Federal Transit Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) issue this early scoping notice to advise other agencies and the public that they intend to explore alternatives for improving transit service between Northgate in Seattle and Lynnwood, in King and Snohomish counties, Washington. The early scoping is being conducted within the context of the Council on Environmental Quality's regulations for complying with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and is part of a planning Alternatives Analysis (AA) required by Title 49 United States Code (U.S.C.) 5309 to analyze the potential for a fixed guideway alternative to be implemented as an FTA-assisted major capital transit investment. The AA process results in the selection or confirmation of a locally preferred alternative which is the proposed action. The early scoping notice is intended to invite public comments on the scope of the AA study, including the transportation problems to be addressed, a range of alternatives, the transportation and community impacts and benefits to be considered, the capital and operating costs, the financial plans and other factors that the public and agencies believe should be considered in analyzing alternatives. If preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is warranted following completion of the planning AA, a notice of intent to prepare an EIS will be published. This early scoping process is intended to support the future NEPA scoping process. Public meetings and the range of alternatives currently identified to address the project's purpose are described below.

The Federal Transit Administration invites public comment about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval to reinstate the following information collections: (1) Nondiscrimination as it Applies to FTA Grant Programs. (2) Title VI as it Applies to FTA Grant Programs.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the selection of projects funded with Bus and Bus Facilities program funds in support of DOT's Livability Initiative, which was announced in the Bus Livability Initiative notice of funding availability on December 8, 2009. The Livability Bus program makes funds available to public transit providers to finance capital projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities, including programs of bus and bus-related projects for assistance to subrecipients that are public agencies, private companies engaged in public transportation, or private non-profit organizations.

The Federal Transit Administration invites public comment about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) to approve the revision of the currently approved information collection: 49 U.S.C. Sections 5310 and 5311Capital Assistance Program for Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities and Nonurbanized Area Formula Program. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments was published on May 21, 2010.

This document announces the date, time, and location of an additional outreach session concerning the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) for FTA's New Starts and Small Starts programs. Presentations delivered at the meeting will describe the provisions of the ANPRM issued by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Further outreach sessions, if scheduled, will be announced in a subsequent Federal Register notice.

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 reinstate the following new information collections:

This document announces the dates, times, and locations of outreach sessions concerning the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) for FTA's New Starts and Small Starts programs. Presentations delivered at these meetings will describe the provisions of the ANPRM issued by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Further outreach sessions, if scheduled, will be announced in a subsequent Federal Register notice.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of up to $25.7 million in discretionary Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 and 2010 funds under the Alternatives Analysis Program (49 U.S.C. 5339) authorized by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy For Users (SAFETEA-LU), Public Law 109-59, August 10, 2005. Discretionary program funds will be distributed in accordance with the mission of this program and in support of the Department of Transportation's Livability Initiative.

The Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act, (Pub. L. 111- 147), signed into the law by President Obama on March 18, 2010, authorized funds for all of the surface transportation programs of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for the remainder of the Fiscal Year (FY) ending September 30, 2010, and the first quarter of FY 2011. This Notice supplements the February 18, 2009 Federal Register notice to apportion the full amount of FY 2010 formula funds. In addition, this Notice revises the Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) and Alternatives Analysis program carryover tables, Small Transit Intensive Cities (STIC) performance data and Apportionments table, and Bus and Bus Facilities Extensions and Reprogramming table, and allocates the remaining FY 2010 funds made available to congressionally designated projects under the Alternative Analysis program.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of approximately $24.5 million in discretionary Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program (Transit in Parks Program) funds. This notice solicits proposals to compete for FY 2010 funds under the program, which was established by Section 3021 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy For Users (SAFETEA-LU), as amended (49 U.S.C. 5320). The program is administered by FTA in partnership with U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of discretionary Section 5309 Bus and Bus Facilities grant funds in support of its ``State of Good Repair'' initiative. The State of Good Repair (SGR) Bus initiative will be funded with up to $775 million in unallocated Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities Program funds, authorized by 49 USC 5309(b) of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy For Users (SAFETEA-LU), Public Law 109-59, August 10, 2005. FTA may use additional Bus and Bus Facilities program funding that becomes available in the future to further support this initiative.

This notice corrects dollar thresholds and revenue classifications for large and small intercity fixed-route Class I carriers, and labor protection information, among other things, published in the January 15, 2010 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Notice titled ``Over-the-Road Bus Accessibility Program Grants,'' extends the application deadline, and allows applicants to submit a single application for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 and FY 2010 funding.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of discretionary funds in Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 for the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) program funds and FY 2009 and 2010 Clean Fuels Grant program funds, augmented with FY 2010 Section 5309 Bus and Bus Facilities program funds. These discretionary program funds will be distributed in accordance with the mission of each program and in support of the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) environmental sustainability efforts.

