[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 149 (Friday, August 3, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 43378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-14279]
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 149 / Friday, August 3, 2007 /
Notices
[[Page 43378]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[Docket Number: FTA-2007-28780]
Notice of Availability of Proposed Policy Guidance on Evaluation
Measures for New Starts/Small Starts
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Federal Transit
Administration's (FTA) Proposed Policy Guidance on Evaluation Measures
for New Starts/Small Starts and requests your comments on it. This
document complements the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Major
Capital Investments by describing the detailed measures proposed for
evaluation of projects seeking New and Small Starts funding and the way
these measures will be used in project ratings. The Proposed Evaluation
Measures for New Starts/Small Starts is available in DOT's electronic
docket and on FTA's Web site. FTA requests comment on the proposed
detailed measures and associated policy in the Proposed Policy Guidance
on Evaluation Measures for New Starts/Small Starts. After receiving and
considering public input on the proposed guidance, FTA will respond to
the comments it has received and issue final guidance concurrently with
a final rule for Major Capital Investments.
DATES: Comments must be received by November 1, 2007. Late filed
comments will be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Comments: You may submit comments [identified by the DOT DMS
Docket number FTA-2007-28780] by any of the following methods:
Web site: http://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for
submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
Fax: 202-493-2251.
Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., W12-140, Washington, DC
20590-0001.
Hand Delivery: Room W12-140 on the first floor of the West
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m.
and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Instructions: You must include the agency name (Federal Transit
Administration) and the docket number (FTA-2007-28780). You should
submit two copies of your comments if you submit them by mail. If you
wish to receive confirmation that FTA received your comments, you must
include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Note that all comments
received will be posted without change to the Department Docket
Management System (DMS) Web site located at http://dms.dot.gov. This
means that if your comment includes any personal identifying
information, such information will be made available to users of DMS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron Fisher, Office of Planning and
Environment, telephone (202) 366-4033, Federal Transit Administration,
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.,
Washington, DC 20590 or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 10, 2005, President Bush signed
the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A
Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Section 3011 of SAFETEA-LU made a number
of changes to 49 U.S.C. 5309, which authorizes the Federal Transit
Administration's (FTA) fixed guideway capital investment program known
as ''New Starts'', and created a new program category known as ''Small
Starts''. FTA is responding to changes made by the SAFETEA-LU
provisions in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Major Capital
Investments, which is being issued concurrently. The NPRM addresses the
eligibility, project justification and local financial commitment
criteria, overall project ratings and project development process for
New Starts, Small Starts and Very Small Starts. While the NPRM provides
the framework and criteria weights for project justification and local
financial commitment, the document that is the subject of this notice
complements the NPRM by providing detailed descriptions of the measures
for project justification and local financial commitment and the way
they will be used in the ratings for project evaluation.
This notice announces the availability of FTA's Proposed Policy
Guidance on Evaluation Measures for New Starts/Small Starts and
requests your comment as described below. The document is available in
the docket, which can be accessed by going to http://dms.dot.gov at any
time, or you can view the document on FTA's Web site at http://www.fta.dot.gov/15052_ENGHTML.html.
The evaluation measures, once announced as final, will apply to all
New and Small Starts submittals received after the effective date
announced in the Notice of Availability published in the Federal
Register for Policy Guidance on Evaluation Measures for New Starts/
Small Starts. FTA intends to publish the final Policy Guidance on
Evaluation Measures for New Starts/Small Starts concurrently with the
final rule for Major Capital Investments. Comments received will be
used to develop the detailed measures and evaluations for projects
seeking funds from the New and Small Starts programs. FTA will respond
to comments received in response to this Notice in a second Federal
Register notice to be published after the close of the comment period.
The notice will announce the availability of the Policy Guidance on
Evaluation Measures for New Starts/Small Starts, reflecting the changes
implemented as a result of the comments received thereon.
Issued in Washington, DC this 19th day of July, 2007.
James S. Simpson,
Administrator, Federal Transit Administration.
[FR Doc. E7-14279 Filed 8-2-07; 8:45 am]
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