Applications for Urban Partnership Agreements as Part of Congestion Initiative, 71231-71236 [E6-20924]

Agencies

• Office of the Secretary of Transportation
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 236 (Friday, December 8, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71231-71236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20924]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary of Transportation

[Docket Nos. OST-2006-26266, FHWA-2006-26270, FTA-2006-26269, RITA-
2006-26271]


Applications for Urban Partnership Agreements as Part of 
Congestion Initiative

AGENCIES: Office of the Secretary of Transportation (``OST''), Federal 
Highway Administration (``FHWA''), Federal Transit Administration 
(``FTA''), Research and Innovative Technology Administration (``RITA'')

ACTION: Notice of solicitation for applications to enter into urban 
partnership agreements with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

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SUMMARY: In May 2006, the U.S. Department of Transportation (the 
``Department'') announced its National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on 
America's Transportation Network (the ``Congestion Initiative''), a 
bold and comprehensive national program to reduce congestion on the 
Nation's roads, rails, runways, and waterways. One major component of 
the Congestion Initiative is the Urban Partnership Agreement (``UPA''). 
The purpose of this Notice is to solicit proposals by metropolitan 
areas to enter into UPAs with the Department in order to demonstrate 
strategies with a combined track record of effectiveness in reducing 
traffic congestion. To support congestion-reducing strategies adopted 
by the Department's urban partners (``Urban Partners''), the Department 
expects to utilize discretionary funding available under the 
Department's Intelligent Transportation System Operational Testing to 
Mitigate Congestion Program (the ``ITS-OTMC Program''), its Value 
Pricing Pilot Program (the ``VPP Program''), and other discretionary 
grant, lending and credit support programs administered by the 
Department. In addition, to the maximum extent possible, the Department 
will support its Urban Partners with regulatory flexibility and 
dedicated expertise and personnel.
    This Notice is the first of three solicitations to be issued by the 
Department in connection with the Congestion Initiative. See below 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Coordination with Other Congestion 
Initiative Solicitations.''
    The Department reserves the right to solicit, and is actively 
soliciting, by means other than this Notice, certain metropolitan areas 
that the Department has determined, on a preliminary basis, to be 
candidates for UPAs. Neither the procedures nor the criteria set forth 
in this Notice shall be binding on the Department.

DATES: Applicants wishing to become Urban Partners must submit their 
application on or before April 30, 2007. Applicants wishing to become 
Urban Partners who intend to apply for funding under the VPP and ITS-
OTMC Programs must submit separate applications to the VPP and ITS-OTMC 
Programs on or before April 30, 2007, in accordance with the requests 
for proposals for those programs to be published by the Department in 
the Federal Register this month. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
Coordination with Other Congestion Initiative Solicitations.'' Late-
filed applications for designation as an Urban Partner and for funding 
under the VPP and ITS-OTMC Programs will be considered to the extent 
practical.

ADDRESSES: Applicants wishing to become Urban Partners may send three 
copies of their application by U.S. Post or express mail to: Thomas M. 
McNamara, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, 
U.S. Department of Transportation, Room 10305 (P-20), 400 7th Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20590. Alternatively, applicants may file 
applications via e-mail to Thomas M. McNamara at 
thomas.mcnamara@dot.gov.
    Only applications received via U.S. Post, express mail or e-mail, 
in each case as provided above, shall be deemed properly filed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please address questions concerning 
this Notice to David B. Horner, Esq., Chief Counsel, Federal Transit 
Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, via e-mail at 
david.horner@dot.gov. Please address technical questions concerning 
project development to either Thomas M. McNamara at 202-366-4462 (or by 
e-mail at thomas.mcnamara@dot.gov) or Patrick DeCorla-Souza at 202-366-
4076 (or by e-mail at patrick.decorla-souza@dot.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    Crisis of Congestion. Traffic congestion affects virtually every 
aspect of peoples' lives--where people live, where they work, where 
they shop, and how much they pay for goods and services. According to 
2003 figures, in certain metropolitan areas the average rush hour 
driver loses as many as 93 hours per year to travel delay--equivalent 
to more than two weeks of work, amounting annually to a virtual 
``congestion tax'' as high as $1,598 per traveler in wasted time and 
fuel.\1\ Nationwide, congestion imposes costs on the economy of over 
$65 billion per year,\2\ a figure that has more than doubled since 
1993, and that would be even higher if it accounted for the

