[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 17, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7388-7389]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3207]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

49 CFR Part 612

[Docket No. FTA-2008-0005]
RIN 2132-AA96


Contractor Performance Incentives for the Capital Investment 
Program

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

[[Page 7389]]


ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: This action withdraws an FTA notice of proposed rulemaking 
(NPRM), Contractor Performance Incentives for the Capital Investment 
Program, published in the Federal Register on February 19, 2008 (73 FR 
9075). FTA has determined that contractor performance incentives do not 
require a rulemaking to be effectuated. Rather, FTA can work with 
project sponsors on a case-by-case basis to provide incentives, and 
therefore, the rulemaking is withdrawn.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sherry Riklin, Deputy Associate 
Administrator for Planning and Environment, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., East Building, Washington, DC 20590, phone: (202) 366-4033, fax: 
(202) 493-2478 or e-mail, [email protected]. For legal questions, 
please contact Bonnie L. Graves, Attorney-Advisor, Legislation and 
Regulations Division, Office of Chief Counsel, same address, phone: 
(202) 366-0944, fax: (202) 366-3809, or e-mail, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On August 10, 2005, President Bush signed the Safe, Accountable, 
Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for Users 
(SAFETEA-LU). Section 3011 of SAFETEA-LU made a number of changes to 49 
U.S.C. 5309 (``Section 5309''), which authorizes the Federal Transit 
Administration's (FTA's) capital investment grant program. SAFETEA-LU 
emphasized the need to improve the accuracy of the estimates of 
ridership and costs used to support the selection of a capital 
investment project (``New Start'') as a locally preferred alternative 
(LPA) for Section 5309 funds. Section 5309(d)(4)(B)(i) and Section 
5309(e)(4)(D) add ``the reliability of forecasting methods'' as a new 
evaluation consideration; Section 5309(g)(2)(C) codifies the ``before 
and after'' study requirement; and Section 5309(l)(2) requires FTA to 
produce an annual report on contractor performance in the development 
of ridership forecasts and cost estimates for New Starts projects.
    FTA published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the 
Contractor Performance Incentives for the Capital Investment Program on 
February 19, 2008. FTA received written comments from three entities. 
All three entities expressed general support for the concept of 
providing incentives for accurate ridership and cost estimates, and 
also expressed concerns about the practicality of the proposal.
    Upon reflection, FTA has determined that a separate rulemaking is 
not necessary in order to implement incentives to contractors for 
accurate ridership and cost estimates. FTA will work with project 
sponsors case-by-case to provide incentives to contractors for accurate 
ridership and cost estimates as appropriate, and may, at some point in 
the future, include incentives in a New Starts rulemaking, or issue a 
policy statement or guidance document to provide guidelines on 
incentives.
    Today's issue of the Federal Register contains another withdrawal 
notice by which FTA is also withdrawing the NPRM it issued for the 
Major Capital Investment Program on August 3, 2007 (72 FR 43328).

The Withdrawal

    In consideration of the foregoing, the NPRM for FTA Docket No. FTA-
2008-0005, as published in the Federal Register on February 19, 2008 
(73 FR 9075) is hereby withdrawn.

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 10th day of February, 2009.
Matthew J. Welbes,
Acting Deputy Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E9-3207 Filed 2-13-09; 8:45 am]
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