[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 194 (Thursday, October 6, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62144-62148]
[FR Doc No: 2011-25885]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

Federal Transit Administration

Environmental Impact Statement for Implementation of Passenger
Rail Service Between Tucson, AZ and Phoenix, AZ

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Federal Transit
Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement
(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The FRA and FTA are issuing this Notice of Intent (NOI) to
advise other agencies and the public that they will jointly prepare an
EIS to study the implementation of passenger rail service between
Tucson, Arizona and Phoenix, Arizona and to serve communities in
between the two metropolitan areas (the proposed action).
    The FRA, FTA, and Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) will
use a tiered process, as described in the regulations of the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) implementing the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) at 40 CFR 1502.20 and
1508.28 (NEPA) and FTA's environmental procedures at 23 CFR 771.111(g)
and 774.7. This EIS is the first planning-level tier of the two-tiered
environmental review process for the proposed action.
    FRA and FTA are issuing this Notice to alert interested parties, to
solicit public and agency input on the scope of

the Tier 1 EIS, provide information on the nature of the proposed
project, including the purpose and need for the proposed action,
possible alternatives to be considered in the preparation of the Tier 1
EIS, potentially significant impacts to the natural and built
environment of those alternatives, and invite public participation in
the EIS process.
    The Tier 1 EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the CEQ regulations implementing NEPA,
the FRA's Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts as set forth
in 64 FR 28545 dated May 26, 1999 (Environmental Procedures), and FTA's
Environmental Impact and Related Procedures, in 23 CFR part 771. The
EIS will also address Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act, Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966
(49 U.S.C. 303) and other applicable Federal and state laws and
regulations to the extent relevant for a planning-level Tier-1
document. In addition, the Tier 1 study will incorporate the
alternatives analyses process required by Federal transit law (49
U.S.C. 5309) and regulation (49 CFR part 611) for a project proposed
for New Starts funding.
    Environmental Review Process: The FRA and FTA will use a tiered
process, as provided for in 40 CFR 1508.28 and in accordance with FRA
guidance, in the completion of the environmental review of the proposed
action. ``Tiering'' is a staged environmental review process applied to
environmental reviews for complex projects. The Tier 1 EIS will address
broad corridor-level issues and alternatives. Subsequent tiers will
analyze site-specific component projects and alternatives based on the
decisions made in Tier 1.
    Tier 1: The Tier 1 assessment will result in a NEPA document with
the appropriate level of detail for corridor-level decisions and will
address broad overall issues of concern, including but not limited to:
     Confirming the purpose and need for the proposed action.
     Confirming the study area appropriate to assess reasonable
alternatives.
     Developing evaluation criteria to identify alternatives
that meet the purpose and need of the proposed action and those that do
not.
     Identifying the range of reasonable alternatives to be
considered, including the no action alternative, consistent with the
current and planned use of the corridor and the existing services
within and adjacent to the study area.
     Identifying the general alignment(s) of the reasonable
alternatives.
     Identifying right-of-way requirements for the reasonable
alternatives.
     Identifying the infrastructure and equipment investment
requirements for the reasonable alternatives.
     Specifying the future no-build alternative that reflects
already planned highway and transit developments in the study area
expected to be in place by the project design year.
     Specifying the New Starts baseline alternative that
addresses the proposed action's purpose and need to the maximum extent
possible without a new transit fixed guideway.
     Identifying the operational changes required for the
reasonable alternatives.
     Describing and evaluating the potential environmental
impacts and mitigation associated with the proposed alternatives in the
level of detail appropriate for a Tier 1 EIS.
     Establishing the timing and sequencing of independent
actions to implement the proposed action.
     Evaluating the transit alternatives under the New Starts
criteria specified in 49 U.S.C. 5309 and 49 CFR part 611. The transit
alternatives may be subsets of the full build alternatives that provide
intercity rail service.
     Identifying the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA), FTA's
planning level alternative for the New Starts program, through an
Alternatives Analysis process.
    Tier 2: The Tier 2 assessments will not be included in this study
but will be identified as future actions to address components of the
planning level alternative selected at the conclusion of the Tier 1
EIS.
    This Tier 1 EIS preparation will include initial planning level
elements of a Service Development Plan; present corridor route
alternatives; and provide conceptual engineering designs of track,
ancillary facilities, stations, and other major design features to a
level sufficient to allow for meaningful understanding and comparison
of alternatives. The Tier 1 EIS will provide programmatic assessment of
environmental effects associated with the construction, operation, and
maintenance components of the proposed action. The Tier 1 EIS will
evaluate a range of reasonable corridor-level alternatives to include
the ``Baseline Conditions'' and ``No Action'' Alternatives. Build
alternatives may occur along existing rail line(s) or may be on a new
alignment. The EIS will provide for: (1) An FTA-compliant Alternatives
Analysis and (2) an FTA-compliant Tier 1 Environmental Impact
Statement.

