Major Investment Study/Environmental Impact Statement: Northeast Corridor in Indianapolis, Indiana; Hamilton and Marion Counties

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Federal Transit Administration

Major Investment Study/Environmental Impact Statement: Northeast

Corridor in Indianapolis, Indiana; Hamilton and Marion Counties

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit

Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal

Transit Administration (FTA) are jointly issuing this notice to advise

the public that a Major Investment Study (MIS)/Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) is being prepared for proposed transportation

improvements in the Northeast Corridor of the Indianapolis region. The

MIS, which is currently underway, will be used as input to the EIS.

DATES: A public scoping and information meeting will be held on

Tuesday, January 26, 1999 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a

presentation at 5:30 p.m. in Indianapolis. Written comments on the

scope of the alternatives and impacts to be considered should be sent

by March 15, 1999.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Indiana Government Center

South Conference Center, Room A, located at 100 North Senate Avenue, in

downtown Indianapolis. Written comments on the scope of the

alternatives and impacts to be considered should be sent to:

Steve Cecil, Chief, Pre-Engineering and Environment Division at the

Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), 100 North Senate Avenue,

Indiana Government Center North, Room N848, Indianapolis, IN 46204,

[email protected];

or,

Lori Miser, Transportation Planning Manager, 200 East Washington

Street, Suite 1841, Indianapolis, IN 46204, [email protected].

[[Page 2271]]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Joel P. Ettinger, FTA Region 5,

200 West Adams St, Suite 2410, Chicago, IL 60606: Telephone: (312) 353-

2789. Ms. Joyce Newland, FHWA--Indiana Division, 575 N. Pennsylvania

Street, Room 254, Indianapolis, IN 46204, Telephone: (317) 226-5353.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA and FTA, in cooperation with the

Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and the Indianapolis

Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), will prepare a MS and a Draft

EIS (DEIS) for transportation improvements in the Northeast Corridor of

the Indianapolis region. The MIS/DEIS is being prepared in accordance

with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended,

and implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)

regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and in accordance to FHWA/FTA's

planning and environmental impact procedures and regulations (23 CFR

450 and 23 CFR 771).

A major investment study in the Northeast Corridor is underway to

consider a range of alternative investment strategies for

transportation improvements that will include: Transportation System

Management (TSM) and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), High-

Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) facilities, public transit improvements

including bus system enhancements, commuter rail, light rail, and other

transit technologies, roadway and freeway improvements, as well as a

No-Action Alternative. (No-Action Alternative includes existing and

committed elements of the region's transportation plan, except for the

proposed new start or investment.) Alternatives generated through the

scoping process will also be considered. Scoping will be accomplished

through written correspondence with interested persons, organizations,

and federal, state, and local agencies as well as through the public

meeting listed in DATES and ADDRESSES.

Scoping

FHWA, FTA, INDOT, and the MPO invite all interested individuals,

organizations, and federal, state, and local agencies to participate in

the scoping process defining the alternatives to be evaluated in the

MIS/DEIS and identifying any significant social, economic, or

environmental issues related to the alternatives. An information packet

describing the purpose and need of the project, the proposed

alternatives, the impact areas to be evaluated, the citizen involvement

program, and the preliminary project schedule will be mailed to

affected federal, state, and local agencies and will be provided upon

request to interested parties on record. Requests for the scoping

materials should be directed to Ms. Lori Miser at the address above or

by calling her at (317) 327-5136. Scoping comments may be made verbally

at the public scoping meeting, or in writing. See the DATES and

ADDRESSES sections above for the location and time. During the scoping

phase, comments should focus on identifying specific social, economic,

or environmental impacts to be evaluated and suggesting less costly or

less environmentally damaging alternatives that achieve similar

objectives. However, scoping is not the appropriate time to indicate a

preference for a particular alternative. Comments on preferences should

be communicated after the MIS/DEIS has been completed. If you wish to

be placed on the mailing list to receive further information as the

project develops, contact Lori Miser as previously described.

Description of Study Area and Project Needs

The Northeast Corridor is a major travel corridor that stretches

from Noblesville in the northeast to just south of the Indianapolis

Central Business District (CBD). Major highway facilities in the

corridor include I-69 south and west of 126th Street, I-465 from just

west of the US 31 interchange to the I-70 interchange, and I-70 from

the east leg of I-465 to the CBD. In addition, the study area includes

SR 37/Fall Creek Parkway from just north of Noblesville to the CBD, US

31 from north of Carmel to the CBD, and Allisonville Road, Keystone

Avenue, and the Meridian Street corridor.

Alternatives

Transportation alternatives to be considered within the corridor

include new and/or improved bus services, busways (facilities

exclusively for buses), light rail, commuter rail, TSM/TDM/ITS

strategies and roadway and highway expansion.

Probable Effects/Potential Impacts for Analysis

FHWA, FTA, INDOT, and the MPO plan to evaluate in the MIS/DEIS all

significant social, economic, and environmental impacts of the

alternatives. Among the primary issues are transportation service

changes, including transit cost, service, patronage change, and its

financial implications as well as the effect on traffic movement and

railroad operations. Other key issues include community impacts,

including land use planning and zoning compatibility, neighborhood

compatibility, local and regional economic change, aesthetics, and

utility relocation; cultural resource impacts, including effects on

historic, archaeological, and park resources; and natural resource

impacts, including air quality, noise and vibration, removal of pre-

existing hazardous wastes, water resources, natural features, and

ecosystems. The proposed impact assessment and its evaluation criteria

will take into account both positive and negative impacts, direct and

indirect impacts, short-term (construction) and long-term (operation)

impacts, and site-specific and corridor-wide impacts. Evaluation

criteria will be consistent with the applicable Federal, State of

Indiana, and local standards, criteria, regulations, and policies.

Mitigation measures will be explored for any adverse impacts that are

identified as part of the analyses.

Procedures

In accordance with the regulations and guidance established by CEQ,

as well as with 23 CFR part 450 and 23 CFR part 771 of the FHWA/FTA

planning and environmental regulations and policies, the MIS/DEIS will

include an evaluation of the social, economic, and environmental

impacts of the alternatives. The MIS/DEIS will also comply with the

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

the Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice. After its

publication, the MIS/DEIS will be available for public and agency

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

the MIS/DEIS and the comments received, INDOT and the MPO will select a

locally preferred alternative for a major investment strategy. The

locally preferred alternative will then be reaffirmed by the MPO for

inclusion into the Indianapolis Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and

the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The MIS shall lead to

specification of the project's mode, the design concept and scope in

sufficient detail to meet the requirements of the US Environmental

Protection Agency's transportation conformity regulations [40 CFR part

93 and 23 CFR 450.322(b)(8)]. INDOT and the MPO will then seek approval

from FHWA and FTA to continue with Preliminary Engineering and the

preparation of the Final EIS.

[[Page 2272]]

Issued on: January 6, 1999.

Lawrence D. Tucker,

Planning and Program Development Manager, Federal Highway

Administration, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Joel P. Ettinger,

Region 5 Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Chicago,

Illinois.

[FR Doc. 99-725 Filed 1-12-99; 8:45 am]

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