Emergency OMB Approval for the Truck Parking Facilities Grant Program, 36386-36387 [06-5664]

Agencies

• Federal Highway Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 122 (Monday, June 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36386-36387]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-5664]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-2006-25067]


Emergency OMB Approval for the Truck Parking Facilities Grant 
Program

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Emergency OMB Approval Federal Register Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration has submitted the following 
request for emergency processing of a public information collection to 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 
Chapters 35). This notice announces that the Information Collection 
Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to OMB for review and 
comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and 
the expected burden.
    Comments: Comments should be directed to the Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 
Seventeenth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Desk Officer 
for the Federal Highway Administration.
    Type of Request: New.

DATES: OMB Approval has been requested by July 14th, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions concerning the Truck 
Parking Initiatives grant program, please contact William F. Mahorney, 
Office of Freight Management and Operations, HOFM-1, at (202) 366-6817, 
Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Truck Parking Initiative.

Background

    The shortage of long-term truck parking on the National Highway 
System (NHS) is a problem that needs to be addressed. It is nationally 
recognized that truck drivers frequently cannot find adequate, safe 
parking in order to obtain rest needed to comply with the Federal Motor 
Carrier Safety Regulations and ensure safety. Further, parking areas 
are often designed or maintained for short-term parking only, and as a 
result, allow parking for limited time periods. Section 1305 of the 
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, and Transportation Equity Act: 
A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) directed the Secretary of 
Transportation to establish a Pilot program to address the long-term 
parking shortages along the NHS. Eligible projects under section 1305 
include:
    1. Promoting the real-time dissemination of publicly or privately 
provided commercial motor vehicle parking availability on the NHS using 
ITS and other means;
    2. Opening non-traditional facilities to commercial motor vehicle 
parking, including inspection and weigh stations, and park and ride 
facilities;
    3. Making capital improvements to public commercial motor vehicle 
parking facilities currently closed on a seasonal basis to allow the 
facilities to remain open year round;
    4. Constructing turnouts along the NHS to facilitate commercial 
motor vehicle access to parking facilities, and/or improving the 
geometric design of interchanges to improve access to commercial motor 
vehicle parking facilities;
    5. Constructing commercial motor vehicle parking facilities 
adjacent to commercial truck stops and travel plazas; and
    6. Constructing safety rest areas that include parking for 
commercial motor vehicles.
    It is the belief of FHWA that given the limited resources 
available, the broad dissemination of the availability of public or 
private long-term parking spaces provides the greatest opportunity to 
maximize the effectiveness of this pilot program.

Guidelines and Administration

    To administer this program for fiscal years 2006 through 2009, the 
FHWA will collect information necessary to evaluate and rank projects. 
The information collection is intended to only address the project 
funding allotted through the program.
    1. The Administrator has determined that $5.384 million is 
available for grants in FY 2006 under section 1305, after obligation 
limitations.
    2. Projects funded under this section shall be treated as projects 
on a Federal-Aid System under Chapter 1 of Title 23, United States 
Code.
    3. Grants may be funded at an 80 to 100 percent funding level based 
on the criteria specified in section 120 of Title 23, U.S. Code.
    As soon as practicable after the granting of this Emergency 
Clearance, a Federal Register Notice will be published with information 
and guidance relating to the application process. Also, a solicitation 
letter will be sent to all FHWA Division Offices containing the same 
information. This information will also be posted on the FHWA Web site. 
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/. All applications must be submitted thru a 
State Department of Transportation to FHWA's Office of Freight 
Management and Operations, via the FHWA's Division Office in the State 
in which the application was submitted. Awarded projects will be 
administered by the

[[Page 36387]]

applicable State Department of Transportation as a Federal aid grant.

