48 THE QUEENS COURIER • MARCH 25, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed LaGuardia
Access Improvement Project at LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New York City, Queens County, New York
The FAA is issuing this notice under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as
amended, to announce the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed LaGuardia
Airport (LGA) Access Improvement Project and its connected actions (the Proposed Action). The Proposed Action
would provide direct access between LGA and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Long Island Rail Road
(LIRR) Mets-Willets Point Station and the New York City Transit (NYCT) 7 Line Mets-Willets Point Station. FAA is the
lead federal agency in the preparation of the EIS, with cooperating agencies including National Park Service (U.S.
Department of the Interior); U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation; New York State Department of Transportation; and New York State
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The Final EIS was prepared to disclose the potential
environmental impacts resulting from the Proposed Action, including real property transactions under the New York
State Eminent Domain Procedures Law.
The Final EIS is available for download on the project website at www.lgaaccesseis.com
This EIS was prepared in response to a proposal presented by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Port
Authority). The Port Authority operates LGA under a lease agreement with the City of New York. FAA must decide
whether to approve, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 47106 and 47107 relating to the eligibility of the Proposed Action for federal
funding under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and/or under 49 U.S.C. 40117, as implemented by 14 CFR 158.25,
to impose and use passenger facility charge (PFC) revenue collected for the Proposed Action to assist with
construction of potentially eligible development items shown on the Airport Layout Plan (ALP). FAA approval of the
eligibility for federal funding under AIP or to impose and use PFCs is a Federal action that must comply with NEPA
requirements. The Port Authority has indicated it intends to submit an application to impose and use PFCs, and this
EIS was prepared in order to inform the environmental determinations required as part of such an application. FAA,
as lead federal agency, invited the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation; New York State Department of Transportation; and New York State
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to participate as cooperating agencies, as described under 40
CFR 1501.6(a)(1), and the agencies accepted. Subsequent to release of the Draft EIS, the National Park Service (U.S.
Department of the Interior) requested to become a cooperating agency, and FAA accepted this request.
The Final EIS presents the purpose and need for the Proposed Action, analysis of reasonable alternatives,
discussion of impacts for each reasonable alternative, comments received on the Draft EIS, responses to comments
received on the Draft EIS, and supporting appendices. The Proposed Action includes:
• construction of an above ground fixed guideway automated people mover (APM) system approximately 2.3 miles
in length that extends from the LGA Central Hall Building under construction to the Mets-Willets Point LIRR and NYC
Transit 7 Line Stations;
• construction of two on-Airport APM stations (Central Hall APM Station and East APM Station) and one off-Airport
APM station at Willets Point (Willets Point APM Station) that provides connections to the Mets-Willets Point LIRR and
7 Line stations;
• construction of passenger walkway systems to connect the APM stations to the passenger terminals, parking
garages, and ground transportation facilities;
• construction of a multi-level APM operations, maintenance, and storage facility (OMSF) that includes up to 1,000
parking spaces (500 for airport employees, 250 for MTA employees, 50 for APM employees, and 200 for replacement
Citi Field parking);
• construction of three traction power substations to provide power to the APM guideway: one located at the
on-Airport East Station, another at-grade west of the proposed Willets Point Station just south of Roosevelt Avenue,
and the third at the OMSF;
• construction of a 27kV main substation located adjacent to the OMSF structure on MTA property;
• construction of utilities infrastructure, both new and modified, as needed, to support the Proposed Action,
including a permanent stormwater outfall into Flushing Creek and a temporary stormwater outfall into Flushing
Creek; and
• acquisition of temporary and permanent easements; no private property would be acquired.
The Proposed Action also includes various connected actions, including: utility relocation and demolition of certain
existing facilities; a temporary MTA bus storage/parking facility; relocation of up to 200 Citi Field parking spaces;
demolition and replacement of the Passerelle Bridge; temporary walkway to maintain access between the transit
stations and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park; modifications to the Mets-Willets Point LIRR Station, including new
shuttle service on the LIRR Port Washington Line; and the relocation of several World’s Fair Marina facilities, including
a boat lift, finger piers and connected timber floating dock, Marina office and boatyard facility, boat storage and
parking, and operations shed.
FAA provides the following notices:
• Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.8(c) that it used the NEPA process to notify the public of FAA’s finding that the proposed
undertaking would adversely affect properties listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
An executed Memorandum of Agreement to resolve adverse effects to historic properties is included in Appendix K
of the Final EIS.
• Pursuant to Section 4(f) of the DOT Act and Section 6(f) of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act, FAA
has prepared a Final Section 4(f) and Section 6(f) Evaluation (see Appendix I of the Final EIS). The Proposed Action
would have a significant impact on Section 4(f) resources and would require the conversion of approximately 0.5
acres of LWCF-obligated property, and a temporary non-conforming use of approximately 1.2 acres of
LWCF-obligated property. These impacts and proposed mitigation are disclosed in Chapter 3.8 and Appendix I of the
Final EIS.
• Pursuant to DOT Order 5610.2(b), DOT Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and
Low-Income Populations, the Proposed Action would have a significant impact on minority environmental justice
populations. These impacts and proposed mitigation are disclosed in Chapter 3.14 of the Final EIS.
• Pursuant to Executive Order 11990, Protection of Wetlands, that the Proposed Action would temporarily affect less
than 1 acre of jurisdictional wetlands in Flushing Creek and less than 1 acre of temporary and permanent impacts in
Flushing Bay. Impacts to these aquatic resources and proposed mitigation are disclosed in Chapter 3.16 of the Final
EIS.
• Pursuant to Executive Order 11988, Floodplain Management, that the Proposed Action would not result in a
significant encroachment on floodplains. Impacts to floodplains are disclosed in Chapter 3.16 of the Final EIS.
Following a 30-day wait period, FAA may issue Record of Decision pursuant to 40 CFR 1503.4(c) Council of
Environmental Quality regulations and FAA Orders 1050.1F and 5050.4B. FAA and the National Park Service (U.S.
Department of Interior) may prepare a joint Record of Decision.
For further information contact: Mr. Andrew Brooks, Environmental Program Manager, Eastern Regional Office,
AEA-610, Federal Aviation Administration, 1 Aviation Plaza, Jamaica, NY 11434. Email: andrew.brooks@faa.gov.
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