50312 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 156 / Friday, August 12, 2011 / Notices 

contingent on the project being included in 

the relevant planning documents, applicants 

should demonstrate they can reasonably 

expect to have the project included in such 

planning documents by March 30, 2013. We 

suggest the March 30 milestone since 

applicants should demonstrate in their 

project schedule that all additional, 

necessary pre-construction steps if a project 

element is for pre-construction activities, or 

requirements before the total award is 

obligated will be complete on or before June 

30, 2013, and planning must be complete 

before other pre-construction or other 

activities can be completed. DOT is 

suggesting these dates so that all the TIGER 

Discretionary Grant funds will be obligated 

in advance of the September 30, 2013, 

statutory deadline, and that any unexpected 

delays will not put TIGER Discretionary 

Grant funds at risk of expiring before they 

can be fully obligated. The applicant should 

provide a schedule demonstrating when the 

project will be added to the relevant planning 

documents. 

Environmental Approvals: Projects should 

have received all environmental approvals, 

including satisfaction of all Federal, State 

and local requirements and completion of the 

National Environmental Policy Act (‘‘NEPA’’) 

process at the time the application is 

submitted or should demonstrate, through 

their project schedule, that receipt of NEPA 

approval, and all additional, necessary preconstruction steps if a project element is for 

pre-construction activities, or other approvals 

can occur by June 30, 2013, so that the TIGER 

Discretionary Grant funds will be fully 

obligated in advance of the September 30, 

2013, statutory deadline, and that any 

unexpected delays will not put TIGER 

Discretionary Grant funds at risk of expiring 

before they can be fully obligated. 

If the obligation of TIGER Discretionary 

Grant funds for construction or other 

activities is contingent on completion of 

other approvals that can only take place after 

the environmental approvals process, the 

applicant should demonstrate, through their 

project schedule, that they can reasonably 

expect to obtain all environmental approvals 

by March 30, 2013, or other date sufficiently 

in advance of June 30, 2013. Like planning, 

the environmental approvals must be 

obtained prior to completing other preconstruction steps if a project element is for 

pre-construction activities, or other activities. 

We are suggesting the March 30 date for 

environmental approvals since all preconstruction steps if a project element is for 

pre-construction activities, or other activities 

should be completed by June 30, 2013, so 

that the TIGER Discretionary Grant funds 

will be fully obligated in advance of the 

September 30, 2013, statutory deadline. DOT 

also wants to ensure that any unexpected 

delays will not put TIGER Discretionary 

Grant funds at risk of expiring before they 

can be fully obligated, because it may be 

difficult to complete environmental and 

regulatory review as well as any other 

necessary pre-construction steps if a project 

element is for pre-construction activities, or 

other activities that must be completed before 

funds can be obligated for construction or 

other activities that will fully obligate the 

TIGER funding. 

To demonstrate that this suggested 

milestone is achievable, applicants should 

provide information about the anticipated 

class of action, the budget for completing 

NEPA, including hiring a consultant if 

necessary, and a schedule that demonstrates 

when NEPA will be complete. The schedule 

should show how the suggested milestones 

described in this section will be complied 

with, and include any anticipated 

coordination with Federal and State 

regulatory agencies for permits and 

approvals. The budget should demonstrate 

how costs to complete NEPA factor into the 

overall cost to complete the project. The 

budget and schedule for completing NEPA 

should be reasonable and be comparable to 

a budget and schedule of a typical project of 

the same type. The applicant should provide 

evidence of support based on input during 

the NEPA process from State and local 

elected officials as well as the public. 

Additionally, the applicant should provide 

environmental studies or other documents 

(preferably by way of a Web site link) that 

describe in detail known potential project 

impacts and possible mitigation for these 

impacts. The applicant should supply 

sufficient documentation for DOT to 

adequately review the project’s NEPA status. 