This notice announces final environmental actions taken by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the following projects: (1) Jacksonville Transit Authority, Rapid Transit System Phase One, Jacksonville, FL; (2) Salem-Keizer Transit, Keizer Transit Center Project, Salem, OR; (3) Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Installation of Elevators at Park Street Station Project, Boston, MA; (4) Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority, Expansion of the 14th Street Bus Facility, Erie, PA; and (5) Metropolitan Council, Central Corridor Light Rail Transit ProjectConstruction of Three Infill Stations, St. Paul, MN. The purpose of this notice is to announce publicly the environmental decisions by FTA on the subject projects and to activate the limitation on any claims that may challenge these final environmental actions.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority (CIRTA), the Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization (Indianapolis MPO) and Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo) intend to prepare an Alternatives Analysis/Environmental Impact Statement (AA/EIS) relating to proposed high capacity transit improvements in the Northeast Corridor located in the Indiana counties of Marion and Hamilton. The study area is an approximately 23-mile long travel corridor extending from downtown Indianapolis to the northern parts of Noblesville and includes the communities of Carmel and Fishers. Options to be considered include No-Build, Transportation System Management (TSM), Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), and Commuter Rail. The AA/EIS will be prepared in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its implementing regulations. The AA/EIS process provides opportunities for the public to comment on the scope of the EIS, including the project's purpose and need, the alternatives to be considered, and the impacts to be evaluated. The southern terminal of all alternatives will be Union Station or an adjacent transit center in downtown Indianapolis.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced on December 8, 2009, the availability of discretionary Section 5309 Bus and Bus Facilities grant and New Starts funds in support of the Department of Transportation's Livability Initiative (``Livability Bus Program''). The Livability Bus Program is funded using $150 million in unallocated Discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities Program funds, authorized by 49 U.S.C. 5309(b) of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Public Law 109-59, August 10, 2005. The Urban Circulator Program is funded using $130 million in unallocated New Starts/Small Starts Program Funds authorized by 49 U.S.C. 5309(b) of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Public Law 109-59, August 10, 2005.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is seeking nominations for individuals to serve on the Transit Rail Advisory Committee for Safety (TRACS). The Advisory Committee meets at least twice a year to advise FTA on transit safety issues. The recommendations of the TRACS will help FTA develop new policies, practices, and regulations for enhancing safety in rail transit should FTA be given authority to promulgate new transit safety requirements.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Eastside Transit Corridor Phase 2 Project in Los Angeles County, California. LACMTA operates the Metro transit system in Los Angeles County. The proposed project would provide a continuation of the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension, a light rail transit line (LRT), from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to East Los Angeles. This connection between Downtown Los Angeles and the growing Eastside is consistent with regional transportation and land use plans. Phase 2 would expand upon the Gold Line Eastside Extension investment and bring improved, high- capacity transit service as far east as Whittier or South El Monte, connecting the cities of Commerce, Monterey Park, Montebello, Rosemead, South El Monte, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs and Whittier, and unincorporated portions of Los Angeles County which include east Los Angeles and west Whittier-Los Nietos.

This notice announces final environmental actions taken by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the following projects: (1) Main Street Multi-Modal Access Project, Buffalo, New York; (2) Multi- modal Transit Facility, San Angelo, Texas; (3) East Corridor Project, Denver, Aurora, Adams County, Colorado; (4) Gold Line Corridor Project, Denver, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Adams County, Jefferson County, Colorado; (5) Lackawanna Cut-off Passenger Rail Service Restoration Project, New Jersey Transit Corporation, New Jersey; (6) Pennsauken Junction Transit Center Park and Ride, Camden County, New Jersey; (7) Second Avenue Subway, modifications to the 72nd Street and 86th Street Station Entrances, New York, New York; (8) 35th Street Commuter Station, Chicago Illinois; (9) Provo Inter-modal Center, Provo City, Utah; (10) Southside Maintenance Facility Replacement Project, Norfolk, Virginia; (11) Knoxville Station Transit Center, Knoxville, Tennessee; and (12) AMTRAN Transit Facility Expansion Project, Altoona, Pennsylvania. The purpose of this notice is to announce publicly the environmental decisions by FTA on the subject projects and to activate the limitation on any claims that may challenge these final environmental actions.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of discretionary Section 5309 Bus and Bus Facilities grant funds in support of the Department of Transportation's Livability Initiative (``Livability Bus Program''). The Livability Bus program will be funded using $150 million in unallocated Discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities Program funds, authorized by 49 U.S.C. 5309(b) of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy For Users (SAFETEA-LU), Public Law 109-59, August 10, 2005. FTA may use additional Bus and Bus Facilities funding that becomes available for discretionary allocation to further support this initiative.

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 approve the following information collection:

This notice describes the eligibility of pedestrian and bicycle improvements for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding and proposes a formal policy on the catchment area for pedestrians and bicyclists in relationship to public transportation stops and stations. FTA seeks comment from all interested parties. After consideration of the comments, FTA will issue a second Federal Register notice responding to comments and noting any changes made to the policy statement as a result of comments received.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), in cooperation with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and the City of Anaheim, is planning to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement/ Environmental Impact Report (DEIS/EIR) to provide transit service over a 3.5-mile corridor between the future ARTIC on the east and The Anaheim Resort on the west. The EIS will be prepared in accordance with regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as well as provisions of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU, 2005). The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to alert interested parties regarding the plan to prepare the DEIS, to provide information on the proposed transit project, to invite participation in the EIS process, including comments on the scope of the DEIS proposed in this notice, and to announce that public scoping meetings will be conducted.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) appropriated $100 million for a new discretionary grant program for public transportation projects that reduce a transit system's greenhouse gas emissions or results in a decrease in a transit system's energy use.