[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 210 (Tuesday, November 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65966-65968]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21722]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Over-the-Road Bus Accessibility Program Announcement of Project 
Selections

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Transit 
Administration (FTA) announces the selection of projects to be funded 
under Fiscal Year 2005 appropriations for the Over-the-Road Bus (OTRB) 
Accessibility Program, authorized by Section 3038 of the Transportation 
Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). The OTRB Accessibility 
Program makes funds available to private operators of over-the-road 
buses to help finance the incremental capital and training costs of 
complying with DOT's over-the-road bus accessibility rule, published in 
the Federal Register on September 24, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The appropriate FTA Regional 
Administrator for grant-specific issues; or Blenda Younger, Office of 
Program Management, (202) 366-2053, for general information about the 
OTRB Program.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A total of $6.9 million was made available 
for the program in FY 2005: $5.2 million for intercity fixed-route 
providers and $1.7 million for all other providers, such as commuter, 
charter, and tour operators. A total of 120 applicants requested $33.7 
million: $19.5 million was requested by intercity fixed-route 
providers, and $14.2 million was requested by all other providers. 
Project selections were made on a discretionary basis, based on each 
applicant's responsiveness to statutory project selection criteria, 
fleet size, and level of funding received in previous years. Because of 
the high demand for the funds available, most applicants received less 
funding than they requested, but almost all qualified applicants 
received some funding. The selected projects will provide funding for 
the incremental cost of adding lifts to 72 new vehicles, retrofitting 
122 vehicles, and $53,099 for training. Each of the following 93 
awardees, as well as the 27 applicants who were not selected for 
funding, will receive a letter that explains how funding decisions were 
made.

                                                  Award Amount
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Intercity
               Operator                        City/State           fixed-route        Other           Total
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Region I
 
Arrow Line............................  E. Hartford, CT.........  ..............         $35,932         $35,932
Bonanza Bus Lines.....................  Providence, RI..........         $32,881  ..............          32,881
Concord Coach Lines, Inc..............  Concord, NH.............          46,800  ..............          46,800
Dartmouth Transportation Co., Inc.....  Concord, NH.............          23,900  ..............          23,900
DATTCO, Inc...........................  New Britain, CT.........          35,000  ..............          35,000
M&L Transit Systems, Inc..............  Woburn, MA..............  ..............          35,000          35,000
Peter Pan Bus Lines...................  Springfield, MA.........          31,461  ..............          31,461
Plymouth & Brockton...................  Plymouth, MA............          55,620  ..............          55,620

[[Page 65967]]

 
Premier Coach Company, Inc............  Colchester, VT..........  ..............          26,980          26,980
Vermont Transit Co., Inc..............  Burlington, VT..........          40,557  ..............          40,557
Region II
 
Adirondack Trailways..................  Hurley, NY..............          33,500  ..............          33,500
Blue Bird Coach Lines.................  N. Tonawanda, NY........          45,270  ..............          45,270
Hampton Jitney, Inc...................  Southampton, NY.........          59,412  ..............          59,412
Lion Trailways........................  Rio Grande, NJ..........          88,673  ..............          88,673
Onondaga Coach Corp...................  Auburn, NY..............  ..............          25,200          25,200
Star Transit Company, Inc.............  Trenton, NJ.............  ..............          36,000          36,000
Sunrise Coach Lines, Inc..............  Greenport, NY...........          70,924  ..............          70,924
Syracuse and Oswego Coach.............  E. Syracuse, NY.........  ..............          40,500          40,500
Utica Rome Bus Company................  Clinton, NY.............  ..............          42,750          42,750
Region III
 
