[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 22, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57879-57884]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-28465]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration

Federal Transit Administration
[FHWA/FTA Docket No. 95-9]


Notification of FY 96 Reviews

AGENCIES: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit 
Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: On April 28, 1994, the FHWA and the FTA Administrators jointly 
issued guidance to their respective regional administrators on the 
implementation of the Federal certification of the metropolitan 
planning process in transportation management area (TMA) planning 
areas. This notice announces the schedule of FY 1996 reviews as known 
at this time. The FHWA and the FTA are planning approximately 60 
certification and 3 enhanced planning (EPR) reviews for FY 1996. This 
will complete the first full cycle of certification reviews, of the 
approximately 140 TMA planning processes, under ISTEA. Additional EPRs 
and future planning certifications will be announced through the 
Federal Register. Interested parties are invited to submit comments on 
the individual planning processes to be reviewed.

DATES: Comments on metropolitan planning processes under review must be 
received within sixty (60) days of the scheduled site review in order 
to be considered during the certification review process. Where reviews 
have already been completed prior to the publication of this notice, 
parties 

[[Page 57880]]
interested in commenting on these metropolitan planning processes 
should immediately contact Sheldon Edner (see following paragraph for 
phone number and address and further instructions). Where dates are to 
be announced, a supplemental notice announcing these dates will be 
issued when the specific dates are confirmed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For FHWA: Mr. Sheldon Edner, 
Metropolitan Planning Division (HEP-20), (202) 366-4066 (metropolitan 
planning) or Mr. Reid Alsop, FHWA Office of the Chief Counsel (HCC-31), 
(202) 366-1371. For the FTA: Ms. Deborah Burns, Metropolitan Planning 
Division (TPL-12), (202) 366-1637 or Mr. Scott Biehl, FTA Office of the 
Chief Counsel (TCC-40), (202) 366-4063. Both agencies are located at 
400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours for FHWA 
are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t., and for the FTA are from 8:30 
a.m. to 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

ADDRESSES: Submit written, signed comments to Docket Number 95-9, 
Federal Highway Administration, Room 4232, HCC-10, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20590. All comments received will be available for 
examination at this address during the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday. Those desiring notification of receipt of 
comments must enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Sections 1024, 1025, and 3012 of the 
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), Public Law 
102-240, 105 Stat. 1914, 1955, 1962, and 2098, amended 23 U.S.C. 134 
and 135 and Section 8 of the Federal Transit Act (now codified at 49 
U.S.C 5303, 5304, and 5305) to require a continuing, comprehensive, and 
coordinated transportation planning process in metropolitan areas and 
States. The FHWA and the FTA revised their previous metropolitan 
planning regulations to implement these changes and published the final 
regulations on October 28, 1993 (58 FR 58040).

General

Public Involvement in Certification Process

    The FHWA and the FTA are soliciting public comment on the planning 
processes of the FY 1996 certification review sites identified below. 
The agencies are particularly interested in input regarding the 
strengths and weaknesses of the planning process in light of the 
requirements identified in 23 CFR part 450 subpart C. Additionally, the 
views of local officials and the public are welcomed regarding the use 
of the planning process in transportation investment decisions.

Schedule of FY 1996 Certification Reviews

    The following schedule is subject to revision. Changes will be 
announced in the Federal Register. Parties interested in providing 
comments on the metropolitan transportation planning processes in the 
identified areas should submit them directly to FHWA/FTA Docket 95-9 
identified above, clearly identifying the metropolitan area that the 
comments address. Except where the certification review was completed 
prior to the publication of this notice, comments on metropolitan 
planning processes under review must be received within 60 days of the 
scheduled review in order to be considered during the certification 
review process. Where the review was completed prior to publication of 
this notice, interested parties wishing to make comments on a 
particular certification must contact Sheldon Edner within two weeks of 
the date of publication of this notice to assure that their comments 
will be considered. Where dates for a planned certification review have 
not been established, please contact the appropriate FHWA Division 
office for the dates.
    The site visits are intended to provide an opportunity for the FHWA 
and FTA review team to solicit information from the metropolitan 
planning organizations (MPO), State DOTs and transit agencies regarding 
the implementation of the planning process. In addition, the team will 
be experimenting with alternative mechanisms for soliciting public and 
local official input. Each relevant MPO is being asked to provide 
public notice, through its regular public notice processes, of the 
review and the opportunity to provide public input to the review team. 
Public officials should contact the appropriate MPO to identify 
processes set up to solicit local government input.
    The results of the certification reviews will be made public 
through the regular MPO public information process at a time to be set 
by the MPO policy board.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Region/State/TMA                  Oct.     Nov.     Dec.     Jan.     Feb.     Mar.     Apr.     May      June     July     Aug.    Sept. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Region1/2:                                                                                                                                              
  Connecticut:                                                                                                                                          
    Bridgeport-Milford......................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  Massachusetts:                                                                                                                                        
    Boston..................................    17/20  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  Rhode Island:                                                                                                                                         
    Providence-Pawtuck (RI lead)............  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Providence-Pawtuck (MA lead)............  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  New York:                                                                                                                                             
    Rochester...............................  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  New York:                                                                                                                                             
    Northeast NJ............................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......
    Syracuse................................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
Region 3:                                                                                                                                               
  Delaware:                                                                                                                                             
    Wilmington DE-NJ-MD-PA..................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  District of Columbia:                                                                                                                                 
    DC......................................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  Pennsylvania:                                                                                                                                         
    Harrisburg..............................  .......  .......  .......    25/26  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Philadelphia                                                                                                                                        
    Pittsburgh..............................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......    4/29-                                             
                                                                                                        5/1  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......