Right-of-Way and Design: If the obligation 

of TIGER Discretionary Grant funds for 

construction or other activities by an 

operating administration may be contingent 

on completion of right-of-way acquisition 

and final design approval, applicants should 

demonstrate, through their project schedule, 

that they reasonably expect to have right-ofway and design completed, and completion 

of any other needed pre-construction steps if 

a project element is for pre-construction 

activities, or other approvals by June 30, 

2013, so that the TIGER Discretionary Grant 

funds will be fully obligated in advance of or 

by the September 30, 2013, statutory 

deadline, and that any unexpected delays 

will not put TIGER Discretionary Grant funds 

at risk of expiring before they can be fully 

obligated. If the obligation of TIGER 

Discretionary Grant funds for construction or 

other activities is contingent on the project 

completing right-of-way acquisition and 

design, and additional approvals contingent 

on completion of right of way acquisition and 

design, applicants should demonstrate, 

through their project schedule, they can 

reasonably expect to have right-of-way 

acquisition and design completed, along with 

the additional required approvals by June 30, 

2013, so that the TIGER Discretionary Grant 

funds will be fully obligated in advance of or 

by the September 30, 2013, statutory 

deadline, and that any unexpected delays 

will not put TIGER Discretionary Grant funds 

at risk of expiring before they can be fully 

obligated. Applicants should submit a 

reasonable schedule of when right-of-way (if 

applicable), design, and any other required 

approvals are expected to be obtained. 

Applicants may expect that DOT may 

obligate TIGER funds for right-of-way and 

design completion only after planning and 

environmental approvals are obtained. 

Completion of Obligation: Applicants 

should plan to have all necessary preconstruction or other approvals and activities 

completed by June 30, 2013, so that the 

TIGER Discretionary Grant funds will be 

fully obligated in advance of the September 

30, 2013, statutory deadline, and that any 

unexpected delays will not put TIGER 

Discretionary Grant funds at risk of expiring 

before they can be fully obligated. In some 

instances, DOT may not obligate for 

construction or other activities until all 

planning and environmental approvals are 

obtained and right-of-way and final design 

are complete. If a project is selected for a 

TIGER Discretionary Grant and the TIGER 

Discretionary Grant funding will be used to 

complete all of these activities, DOT may 

obligate the funding in phases, in accordance 

with the laws, regulations, and policies of the 

operating administration that is 

administering the grant. 

* * * * * 

Issued on: August 9, 2011. 

Ray LaHood, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2011–20577 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Surface Transportation Environment 

and Planning Cooperative Research 

Program (STEP) 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Section 5207 of the Safe, 

Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 

Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for 

Users (SAFETEA–LU) established the 

Surface Transportation Environment 

and Planning Cooperative Research 

Program (STEP). The FHWA anticipates 

that the STEP or a similar program to 

provide resources for national research 

on issues related to planning, 

environment, and realty will be 

included in future surface 

transportation legislation. In Fiscal Year 

(FY) 2012, the FHWA expects to seek 

partnerships that can leverage limited 

research funding in the STEP with other 

stakeholders and partners in order to 

increase the total amount of resources 

available to meet the Nation’s surface 

transportation research needs. The 

purpose of this notice is to announce 

the STEP implementation strategy for 

FY 2012 and to request suggested lines 

of research for the FY 2012 STEP via the 

STEP Web site at http:// 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/index.htm 

in anticipation of future surface 

transportation legislation. 

DATES: Suggestions for lines of research 

should be submitted to the STEP Web 

site on or before November 10, 2011. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 156 / Friday, August 12, 2011 / Notices 50313 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lucy Garliauskas, Director, Office of 

Human Environment, (202) 366–2047, 

Lucy.Garliauskas@dot.gov or Adam 

Sleeter, Office of the Chief Counsel, 

(202) 366–8839; Federal Highway 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 

p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Access 

An electronic copy of this notice may 

be downloaded from the Office of the 

Federal Register’s home page at http:// 

www.archives.gov/ and the Government 

Printing Office’s Web site at http:// 

www.access.gpo.gov/. 

Background 

Section 5207 of the Safe, Accountable, 

Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity 

Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA–LU) 

(Pub. L. 109–59, Aug. 10, 2005), 

established the Surface Transportation 

Environment and Planning Cooperative 

Research Program in section 507 of Title 

23, United States Code. The FHWA 

anticipates that the STEP or a similar 

program to provide resources for 

national research on issues related to 

planning, environment, and realty will 

be included in future surface 

transportation legislation. The general 

objective of the STEP is to improve 

understanding of the complex 

relationship between surface 

transportation, planning, and the 

environment. 

