[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 11, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39138-39140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10754]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-2006-24957]


Safe Routes to School Task Force to the Secretary of 
Transportation

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to form an advisory committee.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 1404 (h) of the Safe, Accountable, 
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users 
(SAFETEA-LU), the Secretary of Transportation is establishing a Safe 
Routes to School Task Force to study and develop a strategy for 
advancing safe routes to school programs nationwide. The FHWA Office of 
Safety will serve as sponsor of the Task Force for the Secretary. The 
purpose of this notice is to invite interested parties to submit 
comments to the FHWA on the strategy or issues that should be discussed 
by the Task Force, and the organizations and participants to be 
considered for representation on the Task Force.

[[Page 39139]]


DATES: Comments and/or applications for membership or nominations for 
membership on the Task Force must be received on or before August 10, 
2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Tim Arnade, Safe Routes to School 
Program Manager, FHWA Office of Safety Programs, 202-366-
2205([email protected]); or Ms. Lisa MacPhee, Office of the Chief 
Counsel, (202) 366-1392 ([email protected]); 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 
p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Access

    You may submit or retrieve comments online through the Document 
Management System (DMS) at: http://dms.dot.gov/submit. The DMS is 
available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. Electronic submission 
and retrieval help and guidelines are available under the help section 
of the Web site.
    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded from the 
Federal Register's home page at: http://www.archives.gov and the 
Government Printing Office's database at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.
    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 a Federal Register published on April 
11, 2000 (70 FR 19477), or you may visit http://dms.dot.gov.
    Please note that even after the comment closing date, we will 
continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it becomes 
available. Further, some people may submit late comments and we 
recommend that you periodically check the Docket for new material. We 
will consider late comments to the extent practicable.

Background

    On August 10, 2005, the President signed into law the Safe, 
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy 
for Users (SAFETEA-LU) (Pub. L. 109-59, 119 Stat. 1144). Section 1404 
(h) of SAFETEA-LU mandates the establishment of a Safe Routes to School 
Task Force.
    The DOT has determined that the establishment of the Task Force 
falls within the scope of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 
U.S.C. App. II.

A. Notice of Intent To Establish a Task Force and Request for Comment

    In accordance with the requirements of the FACA, an agency of the 
Federal government cannot establish or utilize a group of people in the 
interest of obtaining consensus advice or recommendations unless that 
group is chartered as a Federal advisory committee. The purpose of this 
notice is to indicate the FHWA's intent to create a Task Force to study 
and develop a strategy for advancing safe routes to school programs 
nationwide, including information regarding the use of funds for 
infrastructure-related and noninfrastructure-related activities funded 
by the new Federal aid Safe Routes to School Program.

B. Name of Committee

    National Safe Routes to School Task Force.

C. Purpose and Objective

    The National Safe Routes to School Task Force will study and 
develop a strategy for advancing safe routes to school programs 
nationwide and will submit a report to the Secretary containing the 
results of the study conducted, a description of the strategy 
developed, and information regarding use of funds for infrastructure 
related projects and non-infrastructure related activities funded by 
the new Federal aid Safe Routes to School Program.
    The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Task Force does not exercise 
program management or regulatory development responsibilities, and 
makes no decisions directly affecting the programs on which it provides 
advice. The SRTS Task Force provides a forum for the development, 
consideration, and communication of information from a knowledgeable 
and independent perspective of a strategy for advancing Safe Routes to 
School Programs nationwide.

D. Balanced Membership Plans

    Task Force members shall represent a cross-section of the diverse 
agencies, organizations and individuals that are involved in Safe 
Routes to School activities and programs in the U.S. According to 
section 1404(h) of SAFETEA-LU, ``The Secretary shall establish a Safe 
Routes to School Task Force composed of leaders in health, 
transportation, and education, including representatives of appropriate 
Federal agencies.'' Pursuant to Congressional conference report 
language, Congress acknowledges the need to include a broad range of 
agencies and organizations in the Task Force and ``members could 
include representatives from State and local agencies as well as 
relevant non-profit organizations and associations including 
organizations or associations that represent automobile drivers.''
    This document gives notice to potential participants of the process 
and affords them the opportunity to request representation on the SRTS 
Task Force. The procedure for requesting such representation is set out 
below. In addition, we invite comments and suggestions for potential 
participants.
    The FHWA is aware that there are many more potential organizations 
and participants than there are membership positions on the SRTS Task 
Force. It is very important to recognize that interested parties who 
are not selected for membership on the SRTS Task Force can make 
valuable contributions to the work of the SRTS Task Force in several 
ways. For example, the person or organization could request to be 
placed on the SRTS Task Force mailing list, submitting written 
comments, as appropriate.
    Any member of the public is welcome to attend the SRTS Task Force 
meetings, and, as provided in FACA, speak to the SRTS Task Force. Time 
will be set aside during each meeting for this purpose, consistent with 
the SRTS Task Force's need for sufficient time to complete its 
deliberations.

E. Applications for Membership

    Each application for membership or nomination to the Task Force 
should include:
    (1) A brief resume or letter (no more than one page) demonstrating 
the applicant or nominee's knowledge in SRTS projects or programs and 
why they are interested in serving on the Task Force (please note, 
resumes or letters will be posted on the public docket and therefore 
should not contain personal information such as date of birth, etc).
    (2) The name of the applicant or nominee and the interest(s) 
identified in either section 1404 (h) of SAFETEA-LU or the conference 
report language such person would represent;
    (3) Evidence that the applicant or nominee is authorized to 
represent parties related to the interest(s) the person proposes to 
represent; and
    (4) A written commitment that the applicant or nominee would 
participate in good faith.
    Since all comments and/or applications for membership or 
nominations for membership on the Task Force will be posted on the 
Public Docket, we encourage you to include

[[Page 39140]]

only that information you are willing to provide for the public docket 
and submit your application electronically using the docket number 
provided on this notice through the U.S. DOT online Document Management 
System found at: http://dms.dot.gov/submit.
    Every effort will be made to select Task Force members who are 
objective. A balanced membership is needed and weight will be given to 
a variety of factors including but not limited to geographical 
distribution, gender, minority status, organization, and expertise.
    Members of the Task Force may receive travel and per diem, as 
allowed by Federal regulations and U.S. Department of Transportation 
policy.

F. Duration

    Two years from the establishment of the Task Force Charter.

G. Notice of Establishment

    After evaluating applications and nominations received as a result 
of this notice, the Department will publish in the Federal Register a 
notice announcing the establishment and composition of the SRTS Task 
Force.

    (Authority: Section 1914 of Pub. L. 109-59.)

    Issued on: July 3, 2006.
J. Richard Capka,
Federal Highway Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E6-10754 Filed 7-10-06; 8:45 am]
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