[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 131 (Friday, July 7, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 41891-41892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17158]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

23 Parts 450 and 1410

Federal Transit Administration

23 CFR Part 1410

49 CFR Parts 613 and 621

[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-99-5933]
FHWA RIN 2125-AE62; FTA RIN 2132-AA66


Statewide Transportation Planning; Metropolitan Transportation 
Planning

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

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); extension of comment 
period.

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SUMMARY: This document extends this rulemaking's comment period until 
September 23, 2000. This is in response to numerous letters received by 
the FHWA and the FTA from State Departments of Transportation, transit 
operators, and metropolitan planning organizations requesting an 
extension of the comment period from the closing date. These groups 
based their requests on the time required to access the impact of these 
rules on the nation's highway and transit systems and provide 
meaningful comments.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Comments to the NPRM should be received no later than 
September 23, 2000. Late comments will be considered to the extent 
practicable.

ADDRESSES: All signed, written comments must refer to the docket number 
appearing at the top of this document and must be submitted to the 
Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, D.C. 20590-0001. All comments received will be available 
for examination at the above address between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., e.t., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Those desiring 
notification of receipt of comments must include a self-addressed, 
stamped envelope or postcard.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For the FHWA: Mr. Sheldon Edner, 
Metropolitan Planning and Policies Team (HEPM), (202) 366-4066 
(metropolitan planning), Mr. Dee Spann, Statewide Planning Team (HEPS), 
(202) 366-4086 (statewide planning), or Mr. Reid Alsop, Office of the 
Chief Counsel (HCC-31), (202) 366-1371. For the FTA: Mr. Charles 
Goodman, Metropolitan Planning Division (TPL-12) (metropolitan 
planning), (202) 366-1944, Mr. Paul Verchninsk, Statewide Planning 
Division (TPL-11) (statewide planning), (202) 366-6385, or Mr. Scott 
Biehl, Office of the Chief Counsel (TCC-30), (202) 366-0952. Both 
agencies are located at 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, D.C. 
20590. Office hours for the 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 25, 2000 (65 FR 33922), the FHWA and 
the FTA published an NPRM proposing to revise their regulations 
governing the developing of transportation plans and programs for 
urbanized (metropolitan) areas and statewide transportation plans and 
programs. These revisions are a product of statutory changes made by 
the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) (Pub. L. 
105-178, 112 Stat. 107) enacted on June 9, 1998, and generally would 
revise existing regulatory language to make it consistent with current 
statutory requirements.
    The FHWA and the FTA have received requests from the American 
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the American 
Public Transportation Association, the Association of Metropolitan 
Planning Organizations, and several State Departments of Transportation 
to extend the comment period. These groups voiced concerns that the 
proposed rule

[[Page 41892]]

was extremely complex and that 90 days was insufficient time to assess 
the impact of the proposed rules and provide meaningful comments. We 
agree that more time for an in-depth analysis of the NPRM would be 
beneficial to the FHWA and the FTA in this rulemaking. For these 
reasons, the FHWA and the FTA find good cause to extend this NPRM 
comment period closing date by 30 days.

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 134, 135 and 315; 42 U.S.C. 7410 et seq.; 
49 U.S.C. 5303-5309; 49 CFR 1.48 and 1.51.

    Issued on: June 30, 2000.
Kenneth R. Wykle,
Federal Highway Administrator.
Nuria I. Fernandez,
Federal Transit Deputy Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-17158 Filed 7-6-00; 8:45 am]
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