Environmental Impact Statement: Sacramento Amtrak and Folsom Corridor LRT Extensions and Double Tracking project in Sacramento County, CA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Environmental Impact Statement: Sacramento Amtrak and Folsom

Corridor LRT Extensions and Double Tracking project in Sacramento

County, CA

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), in cooperation with

the Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT), will prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Sacramento Amtrak and

Folsom Corridor LRT Extensions and Double Tracking project in

accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The EIS will consider alternatives for improving direct transit

service within a corridor generally following U.S. Highway 50 between

the Amtrak station in downtown Sacramento and downtown Folsom,

California. The EIS will evaluate the following alternatives: a No-

Build Alternative, a Transportation Systems Management (TSM)

Alternative, and a Light Rail Transit (LRT) Alternative.

The Major Investment Study (MIS) for this project, the U.S. 50

Corridor Major Investment Study, was completed by the Sacramento Area

Council of Governments in December, 1997. Other previous studies

include various program- and construction-level environmental analyses

conducted by RT over the past eight years, and a City of Folsom

Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for a light-rail extension along the

easternmost segment of the corridor. RT will perform additional

preliminary engineering for the downtown Sacramento Amtrak extension,

the

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Folsom extension, and double tracking, for a single, construction-level

Draft EIS/EIR for the entire corridor.

Scoping will be accomplished through meetings and correspondence

with interested persons, organizations, the general public, federal and

state agencies. Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting

comments were sent to the appropriate federal, state and local

agencies, and to private organizations and citizens who have expressed

or are known to have interest in this proposal.

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

and impacts to be considered must be postmarked no later than April 20,

1998 and should be sent to the Sacramento Regional Transit District at

the address below. Scoping Meetings: Two public scoping meetings will

be held: April 7, 1998 from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m., at the Nimbus Winery,

12401 Folsom Boulevard, Rancho Cordova, and on April 8, 1998 from 2:00

until 4:00 p.m. at the Energy Commission Building, Hearing Room A, 1516

9th Street, Sacramento. A brief presentation of the project purpose and

alternatives will be provided at the beginning of each meeting. RT and

consultant staff will be present to take agency and public input

regarding the scope of the environmental studies, key issues, and other

suggested alternatives.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Mr. Anthony Palmere,

Planning Manager, RT, 1400 29th Street, Sacramento, CA. 95816. Phone:

(916) 321-2866. The public scoping meetings will be held at the Nimbus

Winery, 12401 Folsom Boulevard, Rancho Cordova (April 7, 1998 from 7:00

until 9:00 p.m.), and at the Energy Commission Building, Hearing Room

A, 1516 9th Street, Sacramento (April 8, 1998 from 2:00 until 4:00

p.m.).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Hom, Director, Office of

Program Development (415) 744-3116.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Description of Project Area and Scope

The FTA, as joint lead agency with the Sacramento RT, will prepare

an EIS on a proposal to improve direct transit service within an

approximately 23-mile-long corridor generally following U.S. Highway 50

between the Amtrak station in downtown Sacramento and downtown Folsom,

California. Studies will build upon previous evaluations of route and

mode alternatives and LRT extensions conducted over the past 8 years.

RT will perform preliminary engineering for the downtown Sacramento

Amtrak station extension, the Folsom extension, and double-tracking

segments, for a single, construction-level Draft EIS/EIR that satisfies

both NEPA and CEQA requirements.

II. Project Purpose and Need

The basic project purpose is to improve public transit service in

this rapidly growing corridor by providing increased transit capacity

and faster, convenient access between downtown Folsom and downtown

Sacramento. Associated needs include the following: enhancing regional

connectivity through expanded, interconnected LRT services along the

primary travel corridors in Sacramento County; accommodating future

travel demand by expanding modal options; alleviating growing traffic

congestion in the U.S. 50 corridor and on major east-west arterials;

alleviating the downtown Sacramento congestion and circulation impacts

of increased peak hour traffic; improving regional air quality by

reducing auto emissions; improving mobility options to employment,

education, medical, and retail centers for corridor residents, in

particular low-income, youth, elderly, disabled, and ethnic minority

populations; and supporting local economic and land development goals.