Abbott Bus Lines, Inc.................  Roanoke, VA.............  ..............          39,600          39,600
Bieber Tourways.......................  Kutztown, PA............          58,291  ..............          58,291
Buco Transportation/Campbell..........  Slippery Rock, PA.......  ..............          24,040          24,040
David Thomas Tours, Inc...............  Philadelphia, PA........  ..............          28,800          28,800
Dillon's Bus Service, Inc.............  Millersville, MD........          27,000  ..............          27,000
First Priority Tours, Inc.............  District Hgts., MD......  ..............          21,393          21,393
Fullington Trailways..................  Clearfield, PA..........          51,485  ..............          51,485
Gold Line, Inc........................  Tuxedo, MD..............          82,000  ..............          82,000
Gunther Charters, Inc.................  Hanover, MD.............  ..............          26,100          26,100
James River Bus Lines.................  Richmond, VA............          27,000  ..............          27,000
Keller Transportation, Inc............  Waldorf, MD.............          78,101  ..............          78,101
Morgan's Bus Tours, Inc...............  Upper Marlboro, MD......  ..............          29,250          29,250
National Coach Works of Virginia......  Tuxedo, MD..............          42,000  ..............          42,000
Trans-Bridge Lines....................  Bethlehem, PA...........          58,500  ..............          58,500
Region IV
 
American Charters, LTD................  Charlotte, NC...........  ..............          24,000          24,000
American Coach of Atlanta, Inc........  Norcross, GA............  ..............          22,500          22,500
American Coach Lines Jacksonville.....  Jacksonville, FLA.......  ..............          52,200          52,200
American Coach Lines Miami............  Miami-Dade, FLA.........  ..............          32,625          32,625
Angelic Tours and Shuttles............  Fayetteville, NC........  ..............          40,000          40,000
Capitol City Transit Lines............  Atlanta, GA.............  ..............          36,000          36,000
Coach Ride, LLC.......................  Starkville, MS..........  ..............          25,200          25,200
Gentry Coach Company..................  Knoxville, TN...........  ..............          25,179          25,179
Holiday Tours, Inc....................  Marietta, GA............  ..............          27,816          27,816
Lancaster Tours Inc...................  Lancaster, SC...........  ..............          40,000          40,000
Midnight Sun Tours, Inc...............  Lake Worth, FLA.........  ..............          36,000          36,000
Royal Tours...........................  Asheboro, NC............  ..............          45,360          45,360
Southern Coach Company................  Durham, NC..............  ..............          26,100          26,100
Region V
 
Badger Coaches, Inc...................  Madison, WI.............         117,495  ..............         117,495
Coach USA Indiana.....................  Gary, IN................          36,504  ..............          36,504
Excellent Adventures, Inc.............  Ft. Wayne, IN...........  ..............          24,500          24,500
Indian Trails, Inc....................  Owosso, MI..............  ..............          19,210          19,210
Lakefront Lines Inc...................  Brook Park, OH..........         100,800  ..............         100,800
Lamers Bus Lines Inc..................  Green Bay, WI...........          62,175  ..............          62,175
Philipps Bus Service, Inc.............  Winona, MN..............  ..............          28,746          28,746
Pioneer Coach Lines, Inc..............  Chicago, Il.............  ..............          26,854          26,854
Ready Bus Line........................  La Crescent, MN.........  ..............          30,275          30,275
River Trails Transit Lines, Inc.......  Galena, IL..............  ..............          27,644          27,644
Southeastern Trailways................  Indianapolis, IN........  ..............          43,897          43,897
Southwest Coaches, Inc................  Marshall, MN............  ..............          43,734          43,734
Southwestern Illinois Bus Co..........  Chester, IL.............  ..............          27,000          27,000
St. Cloud Charter Service.............  St. Cloud, MN...........  ..............          20,089          20,089
The Free Enterprise System, Inc.......  Jeffersonville, IN......  ..............          25,645          25,645
Vandalia Bus Lines, Inc...............  Caseyville, IL..........  ..............          27,000          27,000
Van Galder Bus Company................  Janesville, WI..........         182,302  ..............         182,302
Wisconsin Coach Lines.................  Waukesha, WI............          40,500  ..............          40,500
Region VI
 