[[Page 71232]]

significant cost of unreliability to drivers and businesses, the 
environmental impacts of idle-related auto emissions, or increased 
gasoline prices.
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    \1\ Texas Transportation Institute (``TTI''), 2005 Urban 
Mobility Report, May 2005 (https://tti.tamu.edu/documents/mobility_
report_2005.pdf), Tables 1 and 2.
    \2\ TTI, 2005 Urban Mobility Report, p. 1.
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    Traffic congestion also has a substantial negative impact upon the 
quality of life of many American families. In a 2005 survey, for 
example, 52% of Northern Virginia commuters reported that their travel 
times to work had increased in the past year,\3\ leading 70% of working 
parents to report having insufficient time to spend with their children 
and 63% of respondents to report having insufficient time to spend with 
their spouses.\4\ Nationally, in a 2005 survey conducted by the 
National League of Cities, 35% of U.S. citizens reported traffic 
congestion as the most deteriorated living condition in their city over 
the past five years; 85% responded that traffic congestion was as bad 
or worse than the previous year.\5\ Similarly, in a 2001 survey 
conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, 79% of Americans from 10 
metropolitan areas reported that congestion has worsened over the past 
five years; 50% believe it has become ``much worse.'' \6\
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    \3\ Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance 2005 Survey 
(https://www.nvta.org/content.asp?contentid=1774).
    \4\ Virginia Department of Transportation.
    \5\ National League of Cities survey of cities (2005).
    \6\ U.S. Conference of Mayors survey on traffic congestion 
(2001).
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    The Urban Partnership Agreement. In May 2006, the Department 
announced its National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America's 
Transportation Network (the ``Congestion Initiative''), a bold and 
comprehensive national program to reduce congestion on the nation's 
roads, rails, runways, and waterways. One major component of the 
Congestion Initiative is the Urban Partnership Agreement (``UPA''), 
through which the Department plans to partner with certain metropolitan 
areas or ``Urban Partners'' in order to demonstrate strategies with 
proven effectiveness in reducing traffic congestion. Under UPAs, the 
Department and its Urban Partners would agree to pursue four strategies 
with a combined track record of effectiveness in reducing traffic 
congestion, known as the ``Four Ts:''
    1. Tolling: Implementing a broad congestion pricing or variable 
toll demonstration;
    2. Transit: Creating or expanding express bus services, bus rapid 
transit (``BRT'') or other innovative commuter transit services, which 
would benefit from the free-flow traffic conditions generated by 
pricing;
    3. Telecommuting: Securing agreements from major area employers to 
establish or expand telecommuting and flex scheduling programs; and
    4. Technology & operations: Utilizing cutting edge technological 
and operational approaches to improve transportation system 
performance.
    In return for their commitment to adopt innovative, system-wide 
solutions to traffic congestion, the Department, to the maximum extent 
possible, would support its Urban Partners with the Department's 
financial resources (including a combination of grants, loans, and 
borrowing authority), regulatory flexibility and dedicated expertise 
and personnel.
    Congestion Pricing. The most innovative--and often misunderstood--
component of the UPA is congestion pricing. Congestion pricing 
leverages the principles of supply and demand to manage traffic. It 
does this by charging drivers a user fee that varies by traffic volumes 
or time of day, thus managing highway resources in a manner that 
promotes free-flow traffic conditions on highways at all times. 
Congestion pricing achieves free-flow conditions by shifting purely 
discretionary rush hour highway travel to other transportation modes or 
to off-peak periods, taking advantage of the fact that many rush hour 
drivers on a typical urban highway are not commuters. By removing a 
fraction of the vehicles from a congested rush hour roadway, pricing 
enables the system to flow much more efficiently, allowing more cars to 
move through the same physical space. Similar variable charges have 
been successfully utilized in other industries (airline tickets, cell 
phone rates, and electricity, for example), and there is a consensus 
among economists that congestion pricing represents the single most 
viable approach to reducing traffic congestion.
    Congestion pricing benefits drivers and businesses by reducing 
delays and stress, increasing the predictability of trip times, and 
allowing for more deliveries per hour. It benefits mass transit by 
improving transit speeds and the reliability of transit service, 
increasing transit ridership, and lowering costs for transit providers. 
It benefits State and local government by improving the quality of 
transportation services without tax increases or large capital 
expenditures, providing additional revenues for funding transportation, 
retaining businesses and expanding the tax base. It saves lives by 
shortening incident response times for emergency responders. And it 
benefits society as a whole by reducing fuel consumption and vehicle 
emissions, allowing for more efficient land use decisions, reducing 
housing market distortions, and expanding opportunities for civic 
participation.
    Congestion pricing is no longer simply a theory; it has 
demonstrated positive results both here in the U.S. and around the 
world. Successful American applications of congestion pricing include 
California's SR-91 between Anaheim and Riverside, portions of I-15 
outside of San Diego, and Express Lanes on I-394 between downtown 
Minneapolis and the western suburbs, all of which have enabled 
congestion-free rush hour commuting and proven popular with drivers of 
all income levels. Internationally, congestion pricing has yielded 
dramatic reductions in traffic congestion and increases in travel 
speeds in Singapore, London, and Stockholm. Notably, a small reduction 
in vehicles can yield dramatic improvements in traffic, as demonstrated 
by a British study, which projected that a 9% drop in traffic could 
yield a 52% drop in congestion delay.\7\ This same dynamic plays out in 
metropolitan areas every August, as family vacations lead to a minor 
decrease in rush hour drivers, which substantially reduces area traffic 
congestion.
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    \7\ Department of Transport, U.K., Feasibility Study of Road 
Pricing in the U.K.: A Report to the Secretary of State for 
Transport, Road Price Steering Group, Chapter 4, Figure 3.
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    Transit. Another critical congestion-reducing strategy to be 
incorporated into UPAs is increasing the quality and capacity of peak-
period transit service in order to offer a more attractive alternative 
to automobile travel and to accommodate peak-period commuters who elect 
to switch to transit in response to the imposition of congestion 
pricing.
    Congestion pricing and public transportation convey mutual 
benefits-road pricing benefits public transportation by improving 
transit speeds and the reliability of transit service, increasing 
transit ridership, lowering costs per rider for transit providers, and 
expanding the source of revenue that may be used for transit, while 
public transportation benefits road pricing by absorbing commuters who 
shift their travel from automobile to bus or rail. By replacing 
congested traffic with free-flowing conditions on major routes, 
congestion pricing will improve the speed and productivity of current 
express bus services, making them more attractive to commuters while 
reducing their operating costs. Reducing congestion will also 
facilitate rapid deployment of innovative, high-performance BRT 
operations in major

