Action
Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
Summary
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (RTA) intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The RTA will ensure that the EIS also satisfies the requirements of the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The FTA will be the NEPA lead agency. The RTA will be the SEPA lead agency. Corridor alternatives were evaluated in a SEPA plan- level EIS (1993) and in a Major Investment Study (1997). The EIS will evaluate the Everett-Seattle Commuter Rail Project, including station location alternatives and track improvement/expansion design variations design alternatives in sensitive (shoreline and wetland) areas, along the 35-mile long corridor between Everett and Seattle, Washington. The project will generally, though not solely, be located in existing Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railway (BNSF) right- of-way. The proposed Commuter Rail Project is intended to provide peak- hour commuter rail service between key activity centers along the corridor, including two of the region's largest employment centers: Seattle and Everett. The commuter rail line will connect with the proposed Seattle-to-Tacoma/Lakewood commuter rail service, and the proposed Central Light Rail Transit line between north Seattle and SeaTac, Washington, at the King Street Station in Seattle. The project will also evaluate site alternatives for a proposed commuter rail vehicle overnight storage and light maintenance facility or facilities. In addition, the EIS will evaluate the no-build alternative and any new reasonable alternatives generated through the scoping process. Scoping will be accomplished through correspondence with interested persons, organizations, and federal, state, regional, and local agencies, as well as through meetings with interested persons. Five public scoping meetings will be held, as well as one interagency scoping meeting. See DATES below for details.