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
11 August 2021

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 11, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44132-44133]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17057]


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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 (Draft EIS) 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 project, a 
proposed highway project in Los Angeles County, California.

DATES: This notice will be accompanied by a 30-day public scoping 
comment period from Tuesday, August 3, 2021, to Wednesday, September 1, 
2021. The deadline for comments is 5:00 p.m. (PST) on September 1, 
2021. Three virtual public scoping meetings will be 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 will be made available on the 
project website at www.metro.net/405expresslanes.

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 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 Express Lanes 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.

[[Page 44133]]

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 Express Lane in each direction, and a second Express Lane 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 Express Lane 
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, 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 will 
be 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 will officially 
begin in August 2021. Virtual public scoping meetings will be 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 September 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: August 4, 2021.
Rodney Whitfield,
Director, Financial Services, Federal Highway Administration, 
California Division.
[FR Doc. 2021-17057 Filed 8-10-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-RY-P