Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 24 / Thursday, February 5, 2004 / Notices 5653

identification of a preferred corridor 

location alternative; refinement of 

modal concepts; identification of 

preliminary segments of independent 

utility and identification of areas that 

may warrant corridor preservation. The 

Tier One EIS and subsequent record of 

decision, once issued, will not authorize 

construction of any portion of the 

proposed TTC–35 facility.

Documents prepared during Tier Two 

will retain the no-action alternative for 

consideration and comparison with the 

reasonable build alternatives, further 

refine the selected corridor, and would 

address site-specific details on project 

impacts, cost and mitigation measures; 

and would rely upon and utilize the 

environmental analysis in the Tier One 

EIS. Tier Two documents could be in 

the form of Environmental Assessments, 

Categorical Exclusions or EISs 

depending on the type, scope and 

complexity of proposed second tier 

projects. 

As a priority element of the TransTexas Corridor system, the proposed 

TTC–35 facility is considered necessary 

to enhance the Texas transportation 

system by facilitating management of 

congestion in urbanized areas, 

improving safety of hazardous materials 

transport, and creating economic 

development opportunities. 

Public scoping meetings will be held 

for the proposed project; however, dates 

for the meetings have not yet been 

determined. At least 30 days and 10 

days prior to the public scoping 

meetings, notice of the meetings will be 

published in newspapers having general 

circulation in the project area. In 

addition to the public scoping meetings, 

letters describing the proposed action 

and soliciting comments to be 

considered during the scoping process 

will be sent to appropriate federal, state 

and local authorities as well as private 

organizations, individuals and 

stakeholders who have previously 

expressed or are known to have an 

interest in this proposal. Public 

meetings and a public hearing(s) will be 

held during appropriate phases of the 

project development process. Public 

notices will be given of the date, time, 

and location of each. 

A second high priority Trans-Texas 

Corridor—the I–69 High Priority 

Corridor—is also under development 

and a Tier One EIS will be prepared for 

that facility. A separate Notice of Intent 

for that EIS was published in the 

Federal Register on January 15, 2004. 

Although the I–69 facility and TTC–35 

are separate and distinct actions, with 

each having logical termini and 

independent utility, each of the 

proposed facilities shares the need to 

terminate along the Texas-Mexico 

International Border or Texas Gulf Coast 

resulting in overlap of study areas. In 

the overlapping areas, care will be taken 

to closely coordinate the development 

of the two facilities in order to minimize 

duplication of effort and inconvenience 

to the public, resource agencies and 

other stakeholders. Both projects will be 

considered in the cumulative impacts 

analysis for each of the facilities. 

To ensure that the full range of issues 

related to this proposed action is 

addressed and all significant issues are 

identified, comments and suggestions 

are invited from all interested parties. 

Comments or questions concerning this 

proposed action and the Tier One EIS 

should be directed to the FHWA at the 

address provided above.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Number 20.205, Highway Research, 

Planning and Construction. The regulations 

implementing Executive Order 12372 

regarding intergovernmental consultation on 

Federal programs and activities apply to this 

program.)

Issued on: January 26, 2004. 

Salvador Deocampo, 

District Engineer, Austin, Texas.

[FR Doc. 04–2428 Filed 2–4–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration 

[FTA Docket No. FTA–2004–17003] 

Agency Information Collection Activity 

Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, 

DOT.

ACTION: Notice of request for comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice 

announces the intention of the 

Information Collection Request (ICR) for 

extension of the currently approved 

information collection. The Federal 

Register Notice with a 60-day comment 

period soliciting comments was 

published on September 26, 2003.

DATES: Comments must be submitted 

before March 8, 2004. A comment to 

OMB is most effective if OMB receives 

it within 30 days of publication.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sylvia L. Marion, Office of 

Administration, Office of Management 

Planning, (202) 366–6680.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Americans with Disabilities Act 

(OMB Number: 2132–0555).

Abstract: On July 26, 1990, the 

President signed into law civil rights 

legislation entitled, ‘‘The Americans 

with Disabilities Act of 1990’’ (ADA) 

(Pub. L. 101–336). It contains sweeping 

changes for individuals with disabilities 

in every major area of American life. 

One key area of the legislation addresses 

transportation services provided by 

public and private entities. Some of the 

requirements under the ADA are: (1) No 

transportation entity shall discriminate 

against an individual with a disability 

in connection with the provision of 

transportation service; (2) All new 

vehicles purchased by public and 

private entities after August 25, 1990, 

must be readily accessible to and usable 

by persons with disabilities, including 

individuals who use wheelchairs; (3) 

Public entities that provide fixed route 

transit must provide complementary 

paratransit services for persons with 

disabilities, who are unable to use the 

fixed route system, that is comparable to 

the level of service provided to 

individuals without disabilities; and (4) 

Transit authorities who are able to 

substantiate that compliance with all 

service criteria of the paratransit 

provisions would cause undue financial 

burden, may request a temporary time 

extension in implementing ADA 

complementary paratransit service. 

