[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4091-4093]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-2020]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
[Docket No. OST-97-2085]


Proposed Policy Encouraging Metropolitan Planning Organizations 
and Airport Operators to Cooperate in Transportation Planning

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Proposed policy statement.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Transportation (DOT) is publishing for 
comment a proposed policy statement regarding the need for coordination 
between aviation and surface transportation planning efforts, 
particularly between airport operators and metropolitan planning 
organizations, with emphasis on urbanized areas over one million 
population as defined by the latest Decennial Census.
    There are a number of concerns and issues shared by policy makers 
responsible for airport and surface transportation decision making, 
including the need to plan for and develop adequate surface 
transportation access serving airports. This policy addresses the need 
to enhance cooperation across transportation modes. This type of 
cooperation is especially important because planning requirements for 
the individual transportation modes (highway, transit, rail, and 
aviation) are contained in separate statutory authority. The DOT 
believes that it is desirable to stimulate and revitalize the 
cooperative relationship between airport operators and metropolitan 
planning organizations to achieve a thoughtful and carefully 
coordinated program of intermodal and multimodal system planning and 
development.
    This proposed policy is consistent with the statutory policy 
provisions guiding the Federal airport improvement program, such as 
encouraging the efficient and effective development of intermodal 
transportation systems. 49 U.S.C. 47101(a)(5). This proposed policy 
also implements the statutory policy directing the Department to 
integrate airport improvement planning with intermodal planning. 49 
U.S.C. 47101(g), as amended by section 141 of the Federal Aviation 
Authorization Act of 1996. Pub. L. No. 104-264, October 9, 1996.

DATES: Comments on this proposal should be received by March 31, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Submit written, signed comments to Docket No. OST-97-2085, 
the Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Transportation, Room PL-401, SVC-

[[Page 4092]]

121.30, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590. All comments 
received will be available for examination at the above address between 
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., ET, 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: Mr. Carl Swerdloff, Office of 
Economics, Office of the Secretary, at (202) 366-5427, DOT, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590; or Mr. Larry Kiernan, Office of 
Airport Planning and Programming, FAA, at (202) 267-8784, 800 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591. Office hours are from 
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.

The Proposed Policy Statement

    The DOT proposes to adopt a new policy encouraging improved 
cooperation between metropolitan planning organizations and airport 
operators in devising realistic plans to address transportation issues 
and more effectively integrate airport and urban surface transportation 
systems.

Proposed Policy Encouraging Metropolitan Planning Organizations and 
Airport Operators To Cooperate in Transportation Planning

Introduction

    DOT, through this proposed policy encourages metropolitan planning 
organizations and airport operators, especially in urbanized areas with 
one million population or more, to cooperate and coordinate on a wide 
range of transportation issues. This policy will improve cooperation 
between airport and metropolitan transportation planning and 
development activities. It is the expectation of the United States DOT 
that this effort will identify additional opportunities for intermodal 
and multimodal cooperation. The policy addresses obstacles to the 
effective integration of multimodal issues in metropolitan 
transportation planning. These obstacles have developed over time and 
are, in part, the unintended result of different statutory requirements 
for transportation planning for surface and air modes. While both 
surface and air transportation are recognized as having a major 
influence on urban development, metropolitan planning organizations 
have taken a larger role in surface transportation planning and have 
concentrated their expertise and resources on that topic.
    DOT recognizes that a thoughtful program of airport planning and 
development conducted within the context of the metropolitan planning 
framework can greatly enhance the air transportation potential of the 
region, with benefits to the region and the nation. DOT wants to ensure 
that surface and airport planning are mutually supported by appropriate 
expertise.
    Several factors must be addressed to encourage participation of 
metropolitan planning organizations in the airport planning process. 
Adequate staff and budget resources must be available to enable 
metropolitan planning organizations to make competent assessments of 
the airport planning process, especially in urbanized areas of one 
million population and greater. Full-time professional staff with 
expertise in air transportation is desirable in transportation planning 
agencies, but consultant services may be an acceptable alternative. 
Technical guidance is needed to provide the context for metropolitan 
planning within the framework of the national airport system and to 
describe the techniques available for analyzing specialized technical 
issues such as aviation activity forecasting, air transportation demand 
analysis, airspace utilization, environmental impact, and ground access 
requirements. Airport operators should have major input to the planning 
process if it is to be well informed and effective.

General Planning Principles

    1. The regional airport system should be planned and operated to 
provide the public with the safest and most efficient air 
transportation service possible and to ensure adequate capacity to 
accommodate current and forecast aviation demand.
    2. Airport planning and development within a metropolitan region 
should be conducted in cooperation with the metropolitan transportation 
planning process to ensure the best use of resources compatible with 
land use, general development, and surface transportation plans for the 
region.
    3. Metropolitan planning organizations should develop and maintain 
organizational capacity in aviation planning including forecasting, 
demand analysis, environmental impact, ground transportation 
requirements, and economic impact.
    4. Airport operators should be active and influential participants 
in the metropolitan transportation planning process through such 
mechanisms as technical advisory committees and metropolitan planning 
organization policy boards to ensure maximum consistency between 
surface and aviation plans.
    5. Local governments and airport operators are encouraged to make 
optimal use of existing regional airport and aviation facilities and 
capacity in meeting current and future air transportation demand, and 
to plan for additional airport and aviation facilities and capacity as, 
when and where future transportation demand warrants.

Implementation

    The DOT proposes to implement the proposed policy through a variety 
of measures to encourage metropolitan planning organizations to become 
more involved with aviation issues.
    After our highest priority safety and security needs have been met, 
DOT will give a high priority to requests for financial aid under the 
Airport Improvement Program to enable metropolitan planning 
organizations, with special emphasis on urbanized areas of one million 
population and greater, to develop, retain, and apply aviation planning 
capabilities. DOT will develop and distribute current technical 
guidance including a guide for planning metropolitan and regional 
aviation systems and a guide for planning surface access to airports. 
DOT will consider the extent to which metropolitan planning 
organizations have enhanced their capability to analyze aviation issues 
as a factor in the review of requests for financial aid under this 
policy.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

    The proposed policy anticipates that the potential for integrating 
metropolitan airport capacity and service with other modes can be 
greatly enhanced through thoughtful and well coordinated metropolitan 
surface transportation and airport planning. DOT seeks public input on 
the following issues in its further consideration of this proposal.

--Will this goal be effectively advanced by this proposal or are 
additional measures necessary?
--Are incentives needed to encourage metropolitan planning 
organizations to develop aviation planning capability?
--Is additional technical guidance needed?
--Are the financial resources now available adequate to support the 
desired level of metropolitan airport planning?
--Are institutional changes necessary to expand the participation of 
airport

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operators in the metropolitan transportation system planning process? 
If so, what measures are indicated, who should initiate and implement 
them, and what policies and procedures should apply to their 
implementation?
--What actions can DOT undertake to build upon this initiative to 
further enhance cooperation between airport and surface transportation 
policy makers?

    Comments on these and other aspects of the proposed policy are 
welcome.

    Issued in Washington, DC on January 21, 1997.
Federico Pena,
Secretary of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 97-2020 Filed 1-27-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-62-P