Notice of Request for the Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection, 54658-54659 [2016-19462]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 158 / Tuesday, August 16, 2016 / Notices
internal (QC) review (beyond the Core
Team concept for project
documentation) for NEPA processrelated checks by TxDOT before the
decisions were made would add value
to the process, help ensure NEPA
compliance, and assist with FHWA’s
requirement to make informed and fully
compliant project authorization
decisions.
11. Narrow Definition of the QA/QC
Performance Measure
The team’s Observation #11 was that
the QA/QC measure for NEPA decisions
focused only on EA and EIS projects.
The team urges TxDOT to consider
evaluating a broader range of NEPA
related decisions (including, but not
limited to CEs, re-evaluations, Section
4(f), and STIP/Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP)
consistency). Note that the recurring
non-compliance observations occurred
on CEs with either STIP/TIP or Section
4(f) items that were not ready for a
decision to be made. In recent
interviews with TxDOT staff, the team
learned that TxDOT will examine other
measures on an ongoing basis for
internal use. The team believes that if
the QA/QC refocuses attention not only
on the documentation, but also on the
required sequential NEPA process
related items, that improved efficiencies
related to TxDOT’s NEPA decision and
FHWA project authorization could
result. The team believes that a more
relevant focus on process could
potentially help avoid non-compliance
actions by TxDOT under the MOU and
FHWA non-compliance observations in
future audits.
12. Performance Measure Utility
Observation #12 was that the utility of
several of the performance measures
was difficult to determine. Also, the
team was concerned that the measure
for the TxDOT relationship with the
public may be too limited by focusing
on the number of complaints. Through
recent interviews, the team learned that
TxDOT staff agree with FHWA’s
concerns about utility. Quantifying
changes in relationships with the public
or agencies is possible, but the number
is hard to interpret. Regarding the
survey of agencies, TxDOT staff
indicated that they did not know if
agencies have higher expectations of
TxDOT compared with other agencies.
Considering the TxDOT relationship
with the public, staff told the team that,
during the preparation of their
application, they considered various
sorts of surveys and social media
outreach. Given the cost of these
approaches, TxDOT was not convinced
of their utility and so decided not to use
any of them. This leaves the
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18:36 Aug 15, 2016
Jkt 238001
performance measure difficult to
address for TxDOT and may be a
recurring FHWA observation until it is
resolved.
13. TxDOT Reliance on the California
Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) Training Plan
The team’s Observation #13 was that
the Caltrans training plan, which served
as a basis for the TxDOT training plan,
may not adequately meet the needs of
TxDOT. The team urged TxDOT to
consider other State DOT approaches to
training. The TxDOT staff said in a
recent interview that they had reviewed
training plans from Virginia, Ohio,
Alaska, and Florida. They also indicated
that prior to Audit #2, TxDOT had
completed a survey of staff in District
offices and at ENV to assess training
needs. The team was told that the
surveys would be used to update the
training plan in the spring of 2016.
14. Adequacy of Training for nonTxDOT Staff
Observation #14 urged TxDOT to
assess whether the proposed training
approach for non-TxDOT staff (relying
heavily upon the annual ECC) is
adequate and responsive enough to
address a need to quickly disseminate
newly developed procedures and
policy. Through interviews, the team
learned that TxDOT does not prioritize
training classes specifically for nonTxDOT staff. The Director of ENV
acknowledged that the training session
at the recent ENV conference for LPA
staff was not well attended and was
thinking of reaching out to large
planning organizations. The TxDOT
concluded that its priority for training is
first for TxDOT staff internally (ENV
and District staff), second for
consultants that TxDOT hires for
environmental work, and third for
LPAs. In years three and beyond of the
TxDOT NEPA Assignment, the training
plan may start to focus on the second,
and eventually third, priority groups of
individuals.
15. What Training is Mandatory
Observation #15 resulted in a team
suggestion that the progressive training
plan clearly identify the training
required for each job classification. The
TxDOT training coordinator told the
team that the progressive training plan
will address training required to meet
State law (16 hours of training) and job
task certification. This plan will be
developed at the end of 2015.
16. Training Plan, Consideration of
Resource Agency Recommendations
The team learned in a recent
interview that in the fall of 2015 (as in
the fall of 2014), TxDOT subject matter
experts planned to reach out to resource
agencies to ask what training they
PO 00000
Frm 00109
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
would like to see conducted for TxDOT
staff. Previously, USACE staff said that
TxDOT needed Section 404 training.
The TxDOT scheduled and completed
Section 404 training in two different
locations during October 2015. The
TxDOT will continue to schedule
Section 404 training.
Finalization of Report
The FHWA received one response
from the TxDOT during the 30-day
comment period for the draft report. The
team has considered the TxDOT
comments in finalizing this audit report.
The TxDOT’s comments reflect actions
it has taken in response to the report’s
observations. The FHWA will address
these follow up actions in the third
audit report, now in preparation. Only
one comment has resulted in a nonsubstantial change in this report.
