[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70094-70095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-28060]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

[FTA Docket No. 2013-0043]


Notice of Request for Revision of a Currently Approved 
Information Collection

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces the intention of the Federal Transit Administration 
(FTA) to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve 
the revision of the following information collection: Metropolitan and 
Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation Planning.

DATES: Comments must be submitted before January 21, 2014.

ADDRESSES: To ensure that your comments are not entered more than once 
into the docket, submit comments identified by the docket number by 
only one of the following methods:
    1. Web site: www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments on the U.S. Government electronic docket site. 
(Note: The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT's) electronic 
docket is no longer accepting electronic comments.) All electronic 
submissions must be made to the U.S. Government electronic docket site 
at www.regulations.gov. Commenters should follow the directions below 
for mailed and hand-delivered comments.
    2. Fax: 202-366-7951.
    3. Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE., Docket Operations, M-30, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    4. Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Docket Operations, M-30, West Building, Ground 
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001 between 9:00 a.m. and 
5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
    Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket number 
for this notice at the beginning of your comments. Submit two copies of 
your comments if you submit them by mail. For confirmation that FTA has 
received your comments, include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Note 
that all comments received, including any personal information, will be 
posted and will be available to Internet users, without change, to 
www.regulations.gov. You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act 
Statement in the Federal Register published April 11, 2000, (65 FR 
19477), or you may visit www.regulations.gov.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents and 
comments received, go to www.regulations.gov at any time. Background 
documents and comments received may also be viewed at the U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Dwayne Weeks, Office of Planning 
and Environment, (202) 493-0316, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested parties are invited to send 
comments regarding any aspect of this information collection, 
including: (1) The necessity and utility of the information collection 
for the proper performance of the functions of the FTA; (2) the 
accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways to 
minimize the collection burden without reducing the quality of the 
collected information. Comments submitted in response to this notice 
will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of 
this information collection.

[[Page 70095]]

    Title: Metropolitan and Statewide and Nonmetropolitan 
Transportation Planning (OMB Number: 2132-0529)
    Background: The FTA and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 
jointly carry out the federal mandate to improve urban and rural 
transportation. 49 U.S.C. 5303 and 5304 and 23 U.S.C. 134 and 135 
authorize the use of federal funds to assist Metropolitan Planning 
Organizations (MPOs), States, and local public bodies in developing 
transportation plans and programs to serve the transportation needs of 
urbanized areas over 50,000 in population and other areas of States 
outside of urbanized areas. The information collection activities 
involved in developing the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), the 
Metropolitan Transportation Plan, the Long-Range Statewide 
Transportation Plan, the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and 
the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) are necessary 
to identify and evaluate the transportation issues and needs in each 
urbanized area and throughout every State. These products of the 
transportation planning process are essential elements in the 
reasonable planning and programming of federally funded transportation 
investments.
    In addition to serving as a management tool for MPOs, the UPWP is 
used by both FTA and FHWA to monitor the transportation planning 
activities of MPOs. It also is needed to establish national out year 
budgets and regional program plans, develop policy on using funds, 
monitor State and local compliance with technical emphasis areas, 
respond to Congressional inquiries, prepare Congressional testimony, 
and ensure efficiency in the use and expenditure of Federal funds by 
determining that planning proposals are both reasonable and cost-
effective. 49 U.S.C. 5303 and 23 U.S.C.134 (j) require the development 
of TIPs for urbanized areas; STIPs are mandated by 49 U.S.C. 5304 and 
23 U.S.C. 135(g) for an entire State. After approval by the Governor 
and MPO, metropolitan TIPs in attainment areas are to be incorporated 
directly into the STIP. For nonattainment areas, FTA/FHWA must make a 
conformity finding on the TIPs before including them in the STIP. The 
complete STIP is then jointly reviewed and approved or disapproved by 
FTA and FHWA. These conformity findings and approval actions constitute 
the determination that States are complying with the requirements of 23 
U.S.C. 134 and 135 and 49 U.S.C. 5303 and 5304 as a condition of 
eligibility for federal-aid funding. Without these documents, approvals 
and findings, FTA and FHWA cannot provide capital and/or operating 
assistance.
    The FTA and FHWA updated their method for estimating the annual 
burden hours of the transportation planning programs on respondents. 
The FTA and FHWA surveyed a sample of MPO annual work programs to 
identify annual planning compliance burdens associated with the 
preparation of TIPS, STIPs and plans. The FTA and FHWA are using the 
information from this sample as the basis to estimate the annual 
compliance burden for both this request for revision of the currently 
approved information collection, as well as for a forthcoming Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking that FTA and FHWA will issue to implement changes 
to the metropolitan and statewide and nonmetropolitan transportation 
planning programs as a result of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 
21st Century Act, Public Law 112-141 (2012).
    Respondents: State Departments of Transportation and MPOs.
    Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 8017 hours for each of the 
472 respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 3,783,814 hours.
    Frequency: Annual.

Matthew M. Crouch,
Associate Administrator for Administration.
[FR Doc. 2013-28060 Filed 11-21-13; 8:45 am]
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