Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Interstate 405 ExpressLanes Project, in Los Angeles County, California

Topics:  Interstate Highway System

Rodney Whitfield
Federal Highway Administration
7 September 2021

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 7, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50205-50207]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-19314]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Interstate 405 ExpressLanes Project, in Los Angeles 
County, California

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI) to prepare a draft environmental impact 
statement for the Interstate 405 (I-405) ExpressLanes project.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the California Department of 
Transportation (Caltrans), is issuing this notice to advise the public 
that a Draft EIS will be prepared for the I-405 ExpressLanes

[[Page 50206]]

project, a proposed highway project in Los Angeles County, California.

DATES: The formal scoping period has been extended and will occur from 
August 3 through October 1, 2021. The deadline for comments is 5:00 
p.m. on October 1, 2021. Three virtual public scoping meetings have 
been held on:

 Saturday, August 14, 2021; 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
 Tuesday, August 17, 2021; 6-8 p.m.
 Wednesday, August 18, 2021; 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The virtual meeting link was made available on the project 
website at www.metro.net/405expresslanes. A recording of one of the 
public scoping meetings, in English and in Spanish, is available for 
viewing via the interactive StoryMap on the project website.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For Caltrans, contact Ronald Kosinski, 
Deputy District Director, Division of Environmental Planning, Caltrans 
District 7, 100 S Main Street, MS 16A, Los Angeles, CA, 90012, (213) 
507-4301, or email ron.kosinski@dot.ca.gov. For FHWA, contact David 
Tedrick, telephone (916) 498-5024, or email David.tedrick@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective July 1, 2007, FHWA assigned, and 
Caltrans assumed, environmental responsibilities for this project 
pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327. Caltrans, as the assigned National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) agency, will prepare a Draft EIS on a 
proposal for a highway improvement project in Los Angeles County, 
California.
    The Project proposes to improve traffic conditions on Interstate 
405 (I-405) starting in the south at Interstate 10 (I-10) and 
terminating in the north at U.S. Highway 101 (US-101). The proposed 
Project will reduce congestion, encourage carpooling and transit, 
improve trip reliability, reduce degradation of the carpool and 
general-purpose lanes, increase person throughput, and apply technology 
to help manage traffic. The range of improvements may include, but not 
be limited to, converting existing HOV lanes to ExpressLanes or adding 
an additional Express Lane in each direction and converting existing 
HOV lanes to ExpressLanes.
    Currently, the following alternatives are being considered, all 
approximately 10 miles in length:
     Alternative 1: The No-Build/No Action Alternative does not 
include improvements to the existing lanes along I-405 between I-10 and 
US-101.
     Alternative 2: Convert Existing HOV to One ExpressLane 
(Standard Lane and Shoulder Widths). This build alternative would 
convert the existing HOV lane in each direction, along I-405 between I-
10 and US-101, to an ExpressLane. The northbound and southbound 
directions of the freeway would be restriped within the existing 
footprint to accommodate one 12-foot wide ExpressLane with a 4-foot 
wide buffer separating the ExpressLane from the 12-foot wide general-
purpose lanes. Dynamic pricing would be deployed in the ExpressLane to 
ensure trip reliability and traffic flow. Installation of toll and 
communication infrastructure and modification/installation of overhead 
signs would be required. Alternative 2 proposes to widen the freeway, 
where necessary, to accommodate an additional weave lane at ExpressLane 
ingress/egress locations and maintain stopping sight distance at 
curves. Non-standard inside shoulders would be maintained in a few 
locations where constraints exist, and standard 10-foot outside 
shoulders would be provided where possible. Retaining walls would be 
provided where required to minimize and avoid right-of-way (ROW) 
acquisition. Other improvements include construction of retaining walls 
and sound walls, utility improvements, and drainage improvements.
     Alternative 3: Convert Existing HOV Lane to Two 
ExpressLanes (Non-Standard Lane and Shoulder Widths). This build 
alternative would convert the existing HOV lane to an ExpressLane and 
add a second ExpressLane in each direction between I-10 and US-101. The 
freeway would be widened and restriped to accommodate the two 
ExpressLanes with a buffer separating the ExpressLanes from the 
general-purpose lanes. Dynamic pricing would be deployed in the 
ExpressLanes to ensure trip reliability and traffic flow. Installation 
of toll and communication infrastructure and modification/installation 
of overhead signs would be required. Alternative 3 proposes to widen 
the freeway to the outside in order to accommodate the proposed two-
lane ExpressLane facility as described. Non-standard lanes and 
shoulders would be provided to accommodate for the addition of the new 
ExpressLanes as part of Alternative 3. Retaining walls would be 
provided where required to minimize and avoid ROW acquisition. The 
reduction of shoulder and lane widths allows for accommodation of the 
proposed two-lane ExpressLane facility without significant proposed 
roadway widening. However, in locations with the following conditions, 
additional roadway widening may be required:
     12-foot wide weaving lane at ExpressLane ingress/egress 
locations.
     Widening of inside/outside shoulders to maintain sight 
distance.
    Other improvements include construction of retaining walls and 
sound walls, utility improvements, and drainage improvements.
     Alternative 4: Convert Existing HOV Lane to Two 
ExpressLanes (Standard Lanes and Shoulder Widths). This build 
alternative would convert the existing HOV lane, between I-10 and US-
101, to an ExpressLane in each direction, and a second ExpressLane in 
each direction would also be added, while providing standard lane 
widths, shoulder widths and stopping sight distances. The freeway would 
be widened and restriped to accommodate the two ExpressLanes with a 
buffer separating the ExpressLanes from the general-purpose lanes. 
Dynamic pricing would be deployed in the ExpressLanes to ensure trip 
reliability and traffic flow. Installation of toll and communication 
infrastructure and modification/installation of overhead signs would be 
required. Alternative 4 proposes to widen the freeway to the outside in 
order to accommodate the proposed standard two-lane ExpressLane 
facility as described. Retaining walls would be provided where required 
to minimize and avoid ROW acquisition. Reconstruction of some existing 
freeway structures would be required to implement Alternative 4's 
standard roadway cross-section. Other improvements include construction 
of retaining walls and sound walls, utility improvements, and drainage 
improvements.
     Alternative 5: Add an Additional HOV Lane (Non-standard 
Lane and Shoulder Widths). This build alternative would add an 
additional HOV lane, between I-10 and US-101, in each direction. The 
freeway would be widened and restriped to accommodate the two HOV lanes 
with a buffer separating the HOV lanes from the general-purpose lanes. 
Alternative 5 proposes to widen the freeway to the outside in order to 
accommodate the proposed two-lane HOV facility as described. Non-
standard lanes and shoulders would be provided in order to accommodate 
for the addition of the new HOV lane as part of Alternative 5. 
Retaining walls would be provided where required to minimize and avoid 
ROW acquisition. The reduction of shoulder and lane widths allows for 
accommodation of the proposed two-lane HOV facility without significant 
proposed roadway widening. However,