All Aboard America....................  Santa FE, NM............  ..............          22,510          22,510
Americanos USA, LLC...................  Dallas, TX..............         162,228  ..............         162,228
AM Tour/Lone Star Coaches.............  Grand Prairie, TX.......  ..............          25,000          25,000
Cowtown Bus Charters, Inc.............  Ft. Worth, TX...........          62,164  ..............          62,164
Crucero USA, LLC......................  Dallas, TX..............          81,114  ..............          81,114
El Expreso Bus Company, Inc...........  Houston, TX.............          98,200  ..............          98,200
Fun Time Tours........................  Corpus Christi, TX......  ..............          48,600          48,600
Greyhound Lines, Inc..................  Dallas, TX..............       2,636,205  ..............       2,636,205
Gulf Coast Transportation.............  Houston, TX.............          68,310  ..............          68,310

[[Page 65968]]

 
Hotard Motor Coaches, Inc.............  New Orleans, LA.........  ..............          44,193          44,193
Kerrville Bus Co......................  San Antonio, TX.........         194,400  ..............         194,400
Lone Star Trailways, Inc..............  Tyler, TX...............  ..............          34,972          34,972
Oklahoma Trailways, Inc...............  Tulsa, OK...............  ..............          36,000          36,000
Sierra Stage Coaches, Inc.............  S. Houston, TX..........  ..............          25,200          25,200
Si Texas Tours........................  Bandera, TX.............  ..............          32,400          32,400
TNM&O.................................  Lubbock, TX.............          40,557  ..............          40,557
Valley Transit........................  Harlingen, TX...........          40,557  ..............          40,557
Region VII
 
Arrow Stage Lines.....................  Omaha, NE...............  ..............          30,000          30,000
Burlington Trailways..................  W. Burlington, IA.......          86,798  ..............          86,798
Prestige Transportation Systems.......  Wichita, Kansas.........  ..............          34,920          34,920
Village Charters, Inc.................  Wichita, Kansas.........  ..............          46,589          46,589
Region VIII
 
No Awards.............................  ........................  ..............  ..............  ..............
Region IX
 
K-T Contract Services.................  N. Las Vegas, NV........          71,996  ..............          71,996
Roberts Hawaii........................  Honolulu, HI............  ..............          25,200          25,200
Sierra Trailways of California........  Sacramento, CA..........          43,149  ..............          43,149
Silverado Stages, Inc.................  San Luis Obispo, CA.....          60,421  ..............          60,421
Triple J Tours, Inc...................  Las Vegas, NV...........  ..............          37,791          37,791
Region X
 
MTR Western...........................  Seattle, WA.............  ..............          28,706          28,706
Northwestern Stage Lines..............  Spokane, WA.............          33,750  ..............          33,750
Premier Alaska Tours, Inc.............  Anchorage, AK...........  ..............          25,200          25,200
                                                                 -----------------
        Total.........................  ........................       5,208,000       1,686,400       6,894,400
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Eligible project costs may be incurred by awardees prior to final 
grant approval. The incremental capital cost for adding wheelchair lift 
equipment to any new vehicles delivered on or after June 9, 1998, the 
effective date of TEA-21, is eligible for funding under the OTRB 
Accessibility Program.
    Applicants selected for funding may be contacted by FTA regional 
offices if additional information is needed before grants are made. The 
grant applications will be sent to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) 
for certification under labor protection requirements pursuant to 49 
U.S.C. 5333(b). After referring applications to affected employees 
represented by a labor organization, DOL will issue a certification to 
FTA. Terms and conditions of the certification will be incorporated in 
the FTA grant agreement under the new guidelines replacing those in 29 
CFR Part 215. Please see Amendment to Section 5333(b), Guidelines to 
Carry Out New Programs Authorized by the Transportation Equity Act for 
the 21st Century (TEA-21); Final Rule (64 FR 40990, July 28, 1999).

    Issued on: October 26, 2005.
Jennifer L. Dorn,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 05-21722 Filed 10-31-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P