Notice of Availability of Proposed Policy Guidance on Evaluation Measures for New Starts/Small Starts, 43378 [E7-14279]

Agencies

• Federal Transit Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 149 (Friday, August 3, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 43378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14279]



Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 149 / Friday, August 3, 2007 / 
Notices

[[Page 43378]]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

[Docket Number: FTA-2007-28780]


Notice of Availability of Proposed Policy Guidance on Evaluation 
Measures for New Starts/Small Starts

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Federal Transit 
Administration's (FTA) Proposed Policy Guidance on Evaluation Measures 
for New Starts/Small Starts and requests your comments on it. This 
document complements the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Major 
Capital Investments by describing the detailed measures proposed for 
evaluation of projects seeking New and Small Starts funding and the way 
these measures will be used in project ratings. The Proposed Evaluation 
Measures for New Starts/Small Starts is available in DOT's electronic 
docket and on FTA's Web site. FTA requests comment on the proposed 
detailed measures and associated policy in the Proposed Policy Guidance 
on Evaluation Measures for New Starts/Small Starts. After receiving and 
considering public input on the proposed guidance, FTA will respond to 
the comments it has received and issue final guidance concurrently with 
a final rule for Major Capital Investments.

DATES: Comments must be received by November 1, 2007. Late filed 
comments will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: Comments: You may submit comments [identified by the DOT DMS 
Docket number FTA-2007-28780] by any of the following methods:
    Web site: https://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
    Fax: 202-493-2251.
    Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., W12-140, Washington, DC 
20590-0001.
    Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 on the first floor of the West 
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. 
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Instructions: You must include the agency name (Federal Transit 
Administration) and the docket number (FTA-2007-28780). You should 
submit two copies of your comments if you submit them by mail. If you 
wish to receive confirmation that FTA received your comments, you must 
include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Note that all comments 
received will be posted without change to the Department Docket 
Management System (DMS) Web site located at https://dms.dot.gov. This 
means that if your comment includes any personal identifying 
information, such information will be made available to users of DMS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron Fisher, Office of Planning and 
Environment, telephone (202) 366-4033, Federal Transit Administration, 
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 
Washington, DC 20590 or Ronald.Fisher@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 10, 2005, President Bush signed 
the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A 
Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Section 3011 of SAFETEA-LU made a number 
of changes to 49 U.S.C. 5309, which authorizes the Federal Transit 
Administration's (FTA) fixed guideway capital investment program known 
as ''New Starts'', and created a new program category known as ''Small 
Starts''. FTA is responding to changes made by the SAFETEA-LU 
provisions in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Major Capital 
Investments, which is being issued concurrently. The NPRM addresses the 
eligibility, project justification and local financial commitment 
criteria, overall project ratings and project development process for 
New Starts, Small Starts and Very Small Starts. While the NPRM provides 
the framework and criteria weights for project justification and local 
financial commitment, the document that is the subject of this notice 
complements the NPRM by providing detailed descriptions of the measures 
for project justification and local financial commitment and the way 
they will be used in the ratings for project evaluation.
    This notice announces the availability of FTA's Proposed Policy 
Guidance on Evaluation Measures for New Starts/Small Starts and 
requests your comment as described below. The document is available in 
the docket, which can be accessed by going to https://dms.dot.gov at any 
time, or you can view the document on FTA's Web site at https://
www.fta.dot.gov/15052_ENGHTML.html.
    The evaluation measures, once announced as final, will apply to all 
New and Small Starts submittals received after the effective date 
announced in the Notice of Availability published in the Federal 
Register for Policy Guidance on Evaluation Measures for New Starts/
Small Starts. FTA intends to publish the final Policy Guidance on 
Evaluation Measures for New Starts/Small Starts concurrently with the 
final rule for Major Capital Investments. Comments received will be 
used to develop the detailed measures and evaluations for projects 
seeking funds from the New and Small Starts programs. FTA will respond 
to comments received in response to this Notice in a second Federal 
Register notice to be published after the close of the comment period. 
The notice will announce the availability of the Policy Guidance on 
Evaluation Measures for New Starts/Small Starts, reflecting the changes 
implemented as a result of the comments received thereon.

    Issued in Washington, DC this 19th day of July, 2007.
James S. Simpson,
Administrator, Federal Transit Administration.
[FR Doc. E7-14279 Filed 8-2-07; 8:45 am]
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