[[Page 50207]]

in locations with the following conditions, additional roadway widening 
may be required:
     12-foot wide weaving lane at HOV ingress/egress locations.
     Widening of inside/outside shoulder to maintain sight 
distance.
    Other improvements include construction of retaining walls and 
sound walls, utility improvements, and drainage improvements.
    Anticipated Federal and State approvals include permits under the 
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), Clean Water 
Act (CWA) Section 401 Water Quality, CWA Section 404 Nationwide Permit 
from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), California Fish 
and Game Code Section 1602 Lake or Streambed Alteration Agreement from 
the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Section 7 
Consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 
for listed species under the Federal Endangered Species Act (FESA), and 
CDFW 2080.1 Consistency Determination for listed species under the 
California Endangered Species Act (CESA).
    Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments have 
been sent to appropriate Federal, State, Participating Agencies, Tribal 
governments and groups, local agencies, and to private organizations 
and citizens who have previously expressed or are known to have 
interest in this proposal. The public scoping process officially began 
in August 2021. Virtual public scoping meetings were held in August 
2021. Comments may be submitted during the public scoping period via 
mail, email, the project website comment form, or the project hotline. 
Submit comments by mail to the following address: Ron Kosinski, Deputy 
District Director, Caltrans District 7, 100 S Main Street, MS 16A, Los 
Angeles, CA 90012. Submit comments by email to 
405expresslanes@metro.net. Submit comments via comment form on the 
project website at www.metro.net/405expresslanes. Submit oral comments 
by calling (213) 922-4860 to leave a voice recording. All comments must 
be received no later than October 1, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. In addition, a 
public hearing will be held once the Draft EIS is completed. Public 
notice will be given of the time and place of the meeting and hearing. 
The Draft EIS will be available for public and agency review and 
comment prior to the public hearing.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments, 
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or 
questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be 
directed to Caltrans at the address provided above.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing 
Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on 
Federal programs and activities apply to this program.)

    Issued on: September 1, 2021.
Rodney Whitfield,
Director, Financial Services, Federal Highway Administration, 
California Division.
[FR Doc. 2021-19314 Filed 9-3-21; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-RY-P