Federal Transit Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FTA and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) are issuing this notice to advise the public that, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Tier 1 of a Tiered, Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) will be prepared for the South Florida East Coast Corridor Transit Analysis (SFECCTA) to evaluate transit improvements in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, Florida. The SFECCTA is located along the eastern spine of the tri-county South Florida region, centered on but not limited to the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway alignment. The study proposes in Tier 1 to evaluate preferred technologies (e.g., rail, bus, express bus, etc.) and alignments through areas with heavily congested roadways and under-served, transit-dependent populations. These areas extend from Downtown Miami north through Ft. Lauderdale's Central Business District (CBD) and north of Downtown West Palm Beach to the Town of Jupiter and Village of Tequesta in northern Palm Beach County. The Tier 1 Analysis consists of a Regional Transit Alternatives Analysis. The Tier 2 Analyses will consist of subsequent Sectional Alternatives Analyses (per independent section of the SFECCTA study area).

This notice provides the opportunity for public comment on specific issues regarding the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) implementation of Department of Transportation (DOT) guidance for participants of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program. This guidance is applicable to recipients of Federal financial assistance from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) located in the states under the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Hawaii).

This notice does several things. First, it summarizes comments FTA received in response to information about a new program for Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program (hereafter referred to as the Tribal Transit Program) included in an earlier Federal Register notice dated November 30, 2005 (70 FR 71950), ``FTA Transit Program Changes, Authorized Funding Levels and Implementation of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users,'' and details FTA's response to those comments. Second, it announces the process FTA proposes to use to allocate available funds starting in FY 2006 and the grant program provisions that FTA proposes to apply to the program. Third, the notice seeks further comment on the proposed process and grant program provisions. Finally, the notice announces two (2) public meetings sponsored by FTA to provide direct outreach to tribal governments about the Tribal Transit Program and allow for discussion of this notice.

This final rule amends 49 CFR Parts 661 and 663 as required by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) [Pub. L. 109-59, August 10, 2005]. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) proposed certain changes to the Buy America requirements on November 21, 2005 (70 FR 71246). This final rule addresses fewer issues than were proposed in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) because of the complexity of a number of recommendations and issues presented during the comment period. Thus, FTA is publishing a final rule on those issues that received little or no public comment. FTA will publish a new NPRM in the Federal Register and hold a public meeting to address the issues raised in the NPRM published on November 21, 2005, but not addressed herein. Thereafter, FTA will publish a final rule with respect to such issues.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is developing guidance in the form of circulars to assist grantees in implementing the Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities Program, the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program, and the New Freedom Program beginning in FY07. FTA solicited public comment in 2005 through a Federal Register Notice (Transit Program Changes, Authorized Funding Levels and Implementation of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, 70 FR 71950, November 30, 2005) and public listening sessions held in five locations around the country. Drawing on the public comment received, FTA developed proposed strategies, described in this Notice, for implementation of the Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities, JARC, and New Freedom programs, including the cross-cutting requirement to develop a coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan for FY07. By this Notice, FTA seeks additional public comment to assist us in developing circulars for these programs. This notice also includes guidance for FY06 implementation for those requirements that go into effect immediately.

This notice announces actions taken by FTA as final for purposes of the limitation on claims. The FTA actions described in this notice consist of various environmental approvals for proposed public transportation projects in the following urbanized areas: New York (lower Manhattan), Seattle, Buffalo, New York (remainder), Providence, Hartford, Boston, Brattleboro (Vermont), and Bridgeport.

This notice supplements the notice concerning FTA Fiscal Year 2006 Apportionments, Allocations and Program Information, dated as of December 20, 2005, as changed and corrected by the FTA Fiscal Year 2006 Apportionments and Allocations Changes and Corrections; Announcement of States Selected for Participation in Section 5310 Pilot Program, dated as of February 3, 2006.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of funds in fiscal year (FY) 2006 for the Over-the-Road Bus (OTRB) Accessibility Program, authorized by Section 3038 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). The OTRB Accessibility Program makes funds available to private operators of over-the-road buses to finance the incremental capital and training costs of complying with DOT's over- the-road bus accessibility final rule, 49 CFR Part 37, published in a Federal Register notice on September 28, 1998 (63 FR 51670). The authorizing legislation calls for national solicitation of applications, with grantees to be selected on a competitive basis. Federal transit funds are available to intercity fixed-route providers and other OTRB providers at up to 90 percent of the project cost. In FY 2006, following a one percent rescission, $5,568,750 was made available for intercity fixed-route service providers and $1,856,250 was made available for other over-the-road bus service providers. 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. Applications may be submitted to FTA in hard copy or electronically through the GRANTS.GOV APPLY function.

Pursuant to the direction contained in the Joint Explanatory Statement of the Committee of Conference, for section 3023(d), Condition on Charter Bus Transportation Service of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) of 2005, FTA is establishing a committee to develop, through negotiated rulemaking procedures, recommendations for improving the regulation regarding prohibition of FTA grant recipients from providing charter bus service. The committee will consist of persons who represent the interests affected by the proposed rule, i.e., charter bus companies, public transportation operators, and other interested parties. The purpose of this document is to invite interested parties to submit comments on the issues to be discussed and the interests and organizations to be considered for representation on the committee.

This advance notice of proposed rulemaking provides interested parties with the opportunity to comment on the characteristics and requirements proposed by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for a new capital investment program. This new program, ``Small Starts'', is a discretionary grant program for public transportation capital projects that run along a dedicated corridor or a fixed guideway, have a total project cost of less than $250 million, and are seeking less than $75 million in Small Starts program funding. This Small Starts program is a component of the existing New Starts program, but will offer project sponsors an expedited and streamlined application and review process. Consistent with the intent and provisions of the new public transit statute, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity ActA Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), FTA hopes to simplify the planning and project development process for proposed Small Starts projects in a number of ways. In addition to the reduced number of evaluation measures specified in SAFETEA-LU, the process may be further simplified by allowing small projects to conduct alternatives analysis with a reduced set of alternatives, allowing evaluation measures for mobility and cost-effectiveness to be developed without having to rely on complicated travel demand modeling procedures in some cases, and possibly defining some classes of low-cost improvements that are pre- approved as effective and cost-effective in certain contexts.

This notice announces the availability of the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA's) Guidance on New Starts Policies and Procedures and requests your comments on it. The guidance explains proposed changes to the New Starts program that will become effective April 30, 2006 and longer-term changes to the New Starts program that FTA plans to be the subject of rulemaking in the future. FTA requests comments on both aspects of the guidance, which is available in DOT's electronic docket and on FTA's Web site.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is revising and updating its Circulars 4702.1, ``Title VI Program Guidelines for Urban Mass Transit Administration Recipients'' and 4704.1 ``Equal Employment Opportunity Program Guidelines for Grant Recipients.'' FTA is seeking input from interested parties on this document, including examples of problems with compliance, best practices for compliance, and proposals for changes to these circulars. Upon consideration of the comments, FTA will issue revised circulars and will seek additional comments on the revised documents.

This notice announces changes in the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) programs in accordance with SAFETEA-LU, which authorizes funds for all of the surface transportation programs of the Department of Transportation for Federal fiscal years 2005 through 2009. This notice provides preliminary implementation instructions and guidance for grants under the new and revised programs in FY 2006 and invites public comment. The notice also includes tables of unobligated (or carryover) amounts for earmarks from prior years under the discretionary programs, and tables that list discretionary program earmarks authorized under SAFETEA-LU.

This notice establishes the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA, we) policy concerning notice and comment for FTA documents that impose binding obligations. This new policy is consistent with recent amendments to FTA's administrative procedures statute and provides the public and opportunity to comment on documents that FTA issues routinely.

This solicitation is for proposals from states that would like to use a portion of their Section 5310 Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities Program funds for operating expenses.

This notice solicits proposals for consideration for the Cooperative Procurement Pilot Program (CPPP). Section 166 of the Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 directs the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to establish a pilot program to determine the benefits of encouraging cooperative procurement of major capital equipment. As specified in the Appropriations Act, three pilot projects were selected in November 2004. Section 167 of the Transportation Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2005 directs the FTA to continue the CPPP and to expand the program to five pilot projects. Under the CPPP, competitively selected grantees, consortiums of grantees, or members of the private sector acting as agents of grantees will develop cooperative specifications and conduct joint procurements. For this program, Congress has raised the Federal share to be provided from 80 percent to 90 percent.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the selection of projects to be funded under Fiscal Year 2005 appropriations for the Over-the-Road Bus (OTRB) Accessibility Program, authorized by Section 3038 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). The OTRB Accessibility Program makes funds available to private operators of over-the-road buses to help finance the incremental capital and training costs of complying with DOT's over-the-road bus accessibility rule, published in the Federal Register on September 24, 1998.

The Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration are issuing this notice to advise the public that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared for proposed highway and transit improvements in the Interstate 5 Columbia River Crossing (CRC) corridor between the Portland, Oregon and Vancouver/ Clark County, Washington area.

This notice makes the full amount of the FTA fiscal year (FY) 2005 program apportionments or allocations available for obligation. In addition, it announces changes and corrections to the December 29, 2004, ``FTA Fiscal Year 2005 Apportionments, Allocations and Program Information; Notice,'' based on language in the ``Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), (Pub. L. 109-59); technical amendments for transit in the ``Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005'' (Pub. L. 109-13, hereafter called the 2005 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act); congressional clarifications; and FTA's administrative decision to extend the period of availability of FY 2005 Elderly and Persons with Disabilities Program (section 5310) funding.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments was published on April 11, 2005.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 35001 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for extension of the currently approved information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60- day comment period soliciting comments was published on March 30, 2005.

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 a new collection: 49 U.S.C. Section 3037 Job Access and Reverse Commute Programs.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) issue this notice to advise interested agencies and the public of their intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed Northwest Corridor-Irving/DFW Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project in Dallas and Irving, Texas. The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as amended. The Northwest Corridor-Irving/DFW Line LRT project is the product of the Northwest Corridor Major Investment Study (MIS) completed by DART in early 2000. The MIS identified a Locally Preferred Investment Strategy (LPIS), which included a light rail element with two service lines, the Carrollton Line and the Irving/DFW Line. An EIS evaluating alternatives for the Carrollton Line has been completed, and FTA issued a Record of Decision on this portion of the LPIS on February 5, 2004. The identified primary travel need for the Northwest Corridor- Irving/DFW Line LRT is to serve the general northwest-southeast travel pattern along the Interstate Highway (IH) 35E/State Highway (SH) 114 corridor from downtown Dallas into North Irving. The LPIS alignment addressed this need with an alignment that generally parallels SH 114 through north Irving before terminating on the north side of SH 114, west of Beltline Road. After adoption of the LPIS, significant changes in land use and transportation patterns have occurred in the Irving/DFW Corridor. Subsequent analyses by DART for the Irving/DFW Corridor have resulted in a refinement to the LPIS alignment. The refined alignment also addresses the primary travel need with an alignment that runs parallel but south of SH 114 through north Irving. Both of these ``Build'' alternatives will be fully evaluated in the EIS.

The FTA, in cooperation with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal to make LIRR Main Line Corridor improvements between Queens Village and Hicksville in Queens and Nassau Counties New York. The FTA is the lead federal agency under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The project is being conducted by LIRR, the project sponsor. The EIS will be prepared in accordance with NEPA and the applicable regulations for implementing NEPA, as set forth in 23 CFR part 771 and 40 CFR parts 1500-1508, as well as applicable laws and regulations, including Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966, the Clean Air Act, and Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice. As sponsor of the proposed project, the LIRR will ensure that the EIS and the environmental review process will also satisfy the requirements of the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). The Proposed Action would consist of the addition of a new third track to the existing two track configuration between the Queens Interlocking in Queens County and the Divide Interlocking in Nassau County, with crossover service to the Oyster Bay Branch east of the Mineola Station. The Proposed Action may include modification or additions of: Crossovers, interlockings, sidings, bridges (over/ undergrade bridges, viaducts, and culverts), signal systems (signal brides, signal huts, signals, control towers), communications, substations, and retaining walls. Modifications to existing stations may be required such as changes to station buildings, parking, shelters/waiting rooms, platform placement and amenities such as the addition of elevators at stations. Up to five (5) roadway grade crossings will be considered for separation and/or closure. Property acquisitions may be necessary to accommodate the Proposed Action, as well as utility relocations (including but not limited to: Electric, signal, communications, gas, water, sewer, and storm systems). The EIS will evaluate a No Action Alternative and various Build Alternatives, and any additional alternatives generated by the scoping process. Scoping will be accomplished through meetings and correspondence with interested persons, organizations, and Federal, State, regional, and local agencies.

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 revise the following currently approved information collection: