Federal Transit Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces final environmental actions taken by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regarding the Midvalley Connector Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project in the Cities of Murray, Taylorsville, and West Valley, Salt Lake County, Utah. The purpose of this notice is to publicly announce the FTA's environmental decisions on the subject project and to activate the limitation on any claims that may challenge these final environmental actions.

On August 18, 2022, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing project selections for the Fiscal Year 2022 Low or No Emission (Low-No) Vehicle Program. This notice provides a correction to eight project descriptions.

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 extension of a currently approved information collection. FTA began the Passenger Ferry Grant Program, Electric or Low Emitting Ferry Pilot Program, and Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program in June 2022 under OMB emergency approval and is seeking renewal of this approval through OMB's standard PRA clearance process: Passenger Ferry Grant Program, Electric or Low Emitting Ferry Pilot Program, and Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for funding for transit bus automation demonstration projects under the Public Transportation Innovation Program. FTA is exploring the use of driving automation technologies in bus transit operations as described in the Strategic Transit Automation Research (STAR) Plan. As part of this research agenda, FTA is funding a number of demonstrations in real-world settings. These projects will create a testbed for study of technical issues, user acceptance, operational and maintenance costs, workforce training and transition, and institutional issues, and will further assess the needs for standards development.

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 extension of a currently approved information collection: Transit Research Development, Demonstration, Deployment and Training Projects.

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 extension of a currently approved information collection: Bus Testing Program.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the award of a total of $1,656,696,061, including $1,105,329,750 to projects under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Low or No Emission Grant Program (Low-No) and $551,366,311 to projects under the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program (Buses and Bus Facilities Program) and provides administrative guidance on project implementation.

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 extension of a currently approved information collection: Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) invites public comment on initial guidance proposals to implement changes made to the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program by the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) (also known as the ``Bipartisan Infrastructure Law''). The proposed guidance has been placed in the docket and posted on the FTA website. This policy guidance continues to complement FTA's regulations that govern the CIG program.

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 extension of a currently approved information collection: Public Transportation Safety Certification Training Program (PTSCTP).

As a result of a provision in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, that authorizes a recipient or subrecipient of a grant provided under title 23 or 49, United States Code, to implement a local or other geographical or economic hiring preference relating to the use of labor for construction of a project funded by the grant subject to applicable State and local laws, FTA is rescinding the Equitable Economic Recovery and Workforce Development Through Construction Hiring Pilot Program (Pilot Program).

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Requirements (ICRs) abstracted below have been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describe the nature of the information collection and their expected burdens.

This rulemaking rescinds an FTA regulation for State Safety Oversight requirements. The statutory basis for this regulation was rescinded by legislation in 2012.

This notice provides interested parties with the opportunity to comment on changes to the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) National Transit Database (NTD) reporting requirements as they relate to Urbanized Areas (UZA). Each year, transit systems use data from the Census Bureau to update their basic information (B-10) form indicating what urbanized areas and rural areas they serve, and also to complete their Federal Funding Allocation (FFA-10) form distributing their service data across those urbanized and rural areas. The Census Bureau is expected to define new UZAs based on 2020 Census data in calendar year 2022. FTA proposes that for NTD Report Year 2021 (RY 2021), transit systems would be required to complete a B-10 and FFA-10 form based on the UZAs from the 2010 Census, as usual. If the Census Bureau releases new UZAs prior to October 1, 2022, then transit systems would be required to complete new B-10 and FFA-10 forms as an addendum to the annual report at that time.

By this notice, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is establishing an Emergency Relief Docket for calendar year 2022, so grantees and subgrantees affected by a national or regional emergency or disaster may request temporary relief from FTA administrative and statutory requirements.

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 extension of a currently approved information collection: Job Access and Reverse Commute Program.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for a total of $2,000,000 in competitive cooperative agreement awards in fiscal year (FY) 2021 funds for projects that enhance mobility innovations for transit. Funds will be awarded competitively for projects that advance emerging technologies, strategies and innovations in passenger-centric mobility in two distinct areas. Of the total available funds, $1,000,000 is available to accelerate innovative mobility and is for projects to improve mobility and enhance the rider experience with a focus on innovative service delivery models, creative financing, novel partnerships, and integrated payment solutions; and $1,000,000 is available for projects to support the development of software solutions that facilitate the provision of integrated demand-response public transportation service that dispatches public transportation fleet vehicles through riders mobile devices or other means. Projects will be competitively selected based on criteria outlined in this notice. FTA may award additional funding that is made available to the program prior to the announcement of project selections.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is considering amending Circular 4702.1B, Title VI Requirements and Guidelines for Federal Transit Administration Recipients (Title VI Circular) to incorporate lessons learned since its issuance on October 1, 2012. The Title VI Circular provides guidance and instructions to FTA recipients of Federal financial assistance on how to comply with requirements under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the DOT Title VI regulations at 49 CFR part 21, which prohibit discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs. The agency is seeking suggestions from all transit stakeholdersincluding transit agencies, transit riders and community members, planning officials, States, cities, and the private sectoron enhancements that could be made to the Title VI Circular to provide clarity, to ensure Title VI requirements are met, and to advance equity. Specifically, FTA seeks input on requirements related to public participation, service and fare equity, facility equity analyses, implementation of rider conduct policies, and additional technical resources for determining and documenting disparate impact.

As a result of the derailment of a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Metrorail train on October 12, 2021, FTA has issued Safety Advisory 21-1 to direct State Safety Oversight Agencies (SSOAs) to report information to FTA regarding out-of-tolerance wheel gauges on all rail transit rolling stock in revenue service. The Safety Advisory also advises SSOAs to require fleet-wide inspections of wheel gauges at rail fixed guideway public transportation systems (RTAs) in their jurisdiction. A copy of Safety Advisory 21-1 can be found on the FTA website at https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/ safety/fta-safety-advisories.

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 extension of a currently approved information collection.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for $3.5 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 funds under the Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) pilot program. This funding opportunity seeks to improve coordination to enhance access and mobility to vital community services for older adults, people with disabilities, and people of low income. As required by Federal public transportation law, funds will be awarded competitively as grants to finance innovative mobility management capital projects that will improve the coordination of transportation services and non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) services. FTA may award additional funding that is made available to the program prior to the announcement of project selections.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Information Collection Requirements (ICR) abstracted below have been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describe the nature of the information collection and their expected burdens.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for $25,000,000 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 funding under the Route Planning Restoration Program (Federal Assistance Listing: 20.505). As required by Federal public transportation law and subject to funding availability, funds will be awarded competitively to support planning designed to (i) increase ridership and reduce travel times, while maintaining or expanding the total level of vehicle revenue miles of service provided in the planning period; or (ii) make service adjustments to increase the quality or frequency of service provided to low-income riders and disadvantaged neighborhoods or communities. FTA may award additional funding that is made available to the program prior to the announcement of project selections.

The Federal Transit Administration, as lead Federal agency, and the Niagara Frontier Transit Metro System, Inc. (Metro), as local project sponsor and joint lead agency intend to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate potential benefits and impacts of the NFTA proposed Buffalo-Amherst-Tonawanda Corridor Transit Expansion project (the Proposed Project). The Proposed Project to be evaluated in the EIS would expand high quality transit service in Buffalo, New York to Tonawanda and Amherst, New York. FTA, in coordination with Metro will prepare the EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), and the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act, Article 8 of the Environmental Conservation Law and its implementing regulations (SEQR). This Notice of Intent (NOI) initiates public scoping for the EIS, and provides information on the Proposed Project, the Project's purpose and need and the alternatives being considered for evaluation in the EIS. This NOI invites public comments on environmental impacts that may be associated with the Proposed Project and alternatives. Interested members of the public, tribes, and agencies are invited to submit comments on the proposed scope of the EIS, Metro's purpose and need, the identification of alternatives to be considered, the environmental benefits and impacts to be evaluated, and any other project-related issues or analysis. In consideration of the Federal Government's COVID-19 Emergency Declaration dated March 13, 2020, FTA has determined that virtual public meetings and hearings are a permissible and useful tool to provide for public involvement in the NEPA process.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is extending the comment period for the request for information (RFI) regarding FTA's Public Transportation Safety Program (Safety Program), which was published on July 15, 2021, with the original comment period closing on August 16, 2021.