Action
Notice of Intent to prepare an Alternatives Analysis/ Environmental Impact Statement.
Summary
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority (CIRTA), the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization (Indianapolis MPO) and Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo) intend to prepare an Alternatives Analysis/Environmental Impact Statement (AA/EIS) relating to proposed high capacity transit improvements in the Northeast Corridor located in the Indiana counties of Marion and Hamilton. The study area is an approximately 23-mile long travel corridor extending from downtown Indianapolis to the northern parts of Noblesville and includes the communities of Carmel and Fishers. Options to be considered include No-Build, Transportation System Management (TSM), Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and Commuter Rail. The AA/EIS will be prepared in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its implementing regulations. The AA/EIS process provides opportunities for the public to comment on the scope of the EIS, including the project's purpose and need, the alternatives to be considered, and the impacts to be evaluated. The southern terminal of all alternatives will be Union Station or an adjacent transit center in downtown Indianapolis. The purpose of this notice is to alert interested parties regarding the intent to prepare the AA/EIS, to provide information on the nature of the proposed project and possible alternatives, to invite public participation in the AA/EIS process, including comments on the scope of the EIS as proposed in this notice, to announce that public scoping meetings will be conducted, and to identify participating agency contacts. This input will be used to assist decisionmakers in determining a locally preferred alternative (LPA) and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Northeast Corridor. Upon selection of an LPA, the project sponsors will request permission from FTA to enter into preliminary engineering per requirements of New Starts regulations 49 CFR Part 611. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) will be issued after FTA approves entrance into preliminary engineering. Dates, Times, and Locations: Comment Due Date: Written comments on the purpose and need for the proposed improvements, and the scope of alternatives and impacts to be considered should be sent to the Indianapolis MPO by April 30, 2010. Public scoping meetings to accept comments on the scope of the study will be held on the following dates: <bullet> Wednesday, March 17 from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. in the Julia Carson Government Center located at 300 E Fall Creek Parkway N Dr., Indianapolis, Indiana. <bullet> Wednesday, March 24 from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. in the Hamilton County Government Center located at One Hamilton County Square, Noblesville, Indiana. The public scoping meetings will be informal meetings in an open house format. Interested persons may ask questions about the proposal and the FTA's environmental review process. The project's purpose and need and the initial set of alternatives proposed for study will be presented at these meetings. CIRTA, MPO and IndyGO project team members will be available to answer questions and receive comments. Writing stations will be available to those who wish to submit written comments at the public scoping meetings. Project team members will be available to listen and make notes of residents' comments. The public scoping meeting locations comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Persons needing special accommodations should contact Anna M. Tyskiewicz, Project Manager, at (317) 327-5487 or atyszkie@indygov.org at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Subsequent to the public scoping meetings, an interagency scoping meeting for Federal, State, regional and local resource and regulatory agencies will be held in April 2010. All appropriate agencies that may have an interest in this project, or have a potential interest in becoming a participating agency, will be notified of the meeting through separate direct correspondence. Submitting Comments on the Scope of the Study: Scoping materials will be available at the meetings and through the project's Web site at http://www.indyconnect.org. FTA, CIRTA, the Indianapolis MPO and IndyGo encourage broad participation in the AA/EIS process. All interested agencies, organizations, communities, and members of the public are invited to participate in the scoping process by reviewing and commenting on the scope of the AA/EIS.