[Federal Register: August 6, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 152)]
[Notices]
[Page 45797-45800]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06au08-120]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[Docket No: FTA-2008-0002]
National Transit Database: Amendments to Urbanized Area Annual
Reporting Manual
Provider: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Amendments to 2008 National Transit Database
Urbanized Area Annual Reporting Manual.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the adoption of certain amendments for
the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) 2008 National Transit
Database (NTD) Urbanized Area Annual Reporting Manual (Annual Manual).
On February 7, 2008, FTA published a notice in the Federal Register (73
FR 7361) inviting comments on proposed amendments to the 2008 Annual
Manual. This notice provides responses to those comments, and announces
the adoption of certain amendments for the 2008 Annual Manual, as well
as the adoption of some amendments to take effect for the 2009 Report
Year.
DATES: Effective Date: August 6, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For program issues, John D. Giorgis,
Office of Budget and Policy, (202) 366-5430 (telephone); (202) 366-7989
(fax); or john.giorgis@dot.gov (e-mail). For legal issues, Richard
Wong, Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-0675 (telephone); (202)
366-3809 (fax); or richard.wong@dot.gov (e-mail).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The National Transit Database (NTD) is the Federal Transit
Administration's (FTA's) primary database for statistics on the transit
industry. Recipients of FTA's Urbanized Area Formula Program (Section
5307) and Other Than Urbanized Area Formula Program (Section 5311) are
required by statute to submit data to the NTD. These data are used to
``help meet the needs of * * * the public for information on which to
base public transportation service planning * * * '' (49 U.S.C. 5335).
Other transit providers in urbanized areas report to the NTD under
these requirements on a voluntary basis for purposes of including their
data in the apportionment of Urbanized Area Formula Grants. FTA details
the NTD reporting requirements for urbanized area transit providers in
the NTD Urbanized Area Annual Reporting Manual (Annual Manual).
Currently, over 650 transit providers in urbanized areas report to
the NTD through an Internet-based reporting system. Each year,
performance data from these submissions are used to apportion over $5
billion of FTA funds under the Urbanized Area Formula and the Fixed-
Guideway Modernization Grants Programs. These data are also used in the
annual National Transit Summaries and Trends report, the biennial
Conditions and Performance Report to Congress, and in meeting FTA's
obligations under the Government Performance and Results Act.
In an ongoing effort to improve the NTD Internet reporting system
and to be responsive to the needs of transit providers reporting to the
NTD, and to the needs of the transit data user community, FTA annually
refines and clarifies reporting requirements to the NTD. This notice
announces the adoption of certain amendments for the 2008 Annual
Manual, as well as the adoption of some amendments to take effect for
the 2009 Report Year.
II. Comments and FTA Response to Comments
On February 7, 2008, FTA published a notice in the Federal Register
(73 FR 7361) inviting comments on proposed amendments to the 2008
Annual Manual. FTA received responses from seven commenters. Three of
the commenters made comments on the set of amendments as a whole. One
expressed support for the package of amendments as a whole and two
commenters suggested that most of the proposed amendments should not
take effect until the 2009 Report Year, in order to give reporters
sufficient time to prepare reports under the new requirements. FTA
agrees with the commenters and will therefore delay many of the
proposed amendments until the 2009 Report Year, particularly those that
impact relationships with purchased transportation providers. FTA will
respond to all comments based on each proposed amendment.
(a) Contractual Relationship (B-30) Form
FTA proposed to revamp this form to allow reporters to clearly
report three separate types of relationships: (1) Traditional purchased
transportation contracts; (2) taxicab contracts for demand response
service; and (3) pass-through relationships. Under this proposal,
taxicab contracts for demand response service would become a third type
of service under the NTD, with reduced reporting requirements on the S-
10, and no reporting requirements for the A-10 (asset inventory) form.
FTA received one comment in support of the proposed changes.
FTA Response: Based on the above comments requesting that changes
impacting the reporting requirements for purchased transportation
services be delayed until the 2009 Report Year, FTA agrees to delay
implementation of this amendment until the 2009 Report Year. The above
requirements will be reflected in the 2009 Annual Manual.