[[Page 71233]]

corridors, which require only modest investments in new vehicles and 
passenger facilities that may be eligible for financial support through 
the Department's various funding mechanisms. Improving the performance 
and variety of peak-period transit commuting options through a 
combination of congestion pricing and limited capital investment will 
provide significant benefits to current transit riders, while improving 
transit's effectiveness in reducing peak-period auto travel and 
providing the expanded passenger-carrying capacity necessary to 
accommodate shifts to transit commuting induced by the imposition of 
congestion pricing.
    Telecommuting. The third critical congestion-reducing strategy for 
Urban Partners to adopt is promoting increased use of telecommuting and 
flexible work scheduling, in order to reduce peak-period commuting and 
shift some commuting travel to ``shoulder'' or off-peak hours. 
Telecommuting can eliminate some peak-period commuting travel by using 
computer and electronic communications technology to enable certain 
employees to work from their homes or nearby telecommuting centers on 
predetermined (often regularly scheduled) workdays, or in some cases on 
a full-time basis. Flexible work schedules allow employees to shift 
their commute trips from the peak period to less congested hours. The 
most promising means to achieve these objectives is for public 
officials representing Urban Partners to secure agreements from major 
employers in their metropolitan areas to establish or expand 
telecommuting programs, and to offer flexible work schedules to the 
maximum number of their employees. The Department and local 
transportation planning agencies can offer technical and logistical 
support to employers for designing, implementing, and monitoring the 
effectiveness of telecommuting programs and flexible work scheduling.
    Technology. Technology makes possible congestion pricing, which 
differs from traditional tolling in two material respects: (1) Instead 
of charging a fixed fee, congestion pricing manages traffic by charging 
drivers a user fee that varies by traffic volumes or time of day, thus 
balancing supply and demand; and (2) unlike traditional tolling, 
congestion fees are collected electronically at highway speeds. With 
variable pricing, technology affords highway managers the flexibility 
of setting user fees by time of day or ``dynamically''--by increasing 
or decreasing fees depending on traffic volumes to maximize throughput 
and the free flow of traffic. Technology facilitates this variability 
by enabling the collection of user fees at highway speeds through the 
use of transponders, Global Positioning Systems (``GPS''), or cameras. 
With transponders, or ``tags,'' tolls may be collected as vehicles pass 
under overhead antennae. With GPS technology, like that used on 
Germany's autobahns, an in-vehicle device records charges based on the 
vehicle's location, and periodically uploads a summary of charges to a 
processing center along with payments. And with cameras, highway 
managers can record the identity of vehicles that are not equipped with 
a transponder or GPS unit.
    In addition, technological advancements may enhance the quality of 
transit service deployed to reduce urban congestion. These technology-
based improvements may include lane-keeping devices or longitudinal 
control designed to enhance spatial efficiency on existing highways, 
precision docking, signal priority systems for buses, contactless fare 
collection, real-time travel information (bus arrival times, schedules, 
etc.), advanced traveler information systems, parking alerts and 
automatic vehicle locator systems.
    Other technological innovations that may help reduce congestion 
include:
     Telecommuting technology, including high-speed wireless 
internet service to allow download of large files, called ``WiMax.''
     Traffic management technology, including adaptive traffic 
signal control systems and the use of cameras to provide real-time 
information to first responders that will help them determine what 
equipment they will need before they arrive at the site of an accident 
or incident.
     Advanced traveler information systems that include web or 
wireless access to route-specific travel time and toll information; 
route planning assistance using historical records of congestion by 
time of day; and communications technologies that gather traffic- and 
incident-related data from a few vehicles traveling on a roadway and 
then publish that information to drivers via mobile phones, in-car 
units or dynamic message signs.

