Federal Transit Administration January 8, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The US. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the selection of projects with Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 appropriations for the Tribal Transit Program. A March 9, 2012 Federal Register Notice (77 FR 14465) announced the availability of the funding for the program. The Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011 authorizes approximately $15 million for federally recognized Indian Tribes or Alaska Native villages, groups, or communities as identified by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in the U.S. Department of the Interior for public transportation. An additional $500,000 is available from prior years, bringing the total available to just over $15.5 million. The Tribal Transit Program supports capital projects, operating costs and planning activities that are eligible under the Formula Grants for Rural Areas Program (Section 5311). This is the final discretionary allocation for the Tribal Transit Program, which was first authorized under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). The new authorizing legislation, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), was signed into law by President Obama on July 6, 2012, and became effective on October 1, 2012. MAP-21 continues the Tribal Transit Program and authorizes $25 million for a formula allocation and $5 million for a discretionary allocation in each of fiscal years 2013 and 2014. On November 9, 2012, FTA published a Federal Register Notice (77FR 67439) regarding the Fiscal Year 2013 Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program, which: (1) Introduces FTA's consultation process and schedule for implementing changes due to MAP-21; (2) describes and seeks comment on the methodology for the formula allocation and the assumptions made to determine who is eligible for the formula program; (3) seeks comment on the terms and conditions for the formula and discretionary components of the program; (4) seeks comment on how the discretionary program should be allocated; and (5) announces two public meetings sponsored by FTA to consult with tribal governments regarding the Tribal Transit Program.