[[Page 57881]]
                                                                                                                                                        
  Virginia:                                                                                                                                             
    Petersburg-Colonial Heights.............  .......  .......    11/14  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
Region 4:                                                                                                                                               
  Alabama:                                                                                                                                              
    Birmingham..............................    01/05  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Montgomery..............................    23/27  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  Florida:                                                                                                                                              
    Daytona Beach (Volusia County)..........  .......  .......    11/15  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Fort Lauderdale (Broward County)........  .......    06/10  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Miami...................................  .......  .......  .......    22/23  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Jacksonville............................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......    13/16  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Sarasota................................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......    25/29  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Tampa-St. Petersburg (Pasco County).....  .......  .......  .......  .......     5/16  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    West Palm Beach.........................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......    24/27  .......  .......  .......
  Kentucky:                                                                                                                                             
    Lexington...............................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......    20/24  .......  .......  .......  .......
  North Carolina:                                                                                                                                       
    Raleigh.................................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......    17/21  .......  .......  .......
    Fayetteville............................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......    22/26  .......  .......
  South Carolina:                                                                                                                                       
    Columbia................................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......    15/19  .......  .......
  Tennessee:                                                                                                                                            
    Chattanooga.............................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......    15/19  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Knoxville...............................    16/20  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
REGION 5:                                                                                                                                               
  Illinois:                                                                                                                                             
    Chicago (EPR in December; certification                                                                                                             
     in May)................................  .......  .......    11/15  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......
    Peoria..................................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  Indiana:                                                                                                                                              
    NW Indiana (EPR in December)............  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......
    South Bend..............................        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  Michigan:                                                                                                                                             
    Grand Rapids............................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Lansing.................................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  Minnesota:                                                                                                                                            
    Minn./St. Paul..........................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  Ohio:                                                                                                                                                 
    Cincinnati..............................  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Cleveland...............................  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Akron...................................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Dayton..................................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......
  Wisconsin:                                                                                                                                            
    Madison.................................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......
REGION 6:                                                                                                                                               
  Louisiana:                                                                                                                                            
    Baton Rouge.............................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    New Orleans (EPR Week of November 6,                                                                                                                
     1995; certification Spring, 1996)......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  Oklahoma:                                                                                                                                             
    Tulsa...................................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......      2/5  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  Texas:                                                                                                                                                
    Corpus Christi..........................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......    22/26  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Dallas..................................  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    El Paso.................................  .......  .......  .......  .......      5/9  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    McAllen-Edinburg-Mission................  .......  .......  .......  .......    2/27-                                                               
                                                                                      3/1  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
REGION 7:                                                                                                                                               
  Iowa:                                                                                                                                                 
    Des Moines..............................    10/13  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  Missouri:                                                                                                                                             
    Kansas City.............................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......    01/05  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    St. Louis...............................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......    06/10  .......  .......  .......  .......         
REGION 8:                                                                                                                                               

[[Page 57882]]
                                                                                                                                                        
  Colorado:                                                                                                                                             
    Colorado Springs........................  .......    28/30  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  Utah:                                                                                                                                                 
    Salt Lake City Ogden....................  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
REGION 9:                                                                                                                                               
  California:                                                                                                                                           
    Bakersfield.............................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Oakland-San Francisco (EPA in early                                                                                                                 
     November; certification in early                                                                                                                   
     Spring)................................  .......   10/30-                                                                                          
                                                          11/3  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Modesto.................................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Sacramento..............................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  Hawaii:                                                                                                                                               
    Honolulu................................  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
  Nevada:                                                                                                                                               
    Reno....................................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
    Las Vegas...............................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
REGION 10:                                                                                                                                              
  Alaska:                                                                                                                                               
    Anchorage...............................  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......
  Washington:                                                                                                                                           
    Seattle.................................  .......  .......  .......        X  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......  .......
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Note: ``X'' indicates month of certification review; dates are specified where they are scheduled.                                                      



[[Page 57883]]


Guidance and Responsibility

    The FHWA and the FTA published guidance on the certification of 
planning processes (59 FR 42873). The guidance indicated that the 
primary responsibility for the certification process rested with the 
respective regional offices of the FHWA and the FTA. The preparatory 
work and analysis would be conducted by the appropriate division office 
of the FHWA, as a prelude to a site visit by representatives of both 
agencies to the metropolitan planning area to be certified. During the 
site visit, the FHWA and FTA representatives would, in addition to 
meeting with representatives of the MPO, State DOTs and transit 
agencies serving the metropolitan planning area, also provide an 
opportunity to meet with elected local officials of the principal local 
governments in the area and citizens. The purpose of these meetings is 
to afford the officials and citizens an opportunity to provide input to 
the certification decision in terms of the performance of the planning 
process.
    As indicated above, the MPO and/or State DOT or transit operator 
may make arrangements for these meetings through their normal 
procedures. Other alternatives are acceptable based on arrangements 
between the Federal agencies and the appropriate transportation 
planning agencies. Officials and citizens wishing to obtain information 
regarding the process of providing input should contact the MPO for the 
metropolitan planning areas identified above. Alternatively, the 
Transportation Planner or Planning and Research Engineer for the 
appropriate Division office of the FHWA also can provide this 
information. Each FHWA Division office is located in or near the 
capitol of each State.

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48; Pub. L. 102-240, sections 
1024, 1025, 3012; 105 Stat. 1914, 1955, 1962, and 2098.

    Issued on: November 9, 1995.
Rodney E. Slater,
Federal Highway Administrator.
Gordon J. Linton,
Federal Transit Administrator.
[FR Doc. 95-28465 Filed 11-21-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P 

[[Page 57884]]