Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program (STEP), 35435-35436 [E8-14135]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 121 / Monday, June 23, 2008 / Notices Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute. This includes information of a personal and business nature, and credit card information so that the Department can receive reimbursement. Methodology This information will be collected in hard copy format, which is either mailed or transmitted by facsimile machine to the Foreign Service Institute. Dated: June 9, 2008. Catherine J. Russell, Executive Director,Foreign Service Institute,Department of State. [FR Doc. E8–14132 Filed 6–20–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4710–34–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Office of the Secretary mmaher on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES Notice of Applications for Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity and Foreign Air Carrier Permits Filed Under Subpart B (Formerly Subpart Q) During the Week Ending May 16, 2008 The following Applications for Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity and Foreign Air Carrier Permits were filed under Subpart B (formerly Subpart Q) of the Department of Transportation’s Procedural Regulations. (See 14 CFR 301.201 et seq.). The due date for Answers, Conforming Applications, or Motions to Modify Scope are set forth below for each application. Following the Answer period DOT may process the application by expedited procedures. Such procedures may consist of the adoption of a show-cause order, a tentative order, or in appropriate cases a final order without further proceedings. Docket Number: DOT–OST–2008– 0127. Date Filed: May 14, 2008. Due Date for Answers, Conforming Applications, or Motion To Modify Scope: May 30, 2008. Description: Application of Kalitta Air, L.L.C. (Kalitta) for (1) a certificate of public convenience and necessity authorizing it to provide scheduled foreign air transportation of property and mail between a point or point(s) in the United States and a point or point(s) in China, via intermediate points, and beyond China to any point or points; (2) designation as the additional U.S.-flag all-cargo carrier permitted effective March 25, 2009; and (3) allocation of 10 of the 15 all-cargo frequencies that become available March 25, 2009. Docket Number: DOT–OST–2008– 0162. VerDate Aug<31>2005 01:51 Jun 21, 2008 Jkt 214001 Date Filed: May 15, 2008. Due Date for Answers, Conforming Applications, or Motion to Modify Scope: June 5, 2008. Description: Joint Application of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (‘‘Delta’’), Northwest Airlines, Inc. (‘‘Northwest’’) and Northwest’s wholly-owned subsidiaries, Compass Airlines, Inc. (‘‘Compass’’) and Mesaba Aviation, Inc. (‘‘Mesaba’’) (collectively, the ‘‘Joint Applicants’’) requesting that the Department transfer all of the certificates of public convenience and necessity, exemptions, statements of authorizations, frequency allocations, designations and related authorities held by Northwest, Compass, and Mesaba. The Joint Applicants also request the Department’s approval of the final transfer of international authority that will occur upon the ultimate merger of Delta and Northwest. Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations,Federal Register Liaison. [FR Doc. E8–14127 Filed 6–20–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program (STEP) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: Section 5207 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA–LU) established the Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program (STEP). The general objective of the STEP is to improve understanding of the complex relationship between surface transportation, planning, and the environment. SAFETEA–LU provides $16.875 million per year for fiscal years (FY) 2006–2009 to implement this new cooperative research program. The STEP is the primary source of funds to conduct all Federal Highway Administration research on planning and environmental issues. In addition, Congress mandated several special studies and STEP will be the funding source for those projects. The purpose of this notice is to announce revisions to the STEP implementation strategy for FY 2009 and to request suggested lines of research for the FY 2009 STEP via the STEP Web site at https:// www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/index.htm. PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 35435 Suggestions for lines of research should be submitted to the STEP Web site on or before September 22, 2008. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Felicia Young, Office of Interstate and Border Planning, (202) 366–1263, Felicia.young@fhwa.dot.gov; or Wil Baccus, Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366–1396; Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DATES: Electronic Access An electronic copy of this notice may be downloaded from the Office of the Federal Register’s home page at https:// www.archives.gov and the Government Printing Office’s Web site at https:// www.access.gpo.gov. Background Section 5207 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (Pub. L. 109–59, Aug. 10. 2005), established the Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program. The STEP is a new cooperative research program for environment and planning research created in section 507 of Title 23, United States Code, Highways (23 U.S.C. 507). The general objective of the STEP is to improve understanding of the complex relationship between surface transportation, planning, and the environment. SAFETEA–LU established five priority areas for STEP research. These priority funding areas include: (1) Develop more accurate models for evaluating transportation control measures and system designs for use by State and local governments to meet environmental requirements; (2) improve understanding of transportation demand factors; (3) develop indicators of economic, social, and environmental performance of transportation systems to facilitate alternatives analysis; (4) meet additional priorities as determined by the Secretary in the strategic planning process identified in section 5208 of SAFETEA– LU; and (5) refine the scope and research emphases through outreach and in consultation with stakeholders. Congestion reduction also has been identified as a priority research area for the strategic planning process identified in section 5208 of SAFETEA–LU and is a key element of other STEP priority research areas. Therefore, in addition to the aforementioned research priorities, the STEP will also address research E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM 23JNN1 35436 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 121 / Monday, June 23, 2008 / Notices mmaher on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES priorities related to congestion reduction. Transportation system congestion is one of the single largest threats to U.S. economic prosperity and the American way of life. In response to the challenges of congestion, in May 2006, the DOT established the National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America’s Transportation Network (the ‘‘Congestion Initiative’’).1 The Congestion Initiative is a bold and comprehensive national program to reduce congestion on the Nation’s roads, rails, runways and waterways. 