DRAFT. Southern Rail Corridor

Transcription

1 DRAFT PURPOSE AND NEED STATEMENT Suthern Rail Crridr Feasibility and Alternatives Analysis Study Prepared fr: Prepared by: June 2012 Kimley-Hrn and Assciates, Inc

2 Suthern Rail Crridr Draft Purpse and Need Statement Revisin Histry Revisin Number Date Descriptin 0 5/31/2012 Initial draft t Prject Management Team fr cmment 1 6/11/2012 Prject Management Team cmments integrated 2 6/15/2012 Technical Advisry Cmmittee cmments integrated June 2012 i Revisin 2

3 Suthern Rail Crridr Draft Purpse and Need Statement List f Acrnyms AA CP DM&E FAQ FEIS FRA MnDOT NEPA OCRRA PAC PMP PMT PRB SDIC SEIS SRC STB TAC Alternatives Analysis Canadian Pacific Dakta, Minnesta and Eastern Railrad Frequently Asked Questins Final Envirnmental Impact Statement Federal Railrad Administratin Minnesta Department f Transprtatin Natinal Envirnmental Plicy Act Olmsted Cunty Reginal Railrad Authrity Prject Advisry Cmmittee Prject Management Plan Prject Management Team Pwder River Basin Systematic Develpment f Infrmed Cnsent Supplemental Envirnmental Impact Statement Suthern Rail Crridr Surface Transprtatin Bard Technical Advisry Cmmittee June 2012 ii Revisin 2

4 Suthern Rail Crridr Draft Purpse and Need Statement Table f Cntents Revisin Histry... i List f Acrnyms... ii Table f Cntents... iii 1. Reasn fr the Study Cntext Prject Area Prject Histry Prject Purpse and Need Prject Purpse Need fr Actin Gals and Objectives... 6 June 2012 iii Revisin 2

5 Suthern Rail Crridr Draft Purpse and Need Statement 1. Reasn fr the Study On December 16, 2009, Cngress directed funds under the Rail Line Relcatin and Imprvement prgram fr the Suthern Rail Crridr prject. The Suthern Rail Crridr (SRC) is a freight rail planning prject prpsed by Olmsted Cunty Reginal Railrad Authrity (OCRRA) t evaluate the need and feasibility t mitigate and/r relcate the existing Dakta, Minnesta and Eastern Railrad (DM&E) freight rail line in Rchester t accmmdate a ptential increase in train traffic and address capacity, envirnmental, and safety cncerns assciated with the current rute thrugh the city s dwntwn. The Minnesta Department f Transprtatin (MnDOT) has been designated as the grantee f these funds. The prject is intended t advance the study f reasnable and feasible alternatives, including imprvements t existing infrastructure and cnsideratin f a bypass arund Rchester, thrugh cmpletin f an initial envirnmental analysis f all alternatives. In rder t qualify fr future federal and state funding, the study must be cnducted in accrdance with Federal Railrad Administratin (FRA) guidelines. MnDOT, in crdinatin with OCRRA and FRA, will cmplete a series f technical reprts and analyses that can be included in subsequent envirnmental dcumentatin as part f the Natinal Envirnmental Plicy Act (NEPA) and Minnesta Envirnmental Plicy Act (MEPA) cmpliant envirnmental review prcess, and will result in the milestnes indicated belw: i. Scping ii. Develpment f a purpse and need statement Identificatin f the crridr study area Facilitatin f scping meetings with the public, stakehlders, and ther agencies Preparatin f a scping reprt Feasibility Study/Initial Alternatives Analysis: Develpment f evaluatin criteria that address: The purpse and need fr the actin, including scenaris f varied pssible/ptential rail traffic levels based n industry trends and passenger rail planning Engineering feasibility and cnceptual csts Preliminary envirnmental analysis Cmprehensive evaluatin f all reasnable alternatives that avid r minimize adverse effects n the envirnment, including: N Build alternative with and withut increased rail traffic Mitigatin f current rute thrugh Rchester with and withut increased rail traffic Prpsed Suthern Rail Crridr (SRC) Alternative All ther reasnable alternative bypass rutes Preparatin f a Feasibility Reprt and an Initial Alternatives Analysis Reprt that will result in the recmmendatin f further NEPA cmpliant review f the mst prmising alternatives June Revisin 2

6 Suthern Rail Crridr Draft Purpse and Need Statement 2. Cntext 2.1. Prject Area The Suthern Rail Crridr prject area is lcated in sutheastern Minnesta within Ddge and Olmsted cunties. The area is generally bund by Ddge Center t the west, I-90 t the suth, Dver t the east, and the Olmsted Cunty line t the nrth. The existing DM&E rail crridr between Ddge Center and Dver cvers apprximately 40 miles and runs thrugh dwntwn Rchester. The figures belw illustrate the prject area, highlighting key facilities including highways, the existing DM&E freight rail crridr, and May Clinic facilities. Additinal pints f reference include Rchester city limits and the previusly prpsed bypass alternatives. Figure 1 - Prject Area Overview June Revisin 2