B. Funding Urban Partnership Agreements

    The Department proposes to support UPAs with some or all of the 
resources listed below. Please note, however, that the Department does 
not intend for UPAs to replace the VPP or ITS-OTMC Programs; instead, 
applicants wishing to become Urban Partners who intend to pursue 
grants, loans or credit support under the programs below should apply 
separately to such programs on or before April 30, 2007. With respect 
to the ITS-OTMC and VPP Programs, the Department will publish separate 
requests for proposals in the Federal Register this month. See below 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Coordination with Other Congestion Initiative 
Solicitations.''
    1. Intelligent Transportation Systems Funding: Since enactment of 
the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 
(``ISTEA''), the Department has been administering the Intelligent 
Transportation Systems (``ITS'') Program. In its discretion, the 
Department may provide Urban Partnerships up to $100 million of ITS 
research and development funds over three years through the ITS-OTMC 
Program to be established by the Department as part of the ITS Program. 
The Department may also continue or modify existing or currently 
proposed programs or initiatives under the ITS Program to support the 
Department's Urban Partners.
    A primary objective of the ITS Program has been the development and 
operational testing of systems and strategies to reduce congestion in 
urban areas. As a result, the program has focused considerable 
attention on the development of various products oriented towards 
congestion mitigation, such as electronic toll collection, advanced 
real-time adaptive traffic signals, transit signal priority systems, 
innovative surveillance systems, improved incident detection and 
response systems, advanced transit management systems, and multi-modal 
traveler information systems. These and other congestion-mitigation 
strategies have been shown to be very effective in improving overall 
traffic operations and reducing congestion. In reauthorizing the ITS 
Program, section 5306 of the recently-enacted Safe, Accountable, 
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users 
(``SAFETEA-LU'') requires the Department to continue to invest in 
technologies and systems that can aid in reducing congestion by five 
percent by 2010. Given the increasing demand on the Nation's surface 
transportation system, this ambitious goal will require bold, 
innovative approaches. Projects the Department will consider for 
funding through the ITS-OTMC Program would incorporate strategies 
comprised of the ``Four Ts.'' Such projects could also include: 
Advanced traffic signal control, innovative incident detection and 
management strategies, integrated

