[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 164 (Friday, August 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49737-49740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-19358]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


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

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Project Selections.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Transit 
Administration (FTA) announces the selection of projects to be funded 
under Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 and FY 2008 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.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    A total of $15.9 million, which includes $7.6 million in FY 2007 
funds and $8.3 million in FY 2008 funds is available for allocation. Of 
the FY 2007 funds, $5.7 million is available to be awarded to intercity 
fixed-route providers and $1.9 million is available for other 
providers. Also, of the FY 2008 funds, $6.225 million is available to 
be awarded to intercity fixed-route providers and $2.075 million is 
available for other providers. The category of other providers includes 
commuter, charter, and tour bus operators.
    A total of 123 applicants requested $41.6 million: $21.8 million 
was requested by intercity fixed-route providers, and $19.8 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 successful applicants received less funding than they 
requested, and applicants who did not meet the statutory criteria were 
not selected for funding. Selected projects will result in the addition 
of lifts to 375 new vehicles, the retrofitting of 96 vehicles, and 
$136,915 for training in the proper operation of the equipment. Each of 
the following 79 awardees listed in Table 1, as well as the 44 
applicants who were not selected for funding, will receive a letter 
that explains how funding decisions were made.
    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. Awards are processed through FTA's electronic grants 
management system, TEAM-WEB, and the project identification (ID) listed 
will be used to track the obligation of funds for the projects 
selected. 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 in Washington, DC, this 15th day of August, 2008.
James S. Simpson,
Administrator.

Appendix A

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Richard H. Doyle: Regional Administrator, Region 1--     Robert C. Patrick: Regional Administrator, Region 6--
 Boston, Kendall Square, 55 Broadway, Suite 920,          Ft. Worth, 819 Taylor Street, Room 8A36, Ft. Worth, TX
 Cambridge, MA 02142-1093. Tel. 617-494-2055. States      76102. Tel. 817-978-0550. States served: Arkansas,
 served: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New           Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas.
 Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
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Brigid Hynes-Cherin, Regional Administrator, Region 2--  Mokhtee Ahmad, Regional Administrator, Region 7--Kansas
 New York, One Bowling Green, Room 429, New York, NY      City, MO, 901 Locust Street, Room 404, Kansas City, MO
 10004-1415. Tel. No. 212-668-2170. States served: New    64106. Tel. 816-329-3920. States served: Iowa, Kansas,
 Jersey, New York.                                        Missouri, and Nebraska.
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Letitia Thompson, Regional Administrator, Region 3--     Terry Rosapep, Regional Administrator, Region 8--
 Philadelphia, 1760 Market Street, Suite 500,             Denver, 12300 West Dakota Ave., Suite 310, Lakewood,
 Philadelphia, PA 19103-4124. Tel. 215-656-7100. States   CO 80228-2583. Tel. 720-963-3300. States served:
 served: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia,      Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,
 West Virginia, and District of Columbia.                 and Wyoming.
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Yvette Taylor, Regional Administrator, Region 4--        Leslie T. Rogers, Regional Administrator, Region 9--San
 Atlanta, 230 Peachtree Street, NW., Suite 800,           Francisco, 201 Mission Street, Room 1650, San
 Atlanta, GA 30303. Tel. 404-865-5600. States served:     Francisco, CA 94105-1926. Tel. 415-744-3133. States
 Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi,        served: American Samoa, Arizona, California, Guam,
 Islands.                                                 Hawaii, Nevada, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
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Marisol Simon, Regional Administrator, Region 5--        Rick Krochalis, Regional Administrator, Region 10--
 Chicago, 200 West Adams Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL   Seattle, Jackson Federal Building, 915 Second Avenue,
 60606. Tel. 313-353-2789. States served: Illinois,       Suite 3142, Seattle, WA 98174-1002. Tel. 206-220-7954.
 Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.       States served: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
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[FR Doc. E8-19358 Filed 8-21-08; 8:45 am]
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