[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 96 (Wednesday, May 20, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23776-23777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-11718]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[Docket Number: FTA-2009-0009]
Notice of Availability of Proposed Guidance for New Starts/Small
Starts Policies and Procedures and Request for Comments
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of, and requests
comments on, the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Proposed
Guidance on New Starts/Small Starts Policies and Procedures. The
proposed guidance presents weights to be assigned for the six project
justification criteria for New Starts and the three project
justification criteria for Small Starts in the project evaluation
process. FTA also proposes a process to ensure that the impacts of
tunnels are considered in project evaluation.
DATES: Comments on the Proposed Guidance on New Starts/Small Starts
Policies and Procedures must be received by June 19, 2009. Late filed
comments will be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments [identified by the Docket Number
FTA-2009-0009] by any of the following methods:
Web site: http://regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for
submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
Fax: 202-493-2251.
Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30,
West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE.,
Washington, DC 20590.
Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Ave., SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 8:30 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-2009-0009). 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 Federal government Web
site located at http://regulations.gov. This means that if your comment
includes any personal identifying information, such information will be
made available to users of Web site.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Day, Office of Planning and
Environment, telephone (202) 366-5159 and Christopher Van Wyk, Office
of Chief Counsel, telephone (202) 366-1733. FTA is located at 1200 New
Jersey Ave., SE., East Building, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are
from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed changes described in the policy
guidance made available by this notice have been necessitated by the
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act--A
Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) Technical Corrections Act of 2008 (Pub.
L. 110-244), which amends 49 U.S.C. 5309. The Act specifies that each
of the project justification criteria for proposed New Starts and Small
Starts projects should be given ``comparable, but not necessarily
equal, numerical weight * * * in calculating the overall project
rating.'' The guidance proposes to set the weights at 20 percent each
for the mobility, cost-effectiveness, land use, and economic
development criteria, and 10 percent each for the operating
efficiencies and environmental benefits criteria for New Starts
projects. Each of the three project justification criteria for Small
Starts (land use, economic development and cost-effectiveness) would be
set at a third each.
The Act further states that the Secretary of Transportation shall
analyze, evaluate, and consider the congestion relief, improved
mobility, and other benefits of tunnels in transit projects that
include a transit tunnel, as well as the associated ancillary and
mitigation costs necessary to relieve congestion, improve mobility, and
decrease air and noise pollution in those projects that do not include
a tunnel but where a transit tunnel was one of the alternatives
analyzed. FTA proposes to require that project sponsors develop and
consider such information during alternative analysis studies. FTA will
ensure that such information has been addressed as part of the FTA
review of project applications for entry into preliminary engineering.
FTA will respond to comments received on the proposed guidance in a
second Federal Register notice to be published after the close of the
comment period. That notice will describe any changes made to the
weights for project justification criteria
[[Page 23777]]
and to the process for consideration of tunnel alternatives in response
to comments received.
FTA requests comments on the policy guidance, which is available in
DOT's electronic docket at http://regulations.gov and on FTA's Web site
at http://www.fta.dot.gov/planning/newstarts/planning_environment_5615.html.
Issued this May 14, 2009, in Washington, DC.
Matthew J. Welbes,
Acting Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. E9-11718 Filed 5-19-09; 8:45 am]
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