Observation #1 mentioned a possible
communication issue with the THC. The
FHWA agrees that the comment may not
reflect the official position of the agency
and has deleted the sentence
mentioning the THC.
The TxDOT made several comments
disputing non-compliance observation
#1. Representatives from FHWA and
TxDOT met to discuss non-compliance
observation #1 on May 11, 2016. The
TxDOT, via an email, has subsequently
decided to withdraw their comments on
this non-compliance observation. The
final report discussion of noncompliance observation #1 has not been
revised.
The FHWA has finalized the draft
Audit #2 report previously published in
the Federal Register without
substantive changes.
[FR Doc. 2016–19476 Filed 8–15–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[FTA Docket No. 2016–0028]
Notice of Request for the Extension of
a Currently Approved Information
Collection
AGENCY:
Federal Transit Administration,
DOT.
ACTION:
Notice of request for comments.
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, and
its implementing regulations, the
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
hereby announces that it is seeking
renewal of the following currently
approved information collection
activities. Before submitting this
information collection requirements for
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\16AUN1.SGM
16AUN1
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 158 / Tuesday, August 16, 2016 / Notices
clearance by the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB), FTA is soliciting
public comment on specific aspects of
the activities identified below.
Title: 49 U.S.C. Section 5307—
Urbanized Area Formula Program.
OMB Number: 2132–0502.
Background: 49 U.S.C. 5307 The
Urbanized Area Formula Funding
program (49 U.S.C. 5307) makes Federal
resources available to urbanized areas
and to Governors for transit capital and
operating assistance and for
transportation related planning in
urbanized areas. An urbanized area is a
Census-designated area with a
population of 50,000 or more as
determined by the U.S. Department of
Commerce, Bureau of the Census.
Funding is made available to designated
recipients, which must be public bodies
with the legal authority to receive and
dispense Federal funds. Governors,
responsible local officials and publicly
owned operators of transit services are
required to designate a recipient to
apply for, receive, and dispense funds
for urbanized areas pursuant to 49
U.S.C. 5307(a)(2). The Governor or
Governor’s designee is the designated
recipient for urbanized areas between
50,000 and 200,000. Eligible activities
include planning, engineering, design
and evaluation of transit projects and
other technical transportation-related
studies; capital investments in bus and
bus-related activities such as
replacement of buses, overhaul of buses,
rebuilding of buses, crime prevention
and security equipment and
construction of maintenance and
passenger facilities; and capital
investments in new and existing fixed
guideway systems including rolling
stock, overhaul and rebuilding of
vehicles, track, signals,
communications, and computer
hardware and software. All preventive
maintenance and some Americans with
Disabilities Act complementary
paratransit service costs are considered
capital costs. For urbanized areas with
populations less than 200,000, operating
assistance is an eligible expense. For
urbanized areas with 200,000 in
population and over, funds are
apportioned and flow directly to a
designated recipient selected locally to
apply for and receive Federal funds. For
urbanized areas under 200,000 in
population, the funds are apportioned to
the Governor of each state for
distribution. With the passing of Fixing
America’s Surface Transportation Act,
the 100 Bus Rule was been expanded to
include demand response service,
excluding ADA complementary
paratransit service. An exception to the
100 Bus Rule has been added as well.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:36 Aug 15, 2016
Jkt 238001
If a public transportation system
executes a written agreement with one
or more other public transportation
systems within the urbanized area to
allocate funds by a method other than
by measuring vehicle revenue hours,
each public transportation system that is
part of the written agreement may
follow the terms of the written
agreement instead of the measured
vehicle revenue hours. Under Grant
Recipient Requirements, a provision has
been added that directs recipients to
maintain equipment and facilities in
accordance with their transit asset
management plan. Recipients are no
longer required to expend 1% of their
funding for associated transit
improvements. However, recipients are
still required to submit an annual report
listing projects that were carried out in
the preceding fiscal year. The Passenger
Ferry Grant Program is also available to
urbanized areas under the authority
provided through 49 U.S.C. 5307
(section 5307). This program provides
discretionary opportunity to capital
projects. Capital projects include, but
are not limited to, the purchase,
replacement, or rehabilitation of ferries
and terminals and related equipment.
Funds may not be used to fund
operating expenses, planning, or
preventive maintenance.
Respondents: State and local
government, business or other for-profit
institutions and non-profit institutions.
Estimated Annual Burden on
Respondents: Approximately 50 hours
for each of the 2,245 respondents.
Estimated Total Annual Burden:
67,250 hours.
Frequency: Annual.
DATES: Comments must be submitted
before October 17, 2016.
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: 202–493–2251.
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.
PO 00000
Frm 00110
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
54659
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 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 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
Privacy Act Statement in the Federal
Register published April 11, 2000, (65
FR 19477), or you may visit
www.regulations.gov. Docket: For access
to the docket to read background
documents and comments received, go
to www.regulations.gov at any time.
Background documents and comments
received may also be viewed at the 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
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Section 5307—Tara Clark, Office of
Program Management (202) 366–2623,
or email: Tara.Clark@dot.gov.
