[Federal Register: August 19, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 160)]
[Notices]
[Page 49839]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19au03-98]
[[Page 49839]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Federal Transit Administration
Environmental Impact Statement: City and County of Denver, CO
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit
Administration (FTA), Deparmtent of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: FHWA and FTA are issuing this notice to advise the public that
an environmental impact statement/Section 4(f) Evaluation will be
prepared for transportation improvements in the city and County of
Denver, Adams County, and the City of Aurora, Colorado.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shaun Cutting, Senior Operations
Engineer, FHWA, Colorado Division, 555 Zang Street, Room 250, Lockwood,
CO, 80228, Telephone: (303) 969-6730 extension 369. Dave Beckhouse,
Community Planner, FTA, 216 16th Street, Suite 650, Denver, CO, 80202,
Telephone: (303) 844-3242. Sharon Lipp, Colorado Department of
Transportation, Region 6, 2000 South Holly Street, Denver, CO, 80222,
Telephone: (303) 984-5260. Mike Turner, Regional Transportation
District, 1600 Blake Street, Denver, CO, 80202, Telephone: (303) 299-
2366.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA and FTA in cooperation with the
Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Regional Transportation
District (RTD), and the City and County of Denver (Denver) will prepare
an environmental impact statement (EIS)/Section 4(f) Evaluation for
transportation improvements on the Interstate 70 (I-70) Corridor (the
Corridor) between Interstate 25 (I-25) and Pena Boulevard and a transit
connection between downtown Denver and Denver International Airport
(DIA).
Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will
be sent to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies. Project
scoping will be accomplished through coordination with affected
parties, stakeholders, organizations, Federal, State, and local
agencies; agency scoping meetings; and through community outreach and
public meetings in the project corridor. Agency scoping meetings will
be conducted late summer, and public scoping meetings will be conducted
this fall (2003). Information on the time and place of the public
scoping meetings will be provided in the local newspapers. In advance
of the corridor-wide public scoping meetings this fall (2003), a
variety of grassroots outreach techniques will be used including a
door-to-door campaign for some of the neighborhoods, flyers, block and
neighborhood meetings, and business and community-organization outreach
meetings. To be placed on the public mailing list to receive additional
project information, contact either Sharon Lipp or Mike Turner at the
addresses previously provided.
To ensure that a full range of issues related to the 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/Section 4(f).
Evaluation should be directed to Shaun Cutting or Dave Beckhouse at the
addresses previously provided.
The EIS/Section 4(f) Evaluation will evaluate improvement
alternatives and the No-Action alternative based on the Purpose and
Need. Alternatives will be developed through an extensive agency and
community outreach process. A full range of potential alignments and
corridors will be considered for both highway and transit alternatives.
The I-70 East Corridor EIS will result in a decision about which
transportation projects, if any, will be built to improve safety and
address congestion in the Corridor. The purpose of the proposed action
is to improve safety, access, and mobility and to decrease congestion.
Currently, the I-70 East Corridor is one of the most heavily traveled
and congested corridors in the region and State. Downtown Denver is the
center for rail and bus transit in the region. DIA is a critical link
in the regional and national transportation network. Safety issues
revolve around the age and design features of the interchanges and
roadway.
The alternatives evaluated in the Draft EIS (DEIS) and Section 4(f)
Evaluation will include, but not be limited to, variations of the
horizontal and vertical alignment of I-70 as well as capacity and
safety improvements. Existing and future interchanges will also be
evaluated. Transit alternatives will include, but not be limited to,
bus and rail technologies as well as evaluating rail transit along the
Union Pacific Railroad corridor from downtown Denver to DIA. As part of
the transit evaluations, station locations will be studied and
identified as appropriate. The DEIS/Section 4(f) Evaluation will also
fully evaluate the No-Action alternative.
FHWA and FTA will evaluate social, economic, and environmental
impacts of the various alternatives. A major concern is environmental
justice. The Corridor passes through three older communities that have
been affected by several actions on I-70 beginning with the initial
construction of I-70 and subsequent actions including reconstruction of
the I-70 viaduct and roadway widening on the western segment of the
Corridor. Other major issues to be evaluated include air quality,
noise, aesthetics, community cohesion impacts, and possible disruption
of neighborhoods and business and commercial activities.
The DEIS will be available for public and agency review and
comment. Information concerning the availability of the DEIS will be
published.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205,
Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing
Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on
Federal programs and activities apply to this program)
Doug Bennett,
Assistant Division Administrator, Colorado Division, Federal Highway
Administration, Lakewood, Colorado.
Lee O. Waddleton,
Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Denver,
Colorado.
[FR Doc. 03-21122 Filed 8-18-03; 8:45 am]
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