[[Page 71234]]

corridor management, real-time traveler information, parking management 
tied to transit service, innovative traveler information services, 
managed lanes, ramp control, technology enhanced bus rapid transit 
systems, freight management, or other innovative and aggressive 
technology-based congestion mitigation strategies.
    2. Value Pricing Pilot Program Grants: Since the enactment of 
ISTEA, the Department has also been administering the VPP Program, a 
specific congestion-related deployment and evaluation program, formerly 
known as the Congestion Pricing Pilot Program. The VPP Program provides 
grants and tolling authority to up to 15 States or other jurisdictions. 
It provides crucial support for pre-implementation and implementation 
activities aimed at demonstrating how pricing improves transportation 
services, specifically for highway and transit related travel. The 
Department may award a significant portion of the discretionary funding 
available under the VPP Program to support its Urban Partners.
    3. Small Starts Funding: The Small Starts program administered by 
the Federal Transit Administration (``FTA'') provides up to $75 million 
per project for qualifying transit projects, with a focus on less-
capital intensive projects such as bus rapid transit. In its recently 
issued guidance on Small Starts, the Department noted that because 
congestion is one of the Nation's most daunting transportation 
challenges, FTA will facilitate worthy projects that are a significant 
element of a comprehensive congestion reduction strategy, especially 
when such projects incorporate pricing strategies. Final funding 
decisions are made by Congress in response to recommendations by FTA. 
Projects sponsored by the Department's Urban Partners would be 
candidates for Small Starts funding.
    4. Private Activity Bonds: The Department has the authority to 
issue Private Activity Bonds to qualifying projects, lowering the cost 
of capital required to construct transportation facilities. The overall 
program allows for the issuance of up to $15 billion in bonds, some of 
which could be applied toward projects sponsored by the Department's 
Urban Partners.
    5. TIFIA Loans and Credit Assistance: The Department's program 
administered under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and 
Innovation Act (``TIFIA'') can issue direct loans, loan guarantees, and 
standby lines of credit to qualifying projects. The overall program 
allows for the support of approximately $10 billion in credit 
assistance, some of which could be applied toward projects sponsored by 
the Department's Urban Partners.
    6. Other Assistance. The Department may also provide its Urban 
Partners with the authority to institute tolls on portions of their 
respective Interstate systems \8\ and expedite project delivery by 
waiving certain FHWA regulations (in accordance with FHWA's Special 
Experimental Project (or ``SEP-15'') program or as otherwise permitted 
by law), and placing key projects on the Environmental Stewardship 
Executive Order, allowing for the streamlining of some aspects of the 
environmental review process. Finally, the Department may offer 
extensive technical expertise and advice from world class engineers and 
economists.
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    \8\ As enacted by SAFETEA-LU, the High Occupancy Vehicle 
(``HOV'') Facilities Program (23 U.S.C. 166) allows States and 
localities to convert HOV lanes to high occupancy toll (``HOT'') 
lanes which allow low-occupant vehicle users to pay for the chance 
to travel on underutilized HOV lanes, shifting traffic from 
congested regular lanes to HOV lanes, while maintaining free-flowing 
travel speeds and vehicle throughput performance for all vehicles on 
the HOV lanes. When operated in parallel with general purpose lanes, 
HOT lanes offer drivers an option to pay for congestion-free 
predictable trips when they need it the most, while improving the 
performance of general purpose lanes. In coordination with 23 U.S.C. 
166, FTA has recently published proposed guidance that, once adopted 
as final, would eliminate certain existing disincentives to 
jurisdictions to convert their HOV lanes to HOT lanes. In particular 
the proposed guidance describes the terms and conditions on which 
FTA would classify HOV lanes that are converted to HOT lanes as 
``fixed guideway miles'' for purposes of the transit funding 
formulas administered by FTA. See ``Policy Statement on When High-
Occupancy Vehicle Lanes Converted to High-Occupancy/Toll Lanes Shall 
Be Classified as Fixed Guideway Miles for FTA's Funding Formulas and 
When HOT Lanes Shall Not Be Classified as Fixed Guideway Miles for 
FTA's Funding Formulas'' (https://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/
01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-14796.pdf).
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    Please note that designation as an Urban Partner does not, by 
itself, qualify a party for any grant or funding amount. However, Urban 
Partners will receive preferential treatment under the ITS-OTMC and VPP 
Programs in accordance with their terms and certain other discretionary 
programs administered by the Department. An Urban Partner will also 
receive the commitment of the Department's leadership to work directly 
with the Urban Partner in solving its congestion problems.