III. Alternatives

The No-Build Alternative will consist of all presently programmed,

that is, existing and fiscally committed elements of the Region's

Transportation Plan for this corridor and nearby areas. These are

expected to include HOV lanes on portions of U.S. 50; and RT, Folsom

Stage and El Dorado County Transit bus service improvements in the

Folsom corridor to meet projected employment growth and transit travel

demand.

The TSM Alternative will include low-capital cost bus system

enhancements and traffic engineering, signalization, and other modest

capital improvements in addition to the programmed projects included in

the No-Build Alternative. The bus service enhancements are expected to

include RT shuttle buses between the Mather Field light rail station

and the employment centers in the White Rock Road, Mather Field, and

Sunrise Boulevard areas; new express buses from Folsom and El Dorado

County to the White Rock Road, Mather Field Road, and Sunrise Boulevard

employment centers and to the Mather Field Road station; and

continuation of Folsom Stage and El Dorado County express buses to

downtown Sacramento.

The LRT Alternative is the Sacramento Amtrak and Folsom Corridor

LRT Extensions and Double Tracking project. It incorporates extension

of the existing LRT tracks from 7th and K streets in downtown

Sacramento, to the Amtrak Station in downtown Sacramento; extension of

the LRT tracks from the Mather Field station to downtown Folsom; and

track relocation and other facility modifications to provide for

double-tracking from Amtrak to a point approximately two miles east of

Sunrise Boulevard, becoming single track to Iron Point Road and

downtown Folsom. LRT stations are included at Sunrise Boulevard, Hazel

Avenue, and Iron Point Road, in addition to the downtown Sacramento

Amtrak station and a station in downtown Folsom. The LRT Alternative

may be constructed in stages, depending on ridership and cost

projections to be developed during the studies. Proposed implementation

phasing and LRT and bus system operational changes to accommodate the

proposed LRT extensions will be described and evaluated in the Draft

EIS/EIR. Also, environmental review of four additional stations, at

Horn Road, Coloma Road, Kilgore Road, and Silverbrook Drive, will be

provided to enable construction of these stations as funding permits.

An LRT maintenance facility will be considered in the area between

Sunrise Boulevard and the Iron Point Road stations.

The EIS/EIR will address the full range of other alternatives that

have been considered in developing the proposed project.

IV. Probable Effects

Impacts proposed for analysis include changes in the physical

environment (natural resources, air quality, noise, water quality,

geology, visual); changes in the social environment (land use, business

and neighborhood disruptions); changes in traffic and pedestrian

circulation; impacts on parklands and historic sites; changes in

transit service and patronage; associated changes in highway

congestion; capital, operating, and maintenance costs; and financial

implications. Impacts will be identified both for the construction

period and for the long-term operation of the alternatives. The

proposed evaluation criteria include transportation, environmental,

social, economic, and financial measures as required by current federal

(NEPA), and State (CEQA) environmental laws and current Council on

Environmental Quality (CEQ) and FTA guidelines.

The TSM and LRT alternatives are expected to increase transit

ridership, and therefore may improve air quality and reduce automobile

traffic

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congestion in the U.S. 50 corridor. Possible adverse environmental

effects of these alternatives include localized traffic congestion or

delay, property acquisition/ displacement, visual, noise/vibration,

wetlands/natural resources, hazardous materials, and temporary

construction-phase impacts. Mitigating measures will be explored for

identified adverse effects.

To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed

action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments

and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or

questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS/EIR should be

directed to RT at the address provided above.

Issued on: March 11, 1998.

Leslie Rogers,

Region IX Administrator.

[FR Doc. 98-6688 Filed 3-13-98; 8:45 am]

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