| Impacts of Project Alternatives What Significant Adverse Impacts Might Occur for a Particular Alternative?
A summary of the key impacts, or effects, for each alternative is
presented in Table S-4. The impacts identified in Table S-4 include operational effects,
i.e., those that would occur if the project were constructed and operating.
In addition to operational effects, there are a number of impacts that
would occur during the construction period. These impacts are common to all the BART build
alternatives, and would affect the project corridor primarily between mid- 1996 and mid-
1998 (see Table S-5).
The DEIR/SDEIS also identifies cumulative impacts. These impacts
result from the proposed project in combination with other known and foreseeable projects,
such as the San Francisco International Airport Master Plan and the El Camino Corridor
redevelopment project. Cumulative impacts with the BART build alternatives are summarized
in Table S-6.
The DEIR/SDEIS presents these impacts in Chapter 3 and concentrates on
"significant adverse" effects. A comprehensive list of the significant effects
is presented in Table S-7 at the end of this Executive Summary. The threshold between a
significant and insignificant impact is based on significance criteria that are defined
for each environmental issue considered in the DEIR/SDEIS. The criteria are based on state
and federal standards and guidelines, professional engineering practices, and professional
judgment.
Can the Impacts be Reduced or Eliminated?
For every significant adverse impact identified in the DEIR/SDEIS,
mitigation measures are proposed to reduce or eliminate the effects. A summary of these
measures is contained in Table S-8 at the end of this Executive Summary. In some
instances, the proposed mitigation measure will not reduce the impact to an insignificant
level. In these cases, the impact remains significant and is said to be
"unavoidable." Unavoidable, significant effects identified in the DEIR/SDEIS are
specially noted in Table S-7 by using underlined boldface text, and are
summarized in Chapter 4 of the DEIR/SDEIS. Before the project can be adopted, BART and
SamTrans will be required to examine each of these unavoidable, significant impacts and
determine whether the benefits associated with the project outweigh the unavoidable
adverse effects.
Are There Any Areas of Controversy?
There are a number of controversies that have been raised for each of
the project alternatives and are of significant concern to local communities, groups, or
organizations. These areas of controversy highlight critical social and economic
implications of the proposed extension and are indicated below, by jurisdiction:
Colma
Extent and duration of construction activities because of
disturbances to local circulation, noise and dust, and pedestrian safety
Disruption of cemetery services during construction of any of the
BART build alternatives, and during operations under the Base Case Alternative
Visual and physical impacts to cemeteries and loss of landscaping
with any profile other than subway
South San Francisco
Extent and duration of construction activities because of
disturbances to local circulation, noise and dust, and pedestrian safety, particularly for
school-aged children
Retained cut alignment and Chestnut Station location under the Base
Case Alternative are inconsistent with city policy and local preferences for a subway
system
San Bruno
Extent and duration of construction activities because of
disturbances to local circulation, noise and dust, and pedestrian safety, particularly for
school-aged children
Significant socio-economic impacts associated with potential
alignment and stations in the downtown area, especially if alignment is in aerial
configuration
Disruption of the Fifth Addition neighborhood under the proposed
project and the I-380 Least-Cost Design Option, the Belle Air residential neighborhood
under the Base Case Alternative and Alternatives IV and V, and the Central Business
District under Alternatives IV and V as a result of displacement of residences and
businesses
- Loss of municipal property tax revenues associated with displacement
Millbrae
Extent and duration of construction activities because of
disturbances to local circulation, noise and dust, and pedestrian safety, particularly for
school-aged children
Disruption of neighborhoods through displacement of businesses and
residences under Alternatives IV, V, and VI and their design options
Loss of municipal property tax revenues associated with displacement
under Alternatives IV, V, and VI and their design options
Loss of revenues for the Millbrae School District due to relocation
of students under Alternatives IV, V, and VI and their design options
Burlingame
Extent and duration of construction activities because of
disturbances to local circulation, noise and dust, and pedestrian safety under Alternative
VI
Traffic impacts along local streets of BART passengers seeking to
access the end-of-the-line station at Millbrae Avenue under Alternative VI
SFIA Property west of Highway 101
- Loss of wetlands and habitat for the San Francisco Garter Snake
|
Table S-4
Summary Comparison of Key Impacts |
Issue |
Proposed Project
Locally Preferred Alternative |
I-380 Least -Cost
Design Option |
Alternative I
No Build |
Alternative II
TSM |
Alternative III
Base Case |
Alternative IV
Airport Aerial East of Highway 101 |
Alternative V
Minimum Length Subway to Millbrae |
Design Option V-A
Minimum Length Subway to Airport GTC |
Design Option V-B Minimum
Length Subway to San Bruno |
Alternative VI
Millbrae Ave. via Airport International Terminal |
| |
Traffic |
|
Deterioration to or Exacerbation of Unacceptable LOS at
Local Intersections (Compared to 1993 conditions)
|
Significant deterioration in LOS at Hickey extension/
station exit in Pm,El Camino Real/ Sneath in Pm, and Chestnut/Grand in PM.