Passenger Ferry Program—Vanessa
Williams, Office of Program
Management (202) 366–4818 or email:
Vanessa.Williams@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested
parties are invited to send comments
regarding any aspect of this information
collection, including: (1) The necessity
and utility of the information collection
for the proper performance of the
functions of the FTA; (2) the accuracy
of the estimated burden; (3) ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the collected information; and (4)
ways to minimize the collection burden
without reducing the quality of the
collected information. Comments
submitted in response to this notice will
be summarized and/or included in the
request for OMB approval of this
information collection.
William Hyre,
Deputy Associate Administrator for
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016–19462 Filed 8–15–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–57–P
E:\FR\FM\16AUN1.SGM
16AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 158 (Tuesday, August 16, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54658-54659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19462]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[FTA Docket No. 2016-0028]
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, and
its implementing regulations, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
hereby announces that it is seeking renewal of the following currently
approved information collection activities. Before submitting this
information collection requirements for
[[Page 54659]]
clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), FTA is
soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities
identified below.
Title: 49 U.S.C. Section 5307--Urbanized Area Formula Program.
OMB Number: 2132-0502.
Background: 49 U.S.C. 5307 The Urbanized Area Formula Funding
program (49 U.S.C. 5307) makes Federal resources available to urbanized
areas and to Governors for transit capital and operating assistance and
for transportation related planning in urbanized areas. An urbanized
area is a Census-designated area with a population of 50,000 or more as
determined by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census.
Funding is made available to designated recipients, which must be
public bodies with the legal authority to receive and dispense Federal
funds. Governors, responsible local officials and publicly owned
operators of transit services are required to designate a recipient to
apply for, receive, and dispense funds for urbanized areas pursuant to
49 U.S.C. 5307(a)(2). The Governor or Governor's designee is the
designated recipient for urbanized areas between 50,000 and 200,000.
Eligible activities include planning, engineering, design and
evaluation of transit projects and other technical transportation-
related studies; capital investments in bus and bus-related activities
such as replacement of buses, overhaul of buses, rebuilding of buses,
crime prevention and security equipment and construction of maintenance
and passenger facilities; and capital investments in new and existing
fixed guideway systems including rolling stock, overhaul and rebuilding
of vehicles, track, signals, communications, and computer hardware and
software. All preventive maintenance and some Americans with
Disabilities Act complementary paratransit service costs are considered
capital costs. For urbanized areas with populations less than 200,000,
operating assistance is an eligible expense. For urbanized areas with
200,000 in population and over, funds are apportioned and flow directly
to a designated recipient selected locally to apply for and receive
Federal funds. For urbanized areas under 200,000 in population, the
funds are apportioned to the Governor of each state for distribution.
With the passing of Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, the
100 Bus Rule was been expanded to include demand response service,
excluding ADA complementary paratransit service. An exception to the
100 Bus Rule has been added as well. If a public transportation system
executes a written agreement with one or more other public
transportation systems within the urbanized area to allocate funds by a
method other than by measuring vehicle revenue hours, each public
transportation system that is part of the written agreement may follow
the terms of the written agreement instead of the measured vehicle
revenue hours. Under Grant Recipient Requirements, a provision has been
added that directs recipients to maintain equipment and facilities in
accordance with their transit asset management plan. Recipients are no
longer required to expend 1% of their funding for associated transit
improvements. However, recipients are still required to submit an
annual report listing projects that were carried out in the preceding
fiscal year. The Passenger Ferry Grant Program is also available to
urbanized areas under the authority provided through 49 U.S.C. 5307
(section 5307). This program provides discretionary opportunity to
capital projects. Capital projects include, but are not limited to, the
purchase, replacement, or rehabilitation of ferries and terminals and
related equipment. Funds may not be used to fund operating expenses,
planning, or preventive maintenance.
Respondents: State and local government, business or other for-
profit institutions and non-profit institutions.
Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: Approximately 50 hours for
each of the 2,245 respondents.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 67,250 hours.
Frequency: Annual.
DATES: Comments must be submitted before October 17, 2016.
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: 202-493-2251.
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 9:00 a.m. and
5:00 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 self-addressed 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 Privacy Act
Statement in the Federal Register published April 11, 2000, (65 FR
19477), or you may visit www.regulations.gov. Docket: For access to the
docket to read background documents and comments received, go to
www.regulations.gov at any time. Background documents and comments
received may also be viewed at the 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 9:00 a.m.
and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Section 5307--Tara Clark, Office of Program Management (202) 366-2623,
or email: Tara.Clark@dot.gov.
Passenger Ferry Program--Vanessa Williams, Office of Program Management
(202) 366-4818 or email: Vanessa.Williams@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested parties are invited to send
comments regarding any aspect of this information collection,
including: (1) The necessity and utility of the information collection
for the proper performance of the functions of the FTA; (2) the
accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways to
minimize the collection burden without reducing the quality of the
collected information. Comments submitted in response to this notice
will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of
this information collection.
William Hyre,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-19462 Filed 8-15-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P
