Environmental Impact Statement on the Norfolk-Virginia Beach Light Rail Transit Project in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Virginia Corridor

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Environmental Impact Statement on the Norfolk-Virginia Beach

Light Rail Transit Project in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Virginia

Corridor

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 Tidewater

Transportation District Commission (TRT), in cooperation with the

Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and the Hampton

Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization, intend to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), for the Norfolk-Virginia Beach

Light Rail Transit Project in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Virginia

corridor. The EIS is being prepared in conformance with the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and will also satisfy the requirements

of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA). The EIS will evaluate the

following transportation alternatives: a No-Build alternative, a

Transportation Systems Management (TSM) alternative, and the light rail

transit alignment. The Tidewater Transportation District Commission

will be the lead agency for the preparation of the EIS.

SCOPING PROCESS: The purpose of the Public Scoping Meeting is to

provide interested individuals with an introduction to and an overview

of the EIS process and the opportunity for comments on the significant

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

submitted orally at the Scoping Meeting or in Writing to Ms. Jayne

Whitney, Project Director, Tidewater Transportation District

Commission, 1500 Monticello Avenue, Norfolk, Virginia 23510 during the

Scoping comment period for the preparation of the Draft Environmental

Impact Statement (DEIS) which ends on Thursday, January 22, 1998.

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

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

the project representatives. A presentation on the project will be

given at 6:00 P.M., followed by an additional opportunity for questions

and answers. Scoping material will be available at the meeting or in

advance of the meeting by contacting Ms. Janette Crumley at (757) 640-

6295 or Ms. Delores Gee at (757) 640-6251. A sign language interpreter

will be available for the hearing impaired. A TDD number (757) 640-6255

is also available. The buildings are accessible to people with

disabilities. Scoping meetings will be held on:

1. Tuesday, December 9, 1997, 4 p.m.-7 p.m., Tidewater

Transportation District Commission Headquarters, 1500 Monticello

Avenue, Norfolk, Virginia 23510.

2. Thursday, December 11, 1997, 4 p.m.-7 p.m., ODU/NSU Virginia

Beach Higher Education Center, 3300 South Building, 397 Little Neck

Road, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23452.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Alfred Lebeau, Transportation

Program Specialist, Federal Transit Administration, Region III, (215)

656-7100.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Scoping

The FTA and TRT 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 impacts to be evaluated, and

suggesting alternatives that are less costly or have less environmental

impacts while achieving similar transit objectives. During Scoping

comments should focus on the alternatives under consideration and not

on a preference for a particular alternative. Individual preference for

a particular alternative should be communicated during the draft EIS

comment period. Scoping comments may be made at the Public Scoping

Meeting or in writing within 45 days after publication of this notice.

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

II. Description of Study and Project Need

The proposed project consists of an 18.25 mile light rail transit

system between Downtown Norfolk and the Virginia Beach Pavilion

Convention Center generally following the Norfolk Southern Railroad

right-of-way. A combination of single and double track light rail

transit construction is being studied. The study includes a proposal

for 13 stations, many of which will provide both bus and park-and-ride

access.

The Norfolk-Virginia Beach corridor has been and continues to be an

area of significant growth for the region. One hundred thousand people

commute into the City of Norfolk and 30,000 into Virginia Beach every

day from outside those communities. Virginia Beach Boulevard and Route

44/I-264 are at or over capacity at many locations at this time with

traffic forecast to grow by another 87 percent on Route 44 by the Year

2015. Both of these roadways have been expanded to the limits of the

existing, available right-of-way.

The study corridor shows population concentrations along the

Virginia Beach to Norfolk corridor that would potentially support

further justification for expanded transit service. Population

densities, particularly of minority, elderly or low-income individuals

often rely on transit for their transportation needs. Regional

employment also has continued to grow. Norfolk continues to be the

major employment center in the

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region with two major employment destinations: the Naval Base Norfolk

and Norfolk's Central Business District. The emergence of new activity

centers along the corridor within the last fifteen years has created

new commuting patterns and additional demands on transportation

facilities.

In response to this need, TRT has completed a Major Investment

Study (MIS) for the Norfolk-Virginia Beach corridor. The results of the

MIS study resulted in a preferred alternative of a light rail transit

system with limited stops along the corridor, and includes stations,

park and ride lots, and transit centers. Transit improvements are

intended to alleviate traffic congestion in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach

corridor and help achieve regional air quality goals by providing an

alternative to the single occupant vehicle.

III. Alternatives

The transportation alternatives proposed for consideration in this

project area include: (1) No-Build, which involves no change to

transportation services or facilities in the corridor beyond already

committed projects, (2) a Transportation System Management (TSM)

alternative which consists of low to medium cost improvements to the

facilities and operations of the TRT bus system in addition to the

currently planned transit improvements in the corridor, and (3) a new

light rail alignment (including line, station locations and support

facilities) generally following the existing Norfolk Southern rail

corridor between Norfolk and Virginia Beach and on surface streets in

Downtown Norfolk and to the Virginia Beach Pavilion, and a modified bus

service component.

IV. Probable Effects

The FTA and TRT will evaluate all significant environmental,

social, and economic impacts of the alternatives analyzed in the EIS.

Primary environmental issues include: Land use and neighborhood

protection, traffic and parking, visual, noise and vibration, safety,

aesthetics, stormwater management, archaeological, historic, cultural

and ecological resources, wildlife corridors. Impacts on natural areas,

rare and endangered species, air and water quality, groundwater, and

potentially contaminated sites will also be studied. Displacements and

relocations, ecosystems, water resources, hazardous waste, parklands,

and energy impacts will be assessed. The impacts will be evaluated both

for the construction period and for the long-term period of operation

of each alternative. Measures to mitigate any significant adverse

impacts will be developed.

V. FTA Procedures

In accordance with the federal transportation planning regulations

(23 CFR Part 450), the Draft EIS will be prepared to include an

evaluation of the social, economic and environmental impact of the

alternatives. The DEIS will consider the public and agency comments

received and the TRT in concert with the Secretary of the Virginia

Department of Rail and Public Transportation and Hampton Roads

Metropolitan Planning Organization and other affected agencies, will

select the preferred alternative. Then the TRT, as lead agency, will

continue with the preparation of the Final EIS. Opportunity for

additional public comment will be provided throughout all phases of

project development.

Issued: December 1, 1997.

Sheldon A. Kinbar,

Regional Administrator.

[FR Doc. 97-31803 Filed 12-3-97; 8:45 am]

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