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 2005 figures, in certain metropolitan areas the average rush hour driver loses as many as 72 hours per year to travel delay— equivalent to almost 2 weeks of work, amounting annually to a virtual ‘‘congestion tax’’ as high as $1,374 per traveler in wasted time and fuel.2 Nationwide, congestion imposes costs on the economy of over $78 billion per year,3 more than a five-fold increase since 1982, and that would be even higher if it accounted for the significant cost of unreliability to drivers and businesses, the environmental impacts of idle related auto emissions, or increased gasoline prices. The STEP directly addresses congestion reduction efforts as part of the Planning Focus Area. Other STEP emphasis areas include goals and objectives that relate to congestion reduction. These include: Congestion; Air Quality and Global Climate Change, Bicycle/Pedestrian and Health, Environmental Streamlining/ Stewardship; United States/Canada and United States/Mexico Border Planning; Safety Planning; Freight Planning; Travel Modeling, etc. In addition, the STEP outreach efforts continue to seek partnerships that can leverage limited research funding with other 1 Speaking before the National Retail Federation’s annual conference on May 16, 2006, in Washington, DC, former U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta unveiled a new plan to reduce congestion plaguing America’s roads, rails, and airports. The National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America’s Transportation Network includes a number of initiatives designed to reduce transportation congestion. The transcript of these remarks is available at: https://www.dot.gov/affairs/ minetasp051606.htm. Additional information may be located at: https://www.fightgridlocknow.gov. 2 Texas Transportation Institute (TTI, 2007 Urban Mobility Report, September 2007 (https:// tti.tamu.edu/documents/ mobility_report_2007_wappx.pdf, Table 1; and https://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/congestion_data/ tables/los_angeles.pdf), Tables 1 and 2. 3 TTI, 2007 Urban Mobility Report, p. 1. VerDate Aug<31>2005 01:51 Jun 21, 2008 Jkt 214001 stakeholders and partners in order to increase the total amount of funding available to meet the Nation’s surface transportation research needs including congestion reduction. SAFETEA–LU provides $16.875 million per year for FY 2006–2009 to implement this new cooperative research program. Due to obligation limitations, rescissions, and congressional designation of Title V Research in SAFETEA–LU, it is anticipated that approximately $12 million of the $16.875 million authorized will be available each fiscal year. The FHWA is issuing this notice to: (1) to announce revisions to the STEP Implementation Strategy for the FY 2009 STEP, and (2) to solicit comments via the STEP Web site on proposed research activities to be undertaken in the FY 2009 STEP. The STEP Implementation Strategy was revised to: Update information on the graph and chart regarding historical planning and environment research funding, and to add information about the proposed FY 2009 STEP including proposed funding levels, goals and potential research activities. Suggested lines of research activities for the FY 2009 STEP may include potential research ideas related to highway safety and the Congestion Initiative. Research activities related to the Congestion Initiative could specifically include ideas to relieve urban congestion; improve analysis tools for measuring and analyzing environmental impacts of congestion management projects; enhance national data resources on operational and environmental effects of congestion management projects; unleash private sector investment resources; promote operational and technological improvements; and target major freight bottlenecks and expand freight policy outreach. We invite the public to visit this Web site to obtain additional information on the STEP, as well as information on the process for forwarding comments to the FHWA regarding the STEP implementation plan. The URL for the STEP Web site is https:// www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/index.htm. The FHWA will use this Web site as a major mechanism for informing the public regarding the status of the STEP. Authority: Section 5207 of Pub. L. 109–59. Issued on: June 11, 2008. James D. Ray, Acting Federal Highway Administrator. [FR Doc. E8–14135 Filed 6–20–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–22–P PO 00000 Frm 00071 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration [FTA Docket No. FTA–2008–0034] Notice of Request for the Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT. ACTION: Notice of request for comments. SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to extend the following currently approved information collection: 49 U.S.C. Section 5330—Rail Fixed Guideway Systems, State Safety Oversight. Comments must be submitted before August 22, 2008. ADDRESSES: To ensure that your comments are not entered more than once into the docket, submit comments identified by the docket number by only one of the following methods: 1. Web site: www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the U.S. Government electronic docket site. (Note: The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) electronic docket is no longer accepting electronic comments.) All electronic submissions must be made to the U.S. Government electronic docket site at www.regulations.gov. Commenters should follow the directions below for mailed and hand-delivered comments. 2. Fax: 202–366–7951. 3. Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Docket Operations, M–30, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590–0001. 4. Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Docket Operations, M–30, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590–0001 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket number for this notice at the beginning of your comments. Submit two copies of your comments if you submit them by mail. For confirmation that FTA has received your comments, include a selfaddressed stamped postcard. Note that all comments received, including any personal information, will be posted and will be available to Internet users, without change, to www.regulations.gov. You may review DOT’s complete DATES: E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM 23JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 121 (Monday, June 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35435-35436]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14135]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative 
Research Program (STEP)