[[Page 45798]]
To support the transition to reduced reporting requirements for taxicab
demand response contracts in 2009, FTA will request that the following
data elements on the S-10 form be reported separately for taxicab
demand response services from all other purchased transportation demand
response services: Vehicles Operated in Maximum Service, Vehicles
Available for Maximum Service, Vehicle Revenue Miles, Vehicle Revenue
Hours, Unlinked Passenger Trips, ADA Unlinked Passenger Trips, and
Passenger Miles Traveled. FTA will automatically grant a waiver from
this requirement for the 2008 Report Year to any transit provider with
both taxicab demand response services and regular purchased
transportation demand response services that is unable to report these
data separately for the taxicab demand response services in 2008.
FTA received one other comment, objecting to the reporting of
contract administration costs on the B-30.
FTA Response: FTA has long required the reporting of contract
administration costs under the label of ``other costs incurred by
buyer.'' This is not a new reporting requirement. The reporting of
contract administration costs is essential for understanding the true
costs of purchased transportation services relative to directly
operated services. In response to this comment, FTA will amend the
titles and definitions on the B-30 form to make the reporting of
information more intuitive, but without altering or increasing the
existing reporting requirements.
(b) Funds Expended and Earned (F-10) Form
FTA proposed to only require transit providers to separate funds
earned and spent on operations from funds earned and spent on capital
in the context of fare revenues, other directly-generated revenues
(e.g. parking and advertising revenues), contributed services (e.g.
services provided directly by another government body), the various
sources of Federal funds, total state government revenues, total local
government revenues, and total revenues from independent political
entities. FTA proposed to retain the requirement to continue to report
total funds earned from each separate type of tax at the local and
state levels.
Two commenters voiced support for this proposal, proposing that FTA
go further and consolidate expenditure reporting for the different
categories of directly-generated revenues (e.g. fares, advertising, or
concessions.)
FTA Response: FTA agrees with the above comments and will adopt the
suggestion to consolidate expenditure reporting for the different
categories of directly-generated revenues on the F-10 Form. FTA will
defer implementation of this amendment until the 2009 Report Year. The
above requirements will be reflected in the 2009 Annual Manual.
(c) Bonds and Loans
FTA proposed to eliminate the requirement to report Bond and Loan
Payments separately for each category of funding. Instead, FTA proposed
simplified bond and loan reporting that would require transit providers
to report: (1) Year-beginning principal outstanding; (2) new bonds and
loans (new principal and interest); (3) total interest paid; (4) total
principal repaid; and (5) total year-end principal and interest
outstanding.
FTA received one comment in support of this proposal. Another
commenter objected only to the proposal to eliminate the source of
funds used to repay the bonds and loans. A third commenter objected to
reporting interest expenses on the F-10 Form instead of on the F-40
Form.
FTA Response: FTA adopts the suggestion to retain the reporting of
the source of funds used to repay bonds and loans. FTA does not adopt
the suggestion to continue the reporting of interest on the F-40 Form.
FTA believes that it would be much easier and more convenient to have
all reporting related to bonds and loans in a single place. Based on
the above comments, FTA will also defer implementation of this
amendment until the 2009 Report Year. The above requirements will be
reflected in the 2009 Annual Manual.
(d) Uses of Capital (F-20) Form
FTA proposed to reduce the reporting requirements by combining the
categories for Fare Revenue Collection Equipment and Communication and
Information Systems into a single category for Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS.)
FTA received one comment in support of this proposal, and two
comments objecting to this proposal that it was insufficiently defined.
FTA Response: FTA understands the comments that the proposed
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) category is insufficiently
defined and therefore withdraws the above proposal. FTA will reconsider
its definitions for capital expenditure reporting, and provide a more
comprehensive proposal for public comment in a future report year.
(e) Operating Expenses (F-30) Form
FTA proposed to combine the object classes for Fuels and Lubricants
and Tires and Lubes, as well as the object classes for Taxes and
Miscellaneous Expenses. FTA also proposed to: (1) Eliminate the
reporting of Fuels and Lubes object classes under the Non-Vehicle
Maintenance and General Administration operating functions; (2)
eliminate reporting of the Utilities object class under the Non-Vehicle
Maintenance operating function; and (3) only permit the Casualty and
Liability and Miscellaneous Expenses object classes to be reported
under the General Administration operating function.