C. Coordination With Other Congestion Initiative Solicitations

    This solicitation is one of three related solicitations being 
issued by the Department in connection with the Congestion Initiative. 
To be published separately in the Federal Register this month, the 
other two solicitations are:
    1. Solicitation for the VPP Program. The VPP Program, as 
reauthorized in SAFETEA-LU, supports implementation of a variety of 
pricing-based approaches for managing congestion on highways. The 
forthcoming solicitation for the VPP Program will align the program 
with the Congestion Initiative to support metropolitan areas in 
implementing broad congestion pricing strategies in the near term.
    2. Solicitation for the Intelligent Transportation System 
Operational Testing to Mitigate Congestion Program. The ITS Research 
and Development program, as reauthorized in SAFETEA-LU, supports the 
research, development and testing of ITS for a variety of purposes. The 
forthcoming solicitation for the ITS-OTMC Program will support the 
operational testing and evaluation of advanced technologies to reduce 
metropolitan congestion.

    Please note: If an applicant wishing to become an Urban Partner 
intends to apply for funding under both the VPP and ITS-OTMC 
Programs, the applicant must apply to each program by submitting to 
each program identical copies of a single application that is 
responsive to both programs' requests for proposals. The Department 
will publish both programs' requests for proposals in the Federal 
Register this month.

D. Preliminary Urban Partner Designation; Urban Partner Designation

    Step One. Applications to become Urban Partners must be submitted 
on or before April 30, 2007 (with late-filed applications being 
considered to the extent practical). See below SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION: ``Contents of UPA Application'' for instructions 
concerning the content of applications to become an Urban Partner.
    Step Two. The Department will designate certain applicants as 
Preliminary Urban Partners on or before June 8, 2007. The Department 
expects to select up to 10 Preliminary Urban Partners. Please note that 
designation as a Preliminary Urban Partner does not, by itself, qualify 
a party for any grant or funding amount. However, it will qualify the 
designee to continue discussions with the Department to become an Urban 
Partner.
    Step Three. The Department will work towards selecting Urban 
Partners by continuing discussions with its Preliminary Urban Partners 
to determine whether an Urban Partnership is feasible.
    Step Four. Following negotiations, the Department will announce its 
Urban Partners by August 8, 2007, along with funding decisions under 
the VPP and ITS-OTMC Programs. Please note that designation as an Urban 
Partner does not, by itself, qualify a party for any

[[Page 71235]]

grant or funding amount. However, the designation will afford Urban 
Partners preferential treatment under certain of the Department's 
discretionary grant funding programs, such as the ITS-OTMC and VPP 
Programs, in accordance with their terms. Designation as an Urban 
Partner will also provide the designee with the commitment of the 
Department's leadership to work directly with the Urban Partner in 
solving its congestion problems.
    Step Five. The Department will sign UPAs as soon as possible after 
selecting its Urban Partners. The Department expects implementation or 
pre-implementation efforts for the proposed congestion reduction 
activities to commence shortly after the UPA is signed.
    Signatories to UPAs may include city and county governments, 
metropolitan planning organizations, State transportation departments, 
chambers of commerce, academic institutions, citizen advisory groups, 
or other responsible organizations that seek to resolve major 
congestion problems (any of whom may apply to become an Urban Partner).

