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<br />. <br /> <br />'. <br /> <br />Jeffry S. Rice, AICP <br />City of Santa Ana <br />February 7, 2001 <br />Page 3 <br /> <br />URS <br /> <br />ancillary features such as electrical substations. The City should insist that these criteria are <br />adopted into the Final environmental documents. <br /> <br />8. Noise and vibration increases/potential impacts resulting from reasonably foresecable future <br />growth or modification of operational parameters of the CenterLine LRT system are still not fully <br />evaluated in the SIR DEIS/R. For example, increased noise would result from 3-car consists, <br />shorter headways, extended hours of operation, and/or increased train speeds. It is our <br />understanding that the station platforms will be designed to accommodate three-car consists. <br />These types of system modifications or operational changes have proven to be an expensive <br />mitigation retrofit problem for another southern California regional transportation authority's <br />LRT system operating in a residential environment. Also, increased traffic (with potential <br />increases in local noise) is not addressed for the Park and Ride components of the project. These <br />issues should be evaluated and discussed before a FEIS/R is certified or ROD issued. <br /> <br />9. The SIR DEIS/R provided no supplemental analysis of effects of noise from horns and bells as <br />recommended in our previous evaluation of the DEIS/R. The DEIS/R indicated that "in areas <br />where the trains would operate in a right-of-way shared with vehicular traffic, warning horns and <br />bells may also be a noise source.. .". However, the analysis proceeds to dismiss these potential <br />noise sources by assuming that they "... would only be used in emergencies". The CPUC <br />regulations require mandatory sounding of warning signals during at-grade train operations upon <br />approaching a street intersection. Thus, this potential source of annoyance should not be <br />discounted for Street Level operation in Santa Ana associated with any of the Alternati ves. <br /> <br />10. The SIR DEIS/R does not address possible noise effects from the wayside safety signal systems <br />which has caused noise problems on other Street Level LRT (Light Rail Transit) systems. <br /> <br />This concludes our Summary Report. We are pleased to have assisted the City of Santa Ana with <br />your review of the Supplemental/Revised NEPAlCEQA environmental documentation for the <br />CenterLine project as it might travel through Santa Ana. Please do not hesitate to call me if there are <br />any questions regarding URS technical review of the Noise and Vibration-related SIR DEIS/R <br />Sections. I may be reached at (714) 835-6886. <br /> <br />Sincerely, <br /> <br />URS CORPORATION <br /> <br />.~~ <br /> <br />Rob Greene, INCE, Bd.Cert. <br />Manager, Noise and Vibration <br /> <br />T:\200 1 \5 7 -09961 035.02 CentcrLinc\report.doc <br />