FTA received three comments, all objecting to various parts of the
proposal that would have unintended consequences. Two of the comments
specifically recommended that Fuels and Lubricants be retained as a
separate object class. One of the comments noted that restricting the
reporting of Casualty and Liability object class to the General
Administration function was in conflict with the guidance in the
Uniform System of Accounts (USOA). One comment suggested that all
object classes for which there is not a specific interest should be
consolidated into a single object class for Other Expenses.
FTA Response: FTA withdraws its proposal for combining object
classes. FTA will evaluate the suggestion to consolidate unneeded
object classes into a single object class for Other Expenses, and
consider proposing it as an amendment for public comment in a future
report year. FTA will also only restrict certain object classes to
being reported under certain functions to the extent that those
restrictions are explicitly defined in the Uniform System of Accounts.
(f) Operating Expenses Summary (F-40) Form
FTA proposes to eliminate collecting Funds Not Applied,
Depreciation, Amortization of Intangibles, Interest Expenses, Leases,
and Reconciling Items. FTA received two comments objecting to these
changes. Both comments suggested that these items should be retained,
along with a requirement that these lines must be used to reconcile a
transit provider's NTD report with their audited, published accounts.
FTA Response: FTA agrees with the commenters and withdraws its
proposal. FTA will consider proposing an amendment to require the use
of the F-40 Form to reconcile a reporter's NTD reports and their
audited published accounts for a future report year.
[[Page 45799]]
(g) Operator's Wages (F-50) Form
FTA proposed to discontinue this form, and received one comment in
favor of this proposal.
FTA Response: FTA adopts the proposal. The F-50 form will be
eliminated for the 2008 Report Year.
(h) Service (S-10) Form
FTA proposed to replace the reporting of Total Actual Hours and
Total Actual Miles with the reporting of Deadhead Hours and Deadhead
Miles. Additionally, FTA proposed to eliminate the reporting of Charter
Service Hours and of School Bus Hours and to add the reporting of Other
Hours and Other Miles.
FTA received one comment in support of these changes. Another
comment supported the proposal, but recommended that Other Hours and
Other Miles be dropped from the form entirely, as this information was
unnecessary. One comment from a very large transit provider objected
that the reporting of Deadhead Hours and Deadhead Miles would be overly
burdensome, and recommended retaining the reporting of Total Actual
Hours and Total Actual Miles.
FTA Response: FTA agrees with the last commenter, and will retain
the reporting of Total Actual Hours and Total Actual Miles. In order to
facilitate FTA's desire to reduce the confusion surrounding the
definition of Total Actual Hours and Total Actual Miles on the S-10
Form, FTA will add auto-calculated lines for Deadhead Hours and
Deadhead Miles on the S-10 Form for the 2008 Report Year. This will not
impact reporting burden, and will clarify the relationship between
Revenue Hours and Total Actual Hours and between Revenue Miles and
Total Actual Miles. FTA withdraws its proposal to replace Charter Hours
and Schoolbus Hours with Other Hours and Other Miles.
FTA also proposed to eliminate collecting information on Deadhead
Hours, Deadhead Miles, Time Service Begins and Time Service Ends for
vanpool, jitney, and p[uacute]blico services. FTA also proposed to drop
reporting of peak data on service times and vehicles in operation for
ferryboat, aerial tramway, jitney, and p[uacute]blico services.
Finally, FTA proposed to exempt rail systems with 9 or fewer rail
vehicles operated in maximum service (peak hour service) from the
requirement to report Average Weekday Unlinked Passenger Trips and
Actual Passenger Car Revenue Miles by four time categories: Weekday AM
Peak, Weekday Midday, Weekday PM Peak and Weekday Other.
FTA received no comments on these proposals.
FTA Response: FTA adopts the above proposals. These requirements
will appear in the 2008 Annual Manual.
(i) Employee Resources (R-10) Form
FTA proposed to add reporting of Paid Non-Work Hours to this form.
This data was previously reported on the F-50 Form, which is being
dropped.
FTA received two comments objecting to this proposal, arguing that
the proposal is burdensome and that there is no compelling interest in
collecting data on pay for work hours vs. non-work hours.
FTA Response: FTA withdraws this proposal.
