Comment period for the Mission Bay Loop Environmental Assessment

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have completed a public Environmental Assessment (EA), compliant with the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). As is typical for Environmental Assessments, the public is invited to review and comment during a period of 30 days.

Any comments should be filed within 30 days from the date of this notice. Comments may be submitted electronically to darton.ito@sfmta.com. Comments may also be mailed to:

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
1 South Van Ness Ave, 7th Floor
San Francisco, California 94103

All comments must be received by June 10, 2013.

In addition, the SFMTA will host a public meeting to discuss the project and the Environmental Assessment:

Mission Bay Loop Public Meeting
Tuesday, June 4, 2013, 6:00-7:30pm
654 Minnesota Street (corner of 19th)
3rd Floor, Tivoli Room

For further information, contact Darton Ito darton.ito@sfmta.com 415.701.4330

The FTA is the federal lead agency pursuant to NEPA and the SFMTA is the project sponsor.

The proposed Mission Bay Loop was designed in 1998 as part of the Third Street Light Rail Project, completed in 2003. Due to budget constraints, construction of the Mission Bay Loop was deferred. An Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for Third Street Light Rail Project was completed and approved in 1999 by the FTA and the City and County of San Francisco. Because approximately 14 years have passed since the EIS/EIR for Third Street Light Rail Project was completed, the FTA has prepared an EA to identify and evaluate any conditions that might have changed after 1999 that could potentially result in adverse environmental effects from construction and operation of the Mission Bay Loop.

The Loop would provide turn-around capabilities for the T-Third Street light rail line via a connection of trackway from Third Street to Eighteenth, Illinois, and Nineteenth Streets. The Mission Bay Loop would also provide a means to turn trains for special events and during peak periods to accommodate additional service needed between Mission Bay and the Market Street Muni Metro. The proposed Loop would be constructed in the Central Waterfront area of the City and County of San Francisco, on city roads and right-of-ways on the block of Eighteenth, Illinois, and Nineteenth Streets. The existing trackway on Eighteenth and Nineteenth Streets between Third and Illinois Streets would be extended to Illinois Street to complete the Loop. Traffic, pedestrian, and train signals would be installed at the intersections of Eighteenth and Illinois Streets and Nineteenth and Illinois Streets. Federal, state, and local agencies, and interested members of the public, are invited and encouraged to review and comment on the EA.