|
Same as proposed project.
|
|
Generally same or improved LOS at local intersections
|
|
|
|
Significant deterioration in LOS at San Mateo/ Huntington
in Pm, San Mateo/Lumber Yard Kiss-and-Ride exit in Pm, the Hickey extension/station exit
and Chestnut/Grand, in Pm.
|
|
Significant deterioration in LOS at Hickey
extension/station exit and Chestnut/Grand in Pm; El Camino Real/Sneath,
Huntington/Tanforan Driveway North in Pm, and El Camino Real/Millbrae in AM
|
| |
Land Use |
|
|
|
120 residents; up to 130 employees.
|
- Same as proposed project.
|
|
- No or little displacement.
|
- No residential displacement; up to 40 employees.
|
- Up to 560 residents; up to 490 employees
|
- Up to 600 residents; up to 605 employees.
|
- Up to 650 residents; up to 565 employees
|
- Same as Design Option V-A.
|
- Up to 525 residents; up to 60 employees.
|
| |
- Community Cohesion/Local Economic Activity in Station Vicinity
|
Minimally affects real estate or economic development except
At Hickey where it supports local development objectives.
Displacement at Hickey Station disrupts local social
patterns of shopping, circulation, and neighborhood activities.
Displacement of Tanforan Shopping Center overflow parking
for Tanforan Station may affect economic development.
|
|
|
- Minimally affects real estate at the CalTrain/Airport Light Rail Station.
|
- Conflicts with residential development objectives in South San Francisco.
- Displacement of Tanforan Shopping Center overflow parking for Tanforan
Station may affect economic development.
- Chestnut Station displaces 18-stall golf driving range and bar/cafe.
- Displaces businesses around Chestnut Station.
|
- Displacement at Hickey Station disrupts local social patterns of
shopping, circulation, and neighborhood activities.
- Displacement of Tanforan Shopping Center over-flow parking for Tanforan
Station may affect economic development.
- Loss of municipal and school tax revenues in San Bruno with I-380 Station
option.
- Economic /isolation impacts in Millbrae.
- Loss of the Millbrae Nursery School and Marino Vista Park.
|
- Displacement at Hickey Station disrupts local social patterns of
shopping, circulation, and neighborhood activities.
- Displacement of Tanforan Shopping Center overflow parking for Tanforan
Station may affect economic development.
- Loss of municipal and school tax revenues in San Bruno, with either I-380
or Downtown San Bruno Station.
- Disrupts the San Bruno Central Business District, I-380/ San Bruno
Station affects Belle Air and San Bruno Park neighborhoods.
- Loss of Posy Park with Downtown San Bruno Station.
- Economic / isolation effects in Millbrae.
- Loss of the Millbrae Nursery School and Marino Vista Park.
|
- Same as Alternative V except
- Impact in San Bruno would be greater due to larger station; ALRS would
further fragment Belle Air neighborhood plus
- There would be no impacts at the Tanforan or Millbrae Intermodal
Stations.
|
- Same as Design Option V-A
|
- Displacement at Hickey Station disrupts local social patterns of
shopping, circulation, and neighborhood activities.
- Loss of municipal and school tax revenues in San Bruno and Millbrae;
- Requires relocation of Millbrae Gardens.
|
- Community Cohesion/Social Considerations (Not in Station Vicinity but
along Alignment)
|
- Impacts Belle Air neighborhood.
- Reduces supply of low-cost housing in San Bruno and San Mateo County.
|
- Fragments Fifth Addition more than proposed project because of aerial
configuration.
- Impacts Belle Air Elementary School and 7th and Walnut Park.
|
|
- No BART-related neighborhood impacts.
- Increased activity along CalTrain right-of-way would impact South San
Francisco, San Bruno, and Millbrae, and along the Hickey Boulevard extension in South San
Francisco.
|
- Introduces land use incompatibility with cemeteries in Colma.
- Introduces physical barrier in South San Francisco and San Bruno.
- Displaces approximately 400 spaces of municipal, private, and CalTrain
parking.
|
- Introduces physical barrier in Belle Air neighborhood.
- Impacts Belle Air neighborhood in San Bruno and Marino Vista and North
Millbrae neighborhoods in Millbrae.
- Reduces supply of low-cost housing in San Bruno and San Mateo County
|
- Impacts Belle Air neighborhood in San Bruno and Marino Vista and North
Millbrae neighborhoods in Millbrae.
