in Manhattan north through the Bronx, Westchester, Putnam and

Dutchess Counties. It is the most densely traveled line in the Metro-

North system as it is primarily a two track railroad as distinguished

from the three and four tracks on the Hudson and New Haven lines.

The area where construction of the Build Alternatives would take

place extends along the railroad right-of-way from Mount Vernon West to

Crestwood Station, a distance of approximately 3.6 miles.

Approximately 74,000 passengers were carried on the Harlem Line on

an average weekday in 1996. Metro-North is fast approaching capacity on

the entire Harlem Line as it is constrained by the four mile section of

two tracks between Mount Vernon West and Crestwood. The high frequency

of service that traverses this two track section, exacerbated by the

limiting physical characteristics of the two track railroad, constrains

Metro-North's ability to improve service for the entire Harlem Line.

The Mid-Harlem Third Track will enable Metro-North to provide a

greater degree of schedule flexibility by allowing the expansion of

service for existing and future customers on the entire Harlem Line.

Harlem Line ridership has increased an average of 2.6% annually (1984-

1996), and is projected to increase on average another 1.9% annually

(1996-2020). Without the third track, only one or two additional trains

can be added in either the morning or evening peak hours when 40% of

all Harlem Line peak period customers travel. Elimination of this

capacity constraint is a prerequisite for adding the additional trains

needed to keep pace with demand.

The completion of the Mid-Harlem Third Track Project will meet the

needs of Harlem Line customers by providing the following benefits:

Increase Capacity/Serve New Markets

Improve Service to Existing Customers

Support Regional Economic Conditions

Mitigate the Impacts of Construction and Maintenance

Projects

Improve Service Reliability

Improve Air Quality

III. Alternatives

The EIS will analyze reasonable alternatives that may achieve the

Proposed Action's goals. In addition to Metro-North's preferred

configuration of the Mid-Harlem Third Track (the ``Preferred

Alternative''), seven (7) other Alternatives have been defined, and

will be evaluated in the EIS: three (3) build Alternatives, three (3)

Operational Alternatives and the No-Build Alternative.

The Preferred Alternative involves the upgrade of an existing third

track between Mount Vernon West and Fleetwood and construction of a new

2.5 mile third track from Fleetwood to Crestwood to the west of the

existing mainline tracks. Two of the Build Alternatives involve

construction on the east side of the right-of-way in the area of

Bronxville Station. The third Build Alternative involves an alignment

that includes the upgrade of the existing third track between Mount

Vernon West and Fleetwood Stations, compresses to two tracks north of

Fleetwood Station and expands again to three tracks south of Bronxville

Station to Crestwood Station. Under all Build Alternatives, the portion

of the third track located between Bronxville and Crestwood would be

built between the existing tracks, with all construction on Metro-North

property. The No-Build Alternative presents conditions with service

provided with the existing track configuration. In addition to the

Build and No-Build Alternatives, three Alternatives that consider

modifications to Metro-North's operations without changing track

configurations: reducing signal spacing and train speeds; installing

communication-based signalling; and consolidating and/or eliminating

service at certain stations to allow for additional service to other

stations, will also be evaluated. All alternatives, including the No-

Build Alternative, involve lengthening of trains as needed and as

feasible.

IV. Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis

In the EIS, FTA/Metro-North will evaluate all significant social,

economic, and environmental effects, or potential impacts, of the

alternatives. Social, economic and environmental impacts proposed for

analysis include land acquisitions and displacements, land use and

zoning, secondary development, water quality, wetlands, flooding,

navigable waterways and coastal zone, ecologically sensitive areas,

threatened and endangered species, traffic and parking, air quality,

noise and vibration, energy and conservation, historic/archaeological

resources and parklands, construction/community disruption, aesthetics,

safety and security, consistency with local plans, hazardous materials,

electric and magnetic fields, and environmental justice. Special

attention will be given to potential impacts related to traffic, noise

and vibration and air quality. Both positive and negative impacts will

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

of operation. Measures to mitigate any significant adverse impacts will

be considered.

V. FTA Procedures

The EIS process will be conducted according to regulations and

guidelines established by NEPA, as well as FTA's regulations found at

23 CFR part 771, and associated guidance documents. The social,

economic, and environmental impacts of the Mid-Harlem Third Track

Project will be assessed, and, if necessary, the project will be

revised or refined to minimize and mitigate any adverse impacts. After

its publication, the draft EIS will be available for public agency

review and comment. A public hearing will be held. On the basis of the

draft EIS and comments received, FTA/Metro-North will complete a final

EIS.

Issued on: May 28, 1997.

Anthony G. Carr,

Director, Office of Planning and Program Development.

[FR Doc. 97-14313 Filed 5-28-97; 3:44 pm]

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