Federal Highway Administration November 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces two upcoming public meetings on the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Limits Study. The Transportation Research Board Committee for Review of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Truck Size and Weight Limits Study will hold a public meeting that will include presentations from DOT on the Desk Scans produced by the DOT MAP-21 Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Limits Study. The DOT will hold a second public outreach session to provide an update on the progress of the MAP-21 Comprehensive Truck Size and Weight Limits Study.

This notice provides information regarding the FHWA's finding that a partial Buy America waiver is appropriate for the obligation of Federal-aid Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program funds for the purchase of 378light, medium, and heavy duty plug-in battery electric and compressed natural gas vehicles by Chicago DOT.

FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a new information collection, which is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on June 21, 2013. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

This notice publishes the draft initial designation of the highway Primary Freight Network (PFN), which is established by the Secretary of Transportation as required by 23 U.S.C. 167(d), and provides information about designation of Critical Rural Freight Corridors (CRFC), which are designated by the States, and establishment of the National Freight Network (NFN), which combines the two, along with the portions of the Interstate System not designated as part of the highway PFN. This notice also solicits comments on the draft initial designation of the highway PFN and other critical aspects of the NFN. A notice published in the Federal Register on February 6, 2013 (78 FR 8686), introduced the process for designation of the highway PFN, NFN, and CRFCs.

The FHWA is issuing Interim Guidance on the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program (Interim Guidance). The Interim Guidance revises CMAQ Program Guidance issued in October 2008 (``2008 CMAQ Program Guidance'').\1\ The revisions in the Interim Guidance explain changes to the CMAQ Program as a result of the enactment of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). The Interim Guidance also contains changes to clarify the 2008 CMAQ Program Guidance. Because the Interim Guidance contains information needed for grantees to plan CMAQ-funded projects and use CMAQ funds during FY 2013, the Interim Guidance is effective on the date of the publication of this notice in the Federal Register. By this notice, the FHWA invites public comments on the changes contained in the Interim Guidance, which is available electronically at the docket established for this notice. The FHWA will consider all comments submitted to the Docket and will publish a notice of the availability of the resulting final guidance in the Federal Register.

This notice invites States, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO), and local governments that intend to initiate or continue Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) development with their partners, such as arterial management agencies, tolling authorities, and transit authorities, to apply for deployment planning grants. The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) authorized the FHWA to encourage Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) deployment on the national highway system through demonstrations and grant programs. The purpose of this program is to promote the integrated management and operations of the transportation system, thereby improving multimodal transportation system management and operations. This notice seeks applications for available funding for this program. This funding will be provided to cover a maximum of 80 percent of each proposed program/project. Total costs of each proposed program/ project should not exceed $200,000. Up to 10 awards are anticipated, but not guaranteed. Optional phase two: FHWA has the discretion to award additional funding to successful applicants to further advance their ICM concepts within the context of ICM deployment beyond the initial work product delivered.

FHWA is issuing this notice of intent to advise the public of its intent to adopt an existing Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in accordance with the Council on Environment Quality regulations, 40 CFR 1506.3. The final EIS was prepared and approved by the US Army of Engineers, New Orleans District for LA 3241, I-12 to Bush Highway in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. The FEIS will be supplemented to include a noise analysis in accordance with 23 CFR part 772, a Section 4(f) evaluation in accordance with 23 CFR part 774, and an analysis of the effects resulting from a change in the location of the connection with LA 434.