DATES: Public Scoping meetings will be held on the following dates,
locations, and times:
    October 11, 2011 in the Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N.
Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.;
    October 13, 2011 in the Pima Community College, Northwest Campus,
7600 North Shannon Road, Tucson, AZ, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.; and
    October 19, 2011 in the Central Arizona College, Signal Peak
Campus, 8470 N. Overfield Road, Coolidge, AZ from 3 p.m. to 7.
    The buildings used for the meetings are accessible to persons with
disabilities. Any individual who requires special assistance, such as a
sign language interpreter, to participate in the meetings should
contact Kristin Bornstein at KDA Creative, telephone<PHONE_NUMBER>,
five days prior to the meeting.
    To ensure all significant issues are identified and considered, the
public will be invited to comment on the proposed action. Comments by
members of the public on the scope of the Tier 1 EIS, including the
proposed action's purpose and need, the alternatives to be considered,
the impacts to be evaluated, and the methodologies to be used in the
evaluations will be accepted at the public scoping meetings. Those
attending the public scoping meetings will be asked to register at the
meeting location. At the meeting, comments may also be submitted in
written form, or orally one-on-one to a stenographer. Interested
parties may also submit their comments in writing or via email to the
persons identified below, on or before November 4, 2011.
    For Further Information Regarding the Scoping Meetings, Please
Contact:
    Ms. Kristin Bornstein, KDA Creative, 4545 E. Shea Blvd., Suite 210,
Phoenix, AZ 85028, telephone<PHONE_NUMBER>, e-mail
<EMAIL_ADDRESS>    Information and documents regarding the environmental review
process will also be made available through appropriate means,
including the project Web site: http://www.azdot.gov/intercityrail.
    For Further Information About the Project Contact:
Ms. Andrea Martin, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Ave, SE., Mail Stop 20, Washington, DC 20590, telephone<PHONE_NUMBER>;
Ms. Amy Zaref, telephone<PHONE_NUMBER> or Mr. Alex Smith, Federal
Transit Administration Region 9, 201 Mission St., Suite 1650, San

Francisco, CA 94105, telephone<PHONE_NUMBER>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Description of Project Area

    The study area is located within the Sun Corridor region, an area
defined by the limits of three contiguous Arizona counties: Maricopa,
Pinal, and Pima. In 2011, the area is characterized by urban densities
at the northern and southern limits of the study area (Phoenix
Metropolitan Area in Maricopa County and Tucson Metropolitan Area in
Pima County, respectively) and smaller, rural communities located
between these urban centers (primarily located in Pinal County).
Historic rapid employment and population growth throughout the region
is well-documented. In general, the growing regional, intercity, and
commuter travel demand generated by the historic growth has been
accommodated by an automobile-dominated surface transportation network
anchored by Interstate 10--the primary contiguous high capacity
facility in the region. Additional surface transportation facilities
include rural state routes such as State Route 79, and local roadway
networks serving the cities and communities in the study area. There
are no public transportation services that directly connect the Phoenix
and Tucson urban centers. Mobility between these cities is
predominantly served by private automobile; additionally, commercial
air service and private bus/shuttle services are available.

II. Identification for Project Need

    In March 2010 the ADOT completed the Statewide Transportation
Planning Framework study. This study concluded that Arizona cannot
address future congestion by continuing to rely almost exclusively on
roadways to move people. High capacity services such as rail offer an
efficient and attractive form of transportation to move people and the
Tier 1 EIS will investigate passenger rail as a viable transportation
solution.
    Existing and future travel patterns, existing transit services,
travel times, and population growth in the study area all demonstrate
an existing as well as an evolving mobility need. The mobility need
clearly indicates five study area markets where demand exists or will
exist in the reasonably foreseeable future:
    (1) Intercity mobility between the Tucson and Phoenix Metropolitan
Areas.
    (2) Commuter mobility between Phoenix and nearby suburban
communities within Maricopa County.
    (3) Commuter mobility between Tucson and nearby suburban
communities within Pima County.
    (4) Commuter mobility between activity centers in Pinal County and
the Phoenix Metropolitan Area.
    (5) Commuter mobility between activity centers in Pinal County and
the Tucson Metropolitan Area.
    Current travel conditions are represented by the following:
    Travel demand in the Sun Corridor historically has been
significant. Over 51,000 daily trips occurred on two north-south roads,
Interstate 10 (I-10) and State Route 79 (SR 79) in 2008. Twenty-two
percent of the daily vehicle traffic on these roads completed a
commute-type trip, i.e., departing from and returning to the same
location.
    From 2006 to 2008, daily inter-county commute trips within the
three counties exceeded 75,000. Daily commute trips from Maricopa to
Pima numbered 2,980, and commute trips in the reverse direction
numbered 2,260. The commute from Pinal County to Maricopa County
represented about 68 percent of all inter-county commute trips
(51,625), with the second most desired trip (13,265) being in the
reverse direction, between Maricopa and Pinal counties, representing
about 18 percent of all inter-county commute trips. By 2050, as Pinal
County's employment grows significantly, these latter figures are
expected to increase accordingly.
    In 2011, the only modes of surface transportation available for
travel between Phoenix and Tucson and the area in between are private
auto or common carrier (bus); with the majority of commuter, regional,
and intercity travel using I-10 and SR 79. Despite recent widening of
sections of I-10 in the study area, the interstate still experiences
well-documented increasing durations of severe congestion and failed
operation.

