2. What is an EIS/SEIR?
An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) are documents prepared by planning agencies to satisfy state and federal environmental laws. The purpose of the Draft EIS/SEIR was to analyze all potential environmental, socio-economic, and traffic impacts of 10 project alternatives under various scenarios for housing development and build out of the Orange County’s Master Plan of Arterial Highways.

3. What is the preferred alternative? What does the Draft EIS/SEIR conclude?
There is no preferred alternative identified in the Draft EIS/SEIR. The purpose of the document was to scientifically evaluate all the project alternatives equally and disclose the traffic benefits and potential environmental impacts of all of the alternatives.

4. How can I be involved after the August 6 comment period deadline?
Because the 90-day comment period officially ended on August 6, 2004, any comments received after that date will not be a part of the formal public record for the environmental document; however, the public can still comment on the project by contacting local representatives on the Foothill/Eastern Board of Directors. Board meetings, held every second Thursday of the month, are open to the public. You may also be added to our Foothill-South mailing list to receive updates about the status of the project, including information about future public hearings before the Foothill/Eastern Board of Directors selects a locally preferred alternative and certifies the final Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR).

5. When will construction begin and when will the road be open to traffic?
A number of steps must occur before construction can begin. But assuming key decisions including selection of an alignment are made, permits are secured, and financing is obtained in 2006, construction could begin in 2007, and open to traffic in 2009.

6. Who makes the final decision?
The Foothill/Eastern Board of Directors, which is comprised of local elected officials that are appointed from cities and jurisdictions along the 241 Toll Road (such as San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Yorba Linda, and others), is scheduled to make a decision in the first half of 2005 on the locally preferred route. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is presently working with TCA and other federal resource agencies such as the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency to decide the best possible route. In addition to the Foothill/Eastern Board's decision, the FHWA must issue a Record of Decision on a preferred alignment in the second half of 2005. If a toll road alternative is selected, TCA will then obtain permits to begin construction. Assuming these key decisions are made, permits are secured, and financing is obtained in 2005-2006, construction could begin in 2006-2007, and open to traffic in 2008-2009.

7. Why are there two different sets of decision makers? Will the two decisions be the same?
Two sets of decisions are required to select a preferred route because, as with other major highway infrastructure projects, the project must be evaluated according to state and federal environmental regulatory laws. For Foothill-South, the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency is the lead agency to complete the Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) as required by the state California Environmental Quality Act; while the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is the lead agency to complete the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the federal National Environmental Policy Act.

A 3,200-page EIS/SEIR was prepared to jointly satisfy both processes. The purpose of the document was to scientifically evaluate all the project alternatives equally and disclose the traffic benefits and potential environmental impacts of all of the alternatives. Both the Foothill/Eastern Agency and the FHWA must certify their respective environmental documents and select a preferred alternative. Because TCA has been working collaboratively with the federal resource agencies through the environmental review process, the FHWA and TCA decision on a locally preferred route should be the same.

8. How much will Foothill-South cost to build?
The estimated cost of construction for the toll-road project alternatives ranges from $513 million to $1.1 billion. The figures are based on preliminary engineers estimates and do not reflect competitive pricing.

9. How will Foothill-South be financed?
A combination of funding sources will be used to finance Foothill-South. As with the existing toll road system, Foothill-South will be financed primarily through the sale of toll revenue bonds in the municipal bond market. It is anticipated that the Foothill/Eastern Agency would sell bonds after the necessary environmental approvals and permits are secured. Toll revenue collected from the 241, 261, and 133 Toll Roads will be pledged to repay the Foothill-South debt. Once the debt is repaid, the roads are planned to become freeways.

To date, the Foothill/Eastern Agency has set aside approximately $80 million from excess revenue to help offset Foothill-South construction costs. Each year, this balance grows as "cash on hand" to create a down payment that reduces the amount of toll revenue bonds that the Agency will need to issue to fund construction. While some federal transportation funds will be used to help offset the amount of bonds issued, bond financing will be the primary source of construction funding for Foothill-South.

10. I submitted a comment about the Draft EIS/SEIR. Will I receive a response?
All comments received between May 7-August 6, 2004 will be included in the official public record which will be reviewed by local and federal decision makers who will select a preferred project alternative. TCA will not respond to people individually, but all questions and comments will be responded to and will be included in the Final EIS/SEIR "Response to Comments" document.

11. Why were alternatives selected in the middle of San Clemente and don't connect to I-5?
In November 2000, TCA along with the Federal Highway Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Caltrans, and Marine Corps Camp Pendleton (known as the "Collaborative") agreed on six main project alternatives to be evaluated in the EIR/SEIR. These alternatives included three toll-road alignments, or routes, and three non-toll road alternatives - the widening of the I-5 Freeway, the widening of major arterial roads, and a no project alternative. Selecting these project alternatives to be studied was a required step under a federal environmental process defined in 1994 (NEPA/Section 404 MOU). As the EIS/SEIR was being developed, the toll road alignments were refined to avoid sensitive areas and/or minimize potential environmental impacts. These refinements include two routes that end at Avenida Pico or Avenida Vista Hermosa in San Clemente.

12. Where can I get more information?
You may view additional Foothill-South information online, or contact our Community Relations Representative Jeff Bott at (949) 754-3458. In addition, The Toll Roads Information Center (Hours: Tues.-Fri. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. / Sat. 10:00 a.m. to 4 p.m.) in San Clemente has detailed aerial maps and 3-D models of the proposed alignments. It is located at 209 Avenida Del Mar, Suite 201, (near Ole Vista and Avenida Del Mar) (949) 366-4941.