Downtown/Natomas/Airport Alternatives Analysis/Draft EIS/EIR

Downtown/Natomas/Airport Alternatives Analysis/Draft EIS/EIR

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), as joint lead agency with the Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT), will prepare an EIS/EIR on a proposal to improve transit service in an approximately 13-mile-long corridor through South and North Natomas in Sacramento, California. The study area begins in downtown Sacramento at 7th and H Streets. Traveling north, the proposed corridor alternatives would cross the Union Pacific Railyards and the American River, possibly on a new bridge. The corridor alternatives would pass through South Natomas, cross Interstate 80, and enter North Natomas. The terminus of the study area would be reached by crossing State Route 99 and connecting to the Sacramento International Airport, located approximately 13 miles northwest of downtown Sacramento. Alternatives to be considered include both modal alternatives (e.g., bus service improvements, light rail extension, bus rapid transit service) and corridor alternatives. To date, 11 alternatives have been identified to be addressed in the EIS/EIR. The EIS/EIR will examine potential changes to the physical, natural, and social environment. Impacts will be identified both for the construction period and for the long-term operation of the selected alternative. Potential impacts to the physical environment include air pollution associated with construction and the potential of the long-term air quality benefits. These impacts will be assessed using air quality models that can simulate the project's contribution to regional air pollution (both positive and negative effects). The analysis of potential effects to the physical environment will also include hydrology, water quality, and soil considerations. Rare habitat types and sensitive fish, wildlife, and plant species will be considered in the assessment of potential impacts to the natural environment. Biological surveys will be conducted to assess habitat values in the study area. Potential impacts to the social environment, including business and neighborhood disruptions, will be studied. This assessment will include potential changes in traffic congestion and pedestrian circulation, changes in transit service and patronage, and impacts to parklands (e.g., Discovery Park) and historic sites.

Sacramento

Sacramento

Air Resources Board, Transportation Projects, California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of State Parks, Division of Boating and Waterways, California Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Planning (DOT), California Highway Patrol, California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Sacramento Region 5 (RWQCB), Caltrans, Division of Aeronautics, Central Valley Flood Protection Board, Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), Department of Toxic Substances Control, Office of Historic Preservation, Resources Agency, California State Lands Commission (SLC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, North Central Region 2 (CDFW), California Department of Transportation, District 3 (DOT), Department of General Services (DGS)

California State Lands Commission (SLC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, North Central Region 2 (CDFW), California Department of Transportation, District 3 (DOT), Department of General Services (DGS)