Information Proposed for Collection

    Information recommended under SAFETEA-LU and proposed for the 
current program includes the following:
    1. Project Description. The proposal should include a detailed 
project description, in which would include the extent of the long-term 
truck parking shortage in the corridor/area to be addressed, along with 
contract information for the project's primary point of contract, and 
whether funds are being requested under 120 U.S.C. (b) or (c) of Title 
23. Data helping to define the shortage may include truck volume 
(Average Daily Truck Traffic--ADTT) in the corridor to be addressed, 
current number of long-term commercial motor vehicle parking spaces, 
utilization of current long-term parking spaces, driver surveys, 
observational field studies, proximity to freight loading/unloading 
facilities, proximity to the NHS, etc.
    2. Project Rationale. The proposal should set forth the rationale 
for the project and should include an analysis and demonstration of how 
the proposed project will positively affect truck parking, safety, 
traffic congestion, or air quality in the identified corridor. Examples 
may include: Advance information on availability of parking that may 
help to reduce the number of trucks parked on roadsides and increase 
the utilization of available truck parking spaces, etc.
    3. Scope of work. The scope of work should include a complete 
listing of activities to be funded through the grant; including 
technology development, information processing, information integration 
activities, developmental phase activities (planning, feasibility 
analysis, environmental review, engineering or design work and other 
activities), construction, reconstruction, acquisition of real property 
(including land related to the project and improvements to land), 
environmental mitigation, construction contingencies, acquisition of 
equipment, and operational improvements. Also to be included should be 
a 3-year performance measurement plan that continues beyond the 
demonstration period of the project.
    4. Stakeholder identification. Stakeholder identification should 
include evidence of prior consultation and/or partnership with affected 
MPOs, local governments, community groups, private providers of 
commercial motor vehicle parking, and motorist and trucking 
organizations. It should include a listing of all public and private 
partners, and the role each will play in the execution of the project. 
Consultation examples may include: Memorandums of Agreement, 
Memorandums of Understanding, contracts, meeting minutes, letters of 
support/commitment, documentation in a State's TIPS/STIPS plans, etc.
    5. Cost estimate. Applicants should provide a detailed 
quantification of eligible project costs by activity, an identification 
of all funding sources that will supplement the grant and be necessary 
to fully fund the project, and the anticipated dates on which the 
additional funds are to be made available. Public and private sources 
of funds (non-federal commitment) will be considered by FHWA as an in-
kind match contributing to the project. State matching funds will be 
required for projects eligible under 120 U.S.C. (b).
    6. Timeline. applicants should also submit a timeline that includes 
work to be completed and anticipated funding cycles. Gantt charts are 
preferred.
    7. Environmental process. Applicants should show the timeline for 
complying with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), if 
applicable.
    8. Project map. Applicants should include a project map consisting 
of schematic illustrations depicting the project and connecting 
transportation infrastructure.
    9. Proposals should not exceed 20 pages in length.

Burden Hours for Information Collection

    Frequency: Annual.
    Respondents: The 50 State DOTs, Puerto Rico and the District of 
Columbia.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: Burden hours estimates and 
discussions are provided for each item presented and required within 
the application submittal process.
     Project Description: 16 hours.
    [cir] The project description will be submitted through the 
submitting State agency, in conjunction with local governments, MPO's, 
and other potential partners.
     Project Rationale: 8 hours.
    [cir] Project rationale should include an analysis and 
demonstration of how the proposed project will positively effect truck 
parking, safety, traffic congestion, or air quality in the identified 
corridor.
     Scope of Work: 6 hours.
    [cir] A complete listing of activities to be funded through the 
grant; including technology development, information processing, 
information integration activities, developmental phase activities 
(planning, feasibility analysis, environmental review, engineering or 
design work, and other activities), construction, reconstruction, 
acquisition of real property (including land related to the project and 
improvements to land), environmental mitigation, construction 
contingencies, acquisition of equipment, operational improvements, and 
a 3 year performance measurement plan that continues beyond the 
demonstration period of the project.
     Stakeholder Identification: 1 hour.
    [cir] Evidence of prior consultation and/or partnership with 
affected MPOs, local governments, community groups, private providers 
of commercial motor vehicle parking and motorist and trucking 
organizations. A listing of all public and private partners, and the 
role each will play in the execution of the project should also be 
included.
     Cost estimate: 4 hours.
    [cir] A detailed quantification of eligible projects costs by 
activity, and an identification of all funding sources that will 
supplement the grant and be necessary to fully fund the project, and 
the anticipated dates on which the additional funds are to be made 
available. Public and private sources of funds (non-Federal commitment) 
will be considered. State matching funds will be required for projects 
eligible under 120 U.S.C. (b).
     Project Timeline: 1 hour 30 minutes.
    [cir] That includes work to be completed and anticipated funding 
cycles. Gantt charts preferred.
     Environmental process: 2 hours.
    [cir] Applicant should show the timeline for complying with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), if applicable.
     Project Map: 1 hour.
    [cir] Consisting of schematic illustrations depicting the project 
and connecting transportation infrastructure.
     Contact information for the State DOT, Local Agency or MPO 
(if applicable), FWHA Division Office: 5 minutes.
    [cir] This requires providing a list of contacts and involves a 
nominal amount of time.
    The total amount of time estimated to complete the application is 
49 hours and 35 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1487 hours. It is estimated 30 
applications will be processed annually.

(Authority: Section 1804 of Pub. L. 105-59.)

James R. Kabel,
Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.
[FR Doc. 06-5664 Filed 6-23-06; 8:45 am]
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