This is to give notice that Escambia County under Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 24 Part 58 has conducted an evaluation as required by Executive Order 11988, in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR 55.20 in Subpart C Procedures for Making Determinations on Floodplain Management and Wetlands Protection. The activity is funded under U.S. Department of Housing (HUD) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding through Florida Department of Commerce Grant No. HS018. 

The proposed project is located at approximately 110 bus stops throughout the Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) bus system in Escambia County, Florida. The proposed improvements at these bus stops are collectively referred to as the Selected Build Alternative. The proposed project would provide shelter improvements at the following six existing bus stops in the FFRMS floodplain: stops 100, 182, 185, 227, 852, and 1063. No CISA data is available for the area of the Selected Build Alternative. Current FIRMs from FEMA’s Map Service Center provide boundaries for the 500-year floodplain (or ‘0.2-percent-annual-chance floodplain’), which is adopted here as the FFRMS floodplain boundary. The six bus stops listed above occur within that boundary. The extent of the FFRMS floodplain was determined using the 0.2 percent flood approach. Each of the stops would include a concrete pad approximately 16 feet long by eight feet wide (128 square feet). As much as 768 square feet (0.02 acres) of new construction would occur within the FFRMS floodplain. None of the six stops occur in the regulatory floodway and no stops occur within wetlands. 

Escambia County has considered the following alternatives and mitigation measures to minimize adverse impacts to lives, property, and to restore and preserve natural and beneficial functions and intrinsic values of the existing floodplain: complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, providing safety lighting, identifying shelter resilience as a key design criteria, selecting only existing bus stops for proposed improvements, and   utilizing existing concrete slabs to the greatest extent practicable. The County considered three alternative site combinations that would potentially meet the goals identified in the project description and reviewed these sites and designs through the lenses of natural, social, and economic values explained at 24 CFR §55.20(c)(2). Alternatives included alternative siting outside of the FFRMS floodplain, site-specific design modifications within the Selected Alternative, and the No-build Alternative; these are discussed in more detail in the 8-Step Process Document, available upon request. 

The alternative siting would place the shelters outside of the FFRMS floodplain but would not address the current need for upgraded bus shelters already located within the floodplain (this would underserve those communities that use the ECAT system). ECAT’s routes traverse floodplains in multiple locations throughout Escambia County. ECAT places bus stops along routes near transit nodes (e.g., commercial or residential centers) based on rider demand and after considering rider safety. Bus service provides evacuation from flood prone areas before flood waters rise and improves public safety, especially in advance of flood events. The county determined that implementation of the alternative siting plan fully outside floodplains was not feasible due to the sacrifice of portions of the ECAT rider community. 

The site-specific design modifications within the Selected Alternative would still be located in the FFRMS floodplain. The County has identified key public safety elements that must be part of the upgraded shelters that include compliance with the ADA, protecting riders from the elements, and providing lighting for safety. Typical design modifications that address concerns of other structures in flood prone areas (e.g., elevating the ground floor above flood levels) were not feasible in this instance. The county has selected an alternative that minimizes exposure to flood waters to the greatest extent practicable, but the purpose and need necessitate several improvements within floodplains due to the importance of bus service in advance of flood events. The County is considering structure integrity during storms (e.g., wind rating) as one of the key design criteria.

The No-Build alternative would not improve the ECAT system’s ability to provide evacuation services, would not improve the safety of riders waiting at bus stops, and would not increase the resilience of bus stop amenities; therefore, it would not satisfy the purpose and need of the project.

After considering the necessity of the project, the extent to which impacts could be avoided or minimized, and the anticipated benefits of the improvement options, Escambia County has determined that the Selected Alternative is acceptable without further modification. Mitigation measures for the selected alternative include complying with state and federal design criteria and industry-standard construction best management practices which ensure that the project will not adversely affect the natural environment. The project will comply with federal, state, and local floodplain/wetland protection criteria and procedures; copies of construction specifications will be available upon request. 

Escambia County has reevaluated alternatives to building in the floodplain and has determined that it has no practicable alternative to floodplain development. Environmental files documenting compliance with Executive Order 11988, are available for public inspection, review and copying upon request at the times and location delineated in the last paragraph of this notice for receipt of comments. 

There are three primary purposes for this notice. First, people who may be affected by activities in the floodplain and those who have an interest in the protection of the natural environment should be given an opportunity to express their concerns and provide information about these areas. Second, an adequate public notice program can be an important public educational tool. The dissemination of information and request for public comment about the floodplain can facilitate and enhance Federal efforts to reduce the risks and impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of these special areas. Third, as a matter of fairness, when the Federal government determines it will participate in actions taking place in the floodplain, it must inform those who may be put at greater or continued risk.

Written comments must be received by Escambia County at the following address on or before December, 11, 2025: Escambia County, 221 Palafox Place Pensacola, FL  32502 and (850) 595-3935, Attention: Elizabeth Kissel, Government Liaison. A full description of the project may also be reviewed from Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 221 Palafox Place Pensacola, FL  32502 and myescambia.com. Comments may also be submitted via email at [email protected].