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Section 5207 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) established 
the Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative 
Research Program (STEP). The general objective of the STEP is to 
improve understanding of the complex relationship between surface 
transportation, planning, and the environment. SAFETEA-LU provides 
$16.875 million per year for fiscal years (FY) 2006-2009 to implement 
this new cooperative research program. The STEP is the primary source 
of funds to conduct all Federal Highway Administration research on 
planning and environmental issues. In addition, Congress mandated 
several special studies and STEP will be the funding source for those 
projects.
    The purpose of this notice is to announce revisions to the STEP 
implementation strategy for FY 2009 and to request suggested lines of 
research for the FY 2009 STEP via the STEP Web site at https://
www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/index.htm.

DATES: Suggestions for lines of research should be submitted to the 
STEP Web site on or before September 22, 2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Felicia Young, Office of Interstate 
and Border Planning, (202) 366-1263, Felicia.young@fhwa.dot.gov; or Wil 
Baccus, Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-1396; Federal Highway 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 
Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    An electronic copy of this notice may be downloaded from the Office 
of the Federal Register's home page at https://www.archives.gov and the 
Government Printing Office's Web site at https://www.access.gpo.gov.

Background

    Section 5207 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (Pub. L. 109-59, Aug. 10. 
2005), established the Surface Transportation Environment and Planning 
Cooperative Research Program. The STEP is a new cooperative research 
program for environment and planning research created in section 507 of 
Title 23, United States Code, Highways (23 U.S.C. 507). The general 
objective of the STEP is to improve understanding of the complex 
relationship between surface transportation, planning, and the 
environment.
    SAFETEA-LU established five priority areas for STEP research. These 
priority funding areas include: (1) Develop more accurate models for 
evaluating transportation control measures and system designs for use 
by State and local governments to meet environmental requirements; (2) 
improve understanding of transportation demand factors; (3) develop 
indicators of economic, social, and environmental performance of 
transportation systems to facilitate alternatives analysis; (4) meet 
additional priorities as determined by the Secretary in the strategic 
planning process identified in section 5208 of SAFETEA-LU; and (5) 
refine the scope and research emphases through outreach and in 
consultation with stakeholders.
    Congestion reduction also has been identified as a priority 
research area for the strategic planning process identified in section 
5208 of SAFETEA-LU and is a key element of other STEP priority research 
areas. Therefore, in addition to the aforementioned research 
priorities, the STEP will also address research

