[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 217 (Thursday, November 12, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58367-58368]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-27342]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2009-0115]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Extension 
of a Previously Approved Information Collection

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary 
(OST).

ACTION: Notice and request for OMB review.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Transportation (DOT) invites public comments 
about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) approval to renew an information collection. The collection 
involves the Supplemental Discretionary Grants for a National Surface 
Transportation System. The information to be collected will be used to 
and/or is necessary in order to receive and evaluate applications for 
grant funds pursuant to Title XII of the American Recovery and 
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Title XII established a new program 
for OST to provide Supplemental Discretionary Grants for a National 
Surface Transportation System. OST is referring to these grants as 
Grants for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or 
``TIGER'' Discretionary Grants. The purposes of the TIGER Discretionary 
Grants program include promoting economic recovery and supporting 
projects that have a significant impact on the Nation, a metropolitan 
area or a region. A 60-day Federal Register notice was published on 
August 21, 2009 (FR Vol. 74, No. 161). Since the release of the initial 
May 18, 2009, interim Federal Register notice, a total of 145 comments 
were received to the Docket (DOT-OST-2009-0115) and reviewed by the

[[Page 58368]]

Department. Many of the comments received were letters supporting 
applications submitted for TIGER Discretionary Grant funding. These 
letters of support were submitted by members of Congress and members of 
the public. In addition, comments were submitted by members of the 
public requesting changes to the program selection criteria. These 
comments were considered and changes were made to the selection 
criteria in a June 17, 2009, Federal Register notice (FR Vol. 74, No. 
115). None of the comments submitted to the Docket since the initial 
May 18, 2009, Federal Register notice were related to the proposed 
approval to renew the information collection.

DATES: Comments should be submitted by December 14, 2009 and submitted 
to the attention of the DOT/OST Desk Officer, Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Docket Library, 
Room 10102, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503 with the 
associated OMB Approval Number 2105-0560 and Dockets (DOT-OST-2009-
0115).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The TIGER Discretionary Grants program 
manager via e-mail at [email protected].
    Comments: Comments should be sent to the attention of the DOT/OST 
Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information 
and Regulatory Affairs, Docket Library, Room 10102, 725 17th Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20503 or [email protected] and should 
identify the associated OMB control number 2105-0560 and Docket (DOT-
OST-2009-0115).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    OMB Control Number: 2105-0560.
    Title: Supplemental Discretionary Grants for a National Surface 
Transportation System or TIGER Discretionary Grants.
    Form Numbers: None.
    Type of Review: Renewal of an information collection.
    Background: On February 17, 2009, the President of the United 
States signed the Recovery Act to, among other purposes, (1) preserve 
and create jobs and promote economic recovery, (2) invest in 
transportation infrastructure that will provide long-term economic 
benefits, and (3) assist those most affected by the current economic 
downturn. The Recovery Act appropriated $1.5 billion of discretionary 
grant funds to be awarded by the Department for capital investments in 
surface transportation infrastructure. The funds provided by TIGER 
Discretionary Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to projects 
that have a significant impact on the Nation, a metropolitan area, or a 
region.
    On May 18, 2009, the Department published an interim notice 
announcing the availability of funding for TIGER Discretionary Grants, 
project selection criteria, application requirements and the deadline 
for submitting applications, which was September 15, 2009. On June 17, 
2009, the Department published an additional notice revising some 
elements of the interim notice (FR Vol. 74, No. 115). A 60-day Federal 
Register notice was published on August 21, 2009 (FR Vol. 74, No. 161). 
As the result of the notices, 145 comments were received to the Docket 
(DOT-OST-2009-0115). Many of the comments received were letters 
supporting applications submitted for TIGER Discretionary Grant 
funding. These letters of support were submitted by members of Congress 
and members of the public. In addition, comments were submitted by 
members of the public requesting changes to the program selection 
criteria. These comments were considered and changes were made to the 
selection criteria in the June 17, 2009, Federal Register notice. None 
of the comments received to the Docket were related to the proposed 
approval to renew the information collection. The Department's 
estimated burden for this information collection:
    Expected Number of Respondents: 500.
    Frequency: One time collection.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: 100 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 50,000.

    Authority:  The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 148.

    Issued in Washington, DC on November 6, 2009.
Patricia Lawton,
DOT PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-27342 Filed 11-10-09; 8:45 am]
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