E. Contents of UPA Application

    An application to become an Urban Partner should briefly describe, 
with respect to the metropolitan area proposed, (i) Why its traffic 
congestion is severe, (ii) the local public's acknowledgement of the 
problem, (iii) the readiness of area's political leadership to solve 
the problem and (iv) a solution to congestion that incorporates the 
Four Ts. In addition, an application should be responsive to the 
specifications and criteria set forth below. The Department recognizes 
that information provided in an application to become an Urban Partner 
may be preliminary and incomplete. If the Department selects an 
applicant to be a Preliminary Urban Partner, the Department may ask the 
Preliminary Urban Partner to supplement the data in its application to 
the extent practical.
    1. Length of Applications: An application should not exceed 25 
pages in length, including both the proposal details and appendix 
materials. Appendix materials may include maps of roadways and other 
affected facilities (such as bridges and parallel routes), maps of BRT 
routes and other transit services or facilities that are directly 
involved and a list of possible local employers that might endorse new 
or expanded telecommuting and flextime policies for its employees.
    2. Participating Parties: An application should provide a 
preliminary, non-binding list of the parties likely to participate in 
the Urban Partnership.
    3. Comprehensive Congestion Reduction Strategy: An application 
should generally describe the metropolitan area's proposed 
comprehensive congestion reduction strategy, and explain how different 
parts of that strategy, if any, would interact to reduce congestion.
    4. Congestion Pricing Measures and Affected Areas: An application 
should describe the role pricing would play in the congestion reduction 
strategy. To the extent practical, an application should indicate, in 
specific terms, how traffic would be affected, what areas or routes 
would be priced, how congestion prices would be determined, and which 
vehicle categories would be affected (e.g., single occupant vehicles or 
all vehicles). If the proposed congestion pricing configuration 
contemplates a cordon pricing system, then the application should 
specify the approximate area (e.g., 10 square miles surrounded by 
certain highways or natural boundaries).
    5. Transit Services: An application should describe transit 
services, including BRT and other commuter transit services that are to 
be provided or supplemented, and the expected impacts of the expanded 
transit services on congestion. The application should also describe 
transit fare pricing policies to be adopted with the objective of 
increasing traveler throughput during peak traffic periods, while 
avoiding excessive congestion in the transit system.
    6. Telecommuting: An application should indicate telecommuting, 
flex-time, and various related employer-employee policies to be 
adopted, including likely employer participants and the number and 
location of employees affected. These proposed non-pricing demand 
management activities need not be limited to telecommuting or flex-time 
schedules, and they may include activities like parking cash-outs or 
other suitable incentives that seek to reduce peak-hour, drive-alone 
travel.
    7. Expedited Project Completion: An application should indicate any 
major transportation projects or project components that are sought to 
be expedited through an UPA. The application should also indicate the 
expected effects on congestion from early completion of these projects.
    8. Travelers Affected Daily: An application should indicate the 
estimated number of daily travelers that will be directly affected by 
priced facilities and by other measures expected to be adopted by the 
Urban Partner. This should include the estimated number of persons 
(vehicles) that will pay congestion charges, as well as the likely 
number diverted to other travel times, routes, or other transportation 
services, such as transit. Similarly, if telecommuting is to be 
adopted, the application should indicate the estimated number of daily 
employee participants.
    9. Use of Technology: An application should clearly indicate the 
extent to which a locality plans to operationally test innovative 
technology in achieving its congestion reduction targets.
    10. Research, Planning, and Experience To Date: An application 
should indicate the prior work that participating parties (e.g., the 
candidate city or other jurisdictions) have already done to reduce 
congestion, including research, planning, and actual implementation of 
congestion related activities in the metropolitan area.
    11. Other Time-Frame Considerations: An application should indicate 
the dates during which applicants expect to conduct congestion 
reduction activities (e.g., a seven-month trial from June 1, 2008 until 
December 31, 2008). If the applicant expects the activities to continue 
indefinitely, the application should indicate this fact. Similarly, if 
the pricing activity is adopted on a temporary, experimental basis and 
the applicant expects it to be voted on by citizens of the 
jurisdictions participating in an Urban Partnership or otherwise 
considered for continuation, the application should provide this 
information.
    12. Funding Support: An application should indicate the estimated 
cost to implement the overall congestion reduction strategy. An 
application should also indicate the anticipated sources of those 
funds, including the amount requested to be covered by Federal sources.
    13. Contact Information: An application should clearly indicate 
contact information, including name, organization, address, phone 
number, and e-mail address. The Department will use this information to 
inform parties of the Department's decision regarding selection of 
interested parties, as well as to contact parties in the event that the 
Department needs additional information about an application.

F. Consideration of Applications

    The Department will review and consider applications upon receipt. 
The Department will consider a variety of factors in reviewing 
applications seeking designations an Urban Partner, including whether 
proposals:

[[Page 71236]]

     Are likely to be successfully implemented;
     Affect the most daily surface transportation travelers;
     Produce the greatest potential reduction in overall 
traffic congestion;
     Provide the greatest congestion-reduction benefits per 
dollar of Federal support;
     Provide the most cost-effective means of reducing traffic 
congestion; and
     Demonstrate innovative and potentially far-reaching 
technology applications.
    This Notice is not the sole means by which the Department is 
soliciting candidates for UPAs. The Department reserves the right to 
solicit, and is actively soliciting, by means other than this Notice, 
certain metropolitan areas that the Department has determined, on a 
preliminary basis, to be candidates for UPAs. Neither the procedures 
nor the criteria set forth in this Notice shall be binding on the 
Department.

    Issued On: November 7, 2006.
Maria Cino,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-20924 Filed 12-7-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P