F-Line FEIS

Date: February 17, 2012
Contact: Alexandra Picavet, 415-561-4732
Contact: Lynn Cullivan, 415-561-7006

San Francisco, CA-- The National Park Service (NPS), the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, and the Federal Transit Administration are pleased to announce the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Extension of F-Line Streetcar Service to Fort Mason Center. The Final EIS evaluates the same alternatives as those in the Draft EIS, including the No-Action Alternative and the Preferred Alternative. The Final EIS also addresses all substantive comments received on the Draft EIS. The NPS preferred alternative is to extend the historic streetcar F-line from Fisherman's Wharf to the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and on to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, ending at the Fort Mason Center. The intended effect of this action is to provide park visitors and transit-dependent residents with high-quality rail transit that improves transportation access and mobility between existing streetcar service at Fisherman's Wharf to San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and Fort Mason Center. The EIS presents and analyzes the potential consequences of implementing the following alternatives:

Alternative 1, the No-Action Alternative, would provide no change from the existing historic streetcar line and would not provide transit connections to the Fort Mason Center.

Alternative 2, the Preferred Alternative, would extend the existing F-Line from Fisherman's Wharf to the Fort Mason Center. The track extension would include a street-running segment along Beach Street, a transition zone between the street-running segment and the Fort Mason Tunnel, a tunnel segment and a turnaround segment with two options for locations, Alternative 2A: North Loop (Fort Mason parking lot) and 2B: South Loop (Great Meadow). Project elements would include the construction of streetcar track for approximately 0.85 miles, construction of 8-9 station platforms, upgrades to the existing Fort Mason Tunnel, and installation of signals, crossings, wires and poles.

Based on issues identified during the public and agency scoping process, and public correspondence received during the 60-day Draft EIS comment period, the impact analysis focuses on land use, socioeconomics, transportation and circulation, air quality, noise and vibration, cultural resources, recreation and visitor use, visual and aesthetic resources, night sky visibility and light pollution, geological resources, biological resources, public health and safety, and public services and utilities.

The National Park Service will execute a Record of Decision (ROD) no sooner than 30 days following publication by the Environmental Protection Agency of the Notice of Availability of the Final EIS.

The Final EIS will be available for public inspection as follows:

• https://parkplanning.nps.gov/streetcarextension
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area Headquarters at the front desk (Bldg. 201 Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA) [map]
• San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park's Maritime Library (Building E, Third Floor, Fort Mason Center) [map]
• San Francisco Public Libraries: Main Branch, Golden Gate Valley Branch, North Beach Branch, Eureka Valley Harvey Milk Library, Presidio Branch Library.

Questions can be sent to e-mail us.

Written inquiries can also be sent to:

Superintendent, Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Attention: F-Line FEIS

Fort Mason, Building 201

San Francisco, CA 94123-0022

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