[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 152 (Friday, August 7, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42477-42478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21185]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Environmental Impact Statement: Transportation Improvements
Within the Desire Corridor in New Orleans, LA
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The FTA is issuing this notice to advise interested agencies
and the public that an environmental impact statement may be prepared
for transportation improvements in the Desire Corridor in New Orleans,
Louisiana.
DATES: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the scope of the
alternatives and impacts to be considered should be sent to Ed Bayer,
RTA Manager of Planning, by September 11, 1998. Scoping Meetings: A
public scoping meeting will be held on Thursday, September 24, 1998,
from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and an interagency scoping meeting will be held
on Tuesday, September 1, 1998, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. See
ADDRESSES below.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope should be sent to Ed Bayer,
Manager of Planning, Regional Transit Authority (RTA), 6700 Plaza
Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana 70127-2677. Scoping meetings will be held
at the following locations:
Public Scoping
Thursday, September 24, 1998, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., McDonough School
#15 (Cafeteria), 721 St. Philip Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112
Interagency Scoping
Tuesday, September 1, 1998, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Regional
Planning Commission, 333 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 1100, New Orleans,
Louisiana 70130
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Peggy Crist, Director of Planning
and Program Development, Federal Transit Administration Region 6, 524
East Lamar Boulevard, Suite 175, Arlington, Texas 76011-5704;
Telephone: (817) 860-9663.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FTA, in cooperation with the Regional
Transit Authority (RTA), may prepare an environmental impact statement
(EIS) for proposed transportation improvements in the New Orleans Vieux
Carre (French Quarter) and adjacent neighborhoods. The transportation
improvements are being defined in conjunction with a Major Investment
Study (MIS) which will include the NEPA scoping process, the
identification and evaluation of concept and scope alternatives, and
the selection of a preferred design concept and scope alternative or
alternatives. Subsequently, alternative alignments and designs that are
consistent with the selected concept and scope may be addressed in an
EIS. It is important to note that a final decision to prepare an EIS
has not been made at this time. This decision will be made at the end
of the major investment study, and will depend upon the nature of the
selected concept and its expected impacts.
I. Scoping
A public scoping meeting will be held by RTA on Thursday, September
24, 1998, between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. in the cafeteria of McDonough
School #15, 721 St. Philip Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112. FTA
and RTA invite interested individuals, organizations, and public
agencies to attend the scoping meeting and participate in establishing
the purpose, alternatives, time framework, and analysis approach, as
well as an active public involvement program. The public is invited to
comment on the alternatives to be addressed, the modes and technologies
to be evaluated, the alignments and termination points to be
considered, the environmental, social, and economic impacts to be
analyzed, and the evaluation approach to be used to select a locally
preferred alternative. People with special needs should call the Desire
Corridor MIS hotline at (504) 945-8025. The building for the scoping
meeting is accessible to people with disabilities.
An interagency scoping meeting will be held on Tuesday, September
1, 1998, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Regional Planning
Commission, 333 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 1100, New Orleans, Louisiana
70130. Federal, state, and local public agencies are invited to attend.
To ensure that a full range of issues is addressed and all
significant issues identified, comments and suggestions are invited
from all interested parties. Comments or questions should be directed
to the RTA at the address provided above.
II. Description of Study Area and Its Transportation Needs
The Desire Corridor is located in the historic center of New
Orleans, extending approximately three miles from Canal Street,
bordering the central business district, eastward to the Industrial
Canal, a major commercial waterway connecting the Mississippi River to
the Intracoastal Waterway and Lake Pontchartrain. The Corridor is
approximately one-half mile wide, from the riverfront north to Rampart
Street/St. Claude Avenue. It includes the historic Vieux Carre (French
Quarter), a world-renowned tourist center with related commercial
activities, and two distinct residential areas, the Faubourg Marigny,
and the Bywater neighborhoods. It is the home of the U.S. Navy Support
Activity Center and the soon-to-be-completed New Orleans Center for the
Creative Arts (NOCCA), and is adjacent to the Louis Armstrong
performing arts center and St. Claude Medical Center (hospital).
Until 1948/49, the Corridor was served by the Desire and St. Claude
streetcar lines, subsequently converted to bus lines. The area is
currently served or crossed by the Riverfront streetcar line, nine bus
routes, and a number of private shuttle bus operations and taxicab
services. These services operate on narrow streets throughout the
Corridor, or on a limited number of major arterials at the perimeter of
the Corridor.
The French Quarter is the most congested area of the city and the
region, with high volumes of both vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and
limited on-street and off-street parking. These conditions, combined
with the major festivals and conventions throughout the year, create a
unique transportation environment for residents, employees, and
visitors.
[[Page 42478]]
III. Alternatives
It is expected that the scoping meeting and written comments will
be a major source of candidate alternatives for consideration in the
study. The following describes the No-Build, Enhanced Bus/
Transportation Systems Management (TSM), Busway/High Occupancy Vehicle
(HOV), and Streetcar Build Alternatives that are suggested for
consideration in the Desire Corridor MIS:
1. No-Build Alternative--Existing and planned transit service and
programmed new transportation facilities to the year 2020;
2. Enhanced Bus/TSM Alternative--Changes in existing bus routes to
provide better service and low-cost transportation improvements, such
as bus prioritization at signalized intersections and special bus
lanes.
3. Busway/High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Alternative--Exclusive lanes
for buses and/or carpools to move people faster.
4. Streetcar Alternative--A new Desire streetcar line, possibly
following a historic streetcar alignment through the French Quarter or
along Rampart Street/St. Claude Avenue, or on a new alignment along the
riverfront or following existing streets through the eastern portion of
the Corridor.
Based on public input received during scoping, variations of the
above alternatives and other transportation-related improvement
options, both transit and non-transit, will be considered for the
Desire Corridor.
IV. Probable Effects
Issues and impacts to be considered during the study include
potential changes to: The physical environment (air quality, noise,
water quality, aesthetics, etc.); the social environment (land use,
development, neighborhoods, etc.); parklands and historic resources;
transportation system performance; capital operating and maintenance
costs; financial resources available and financial impact on the RTA.
The entire Corridor is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places, so potential impacts on standing structures and historic
districts (i.e., noise, vibration, trees, etc.) will be important.
Vehicular/pedestrian circulation, parking and in-street operation of
buses and streetcars are key considerations.
Evaluation criteria will include consideration of the local goals
and objectives established for the study, measures of effectiveness
identified during scoping, and criteria established by FTA for ``New
Start'' transit projects.
Issued on: August 4, 1998.
Blas M. Uribe,
Deputy Regional Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-21185 Filed 8-6-98; 8:45 am]
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