The SAFETEA–LU provided $16.875 

million per year for FY 2006–2009 to 

implement this cooperative research 

program. Due to obligation limitations, 

rescissions, and congressional 

designation of Title V Research in 

SAFETEA–LU, on average $14.5 million 

of the $16.875 million authorized was 

available each fiscal year. 

The STEP is the primary source of 

funds for FHWA to conduct research 

and develop tools and technologies to 

advance the state of the practice 

regarding national surface 

transportation and environmental 

decisionmaking. In FY 2012, the FHWA 

expects to seek partnerships that can 

leverage limited research funding in the 

STEP with other stakeholders and 

partners in order to increase the total 

amount of resources available to meet 

the nation’s surface transportation 

research needs. 

The FY 2012 STEP will support the 

implementation of a national research 

agenda that includes: 

(1) Conducting research to develop 

climate change mitigation, adaptation 

and livability strategies; 

(2) Developing and/or supporting 

accurate models and tools for evaluating 

transportation measures and developing 

indicators of economic, social, and 

environmental performance of 

transportation systems to facilitate 

alternative analysis; 

(3) Developing and deploying 

research to address congestion 

reduction efforts; 

(4) Developing transportation safety 

planning strategies for surface 

transportation systems and 

improvements; 

(5) Improving planning, operation, 

and management of surface 

transportation systems and rights-ofway; 

(6) Enhancing knowledge of strategies 

to improve transportation in rural areas 

and small communities; 

(7) Strengthening and advancing 

State/local and tribal capabilities 

regarding surface transportation and the 

environment; 

(8) Improving transportation 

decisionmaking and coordination across 

international borders; 

(9) Improving state of the practice 

regarding the impact of transportation 

on the environment; 

(10) Conducting research to promote 

environmental streamlining/ 

stewardship and sustainability; 

(11) Disseminating research results 

and advances in state of the practice 

through peer exchanges, workshops, 

conferences, etc; 

(12) Meeting additional priorities as 

determined by the Secretary; and 

(13) Refining the scope and research 

emphases through active outreach and 

in consultation with stakeholders. 

The FHWA is issuing this notice to: 

(1) To announce the STEP 

Implementation Strategy for the FY 

2012 STEP in anticipation of future 

surface transportation legislation, and 

(2) to solicit comments on proposed 

research activities to be undertaken in 

the FY 2012 STEP via the STEP Web 

site. The STEP Implementation Strategy 

can be found at http:// 

www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/about_step/ 

strategy/. That Strategy updates 

information on the graphs and charts 

regarding historical planning and 

environment research funding, and adds 

information about the proposed FY 2012 

STEP including proposed funding 

levels, goals, and potential research 

activities. We invite the public to visit 

this Web site to obtain additional 

information on the STEP, as well as 

information on the process for 

forwarding comments to the FHWA 

regarding the STEP implementation 

plan. The URL for the STEP Web site is: 

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/. 

The FHWA will use this Web site as 

a major mechanism for informing the 

public regarding the status of the STEP. 

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 507. 

OMB Approval for Specific Forms, 

Surveys, Questionnaires: Burden 

Statement 

This collection of information is 

voluntary and will be used to identify 

potential research for the creation of a 

research plan for the FHWA STEP 

Program. Public reporting burden is 

estimated to average 30 minutes per 

response, including the time for 

reviewing instructions, searching 

existing data sources, gathering and 

maintaining the data needed, and 

completing and reviewing the collection 

of information. No confidential 

information will be collected; therefore, 

no assurances of confidentiality will be 

provided. Please note that an agency 

may not conduct or sponsor, and a 

person is not required to respond to, a 

collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) control 

number. The OMB control number for 

this collection is 2125–0627 (Expiration 

6/30/14). Send comments regarding this 

burden estimate or any other aspect of 

this collection of information, including 

suggestions for reducing this burden to: 

Information Collection Clearance 

Officer, Federal Highway 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

Authority: 5 CFR 1320.8. 

Issued on: August 8, 2011. 

Victor M. Mendez, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2011–20506 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. FMCSA–2011–0177] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Request for Comment; 

Extension of an Information Collection: 

Hours of Service (HOS) of Drivers 

Regulations 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES