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FOOTHILL-SOUTH ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT RELEASED FOR PUBLIC REVIEW
Draft document culminates more than two decades of planning,
environmental studies to address growing traffic congestion in south
Orange County
IRVINE, Calif. (May 7, 2004) – Today the Foothill/Eastern
Transportation Corridor Agency, the government agency that operates
the Foothill (241) and Eastern (241, 161, and 133) Toll Roads in
southern and eastern Orange County, released for public review the
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Subsequent Environmental
Impact Report (SEIR) for the proposed southern extension of the
Foothill (241) Toll Road, a project known as Foothill-South.
The Draft EIS/SEIR analyzes the potential environmental, socio-economic,
and traffic impacts of 10 project alternatives under four scenarios
– eight “build” alternatives and two “no
action” alternatives. Under the “build” alternatives,
a total of six toll-road alignments (three main alignments with
three variations) were evaluated in addition to the widening of
Interstate 5 and the widening of major arterial roads in south Orange
County. (See
attached map.)
“The document does not identify a preferred alternative,”
said Macie Cleary-Milan, TCA Deputy Director of Environmental Planning.
“The purpose of the analysis was to scientifically identify
the potential impacts for all the project alternatives equally.”
Since 2000, TCA has conducted extensive technical studies to quantify
potential traffic, socioeconomic, and environmental impacts for
each project alternative. Hundreds of alignments and variations
were narrowed down to the 10 project alternatives in the Draft EIS/SEIR.
The document is consistent with state and federal requirements under
the California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental
Policy Act.
PROJECT HISTORY
The southern extension of the 241 Toll Road, the final piece of
Orange County’s network of public toll roads, has been the
subject of regional planning efforts for more than 20 years. In
1981, a conceptual highway alignment located along the inland foothills
of south Orange County was placed on Orange County’s Master
Plan of Arterial Highways (MPAH) to address the anticipated increase
in traffic demand from new housing developments planned in south
and eastern Orange County and increases in regional traffic between
San Diego and Los Angeles. The concept of the highway, then named
the Foothill Transportation Corridor, was to provide a regional
alternative to the I-5 Freeway.
From 1989-1991, TCA prepared an environmental impact report as
required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) analyzing
three alternatives. In 1991, the Foothill/Eastern Agency certified
the eastern-most alignment as the locally preferred alternative.
But changes in the 1994 National Environmental Policy Agency (NEPA)
resulted in a new environmental streamlining process designed to
improve coordination between various federal regulatory agencies
concurrently with the development of the federal Environmental Impact
Statement and permitting process.
As a result, in 1999, the Foothill/Eastern Agency began a new environmental
streamlining process to evaluate Foothill-South and other transportation
alternatives in coordination with the Federal Highways Administration,
Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Marine Corps Camp Pendleton,
and Caltrans. In March 1999, these state and federal agencies, collectively
known as the “Collaborative,” agreed on the project’s
purpose and need – “to provide improvements that alleviate
future traffic congestion and accommodate the need for mobility”
in south Orange County. The group also developed a list of project
alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS/SEIR, collectively named
the South Orange County Transportation Infrastructure Improvement
Project, or SOCTIIP.
Since the alternatives were identified by the Collaborative in
2000, extensive analysis was conducted in the study area and the
alternatives were refined to avoid impacts to sensitive native habitats,
to better preserve wildlife linkages, and minimize impacts to existing
homes and businesses. The alignments and project alternatives included
in the Draft EIS/SEIR were narrowed down from more than 100 variations
and are the result of the environmental streamlining process of
the past four years.
PUBLIC REVIEW
The public review period for the Draft EIS/SEIR is set for 60 days,
from May 7-July 7. The document can be viewed:
- Online at www.thetollroads.com.
Comments may be submitted through the website.
- TCA (Hours M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m.)
125 Pacifica, Ste. 100, Irvine 92618
(949) 754-3444
- The Toll Roads Information Center (Hours:
Tues.-Fri. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. / Sat. 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
209 Avenida Del Mar, Suite 201, San Clemente 92672 (near Ole Vista
and Avenida Del Mar)
(949) 366-4941
- Various Orange County public libraries and city halls
Copies of the document in print or electronic (CD-ROM) formats
may be purchased by contacting (949) 754-3444. Comments may be submitted
online or by mail to TCA (see address above). All comments will
be included in the public record and will be responded to in the
Final EIS/SEIR “Response to Comments” document.
NEXT STEPS
A public hearing will be held June 19 at Tesoro High School (1 Tesoro
Creek Road, Las Flores) to solicit comments about the document.
Once the public review period is complete, the F/ETCA Board will
vote on whether to certify the Final EIS/SEIR and will choose a
locally preferred project alternative to satisfy the state environmental
review process. Then federal resource agencies will select a preferred
alternative to satisfy federal environmental review process. If
a toll-road alternative is selected, the Agency must obtain final
federal and state permits before construction begins and obtain
a Record of Decision from the Federal Highway Administration. If
a ROD is obtained by 2005, construction can begin around 2006-2007,
with a completion date of 2008-2009.
ABOUT TCA
The Toll Roads are operated by the Transportation Corridor Agencies,
two joint powers authorities formed by the California state legislature
in 1986 to plan, finance, construct, and operate Orange County's
67-mile public toll road system. Fifty-one miles of the system are
complete, including the 15-mile San Joaquin Hills (SR-73) Toll Road
from Newport Beach to San Juan Capistrano; and the 36-mile Foothill/Eastern
Toll Road system (SR-241, SR-261, SR-133) from the 91 Freeway to
south Orange County. More information: www.thetollroads.com.
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