Action
Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Summary
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to assess the environmental and community impacts of transit improvements proposed by KCATA and the City of Kansas City, Missouri in a 12-mile North/South travel corridor in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Because KCATA may decide to seek FTA New Starts funding for transit improvements in the corridor, this work will also satisfy the FTA requirement for an Alternatives Analysis through the development of a combined Alternatives Analysis/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (AA/DEIS). Possible transit improvements in the corridor are intended to improve access to the major employment center located in the central portion of the region, especially for that segment of the population that does not have access to the auto-oriented transportation system. Additionally, new transit facilities would support sustainable development patterns in the corridor. Alternatives proposed to be considered for accomplishing these purposes include (1) The Future No- Build Alternative, (2) a Transportation System Management (TSM) alternative that includes improvements to bus services, and (3) various fixed-guideway transit alternatives, including the light rail transit (LRT) line developed by the Citizens' Light Rail Task Force. Scoping of the EIS will be accomplished through meetings and correspondence with interested individuals, organizations, Federal, State, and local governmental agencies, and Native American tribes.