(j) Maintenance Performance (R-20) Form
FTA proposed to drop the reporting requirement for Total Labor
Hours for Inspection and Maintenance, as this information is already
reported in the R-10 Form. FTA also proposed to require that this form
be completed by transit providers for purchased transportation service,
as it is currently only required for directly operated services. FTA
received two comments in favor of this proposal.
FTA Response: FTA adopts the proposal to eliminate the reporting
requirement for Total Labor Hours for Inspection and Maintenance for
the 2008 Report Year. FTA defers adopting the proposal to make this
form required for purchased transportation services until the 2009
Report Year. This guidance will be reflected in the 2008 Annual Manual
and the 2009 Annual Manual, respectively.
(k) Energy Consumption (R-30) Form
FTA proposed to drop the lines on this form for certain rarely-used
fuels, specifically, Methanol, Bunker Fuel, and Grain Additive. These
fuels would still be reportable under the Other Fuels category. FTA
also proposed to require that this form be completed for purchased
transportation services (it is currently only required for directly
operated services).
FTA received one comment in support of this proposal, with the
caveat that it should not be made effective until the 2009 Report Year.
FTA Response: FTA agrees to adopt the above proposal, effective in
the 2009 Report Year. This guidance will be reflected in the 2009
Annual Manual.
(l) Stations and Maintenance Facilities (A-10) Form
FTA proposed to require expanded reporting of the multi-modal
nature of transit stations. FTA also proposed to require motorbus,
trolleybus, and light rail services to report the number of stops and
shelters in their systems.
FTA received two comments objecting to the above proposal as being
overly burdensome, and as raising a number of difficult issues in
defining exactly what facilities should be reported.
FTA Response: FTA withdraws this proposal. FTA will re-evaluate the
concerns regarding definitions of this proposal and ways to minimize
the reporting burden of this proposal for a future report year.
(m) Transit Way Mileage (A-20) Form
FTA proposed to merge this form with the Fixed Guideway Segments
Form (S-20 Form). FTA received two comments objecting that although the
forms both collect data on fixed guideways, merging the different data
elements of the two forms would create a significant increase in
reporting burden. Additionally, while a large number of fixed guideways
are included on both forms, some fixed guideways (e.g. sidings and
parallel tracks) only appear on the A-20 Form, whereas other fixed
guideways (e.g. HOV lanes) only appear on the S-20 Form.
FTA Response: FTA withdraws this proposal. FTA will re-evaluate
ways to eliminate the duplicate data collections on the A-20 and S-20
forms while minimizing reporting burden for a future report year.
(n) Revenue Vehicle Inventory (A-30) Form
FTA proposed to simply collect whether the vehicles are compliant
with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA Accessible), and to not
separately collect those vehicles that are ADA Accessible by virtue of
having lifts and those that are ADA Accessible by virtue of having
ramps or low floors. FTA also proposed to stop collecting Total Miles
on Active Vehicles During this Time Period, as this information is
infrequently used, is duplicative of information on total miles
collected on the S-10 Form, and cannot be used as a measure of total
miles from the previous year. FTA noted that it was retaining
collection of Average Lifetime Miles per Active Vehicle as a measure of
asset condition and age.
FTA received two comments in support of this proposal. A third
comment also asked FTA to consider allowing reporters to estimate the
Average Lifetime Miles per Active Vehicle when the vehicles have been
acquired through a merger with a private operator, and the actual
mileage is not available.
[[Page 45800]]
FTA Response: FTA adopts its proposal, but will defer
implementation until the 2009 Report Year. This guidance will appear in
the 2009 Annual Manual. FTA also adopts the commenter's suggestion for
allowing estimation of Average Lifetime Miles per Active Vehicle in the
case described. That guidance will appear in the 2008 Annual Manual.
Federal Funding Allocation (FFA-10) Form
FTA proposes to make this form required for all transit providers
serving more than one urbanized area, or an urbanized area and a non-
urbanized area in order to support the apportionment of Small Transit-
Intensive Cities (STIC Grants.)
FTA received two comments in support of this proposal.
FTA Response: FTA adopts this proposal for the 2008 Report Year.
This guidance will appear in the 2008 Annual Manual.
Issued in Washington, DC, this 1st day of July, 2008.
James S. Simpson,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. E8-18090 Filed 8-5-08; 8:45 am]
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