7 Suthern Rail Crridr Draft Purpse and Need Statement Figure 2 - Rchester Overview 2.2. Prject Histry In 1998, DM&E filed an applicatin with the Surface Transprtatin Bard (STB) t cnstruct and perate a 281-mile rail line int the Pwder River Basin (PRB) in Wyming. If cmpleted, the expansin wuld generate as many as 34 ne mile lng laded and empty unit cal trains per day n the existing rail crridr thrugh dwntwn Rchester. T mitigate the effects f this increase in train traffic thrugh dwntwn, a 34-mile bypass alternative (referred t as Alternative R-4, see Figure 1), selected frm five ptential grade separatin and alignment ptins, was cmpared t a scenari invlving the rehabilitatin f existing facilities (referred t as Alternative R-2). Due t the cst f new cnstructin and the risk assciated with karst gelgy alng the bypass alternative, the STB s Final Envirnmental Impact Statement (FEIS) recmmended the rehabilitatin f existing facilities in cnjunctin with several mitigatin measures: Installatin f a train lcatin mnitring system in the Rchester emergency-respnse center t allw fr the display f train lcatin infrmatin and the psitin f grade crssing warning signals t facilitate crdinatin f train mvements and emergency vehicles. June Revisin 2

8 Suthern Rail Crridr Draft Purpse and Need Statement Installatin f tw grade separated crssings prir t transprting mre than 50 millin tns f cal annually thrugh Rchester, including ne grade separated crssing prir t transprting mre than 20 millin tns f cal annually thrugh Rchester, at tw f the fllwing grade crssings in Rchester r anther mutually acceptable lcatin: East Circle Drive/CSAH 22 East 2 nd Avenue Nrtheast/West Silver Lake Drive Bradway Avenue 6 th Avenue Nrthwest Installatin f additinal grade crssing prtectin devices at Bradway Avenue prir t transprting 50 millin tns f cal annually thrugh Rchester. Crdinatin with May Clinic t determine hw t best minimize prject-related impacts n the Clinic. During the EIS prcess, MnDOT cnducted an analysis f the impacts f increased train traffic n all grade crssings within 10 suthern Minnesta cunties, including bth Ddge and Olmsted (Suthern Minnesta Crridr Safety Plan, MnDOT, 2000). In additin t prviding varius recmmendatins n general guidelines fr safety imprvements at all remaining at-grade crssings, the study identified a ttal f seven grade separatin candidates within the City f Rchester under a full build scenari. The final reprt recmmended the installatin f five additinal grade separated crssings within Rchester nce train traffic levels reached 37 trains per day, likely selected frm 11 th Avenue Nrtheast, 11 th Avenue Nrthwest, and the fur crssings identified within the FEIS. While the technical data frm the MnDOT study were used in the EIS, the final recmmendatins were significantly mdified. Fllwing a curt challenge t the STB s 2002 apprval f the DM&E line (Mid States Calitin fr Prgress v. STB, 345 F.3d 52, 8 TH circ. 2003), the STB issued a Supplemental Envirnmental Impact Statement (SEIS). The SEIS reimpsed all 147 mitigatin cnditins dcumented in the FEIS ver the entire DM&E line and included ne additinal recmmendatin that DM&E cmmunity liaisns prvide assistance t cmmunities interested in develping quiet znes. N additinal mitigatin cnditins were recmmended, and cnstructin f the DM&E line was reapprved in In 2009, May Clinic released an independent evaluatin f the ptential impacts f increased train traffic thrugh dwntwn in advance f the cnstructin f the PRB line. Simulatins cnducted as part f this study indicated that in-twn imprvements, including a secnd mainline thrugh the study area and new sidings, might nt be sufficient t supprt 28 r mre daily cal trains in additin t six ther freight trains per day. The reprt presented a revised 48-mile bypass alternative t allw thrugh freight traffic t avid dwntwn Rchester, indicating that the assciated gelgical and envirnmental cncerns identified in the STB envirnmental analysis culd be addressed. Cncurrent with these studies, OCRRA and MnDOT have been actively studying a high-speed passenger rail cnnectin t the Twin Cities. Zip Rail, the name and brand adpted fr a high-speed passenger rail crridr by the Sutheast Minnesta Rail Alliance in 2011, is listed as a Tier I crridr in the Minnesta Cmprehensive Statewide Freight and Passenger Rail Plan. Access t dwntwn Rchester is cnceptually planned using the existing DM&E freight crridr, jining at a yet t be determined pint west f dwntwn. Zip Rail will be the subject f a separate and independent study. June Revisin 2

9 Suthern Rail Crridr Draft Purpse and Need Statement At present, the PRB line in Wyming has nt entered cnstructin despite STB apprval. DM&E, nw a whlly wned subsidiary f Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway, has begun implementatin f sme f the STB s recmmended imprvements, including the installatin f a defect detectin system, bridge imprvements at the Zumbr River crssing, as well as track upgrades t cntinuus welded rail thrugh dwntwn Rchester. 3. Prject Purpse and Need 3.1. Prject Purpse The purpse statement defines the fundamental reasns why the prject is being prpsed. The purpse f the prpsed actin is t prvide the future infrastructure required t serve current and lng term rail demand while addressing public health, safety, and accessibility issues within the prject area Need fr Actin The needs statement utlines the specific need fr actin that any prject alternative must address in rder t satisfy the purpse fr the prject. The Suthern Rail Crridr prject is needed t effectively address rail capacity, public health, safety, and accessibility needs assciated with current and lng term rail demand within the prject area. Fur primary factrs cntribute t the need fr the SRC prject: Prjected increase in freight traffic n the existing DM&E line DM&E has apprval t cnstruct and perate a 281-mile rail line int the PRB calfields f Wyming. This actin has the ptential t generate as many as 34 ne mile lng laded and empty unit cal trains per day thrugh Rchester n the existing rute in additin t the three trains per day currently perating. The prject is needed t address the current and ptential lng term freight shipping trends and rail capacity needs within the prject area. Ptential capacity issues with future passenger rail traffic alng existing DM&E crridr Current plans identify the existing DM&E crridr as part f a ptential alignment fr a passenger rail rute between the Twin Cities and Rchester, with passenger trains entering the crridr at a yet t be determined pint west f dwntwn. The prject is needed t address the lng term rail capacity and safety needs assciated with cmmingling f freight and passenger rail within a prtin f the existing DM&E right-f-way. June Revisin 2

10 Suthern Rail Crridr Draft Purpse and Need Statement Accessibility cnsideratins at grade crssings with increased rail activity Increased rail activity alng the existing DM&E crridr has the ptential t increase delay at grade crssings, impacting pedestrians, bicyclists, mtrists, cmmercial activity, and emergency vehicle respnse times. Withut the cnstructin f additinal grade separatins, travel patterns may change in respnse t unreliable travel times. The prject is needed t address pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle accessibility cnsideratins assciated with increased rail activity. Public health, safety, and envirnmental cnsideratins relative t increased rail activity Delay increases at grade crssings may lead t additinal cllisins, hazardus grade-crssing behavir, as well as increases in emergency vehicle respnse times. Lng queues during peak hurs may generate additinal cllisins at surrunding intersectins and degrade the pedestrian envirnment in sme areas. Increased rail activity in cmmercial and residential areas may als cntribute t a variety f envirnmental issues such as nise and vibratin impacts, reductins in air quality, as well as heightened risks assciated with the transprt f hazardus materials. The prject is needed t address health, safety, and envirnmental cnsideratins assciated with increased rail activity. 4. Gals and Objectives The SRC prject aims t address the issues assciated with the identified needs. The establishment f gals and bjectives articulates the desired benefits f the prject and establishes a fundatin fr the definitin f evaluatin measures including quantitative and qualitative criteria t be used in cmparing the perfrmance f the alternatives. The fllwing gals and bjectives have been develped t serve as a framewrk t evaluate the alternatives. Gal 1 - Prvide sufficient rail capacity thrugh the prject area Objective 1 - Minimize train delay assciated with increased rail activity Objective 2 - Maximize rail travel time reliability within the prject area Objective 3 - Preserve freight rail access fr shippers and maintain access fr freight business grwth in the area Gal 2 - Maintain acceptable traffic cnditins at grade crssings within the prject area Objective 1 - Maintain acceptable levels f service at grade crssings Objective 2 - Minimize peak queue lengths at grade crssings June Revisin 2

11 Suthern Rail Crridr Draft Purpse and Need Statement Gal 3 - Prvide apprpriate accessibility fr emergency respnse vehicles within the prject area Objective 1 - Maximize emergency respnse time reliability Objective 2 - Minimize emergency vehicle delay assciated with grade crssings Gal 4 - Address health, safety, and envirnmental issues relative t increased rail activity within the prject area Objective 1 - Minimize ttal cllisins at grade crssings Objective 2 - Minimize cllisin severity at grade crssings Objective 3 - Supprt a safe crssing envirnment fr pedestrians, bicyclists, and ther nn-vehicular traffic Objective 4 - Minimize r mitigate envirnmental impacts assciated with increased rail activity including related capital imprvements Objective 5 - Minimize risks assciated with the transprt f hazardus materials June Revisin 2