Action
Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
Summary
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is issuing this notice to advise other agencies and the public that, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and its implementing regulations, FTA and the New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ TRANSIT), in partnership with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ), intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate alternatives that increase transit capacity across the Hudson River to meet the growing demand for travel between midtown Manhattan (23rd Street to 59th Street, Hudson River to East River) and west-of-Hudson points in New Jersey and New York. NJ TRANSIT is the local sponsoring agency for this EIS. Among the alternatives to be considered is the construction of a new trans-Hudson River rail tunnel and additional infrastructure improvements in New Jersey and proximate to Penn Station New York (PSNY) to improve train and commuter capacity. The tunnel alternative was recommended on the basis of a Major Investment Study (MIS) conducted from 1995 to 2003, which is available for review as described in ADDRESSES below. FTA, NJ TRANSIT, and PANYNJ seek public and interagency input on the scope of the EIS for the project, including the alternatives to be considered and the environmental and community impacts to be evaluated. The project is called Access to the Region's Core (ARC).