On September 6, 1991, DOT issued a 

final rule implementing the 

transportation provisions of ADA (Title 

49 CFR parts 27, 37, and 38), which 

includes the requirements for 

complementary paratransit service by 

public entities operating a fixed route 

system and the provision of 

nondiscriminatory accessible 

transportation service. The regulation 

sets forth the changes needed to fulfill 

the Congressional mandates to 

substantially improve access to mass 

transit service for persons with 

disabilities. Effective January 26, 1997, 

paratransit plans are no longer required. 

However, if FTA reasonably believes 

that an entity may not be complying 

with all service criteria, FTA may 

require an annual update to the entity’s 

plan. In addition, all other ADA 

compliance requirements must still be 

satisfied. The information collected 

provides FTA with a basis for 

monitoring compliance. The public 

entities, including recipients of FTA 

funds, are required to provide 

information during triennial reviews, 

complaint investigations, resolutions of 

complaints, and compliance reviews. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden:

36,000 hours.

ADDRESSES: All written comments must 

refer to the docket number that appears 

at the top of this document and be 

submitted to the Office of Information 

5654 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 24 / Thursday, February 5, 2004 / Notices 

and Regulatory Affairs, Office of 

Management and Budget, 725 17th 

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, 

Attention: FTA Desk Officer. 

Comments Are Invited On: Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the Department, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; the accuracy of 

the Department’s estimate of the burden 

of the proposed information collection; 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on respondents, including the use of 

automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology.

Dated: January 30, 2004. 

Ann M. Linnertz, 

Special Projects Officer.

[FR Doc. 04–2451 Filed 2–4–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–57–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration 

[FTA Docket No. FTA–2004–17004] 

Agency Information Collection Activity 

Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, 

DOT.

ACTION: Notice of request for comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) this notice 

announces the intention the Information 

Collection Request (ICR) for extension of 

the currently approved information 

collection. The Federal Register Notice 

with a 60-day comment period soliciting 

comments was published on September 

9, 2003.

DATES: Comments must be submitted 

before March 8, 2004. A comment to 

OMB is most effective if OMB receives 

it within 30 days of publication.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sylvia L. Marion, Office of 

Administration, Office of Management 

Planning, (202) 366–6680.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Metropolitan and Statewide 

Transportation Planning (OMB Number: 

2132–0529). 

Abstract: The Federal Transit 

Administration (FTA) and Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA) 

jointly carry out the federal mandate to 

improve urban and rural transportation. 

49 U.S.C. 5303 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. The information collection 

activities involved in developing the 

Unified Planning Work Program 

(UPWP), the Metropolitan 

Transportation Plan, the 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 and state 

DOTs, the UPWP is used by both FTA 

and FHWA to monitor the 

transportation planning activities of 

those agencies. It is also needed to 

establish national outyear budgets and 

regional program plans, develop policy 

on using funds, monitor state and local 

compliance with national 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(h) require the 

development of TIPs for urbanized, 

STIPs are mandated by 23 U.S.C. 235(f). 

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 into 

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 

requirement of 23 U.S.C. 235 and 49 

U.S.C. section 5303 as a condition of 

eligibility for federal-aid funding. 

Without these documents, approvals 

and findings, capital and/or operating 

assistance cannot be provided. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden:

314,900 hours. 

ADDRESSES: All written comments 

must refer to the docket number that 

appears at the top of this document and 

be submitted to the Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget, 725 

17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20503, Attention: FTA Desk Officer. 

Comments Are Invited On: Whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the proper performance 

of the functions of the Department, 

including whether the information will 

have practical utility; the accuracy of 

the Department’s estimate of the burden 

of the proposed information collection; 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on respondents, including the use of 

automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology.

Issued: January 30, 2004. 

Ann M. Linnertz, 

Special Projects Officer.

[FR Doc. 04–2452 Filed 2–4–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–57–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. NHTSA 2003–17015] 

Nissan North America, Inc.; Petition for 

Exemption From Two-Fleet Rule 

Affecting Compliance With the 

Passenger Car Fuel Economy 

Standard

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration (NHTSA), 

Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition and 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

receipt of a petition from Nissan North 

America, Inc. (Nissan) for exemption 

from the statutory requirement that a 

manufacturer’s fleet of domesticallymanufactured passenger automobiles 

must comply with the passenger 

automobile corporate average fuel 

economy (CAFE) standards separately 

from the manufacturer’s fleet of nondomestically manufactured passenger 

automobiles. The statute requires the 

agency to grant this petition unless it 

determines that doing so would result in 

reduced employment in the U.S. related 

to motor vehicle manufacturing during 

the period of exemption.

DATES: Comments on this petition must 

be received by the agency by March 8, 

2004.

ADDRESSES: The petition is available for 

public inspection in the docket whose 

number appears in the heading at the 

beginning of this notice. You may call 

the Docket Management System at (202) 

366–0271 or you may visit the Docket 

Management System in Room PL–401, 

400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington,