[Federal Register: April 26, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 79)]
[Notices]
[Page 21491-21492]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26ap05-104]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement for the South Capitol Street
Roadway Improvement and Bridge Replacement Project
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS).
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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in coordination with
the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) in Washington, DC is
issuing this notice to advise agencies and the public that a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to assess the impacts of
potential effects of proposed transportation improvements in the South
Capitol Street Corridor is being prepared.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Federal Highway Administration,
District of Columbia Division: Mr. Michael Hicks, Environmental/Urban
Engineer, 1900 K Street, Suite 510, Washington, DC 20006-1103, (202)
219-3513; or Mr. John Deatrick, Deputy Director/Chief Engineer,
District of Columbia, Department of Transportation, (202-671-2800).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The environmental review of transportation
improvement alternatives in the South Capitol Street Corridor will be
conducted in accordance with the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4371, et
seq.), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR parts
1500-1508), FHWA Code of Federal Regulations (23 CFR 771.101-771.137,
et seq.), and all applicable Federal, State, and local government laws,
regulations, and policies.
Public Scoping Meetings
DDOT will solicit public comments for consideration and possible
incorporation in the DEIS through public scoping, including scoping
meetings, on the proposed improvements. To ensure that the full ranges
of issues related to this proposed action are addressed and all
significant issues are identified early in the process, comments and
suggestions are invited from all interested and/or potentially affected
parties. These individuals or groups are invited to attend the public
scoping meeting. The meeting location and time will be publicized in
local newspapers and elsewhere. Written comments will be accepted
throughout this process and can be forwarded to the address provided
above.
Meeting dates, times, and locations will be announced on the
project Web-site accessible at http://www.SouthCapitolEIS.com and in
the following newspapers: The Washington Post, The Washington Times,
The Hill Rag, East of the River, The Southwester, and La Nacion USA.
Scoping materials will be available at the meetings and may also be
obtained in advance of the meetings by contacting Mr. John Deatrick.
Scoping materials will be made available on the project web-site. Oral
and written comments may be given at the scoping meetings. Comments may
also be sent to the address above. A stenographer will be available at
the meetings to record comments. Scoping information will be made
available in both English and Spanish.
Description of Primary Study Area and Transportation Needs
The South Capitol Street Corridor is located in the southwest and
southeast
[[Page 21492]]
quadrants of the District of Columbia. The South Capitol Street
Corridor extends from Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue to the U.S.
Capitol in Washington, DC along South Capitol Street. Proposed
improvements, including improvements to the Frederick Douglass Memorial
Bridge, would be made between Suitland Parkway at Martin Luther King,
Jr. Avenue and Independence Avenue, and New Jersey Avenue between M
Street, SE., and Independence Avenue.
The purpose of the South Capitol Street project is to create a new
gateway. This gateway will consist of a balanced, sustainable,
multimodal transportation network that knits neighborhoods together and
facilitates the movement of commuters with minimal impact on the
surrounding neighborhoods. The South Capitol Street Corridor, as
defined in the AWI Framework Plan, is intended to provide better access
to waterfront areas east and west of the river, including Poplar Point
and Buzzard Point, and better serve historic Anacostia, and near
southeast and southwest neighborhoods. The future Anacostia Waterfront
will include a cleaner river, sustainable waterfront neighborhoods, new
and revitalized waterfront parks, and vibrant cultural attractions. The
creation of new transit stops and pedestrian facilities where none
exist, due to physical barriers along South Capitol Street and Suitland
Parkway, will create new opportunities for movement throughout the
corridor. Without improvements to facilitate the efficient traffic flow
of all modes, the level and duration of congestion will continue to
deteriorate throughout the corridor.
The project includes the proposed redevelopment of South Capitol
Street per, the National Capital Planning Commission's 1997 plan,
Extending the Legacy, Planning America's Capital for the 21st Century.
The plan includes South Capitol Street as a civic gateway to central
Washington providing a mix of shopping, housing, and offices. It also
proposes replacing the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge with a new
six-lane span that would accommodate pedestrians and bicycles. The 2003
South Capitol Gateway and Corridor Improvement Study, completed under
congressional direction, expressed the challenges and opportunities for
this corridor including disinvestments, traffic functionality, local
access, and the general need to restore this corridor to its original
intent as a grand gateway to the nation's capital.
The Anacostia Waterfront Initiative (AWI) seeks to restore the
river's water quality, reclaim the waterfront as a magnet of activity,
and stimulate sustainable development in waterfront neighborhoods. The
development of the South Capitol Street Corridor is an important early
step in the reinvestment and reclamation process. There is also a need
to support the development of new mixed-use development and employment
in the corridor that benefits existing residents, providing
transportation support for a variety of new housing and economic
development activities. Development in the Southeast Federal Center and
Washington Navy Yard, as well as construction of the proposed ballpark
and on Buzzard Point, will be adding large numbers of jobs and creating
new residential neighborhoods. Early traffic estimates project the
addition of 3,250 vehicles and 7,800 pedestrians during ballpark
events. The corridor could enhance the vitality and safety of the
District's roads and neighborhoods around them, by creating places and
destinations for pedestrians and bicycles.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205
Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations and implementing
Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on
Federal programs and activities apply to this program)
Authority 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: April 21, 2005.
Gary L. Henderson,
Division Administrator, District of Columbia Division, Federal Highway
Administration.
[FR Doc. 05-8330 Filed 4-25-05; 8:45 am]
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