[[Page 35436]]

priorities related to congestion reduction.
    Transportation system congestion is one of the single largest 
threats to U.S. economic prosperity and the American way of life. In 
response to the challenges of congestion, in May 2006, the DOT 
established the National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America's 
Transportation Network (the ``Congestion Initiative'').\1\ The 
Congestion Initiative is a bold and comprehensive national program to 
reduce congestion on the Nation's roads, rails, runways and waterways.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Speaking before the National Retail Federation's annual 
conference on May 16, 2006, in Washington, DC, former U.S. 
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta unveiled a new plan to reduce 
congestion plaguing America's roads, rails, and airports. The 
National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America's Transportation 
Network includes a number of initiatives designed to reduce 
transportation congestion. The transcript of these remarks is 
available at: https://www.dot.gov/affairs/minetasp051606.htm. 
Additional information may be located at: https://
www.fightgridlocknow.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 2005 figures, in 
certain metropolitan areas the average rush hour driver loses as many 
as 72 hours per year to travel delay--equivalent to almost 2 weeks of 
work, amounting annually to a virtual ``congestion tax'' as high as 
$1,374 per traveler in wasted time and fuel.\2\ Nationwide, congestion 
imposes costs on the economy of over $78 billion per year,\3\ more than 
a five-fold increase since 1982, and that would be even higher if it 
accounted for the significant cost of unreliability to drivers and 
businesses, the environmental impacts of idle related auto emissions, 
or increased gasoline prices.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Texas Transportation Institute (TTI, 2007 Urban Mobility 
Report, September 2007 (https://tti.tamu.edu/documents/mobility_
report_2007_wappx.pdf, Table 1; and https://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/
congestion_data/tables/los_angeles.pdf), Tables 1 and 2.
    \3\ TTI, 2007 Urban Mobility Report, p. 1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The STEP directly addresses congestion reduction efforts as part of 
the Planning Focus Area. Other STEP emphasis areas include goals and 
objectives that relate to congestion reduction. These include: 
Congestion; Air Quality and Global Climate Change, Bicycle/Pedestrian 
and Health, Environmental Streamlining/Stewardship; United States/
Canada and United States/Mexico Border Planning; Safety Planning; 
Freight Planning; Travel Modeling, etc. In addition, the STEP outreach 
efforts continue to seek partnerships that can leverage limited 
research funding with other stakeholders and partners in order to 
increase the total amount of funding available to meet the Nation's 
surface transportation research needs including congestion reduction.
    SAFETEA-LU provides $16.875 million per year for FY 2006-2009 to 
implement this new cooperative research program. Due to obligation 
limitations, rescissions, and congressional designation of Title V 
Research in SAFETEA-LU, it is anticipated that approximately $12 
million of the $16.875 million authorized will be available each fiscal 
year.
    The FHWA is issuing this notice to: (1) to announce revisions to 
the STEP Implementation Strategy for the FY 2009 STEP, and (2) to 
solicit comments via the STEP Web site on proposed research activities 
to be undertaken in the FY 2009 STEP. The STEP Implementation Strategy 
was revised to: Update information on the graph and chart regarding 
historical planning and environment research funding, and to add 
information about the proposed FY 2009 STEP including proposed funding 
levels, goals and potential research activities.
    Suggested lines of research activities for the FY 2009 STEP may 
include potential research ideas related to highway safety and the 
Congestion Initiative. Research activities related to the Congestion 
Initiative could specifically include ideas to relieve urban 
congestion; improve analysis tools for measuring and analyzing 
environmental impacts of congestion management projects; enhance 
national data resources on operational and environmental effects of 
congestion management projects; unleash private sector investment 
resources; promote operational and technological improvements; and 
target major freight bottlenecks and expand freight policy outreach.
    We invite the public to visit this Web site to obtain additional 
information on the STEP, as well as information on the process for 
forwarding comments to the FHWA regarding the STEP implementation plan. 
The URL for the STEP Web site is https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/
index.htm. The FHWA will use this Web site as a major mechanism for 
informing the public regarding the status of the STEP.

    Authority: Section 5207 of Pub. L. 109-59.

    Issued on: June 11, 2008.
James D. Ray,
Acting Federal Highway Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E8-14135 Filed 6-20-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
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