[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 70 (Friday, April 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20336-20337]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-07525]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[FTA Docket No. FTA 2020-0003]
Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review
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 extension of a currently approved information collection:
Metropolitan and Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation Planning.
DATES: Comments must be submitted before June 9, 2020.
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. Website: 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
[[Page 20337]]
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: Dwayne Weeks, Office of Planning &
Environment, (202) 493-0396, or email at [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.
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 to
reflect the Final Rule on Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation
Planning and Metropolitan Transportation Planning. On July 6, 2012, the
President signed into law Public Law 112-141, the Moving Ahead for
Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and on December 4, 2015,
signed into law Public Law 114-94, the Fixing America's Surface
Transportation Act (FAST). The MAP-21 makes significant changes to the
statewide and nonmetropolitan planning process and the metropolitan
transportation planning process, and the FAST makes minor changes to
existing provisions. As a result, FHWA and FTA have issued a final rule
that makes the regulations consistent with current statutory
requirements. The rule is central to the implementation of the overall
performance management framework created by MAP-21.
The changes to the FHWA/FTA statewide and nonmetropolitan and
metropolitan transportation planning regulations (23 CFR part 450 and
49 CFR part 613) make the regulations consistent with current statutory
requirements. Major regulatory revisions include a new mandate for
States and MPOs to take a performance-based approach to planning and
programming; a new emphasis on the nonmetropolitan transportation
planning process, by requiring States to have a higher level of
involvement with nonmetropolitan local officials and providing a
process for the creation of regional transportation planning
organizations (RTPOs); a structural change to the membership of the
larger MPOs; a new framework for voluntary scenario planning; and a
process for programmatic mitigation plans. The revised burden hour
estimates reflect the annual compliance burden of the requirements in
the Final Rule on Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation Planning
and Metropolitan Transportation Planning published on May 27, 2016.
Additionally, the estimates were updated to apply revised labor costs
for inflation, a new uniform overhead rate used by all Department of
Transportation modes, reduce the number of respondents (due to mergers
of Metropolitan Planning Organizations), and the addition of the HOPE
discretionary grant program.
Respondents: State Departments of Transportation and MPOs.
Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 9,206 hours for each of the
456 respondents.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: 4,198,379 hours.
Frequency: Annual.
Nadine Pembleton,
Director Office of Management Planning.
[FR Doc. 2020-07525 Filed 4-9-20; 8:45 am]
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