[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 131 (Friday, July 7, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 41891-41892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17158]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
23 Parts 450 and 1410
Federal Transit Administration
23 CFR Part 1410
49 CFR Parts 613 and 621
[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-99-5933]
FHWA RIN 2125-AE62; FTA RIN 2132-AA66
Statewide Transportation Planning; Metropolitan Transportation
Planning
AGENCIES: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit
Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); extension of comment
period.
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SUMMARY: This document extends this rulemaking's comment period until
September 23, 2000. This is in response to numerous letters received by
the FHWA and the FTA from State Departments of Transportation, transit
operators, and metropolitan planning organizations requesting an
extension of the comment period from the closing date. These groups
based their requests on the time required to access the impact of these
rules on the nation's highway and transit systems and provide
meaningful comments.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Comments to the NPRM should be received no later than
September 23, 2000. Late comments will be considered to the extent
practicable.
ADDRESSES: All signed, written comments must refer to the docket number
appearing at the top of this document and must be submitted to the
Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, D.C. 20590-0001. All comments received will be available
for examination at the above address between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., e.t.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Those desiring
notification of receipt of comments must include a self-addressed,
stamped envelope or postcard.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For the FHWA: Mr. Sheldon Edner,
Metropolitan Planning and Policies Team (HEPM), (202) 366-4066
(metropolitan planning), Mr. Dee Spann, Statewide Planning Team (HEPS),
(202) 366-4086 (statewide planning), or Mr. Reid Alsop, Office of the
Chief Counsel (HCC-31), (202) 366-1371. For the FTA: Mr. Charles
Goodman, Metropolitan Planning Division (TPL-12) (metropolitan
planning), (202) 366-1944, Mr. Paul Verchninsk, Statewide Planning
Division (TPL-11) (statewide planning), (202) 366-6385, or Mr. Scott
Biehl, Office of the Chief Counsel (TCC-30), (202) 366-0952. Both
agencies are located at 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, D.C.
20590. Office hours for the FHWA are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. e.t.,
and for the FTA are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 25, 2000 (65 FR 33922), the FHWA and
the FTA published an NPRM proposing to revise their regulations
governing the developing of transportation plans and programs for
urbanized (metropolitan) areas and statewide transportation plans and
programs. These revisions are a product of statutory changes made by
the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) (Pub. L.
105-178, 112 Stat. 107) enacted on June 9, 1998, and generally would
revise existing regulatory language to make it consistent with current
statutory requirements.
The FHWA and the FTA have received requests from the American
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the American
Public Transportation Association, the Association of Metropolitan
Planning Organizations, and several State Departments of Transportation
to extend the comment period. These groups voiced concerns that the
proposed rule
[[Page 41892]]
was extremely complex and that 90 days was insufficient time to assess
the impact of the proposed rules and provide meaningful comments. We
agree that more time for an in-depth analysis of the NPRM would be
beneficial to the FHWA and the FTA in this rulemaking. For these
reasons, the FHWA and the FTA find good cause to extend this NPRM
comment period closing date by 30 days.
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 134, 135 and 315; 42 U.S.C. 7410 et seq.;
49 U.S.C. 5303-5309; 49 CFR 1.48 and 1.51.
Issued on: June 30, 2000.
Kenneth R. Wykle,
Federal Highway Administrator.
Nuria I. Fernandez,
Federal Transit Deputy Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-17158 Filed 7-6-00; 8:45 am]
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