[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 159 (Tuesday, August 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 44358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22208]



[[Page 44357]]

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Part IV





Department of Transportation





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Federal Transit Administration



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FTA Transit Program Technical Amendments Changes Under the 
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 159 / Tuesday, August 18, 1998 / 
Notices  

[[Page 44358]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


FTA Transit Program Technical Amendments Changes Under the 
ransportation Equity Act for the 21st Century

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) 
made certain changes to the FTA transit program by amending 49 U.S.C. 
chapter 53. On June 24, 1998, the FTA published a Federal Register 
Notice summarizing TEA-21 provisions as they impacted the FTA grant 
program. The Internal Revenue Restructuring and Reform Act of 1997, 
signed into law by President Clinton on July 22, 1998, contained 
technical amendments to TEA-21 that corrected some of the TEA-21 
provisions. As a result, the FTA is now publishing this Notice 
providing information on the technical corrections. This Notice updates 
the June 24, 1998, Federal Register entitled ``FTA Transit Program 
Changes and Final Funding Levels for Fiscal Year 1998 Under the 
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.''

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The appropriate FTA Regional Administrator 
for grant-specific information and issues; Patricia Levine, Director, 
Office of Resource Management and State Programs, (202) 366-2053, for 
general information about the Urbanized Area Formula Program, the 
Capital New Start Program, and the Clean Fuels Formula Program, (202) 
366-2053.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 49 U.S.C. chapter 53, amended by TEA-21, 
made certain changes to the FTA transit program. By technical 
corrections, some of those changes have been amended. FTA is publishing 
in this Notice the following provisions, as amended, pertaining to the 
FTA transit programs:

Section 5307  Urbanized Area Formula Program Operating Assistance

    Section 5307(c)(1)(B), as amended, specifies that: ``The Secretary 
may make grants under this section from funds made available for fiscal 
year 1998 to finance the operating costs of equipment and facilities 
for use in mass transportation in an urbanized area with a population 
of at least 200,000.'' Therefore, the operating assistance limitations, 
as published in the Federal Register on December 5, 1997, still apply 
for areas 200,000 and above.

Section 5308  Clean Fuels Formula Program

    Section 5308(e)(2) is amended to read: ``Clean diesel buses.--Not 
more than 35 percent of the amount made available by or appropriated 
under section 5338 in each fiscal year to carry out this section may be 
made available to fund clean diesel buses.''

Section 5309  New Start Authorizations under TEA-21

    Table 6 of the June 24, 1998, Federal Register contained a list of 
TEA-21 New Start Project Authorizations under Section 5309(m)(1)(B). 
Some of the project authorizations specified whether the project was 
authorized for final design and construction or for alternatives 
analysis and preliminary engineering. The following areas are now also 
authorized for final design and construction: NM/Albuquerque--Greater 
Albuquerque Mass Transit Project; CT/Hartford--Hartford City Light Rail 
Connection to Central Business District; RI/MA--Providence-Boston 
Commuter Rail; NY/New York--St. George's Ferry Intermodal Terminal; NY/
New York--Midtown West Ferry Terminal; FL/St. Petersburg--Pinellas 
County-Mobility Initiative Project; GA/Atlanta--MARTA Extension (S. 
DeKalb-Lindbergh). The following areas are now authorized for 
alternatives analysis and preliminary engineering under Section 
5309(m)(l)(B): CA/Riverside County--San Jacinto-Branch Line; IA/Sioux 
City--Light Rail; NM/Albuquerque--High Capacity Corridor; NM/Santa Fe--
Santa Fe-El Dorado Rail Link; IL/Chicago--Northwest Rail Transit 
Corridor; and VT/Burlington--Burlington-Essex Commuter Rail.
    In addition, the following New Start projects authorizations have 
been amended to modify either the project name or the dollar amount or 
both: Dallas--North Central Extension, $188,000,000; Dallas-Fort Worth 
RAILTRAN (Phase II), $12,000,000; San Diego Mission Valley East and 
Mid-Coast Corridor, $325,000,000; Hartford City Light Rail Connection 
to Central Business District, $33,000,000; Kansas City--I-35 Commuter 
Rail, $30,000,000; New York--Staten Island Ferry-Whitehall Intermodal 
Terminal, $40,000,000; New York-Midtown West Ferry Terminal, 
$16,300,000; Washington, D.C., Dulles Corridor Extension, $86,000,000; 
Pittsburgh Stage II Light Rail, $100,200,000; Northeast Indianapolis 
Corridor, $10,000,000; Greater Albuquerque Mass Transit Project, 
$90,000,000; Providence-Boston Commuter Rail, $10,000,000; and San 
Joaquin Intermodal Corridor, $14,000,000.

Over-the-Road Bus Accessibility Program

    The authorized funding level for other over-the-road bus service 
under Section 5338(a)(2) totals $6,800,000 for fiscal years 2000 
through 2003. In addition, the amendment specifies that the amounts 
shall be available for operators of over-the-road buses used 
substantially or exclusively in intercity, fixed-route over-the-road 
bus service to finance the incremental capital and training costs of 
the Department of Transportation's final rule regarding accessibility 
of over-the-road buses.
    This Notice is included on the FTA Home Page and may be accessed at 
www.fta.dot.gov.

    Issued on: August 13, 1998.
Gordon J. Linton,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-22208 Filed 8-17-98; 8:45 am]
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