[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 147 (Wednesday, July 30, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44314-44315]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-17482]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Notice of Limitation on Claims Against Proposed Public
Transportation Projects
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Limitation on Claims.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice announces final environmental actions taken by the
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for public transportation projects
in the following areas: Houston, Texas, Portland, Oregon, and Orlando,
Florida. The purpose of this notice is to announce publicly the
environmental decisions by FTA on the subject projects and to activate
the limitation on any claims that may challenge these final
environmental actions.
DATES: By this notice, FTA is advising the public of final agency
actions subject to Title 23, United States Code (U.S.C.), section
139(l). A claim seeking judicial review of the FTA actions announced
herein for the listed public transportation projects will be barred
unless the claim is filed on or before January 26, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Zelasko, Environmental
Protection Specialist, Office of Planning and Environment, 202-366-
0244, or Christopher Van Wyk, Attorney-Advisor, Office of Chief
Counsel, 202-366-1733. FTA is located at 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.,
Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., e.t.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that FTA has taken
final agency actions by issuing certain approvals for the public
transportation projects listed below. The actions on these projects, as
well as the laws under which such actions were taken, are described in
the documentation issued in connection with the project to comply with
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and in other documents in
the FTA administrative record for the project. The final agency
environmental decision documents--Records of Decision (ROD) or Findings
of No Significant Impact (FONSI)--for the listed projects are available
online at http://www.fta.dot.gov/planning/environment/planning_environment_documents.html or may be obtained by contacting the FTA
Regional Office for the metropolitan area where the project is located.
Contact information for the FTA Regional Offices may be found at http://www.fta.dot.gov.
This notice applies to all FTA decisions on the listed projects as
of the issuance date of this notice and all laws under which such
actions were taken, including, but not limited to, the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) [42 U.S.C. 4321-4375], Section 4(f) of
the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 [49 U.S.C. 303], Section
106 of the National Historic Preservation Act [16 U.S.C. 470f], and the
Clean Air Act [42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q]. This notice does not, however,
alter or extend the limitation period of 180 days for challenges of
project decisions subject to previous notices published in the Federal
Register (e.g., this notice does not extend the limitation on claims
announced in the Federal Register on November 2, 2007 for the original
FONSI issued for the Central Florida Commuter Rail Transit Project).
The projects and actions that are the subject of this notice are:
1. Project name and location: North Corridor Fixed Guideway Transit
Project, Houston, Texas. Project sponsor: Metropolitan Transit
Authority of Harris County Texas (METRO). Project description: The FTA
and METRO have completed a Supplemental Final Environmental Impact
Statement (SFEIS) for the North Corridor Fixed Guideway Transit Project
(North Corridor Project). The North Corridor Project will extend the
existing METRORail Red line from the University of Houston-Downtown
Station approximately 5.3 miles north to Northline Mall. The project
includes construction of eight passenger stations and five electrical
substations; improvements to the existing light rail transit storage
and maintenance facility; and the purchase of 12 additional light rail
transit vehicles. Final Agency Actions: ROD signed on July 1, 2008.
Section 106 Memorandum of Agreement signed on June 4, 2008; Project-
level Air Conformity determination; and Section 4(f) finding.
Supporting documentation: North Corridor Fixed Guideway Supplemental
Final Environmental Impact Statement (SFEIS) signed on April 18, 2008.
2. Project name and location: Southeast Corridor Fixed Guideway
Transit Project, Houston, Texas. Project sponsor: METRO. Project
description:
[[Page 44315]]
The FTA and METRO have completed a SFEIS for the Southeast Corridor
Fixed Guideway Transit Project (Southeast Corridor Project). The
Southeast Corridor Project will start in downtown Houston; connect to
the universities area including Texas Southern University, University
of Houston, and the Palm Center; and end at a terminus on Griggs Road
and Beekman Road. The light rail will operate in portions of the
alignment on both restricted street lanes and an exclusive bi-
directional trackway. For the Southeast Corridor Project, METRO will
also construct a vehicle storage facility, ten passenger stations, and
a traction power electrical system. Final agency actions: ROD signed on
July 16, 2008; Section 4(f) de minimis impact finding; Section 106
Memorandum of Agreement signed on June 4, 2008; Project-level Air
Conformity determination. Supporting documentation: Southeast Corridor
Fixed Guideway Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement
(SFEIS) signed on April 25, 2008.
3. Project name and location: Portland Streetcar Loop Project,
Portland Oregon. Project sponsor: Tri-County Metropolitan
Transportation District (TriMet). Project description: The project
involves the construction of 3.3 miles of double track rail lines in
existing streets and public rights-of-way from NW 10th Avenue and
Lovejoy Street in the Pearl District of northwest Portland to the
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in southeast Portland. TriMet
plans to construct 18 new station pairs with designs similar to those
along the existing Portland Streetcar alignment. The project also
includes the purchase of 10 streetcars, expansion of the existing
streetcar operations and maintenance facility, roadway improvements,
and elimination of some bus line service. Final agency actions: FONSI
signed on July 2, 2008; Section 106 Finding of No Adverse Effect;
Project-level Air Conformity determination; Section 4(f) de minimis
impact finding. Supporting documentation: Environmental Assessment on
the Portland Streetcar Loop Project issued on February 8, 2008.
4. Project name and location: Central Florida Commuter Rail Transit
Project, Orlando, Florida. Project sponsor: Florida Department of
Transportation (FDOT). Project description: FDOT is proposing to
operate a commuter rail project on approximately 61 miles of existing
freight rail tracks that traverse Orange, Seminole, Volusia, and
Osceola counties in the greater metropolitan area of Orlando, Florida.
The project will involve the construction of 17 stations and a new
vehicle storage and maintenance facility. On April 27, 2007, FTA issued
a FONSI on the Central Florida Commuter Rail Transit (CFCRT) North/
South Corridor project stating that the project would not have a
significant impact on the environment. Since issuing the FONSI, FDOT
made several changes to stations on the CFCRT project and these changes
were reviewed in a Supplemental EA approved on May 8, 2008. The final
agency actions announced in this notice only concern these project
changes which are of limited scope and do not warrant reconsideration
of the entire project. Final agency actions: FONSI signed on July 22,
2008; Section 106 Finding of No Effect on Historic Properties dated
June 20, 2008; Section 4(f) finding. Supporting documentation:
Supplemental Environmental Assessment on the Central Florida Commuter
Rail Transit North/South Corridor Project approved on May 8, 2008.
Issued on: July 24, 2008.
Susan Borinsky,
Associate Administrator for Planning and Environment, Washington, DC.
[FR Doc. E8-17482 Filed 7-29-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P