Need for Intercity Mobility

    The 2050 projected travel demand in the Sun Corridor is expected to
have a substantial adverse effect on the Sun Corridor's surface
transportation network. A comparison of 2010 travel times with those
modeled by ADOT's statewide travel demand model for 2050 indicates
peak-period travel times would increase by over 100 percent for most
trips, resulting in lost time and productivity. For example, the
duration of a trip from Phoenix to Tucson--which now takes
approximately 95 minutes--would increase to nearly 5\1/2\ hours by
2050, assuming drivers are willing to travel that long to cover the
distance between the two urban areas. This also assumes I-10 has been
widened to as many as ten lanes during this period, indicating the need
for parallel transportation options along the I-10 corridor. Further,
the continued and growing demand to use I-10 as the primary intercity
and commuter route in the corridor will contribute to growing
congestion, reduced capacity, and reduced dependability on the
facility.
    In lieu of increasing capacity through continued highway widening,
rail would facilitate mobility within existing and future travel
markets by providing additional transportation capacity using an
additional dependable travel mode.

Need for Commuter Mobility

    By 2050, the employment and population makeup of the Sun Corridor
will be substantially different than it is in 2011, and as a result,
the Sun Corridor is projected to become one of the expansive urban
areas across the United States that will account for the majority of
the country's future growth. In 2050, while the Phoenix and Tucson
areas will continue as major population and employment centers, the
area between Phoenix and Tucson will experience tremendous population
and employment growth, creating a singular urbanized corridor in the
three counties. With a projected population nearing 12 million people
by 2050, the urbanized corridor will be characterized by dense
employment and population centers in and around Phoenix and Tucson and
similar population and employment centers in western Pinal County,
generally along high-capacity transportation corridors.
    Statewide, Arizona's population is projected to more than double in
the next 40 years, from 6.4 million to 16 million, with most
development resulting from growth occurring within the Sun Corridor
region. Forecasted population change in the Sun Corridor is summarized
below. Between the years 2009 and 2050:
     Maricopa County population is projected to increase by 90
percent from 4,023,000 to 7,622,700.
     Pima County population is projected to increase by 96
percent from 1,018,000 to 1,990,300.
     Pinal County population is projected to increase by 494
percent from 356,000 to 2,113,000--the highest growth rate of any
identified megapolitan region in the nation.

    Employment growth projections for the same three-county area in the
next 40 years are even more dramatic. From 2009 to 2050:

     Maricopa County employment is projected to increase by 132
percent.
     Pima County population is projected to increase by 87
percent.

     Pinal County employment is projected to increase by 850
percent.
    The substantial new population and employment in Pinal County
between the existing major urban areas will be distinguished by its
focus on high-density activity centers in accordance with the region's
long-range planning objectives. The redistribution of employment and
population towards the center of the Sun Corridor will add to existing
commuter and intercity mobility needs in the region. Within the
planning horizon, commuter mobility to activity centers in Pinal County
from Maricopa and Pima Counties will make up a substantial portion of
the overall region's mobility needs. Further, the overall increase in
travel demand within the corridor will further burden an already
capacity-deficient system.

III. Alternatives To Be Considered

    This study will satisfy the requirements of NEPA as well as FTA
requirements for an Alternative Analysis that will permit consideration
for New Starts funding. Under the New Starts Program, alternatives for
consideration in the Alternatives Analysis process will include:
     A No-build alternative (also known as no-action: future
condition in the study area implementing only currently approved
transportation plans),
     A Baseline alternative (future condition in the study area
without the proposed high-capacity guideway improvements and
implementing only transportation systems management [TSM] type
improvements), and
     Build alternatives to address the need of passenger rail
service between Tucson, Arizona and Phoenix, Arizona.
    A range of conceptual alignments by segment, alternative endpoints,
and modes/technologies that have been identified in previous plans and
studies have been proposed to constitute the potential build
alternatives. However, alignment concepts specific to this study area
will be further defined during scoping and the alternatives development
process. Definition of compatible local transit systems to serve as a
complement to the Build network would be part of alternatives
development. Build alternatives will need to address the need for both
intercity mobility and commuter mobility, and could potentially include
the pairing of any combination of alignments and endpoints to define an
overall alternative. Each alternative as defined would have independent
utility to serve the mobility needs in the corridor as defined by the
project need (See Section II).

