[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 23896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11092]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Over-the-Road Bus Accessibility Program Grants

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Program Guidance Revision.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Federal Transit Administration provided program guidance and 
application procedures in a Federal Register Notice dated February 8, 
1999, ``Over-the-Road Bus Accessibility Program Grants'' (64FR6165). 
The notice invited comments regarding the program and stated that 
program guidance might be revised based upon comments received. There 
were several comments regarding applying Federal requirements to the 
entire vehicle rather than to just the wheelchair lifts that are to be 
added to the vehicles to make them wheelchair accessible. The 
commenters suggested that the application of Federal requirements to 
the full vehicle would limit program participation, imposing a burden 
for a fairly small Federal share. In addition, applying Federal 
requirements to the entire vehicle would be particularly burdensome for 
the small over-the-road bus operators. As a result of FTA review of the 
industry comments describing the detrimental impact that applying 
federal requirements to the entire vehicle would have on industry 
participation in this program, and having reviewed the language of the 
law, FTA is revising its Federal Register Notice of February 8, 1999. 
Federal requirements shall apply only to the incremental cost of making 
a vehicle wheelchair accessible. Such incremental costs include the 
lift itself, the expense of installing the lift during manufacture of 
the vehicle, as well as other items needed to ensure that vehicle 
accessibility requirements are met, such as wheelchair securement 
devices.

    Issued on: zApril 28, 1999.
Gordon J. Linton,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-11092 Filed 5-3-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-M