[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 158 (Thursday, August 15, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 53326-53327]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-20626]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Federal Transit Administration
23 CFR Part 450
[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-99-5933]
FHWA RIN 2125-AE95; FTA RIN 2132-AA75
Statewide Transportation Planning; Metropolitan Transportation
Planning
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit
Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice; extension of comment period.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FHWA and FTA propose to extend the comment period for a
supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking, which was published June
19, 2002, at 67 FR 41648. The original comment period is set to close
on August 19, 2002. The proposed extension stems from concern expressed
jointly by the American Association of Highway and Transportation
Officials (AASHTO), the National Association of Counties (NACO), and
the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) that the
August 19 closing date does not provide sufficient time for response to
the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking. The FHWA and FTA
recognize that others interested in commenting may have similar time
constraints and agree that the comment period should be extended.
Therefore, the closing date for comments is changed to September 19,
2002, which will provide the AASHTO, NACO, NADO and others interested
in commenting additional time to evaluate the supplemental notice of
proposed rulemaking and to submit responses.
DATES: Submit comments on or before September 19, 2002.
ADDRESSES: Mail or hand deliver comments to the U.S. Department of
Transportation, Dockets Management Facility, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, or submit electronically at http://dmses.dot.gov/submit. 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 you may print the acknowledgment page
that appears after submitting comments electronically.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For the FHWA: Mr. Dee Spann, Statewide
Planning Team (HEPS), (202) 366-4086 or Mr. Reid Alsop, Office of the
Chief Counsel (HCC-31), (202) 366-1371. For the FTA: Mr. Paul
Verchinski, Statewide Planning Divison (TPL-11) or Mr. Scott Biehl,
Office of the Chief Counsel (TCC-30), (202) 366-0952. Both agencies are
located at 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. 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:
Electronic Access
Internet users may access all comments received by the U.S. DOT
Docket Facility, Room PL-401, by using the universal resource locator
(URL) http://dms.dot.gov. It is available 24 hours each day, 365 days
each year. Please follow the instructions online for more information
and help.
An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded by using a
computer, modem, and suitable communications software from the
Government Printing Office's Electronic Bulletin Board Service at (202)
512-1661. Internet users may reach the Office of the Federal Register's
home page at: http:// www.nara.gov/fedreg and the Government Printing
Office's Web site at http://www.access.gpo.gov.
Background
Section 1025 of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency
Act of 1991 (ISTEA), Public Law 102-240, 105 Stat. 1914, (December 18,
1991), amended title 23, United States Code (U.S.C.), section 135 and
established a requirement for Statewide Transportation Planning and
stated, ``[t]he transportation needs of non-metropolitan areas should
be considered through a process that includes consultation with local
elected officials with jurisdiction over transportation.'' The ISTEA
further stated ``[p]rojects undertaken in areas of less than 50,000
population (excluding projects undertaken on the National Highway
System and pursuant to the bridge and Interstate maintenance programs)
shall be selected by the State in cooperation with the affected local
officials. Projects undertaken in such areas on the National Highway
System or pursuant to the bridge and Interstate maintenance programs
shall be selected by the State in consultation with the affected local
officials.''
[[Page 53327]]
Section 1204 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
(TEA-21), Public Law 105-178, 112 Stat. 107 (June 9, 1998), further
amended 23 U.S.C. 135, while preserving the statewide planning
requirement for a continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative planning
process. Although the TEA-21 did not significantly alter the current
decisionmaking relationship among governmental units, it does
demonstrate the Congress' continued emphasis on States consultation
with non-metropolitan local officials in transportation planning and
programming. Consultation with non-metropolitan local officials in
transportation planning and programming is the specific subject of the
SNPRM, which the FHWA and the FTA published June 19, 2002, at 67 FR
41648.
The SNPRM provided an alternative proposal regarding consultation
with non-metropolitan local officials which is different from that
contained in the FHWA and the FTA notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)
published on May 25, 2000 (65 FR 33922), which detailed proposed
revisions to the existing planning regulations issued on October 28,
1993, at 58 FR 58040. Comments were solicited until August 23, 2000
(later extended to September 23, 2000, by a July 7, 2000, Federal
Register notice at 65 FR 41891). The docket is still open.
The House report (H.R. Rep. No. 107-108, at 80 (2001)) that
accompanied the U.S. DOT Appropriations Act for fiscal year (FY) 2002
(Pub. L. 107-87), and the conference report (H.R. Rep. No. 107-350
(2001)) for the Department of Defense FY 02 Appropriations Act (Pub. L.
107-117), contained several transportation provisions. They include
language directing the U.S. DOT to promulgate a final rule, no later
than February 1, 2002, to amend the FHWA and FTA planning regulations
to ensure transportation officials from rural areas are consulted in
long range transportation planning and programming.
The original comment period for the SNPRM is set to close on August
19, 2002. The AASHTO, NACO, and NADO are working together to develop
joint comments on the SNPRM, and they jointly expressed concern that
this closing date does not provide sufficient time to review the
proposed changes, consolidate comments, and submit them. To allow time
for these organizations and others to prepare and submit appropriate
comments, the closing date for comments is changed from August 19,
2002, to September 19, 2002.
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 134, 135, and 315; and 49 U.S.C. 5303-5306.
Issued on: August 8, 2002.
Mary E. Peters,
Federal Highway Administrator.
Jennifer L. Dorn,
Federal Transit Administrator.
[FR Doc. 02-20626 Filed 8-14-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P