Environmental Impact Statement on New Rochelle Intermodal Transportation Center Project, New Rochelle, New York

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Environmental Impact Statement on New Rochelle Intermodal

Transportation Center Project, New Rochelle, New York

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement

(EIS).

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental

Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and as implemented by the

Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-

1508) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulations under 23 CFR

Part 771, the FTA and the Westchester County Department of

Transportation (WCDOT) intend to prepare an Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) to assess the impacts of a project known as the New

Rochelle Intermodal Transportation Center. The EIS will also comply

with the requirements of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) and

Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice.

The project consists of a proposed multi-level garage and other

vehicular and pedestrian circulation improvements to be constructed on

the site of the existing at-grade parking lot along the southbound

Metro-North railroad tracks at the New Rochelle Train Station in New

Rochelle (Westchester County), New York. The proposed project is

intended to be financed through FTA and local funding sources. The

project is being administered by the City of New Rochelle (City)

Department of Development on behalf of WCDOT.

The proposed garage and station site redesign are intended to

better serve Metro-North and Amtrak train operations, Westchester

County bus service, taxi and private bus operations, and commuters

parking at the station, and improve pedestrian and vehicle circulation.

The proposed project includes a new 1,000-space parking structure,

improved vehicular and pedestrian circulation, bicycle storage, and

separate taxi, bus, and auto passenger pick up/drop off areas. The

project will be designed to be in character with the New Rochelle train

station building on the project site.

In addition to assessing the proposed intermodal center, the EIS

will evaluate the No Build alternative and any other reasonable

alternatives determined through the scoping process. Scoping will occur

both through correspondence with interested persons, organizations, and

federal, state, and local agencies and through a public meeting.

Involved agencies may include: National Railroad Passenger

Corporation (Amtrak), New York State Thruway Authority, Metro-North

Railroad (MTA), and New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

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

and impacts to be considered should be sent to the City of New Rochelle

by and will be accepted by the Department up to thirty days following

the close of the public scoping meeting. Oral comments may be given at

the scoping meeting. Scoping Meeting: A public scoping meeting will be

held on Tuesday, July 21, 1998, 8:00 PM, in City Hall, 515 North

Avenue, New Rochelle, NY.

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

Stellato, City of New Rochelle, Department of Development, New Rochelle

City Hall, 515 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony G. Carr, Director, Planning

and Program Development, Federal Transit Administration, at 212-264-

8162.

SUPPLEMENATRY INFORMATION:

Scoping

The FTA is initiating a scoping process for the purpose of

determining the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS. All

interested individuals, organizations, and Federal, State, and local

agencies are invited to participate in identifying any significant

social, economic, and environmental issues related to the proposed

project and defining the alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS. A

draft Scoping Document describing the purpose of the project and impact

issues is being mailed to affected Federal, State, and local agencies

as well as interested parties. Copies of the draft Scoping Document may

be obtained from Mark Stellato, City of New Rochelle Department of

Development at (914) 654-2191.

Following a presentation on the project, comments on the scope of

the EIS will be received and transcribed at this meeting. Scoping

comments may be submitted at the public scoping meeting and/or

submitted in writing at the address listed above. It is important that

interested parties and Federal, State, and local agencies take this

opportunity to identify environmental concerns that should be addressed

in the EIS. Further, because the preliminary design components of the

New Rochelle Intermodal Transportation Center Project are currently

being formulated and refined, the scoping process offers an opportunity

to incorporate public environmental concerns into the urban design and

engineering processes of the project.

Description of Study Area and Project Need

The proposed action (New Rochelle Intermodal Transportation Center)

includes the construction of a 1,000-space, multi-level parking garage

on the site of the existing New Rochelle train station as well as the

reconfiguration and redesign of the train station site to

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create an intermodal transportation center. The New Rochelle train

station is located in the central business district of the City of New

Rochelle, Westchester County, New York. The station site is bordered on

the north by the New England Section (I-95) of the New York State

Thruway; on the south by Metro-North's New Haven Division; on the east

by North Avenue, and on the west by Division Street. It is a major

commuter stop along the MTA Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Division

as well as Amtrak's New England Express, Springfield, and Vermont

lines. In addition, the New Rochelle station will be the only stop in

Westchester for Amtrak's high speed Northeast Corridor service between

Washington, DC and Boston, Massachusetts. The station is also a hub for

the County's Bee-Line bus service.

The City, the New York State Department of Transportation, and

WCDOT will consolidate to the maximum extent feasible various

transportation services into a single intermodal hub adjacent to the

train station building. The overall goals and objectives of this

project are to provide a convenient, secure, operationally efficient

transportation center which considers internal circulation, site

access, user friendliness, bus pick up and drop-off areas, commuter

parking, ADA access, taxi layover, kiss-and-ride, and pedestrian as

well as bicycle access.

Alternatives

The EIS will evaluate reasonable alternatives that will assist in

achieving the objectives of the New Rochelle Intermodal Transportation

Center Project. Alternatives to be analyzed would include a No Build

Alternative under which no change to the New Rochelle Station would

occur. Other alternatives to be considered would be developed during

the scoping and public comment period and could include design

alternatives.

Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis

The EIS will evaluate all potential significant social, economic,

and environmental impacts of the alternatives. Primary issues include

traffic and transportation, air quality, noise, and the landmark-

eligibility of the Train Station Building. Both positive and negative

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

term period of operation. Measures to mitigate adverse impacts will be

identified, where reasonable and appropriate. The Build year for the

proposed project is anticipated to be 2001.

FTA and State Procedures

The EIS process will be conducted in accordance with the

regulations and guidance established by NEPA, as well as FTA's

regulations under 23 CFR 771 and associated guidance documents.

Following the completion of the scoping process, a draft EIS will

be prepared and made available for public review. There will be a 45-

day public comment period and public hearing on the draft EIS. After

its publication and the public hearing, a final EIS will be prepared

with appropriate revisions and additions responding to all substantive

comments received. The final EIS will serve as the basis for a Record

of Decision issued on the proposed action.

Because the proposed action also includes actions by New York

State, county, and local agencies, it will also be assessed in

accordance with the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act

(SEQRA). The City of New Rochelle will serve as the lead agency for

SEQRA documentation. The content and format of the Federal EIS will be

designed to also meet the requirements of SEQRA for the action. All

time frames, public notices, public hearings, and comment periods will

be coordinated in accordance with both NEPA and SEQRA requirements.

Issued on: June 30, 1998.

Letitia Thompson,

Regional Administrator.

[FR Doc. 98-17820 Filed 7-2-98; 8:45 am]

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