- Reduces supply of low-cost housing in San Bruno and San Mateo County.
|
|
|
|
| Biological Resources |
- Total Wetland Loss (approximate acreage of wetlands and creek channels)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
- Loss of Wetland Habitats inhabited by the San Francisco Garter Snake,
California Red -legged frog, and the San Francisco Forktail Damselfly.
|
- 1.52 acres of wetland habitats and obstruction of movement corridors
within sensitive wildlife species habitat.
|
- 1.54 acres of wetland habitats.
|
- Results in continued decline of San Francisco Garter Snake and Red-legged
frog habitat.
|
- 0.93 acres of wetland habitats.
|
- 1.16 acres of wetland habitat.
|
- 0.91 acres of wetland habitat.
|
- 0.37 acres of wetland habitat.
|
- 0.40 to 0.41 acres of wetland habitat.
|
- 0.25 acres of wetland habitat.
|
- No displacement of wetlands habitats, resulting in the least impact of
all alternatives.
|
| Noise |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
- Site-specific Unavoidable Impacts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Seven to eight homes in Millbrae would experience groundborne noise, and
11 to 12 homes in Millbrae would experience groundborne vibration levels in excess of
appropriate criteria.
|
| |
| Air Quality |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Reductions in emissions from 1993 No Build by 1998 (000 tons/yr):
Carbon Monoxide
Nitrogen Oxides
Reactive Organic Gases
PM
10
|
|
- Similar to proposed project.
|
- Worsens regional air quality compared to all BART build alternatives.
|
- Similar to proposed project.
|
- Similar to proposed project.
|
- Similar to proposed project.
|
- Similar to proposed project.
|
- Similar to proposed project.
|
- Similar to proposed project.
|
- Similar to proposed project.
|
| |
- Highest Modeled 8 Hr. CO Concentration in 1998
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Table S-5
Generalized Construction Impacts of the BART Build Alternatives
Transportation
- Traffic detours and congestion resulting from street closures and lane
restrictions and from construction-related truck trips.
- Reduction in access between the Fifth Addition neighborhood and the
shopping centers on the west side of the SPTCo/CalTrain mainline.
- Delays to CalTrain service.
- Neighborhood disruption and diminished access to local businesses.
- Safety hazards for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Visual Quality
- Disruption of cemetery services.
- Loss of mature trees.
- Placement of construction activities close to residents, thereby creating
a sense of encroachment and adversely altering the visual setting.
- Visual alteration of the open space area between Highway 101 and the
SPTCo/CalTrain mainline, opposite the SFIA, terminals.
Cultural Resources
- Possible disturbance to an archaeological resource known to have existed
along Colma Creek.
- Indirect effects such as noise and visual alteration to the immediate
vicinity around potentially historic properties.
Community Services
- Delays in emergency services response because of street closures and lane
restrictions.
- Utility relocation and possible, temporary interruption of service.
Geology
- Slope instability and settlement during excavation.
Biological Resources
- Disturbance to surface and shallow subsurface biotic resources including
wetlands.
- Increased erosion and sedimentation with possible adverse effects on
water quality and aquatic habitats.
Hydrology
- Increased erosion and sedimentation.
- Interference with drainage patterns.
Noise
- Increased localized noise and vibration.
Air Quality
- Increased localized air emissions, including dust.
Public Health
- Discovery of hazardous materials that could present health and safety
concerns for construction workers.
Energy
- Substantial energy requirements to construct the facilities.
Source: BART; Ogden.
Table S-6
Generalized Cumulative Effects of the BART Build Alternative
Transportation
Significant traffic increases during peak A.M. and P.M. hours on
freeway segments between Millbrae and Third Avenues.
- Significant traffic increases during peak A.M. and/or P.M. hours on the freeway segment
between SFIA and Millbrae under all build alternatives except Alternative VI.
Significant increases in congestion at the following intersections:
Chestnut and Grand Avenues (under Alternative V), Junipero Serra and Westborough
Boulevards (under the Base Case), and El Camino Real and Sneath Lane (under the Base Case
and Alternative VI).
- Beneficial effect of a reduction in parking demand at Daly City and Colma BART stations
under all build alternatives.
Land Use
- Increased activity levels in South San Francisco, San Bruno, and Millbrae neighborhoods
creating traffic, noise, and safety concerns.
- Displacement effects leading to disruption of local social patterns (i.e., shopping,
circulation, and neighborhood activities) in the project corridor.
- Beneficial effect of long-term job creation by local transit agencies, the SFIA, and
local businesses.
Visual Quality
Cultural Resources
- Disturbance to or loss of significant cultural resources in San Mateo County.
