Action
Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
Summary
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the King County Metro Transit Division intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). King County 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. King County will be the SEPA lead agency. King County Metro Transit, a division of the King County Department of Transportation, may expand the operating capacity of the existing Atlantic/Central bus base complex located in Seattle's North Duwamish Industrial District. The existing complex consists of the existing Atlantic Base, which supports electric trolley service within the City of Seattle, and the Central Base, which supports a fleet of diesel buses that provide service within the City of Seattle and between the City and neighboring jurisdictions. In addition, all night owl service is dispatched from Central Base. Metro Transit uses the existing 22-acre complex for maintenance and storage of approximately 340 buses. The agency's Operating Facilities Strategic Plan identified a need for central Seattle maintenance capacity for up to 185 additional buses within the next 10 years and an additional 200 buses within the next 25 years (for a total of 385 additional buses). Increased capacity will allow maintenance service for planned increases in transit service within the City of Seattle as well as some increases in service for routes between Seattle and other jurisdictions. Among other things, King County's system is slated to accommodate up to 85 of Sound Transit's Express Service buses. The EIS will evaluate a no action alternative as well as feasible and prudent alternatives to expand the maintenance base. Study to date suggests that reasonable alternatives are limited to an upward structured expansion of employee parking combined with an expansion of the footprint of the base either westward or to the south. Expansion to the west might impact a group of buildings that could have historical significance. Expansion to the south might have an effect on a privately owned industrial business that handles approximately 10% of the Port of Seattle's export business. Expansion to non-contiguous property would not be prudent or meet project objectives because of the significantly higher operating costs, which would occur. This would reduce funds available for revenue (passenger carrying) service. Expansion to non-contiguous properties would also require acquisition of a larger amount of industrial property, which would be contrary to City policy directed toward maximum preservation of industrial property. The existing base complex occupies land that is industrially zoned. Applicable zoning regulations allow expansion of the base facilities within the industrial zone subject to a showing that impacts on industrial property and activities have been minimized. King County Transit and FTA will determine the scope of environmental review after receiving input from interested parties and organizations and from federal, state, regional, and local agencies. A similar scoping process was recently completed in accordance with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). A SEPA scoping meeting took place on August 12, 1999 in the Atlantic/Central base neighborhood, and comments were solicited from project stakeholders, interested parties, government agencies and property owners and tenants within the project area and vicinity.