[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 159 (Tuesday, August 18, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 44358]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22208]
[[Page 44357]]
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Part IV
Department of Transportation
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Federal Transit Administration
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FTA Transit Program Technical Amendments Changes Under the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century; Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 159 / Tuesday, August 18, 1998 /
Notices
[[Page 44358]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
FTA Transit Program Technical Amendments Changes Under the
ransportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21)
made certain changes to the FTA transit program by amending 49 U.S.C.
chapter 53. On June 24, 1998, the FTA published a Federal Register
Notice summarizing TEA-21 provisions as they impacted the FTA grant
program. The Internal Revenue Restructuring and Reform Act of 1997,
signed into law by President Clinton on July 22, 1998, contained
technical amendments to TEA-21 that corrected some of the TEA-21
provisions. As a result, the FTA is now publishing this Notice
providing information on the technical corrections. This Notice updates
the June 24, 1998, Federal Register entitled ``FTA Transit Program
Changes and Final Funding Levels for Fiscal Year 1998 Under the
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century.''
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The appropriate FTA Regional Administrator
for grant-specific information and issues; Patricia Levine, Director,
Office of Resource Management and State Programs, (202) 366-2053, for
general information about the Urbanized Area Formula Program, the
Capital New Start Program, and the Clean Fuels Formula Program, (202)
366-2053.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 49 U.S.C. chapter 53, amended by TEA-21,
made certain changes to the FTA transit program. By technical
corrections, some of those changes have been amended. FTA is publishing
in this Notice the following provisions, as amended, pertaining to the
FTA transit programs:
Section 5307 Urbanized Area Formula Program Operating Assistance
Section 5307(c)(1)(B), as amended, specifies that: ``The Secretary
may make grants under this section from funds made available for fiscal
year 1998 to finance the operating costs of equipment and facilities
for use in mass transportation in an urbanized area with a population
of at least 200,000.'' Therefore, the operating assistance limitations,
as published in the Federal Register on December 5, 1997, still apply
for areas 200,000 and above.
Section 5308 Clean Fuels Formula Program
Section 5308(e)(2) is amended to read: ``Clean diesel buses.--Not
more than 35 percent of the amount made available by or appropriated
under section 5338 in each fiscal year to carry out this section may be
made available to fund clean diesel buses.''
Section 5309 New Start Authorizations under TEA-21
Table 6 of the June 24, 1998, Federal Register contained a list of
TEA-21 New Start Project Authorizations under Section 5309(m)(1)(B).
Some of the project authorizations specified whether the project was
authorized for final design and construction or for alternatives
analysis and preliminary engineering. The following areas are now also
authorized for final design and construction: NM/Albuquerque--Greater
Albuquerque Mass Transit Project; CT/Hartford--Hartford City Light Rail
Connection to Central Business District; RI/MA--Providence-Boston
Commuter Rail; NY/New York--St. George's Ferry Intermodal Terminal; NY/
New York--Midtown West Ferry Terminal; FL/St. Petersburg--Pinellas
County-Mobility Initiative Project; GA/Atlanta--MARTA Extension (S.
DeKalb-Lindbergh). The following areas are now authorized for
alternatives analysis and preliminary engineering under Section
5309(m)(l)(B): CA/Riverside County--San Jacinto-Branch Line; IA/Sioux
City--Light Rail; NM/Albuquerque--High Capacity Corridor; NM/Santa Fe--
Santa Fe-El Dorado Rail Link; IL/Chicago--Northwest Rail Transit
Corridor; and VT/Burlington--Burlington-Essex Commuter Rail.
In addition, the following New Start projects authorizations have
been amended to modify either the project name or the dollar amount or
both: Dallas--North Central Extension, $188,000,000; Dallas-Fort Worth
RAILTRAN (Phase II), $12,000,000; San Diego Mission Valley East and
Mid-Coast Corridor, $325,000,000; Hartford City Light Rail Connection
to Central Business District, $33,000,000; Kansas City--I-35 Commuter
Rail, $30,000,000; New York--Staten Island Ferry-Whitehall Intermodal
Terminal, $40,000,000; New York-Midtown West Ferry Terminal,
$16,300,000; Washington, D.C., Dulles Corridor Extension, $86,000,000;
Pittsburgh Stage II Light Rail, $100,200,000; Northeast Indianapolis
Corridor, $10,000,000; Greater Albuquerque Mass Transit Project,
$90,000,000; Providence-Boston Commuter Rail, $10,000,000; and San
Joaquin Intermodal Corridor, $14,000,000.
Over-the-Road Bus Accessibility Program
The authorized funding level for other over-the-road bus service
under Section 5338(a)(2) totals $6,800,000 for fiscal years 2000
through 2003. In addition, the amendment specifies that the amounts
shall be available for operators of over-the-road buses used
substantially or exclusively in intercity, fixed-route over-the-road
bus service to finance the incremental capital and training costs of
the Department of Transportation's final rule regarding accessibility
of over-the-road buses.
This Notice is included on the FTA Home Page and may be accessed at
www.fta.dot.gov.
Issued on: August 13, 1998.
Gordon J. Linton,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 98-22208 Filed 8-17-98; 8:45 am]
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