Community Services
Geology, Soils, and Seismicity
Biological Resources
- Wetland habitat loss throughout the Bay Area due to development.
Hydrology and Water Quality
Noise and Vibration
Air Quality
Beneficial effect of reduction in regional emissions of carbon
monoxide, nitrous oxides, reactive organic gases, and particulate matter under all build
alternatives due to less vehicle miles traveled.
Public Health and Safety
- Risk of minimal public exposure to BART-related hazardous materials and EMF.
Energy
Construction
- Traffic delays on Highway 101, local traffic congestion, and roadway closures during
construction.
- Construction-related increase in noise, dust, construction traffic, movement of
construction equipment, and visual disruption in South San Francisco and at the SFIA.
- Potentially significant increase in demand for local police and fire services in South
San Francisco during construction periods.
- Potentially significant increase in demand for SFIA police and fire services during
construction periods.
- Potential construction-related settlement and erosion impacts in South San Francisco
and/or on the SFIA property east of Highway 101.
- Loss of wetlands and sensitive species habitats o.i and adjacent to the SFIA property
west of Highway 101 as a result of construction impacts.
- Potential construction-related noise and vibration effects for residents in South San
Francisco.
- Construction would lead to increase in airborne particulate matter levels in South San
Francisco and at the SFIA.
- Potential exposure of the public and/or construction workers to hazardous materials at
the SFIA during construction periods.
- Beneficial effect of expanded regional spending during construction periods.
- Increased construction-related energy demands under all build alternatives.
Source: BART; Ogden.
Are There Unresolved Issues?
The following decisions must be made prior to the implementation of the
BART-San Francisco Airport Extension:
Selection of a Project Alignment. The BART and SamTrans Boards
of Directors will either reaffirm the Locally Preferred Alternative (i.e., the proposed
project) or they could select one of the other routes evaluated in the DEIRISDEIS. In
addition, there are several vertical alignment options that consider subway, retained cut,
at-grade, and aerial configurations for selected portions of the route. With the
appropriate findings and procedures, the BART and SamTrans Board may select a preferred
alternative that combines various options.
Determination of Station Locations. In South San Francisco,
San Bruno, and Millbrae, there are optional station locations. In the City of South San
Francisco, the choice between the Hickey or the Chestnut Station is linked with the
selection of either a subway (as proposed by all BART build alternatives, except the Base
Case) or a retained cut (as proposed under the Base Case) configuration. In San Bruno, the
choice of station locations depends on the route selected and on localized environmental
impacts, and includes sites at Tanforan, I-380/San Bruno Avenue, and Downtown San Bruno
(specific location options by alternative are identified in Table S-3 and Figure S-2).
Similarly, in Millbrae, the choice of stations depends on the route selected and includes
sites at Center Street (as proposed under Alternatives IV and V) and Millbrae Avenue (as
proposed under Alternative VI).
At the SFIA, three different station locations have been examined: the long-term parking
area, the proposed Ground Transportation Center, and the proposed International Terminal.
The choice of station depends on the alternative selected.
Funding Contributions. When the Locally Preferred Alternative
was selected in June 1992, certain segments of the alignment were suggested by the
affected communities for subway construction, as opposed to retained cut, at-grade or
aerial configuration. These additional subway segments are to be paid for through local
financial contributions, and the funds were to be secured within 12 months of the adoption
of the resolution identifying the Locally Preferred Alternative. Although this date has
passed, local jurisdictions are still exploring options for raising their required
financial contributions.
The issue of available federal funds must be resolved, as well as the overall
BART/SarnTrans proposed financing plan. The BART-San Francisco Airport Extension is
authorized under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Act of 1991 (ISTEA) to share $568.5
million in new rail projects with the BART Colma Extension and a light rail project in
Santa Clara County. Of this amount, $301 million is allocated for the BART-San Francisco
Airport Extension through fiscal year 1997. An additional $289.7 million is needed to
bring the total funding level for the project to $590.7 million, or 75 percent of the
least-cost alternative (Base Case Alternative), as estimated in the AA/DEIS/DEIR; this is
the funding level that has been authorized, but the monies have not been committed. The
cost estimates have been refined upwards since the AA/DEIS/DEIR and are presented in Table
S-3. Assuming commitment of the additional $289.7 million, a capital cost shortfall would
still exist. Additional federal and local contributions would need to be secured to
construct the proposed extension.
Selection and Adoption of Appropriate Mitigation Measures. Mitigation
measures have been developed to reduce and/or eliminate significant impacts identified in
the DEIR/SDEIS. The BART and SamTrans Boards must adopt measures to be incorporated into
the alternative selected for implementation, in order to eliminate or reduce impacts.
|
|
|