Action
Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
Summary
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), as lead Federal agency, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) as local project sponsor and joint lead agency, intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate potential benefits and impacts of the PANYNJ proposal (the Proposed Project) to construct a new Bus Terminal and associated infrastructure (the Replacement Facility) in Midtown Manhattan in the City of New York, New York. The Proposed Project to be evaluated in the EIS includes both the Replacement Facility, and four private, high-rise buildings (three commercial and one mixed-use retail/residential) to be built on PANYNJ property consistent with present as-of-right zoning. The Replacement Facility is necessary because the existing Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) has significant capacity and operational constraints, is aging and obsolete, and cannot meet forecasted increases in bus service demand. FTA, in coordination with PANYNJ, will prepare the EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), and, as appropriate, the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and City of New York's City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR). This Notice of Intent (NOI) initiates public scoping for the EIS, and provides information on the Proposed Project, the Project's purpose and need, and the alternatives being considered for evaluation in the EIS. This NOI invites public comments on environmental impacts that may be associated with the Proposed Project and alternatives. Interested members of the public, tribes, and agencies are invited to submit comments on the proposed scope of the EIS, PANYNJ's purpose and need, the identification of alternatives to be considered, the environmental benefits and impacts to be evaluated, and any other project-related issues or analyses. In consideration of the Federal Government's COVID-19 Emergency Declaration dated March 13, 2020, FTA has determined that virtual public meetings and hearings are a permissible and useful tool to provide for public involvement in the NEPA process.