[Federal Register: January 26, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 15)]
[Notices]
[Page 4502-4503]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26ja09-142]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[Docket Number: FTA-2009-0005]
Notice of Availability of Discussion Paper on the Evaluation of
Economic Development
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) discussion paper on the Evaluation of Economic
Development and requests your comments on it. The paper describes one
possible approach that could be used to evaluate economic development
impacts of projects seeking New Starts funding. Economic development is
one of the criteria that FTA uses to assess project justification,
which, along with local financial commitment, informs FTA funding
decisions for New Starts projects.
DATES: Comments must be received within 60 days after publication in
the Federal Register. Late filed comments will be considered to the
extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments [identified by the Docket Number
FTA-2008-0053] 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 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
[[Page 4503]]
Instructions: You must include the agency name (Federal Transit
Administration) and the docket number (FTA-2009-0005). 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: Ron Fisher, Office of Planning and
Environment, telephone (202) 366-4033. FTA is located at 1200 New
Jersey Ave., SE., East Building, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are
from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Although the discussion paper is reasonably
detailed, FTA invites comments that may address broader areas of the
evaluation of economic development as well as comments that address the
level of detail described. Comments made on the discussion paper will
be considered by FTA in its development of proposed policy guidance
some time in the future on the approach for evaluation of economic
development. That proposed policy guidance will also be published for
notice and comment prior to being finalized.
FTA is departing from its usual approach of simply issuing proposed
guidance and then final because no formal FTA approach to evaluation of
this criterion exists, there is a broad diversity of views on the
definition of economic development, and the state-of-the-practice for
its evaluation is far behind that for more traditional measures of
mobility improvements. FTA requests comments on the evaluation of
economic development and specifically on the discussion paper, 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 on: January 16, 2009.
Sherry E. Little,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. E9-1545 Filed 1-23-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P