[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 102 (Wednesday, May 28, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 30508-30509]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12153]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

23 CFR Part 924

[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-2013-0019]
RIN 2125-AF56


Highway Safety Improvement Program

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is extending the comment period for a notice of 
proposed rulemaking (NPRM) and request for comments, which was 
published on March 28, 2014. The original comment period is set to 
close on May 27, 2014. The extension is based on concern expressed by 
the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials 
(AASHTO) that the May 27 closing date does not provide sufficient time 
to review and provide comprehensive comments on the HSIP NPRM, 
considering all related rulemaking activities including the FHWA/FTA 
Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation Planning; Metropolitan 
Transportation Planning NPRM (FHWA RIN 2125-AF52; FTA RIN 2132-AB10). 
The FHWA recognizes that others interested in commenting may have 
similar concerns and agrees that the comment period should be extended. 
Therefore, the closing date for comments is changed to June 30, 2014, 
which will provide AASHTO and others interested in commenting 
additional time to discuss, evaluate, and submit responses to the 
docket.

DATES: The comment period on the proposed rule published March 28, 2014 
(79 FR 17464), is extended. Comments must be received on or before June 
30, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Mail or hand deliver comments to the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Dockets Management Facility, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE., Washington, DC 20590, or submit electronically at http://www.regulations.gov. All comments should include the docket number that 
appears in the heading of this document. All comments received will be 
available for examination and copying at the above address from 9 a.m. 
to 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Those 
desiring notification of receipt of comments must include a self-
addressed, stamped postcard or may print the acknowledgment page that 
appears after submitting comments electronically. Anyone is able to 
search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our 
dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or 
signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act 
Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 
65, Number 70, Pages 19477-78) or you may visit http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Karen Scurry, Office of Safety, 
[email protected]; or William Winne, Office of the Chief Counsel, 
[email protected], Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey 
Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Access and Filing

    You may submit or access all comments received by the DOT online

[[Page 30509]]

through: http://www.regulations.gov. Electronic submission and 
retrieval help and guidelines are available on the Web site. It is 
available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. Please follow the 
instructions. An electronic copy of this document may also be 
downloaded from the Federal Register's home page at: http://www.federalregister.gov.

Background

    On March 28, 2014, the FHWA published in the Federal Register a 
NPRM proposing changes to 23 CFR part 924, the regulations for the 
Highway Safety Improvement Program. The NPRM proposed to address 
provisions in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act 
(MAP-21) as well as to incorporate clarifications to better explain 
existing regulatory language. Specifically, the rule proposes to amend 
DOT's regulations to address MAP-21 provisions that removed the 
requirement for States to prepare a Transparency Report, removed the 
High Risk Rural Roads set-aside, and removed the 10 percent flexibility 
provision for States to use safety funding in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 
148(e). This NPRM also proposes to amend DOT's regulations to address a 
MAP-21 provision that requires DOT to establish a subset of roadway 
data elements that are useful to the inventory of roadway safety, and 
to ensure that States adopt and use the subset. Finally, this NPRM 
proposes to address MAP-21 provisions that add State Strategic Highway 
Safety Plan update requirements and require States to report HSIP 
performance targets.
    The original comment period for the NPRM closes on May 27, 2014. 
The AASHTO has expressed concern that this closing date does not 
provide sufficient time to review and provide comprehensive comments on 
the related FHWA/FTA Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation 
Planning; Metropolitan Transportation Planning NPRM (FHWA RIN 2125-
AF52; FTA RIN 2132-AB10). The FHWA recognizes that others interested in 
commenting may have similar concerns and agrees that the comment period 
should be extended. To allow time for this organization and others to 
submit comprehensive comments, the closing date is changed from May 27, 
2014, to June 30, 2014.

    Authority:  23 U.S.C. 104(b)(3), 130, 148, and 315; 49 CFR 1.85.

    Issued on: May 21, 2014.
Gregory G. Nadeau,
Deputy Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-12153 Filed 5-27-14; 8:45 am]
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