Press Releases - May 2004

 

 

 

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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