Federal Transit Administration May 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT), in cooperation with the Southwest Regional Planning Agency and Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials, intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on proposed commuter rail transit service and infrastructure improvements along the New Haven Line, Danbury Branch Rail Line in Connecticut. The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Metro North Railroad operates the New Haven Rail Line service for ConnDOT and is a cooperating agency in the EIS process. The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and its implementing regulations by the Council on the Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500-1508) and FTA/FHWA (23 CFR 771), as well as provisions of section 6002 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The Draft EIS will be combined with the planning Alternatives Analysis required by Federal Transit law [49 U.S.C. 5309(a)] for projects proposed for New Starts or Small Starts funding. The purpose of this notice is to alert interested parties regarding the intent to prepare the EIS, to provide and solicit information on the nature of the proposed project and possible alternatives, to invite public participation in the NEPA process (including providing comments on the scope of the EIS), and to announce that three public scoping meetings will be conducted.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of funds in Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 for the Discretionary Clean Fuels Grant Program, authorized by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy For Users (SAFETEA-LU). The Clean Fuels Grant Program makes funds available to assist non-attainment or maintenance areas in achieving or maintaining the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone or carbon monoxide (CO). Additionally, the program supports emerging clean fuel and advanced propulsion technologies for transit buses and markets for those technologies. The authorizing legislation allows for the Secretary of Transportation to make awards under this program at her discretion in non-attainment or maintenance areas for ozone or CO. In FY 2008, $49,000,000 was available for the discretionary Clean Fuels Grant program; $20,247,000 of the available funding was earmarked to specific projects authorized in SAFETEA-LU. The $28,753,000 of Clean Fuels Grant program funding that was unallocated in FY 2008 remains available for discretionary award. This announcement is available on the Internet on the FTA Web site at: https://www.fta.dot.gov. FTA will announce final selections on the Web site and in the Federal Register. A synopsis of this announcement will be posted in the FIND module of the government-wide electronic grants Web site at https://www.grants.gov. Proposals may be submitted to FTA electronically at cfnofa@dot.gov or through the GRANTS.GOV ``APPLY'' function. Those who apply via e-mail at cfnofa@dot.gov should receive a confirmation e-mail within 2 business days.

Through this notice, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) proposes to revise its policy with respect to ``tripper service'' and ``school bus operations'' under 49 CFR Part 605. FTA seeks comment on this notice from interested parties. After consideration of the comments, FTA will issue a second Federal Register notice responding to comments received and noting any changes made to the policy statement as a result of comments received.