IV. Probable Effects

    The FRA, FTA, and ADOT will evaluate direct, indirect and
cumulative changes to the social, economic, and physical environment--
including land use and socioeconomic conditions, ecology, water
resources, historic and archaeological resources, visual character and
aesthetics, contaminated and hazardous materials, transportation, air
quality, noise and vibration, and environmental justice. The analysis
will be undertaken consistent with the National Environmental Policy
Act, Council on Environmental Quality regulations defined previously,
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the Endangered
Species Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, FRA's Environmental
Procedures, FTA regulations, ADOT guidance, and Section 4(f) of the
Department of Transportation Act of 1966, along with other applicable
Federal and state regulations in the level of detail appropriate for a
Tier 1 EIS.

V. Scoping Process

    FRA, FTA, and ADOT invite all interested individuals,
organizations, Native American groups, and Federal, state, and local
agencies to comment on the scope of the Tier 1 EIS. Comments are
invited from all interested agencies and the public to ensure the full
range of issues related to the Tier 1 EIS are addressed and all
significant issues are identified. In particular, FRA, FTA, and ADOT
are interested in identifying areas of environmental concern where
there might be a potential for significant impacts. Public agencies
with jurisdiction are requested to advise FRA, FTA, and ADOT of the
applicable permit and environmental review requirements of each agency,
and the scope and content of the environmental information that is
germane to the agency's statutory responsibilities in connection with
the proposed action. Public agencies are requested to advise FRA, FTA,
and ADOT if they anticipate taking a major action in connection with
the proposed action and if they wish to cooperate in the preparation of
the Tier 1 EIS.
    Comments are encouraged on specific social, economic, or
environmental issues to be evaluated, and on reasonable alternatives
that may be less costly, more cost-effective, or have fewer
environmental or community impacts while achieving similar
transportation objectives.
    ADOT will be leading the outreach activities during the public
scoping process, beginning with the scoping meetings identified under
DATES above. Following the public scoping process, public outreach
activities will include meetings with the regional Corridor Support
Teams established for the study, as well as meetings with interested
parties or small groups. Those wishing to participate in one of the
Corridor Support Teams may do so by registering on the project Web site
at http://www.azdot.gov/intercityrail.
    The scoping meetings described in this notice will also be the
subject of additional public notification including periodic updates to
the project Web site to reflect the project's status. In addition,
newsletters will be circulated to a broad constituency to ensure people
are informed about the proposed action. Additional opportunities for
public participation will be announced through mailings, notices,
advertisements, and press releases.

VI. FTA New Starts Process

    Federal transit law requires that the transit alternatives proposed
for New Starts funding undergo an evaluation separate from the NEPA
evaluation. The New Starts evaluation considers national criteria that
are used to compare projects across the nation competing for New Starts
funding. These criteria include: Cost, cost-effectiveness, transit
system user benefits, economic development effects, operating
efficiencies, environmental benefits, transit-supportive land use
patterns served by the project, the financial plan for building the
project, the financial plan for operating the resulting transit system,
and the size of the state or local financial commitment to the project.
FTA provides detailed guidance on how to perform this analysis and
oversees its execution closely.

VII. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The Paperwork Reduction Act seeks, in part, to minimize the cost to
the taxpayer of the creation, collection, maintenance, use,
dissemination, and disposition of information. Consistent with this
goal and with principles of economy and efficiency in government, it is
the policy of FRA and FTA to limit insofar as possible distribution of
complete printed sets of environmental documents. Accordingly, unless a
specific written request for a complete printed set of environmental
documents is received by the close of the scoping process by the
Contact identified under ADDRESSES, the FRA, FTA, and ADOT will
distribute only the executive summary and a Compact Disc (CD) of the
complete environmental document. A complete printed set of the
environmental document will be

available for review at ADOT's offices and select repositories; an
electronic copy of the complete environmental document will also be
available on the project Web site: http://www.azdot.gov/intercityrail.

    Issued in Washington, DC on October 3, 2011.
Mark E. Yachmetz,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Policy and Development, Federal
Railroad Administration.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration Region 9.
[FR Doc. 2011-25885 Filed 10-5-11; 8:45 am]
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