6660 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 28 / Monday, February 12, 2007 / Notices 

operation, currently using the existing 

dock, also would be accommodated in 

the design. Access to the site would be 

provided via the western extension of 

University Avenue and Marina 

Boulevard. Parking, passenger drop-off 

and bus boarding would be 

accommodated in the existing parking 

areas surrounding the Doubletree Hotel. 

3. Alternative B—Berkeley Fishing 

Pier Site. This alternative would include 

a new ferry terminal located south of the 

existing fishing pier near Hs Lordships 

restaurant. Access to the site would be 

provided via the western extension of 

University Avenue. The existing parking 

areas in the vicinity of Hs Lordships and 

Skates would be designed to 

accommodate ferry parking, passenger 

drop-off, and bus boarding. 

4. Alternative C—Gilman Street Site. 

This alternative would locate a new 

ferry terminal in the general vicinity of 

the western end of Gilman Street 

adjacent to the existing Golden Gate 

horse facilities, which would need to be 

relocated to accommodate ferry parking, 

passenger drop-off and bus boarding. 

Access to the site would be provided via 

Gilman Street and would avoid 

conflicting with the City of Berkeley’s 

Gilman Street Recreation facilities, 

currently under construction 

immediately west of I–80. 

5. Alternative D—Buchanan Street 

site. This alternative would locate a new 

ferry terminal south of the Albany Bulb 

and at the northern end of Golden Gate 

Field near the old pier. Access to the 

site would be provided via Buchanan 

Street. A portion of the existing Golden 

Gate Field parking area would be used 

for ferry parking, passenger drop-off and 

bus boarding. 

The EIS Process and the Role of 

Participating Agencies and the Public: 

The purpose of the EIS process is to 

explore in a public setting potentially 

significant effects of implementing the 

proposed action and alternatives on the 

physical, human, and natural 

environment. Areas of investigation 

include, but are not limited to, land use, 

environmental justice, historic 

resources, visual and aesthetic qualities, 

air quality, noise and vibration, energy 

use, traffic, safety and security, 

wetlands, threatened and endangered 

species, and hazardous materials. 

Measures to avoid, minimize, or 

mitigate any significant adverse impacts 

will be identified. Regulations 

implementing NEPA, as well as 

provisions of the recently enacted Safe, 

Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 

Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for 

Users (SAFETEA–LU), call for public 

involvement in the EIS process. Section 

6002 of SAFETEA–LU requires that FTA 

and PCJPB do the following: (1) Extend 

an invitation to other Federal and nonFederal agencies and Indian tribes that 

may have an interest in the proposed 

project to become ‘‘participating 

agencies’’, (2) Provide an opportunity 

for involvement by participating 

agencies and the public in helping to 

define the purpose and need for a 

proposed project, as well as the range of 

alternatives for consideration in the 

impact statement, and (3) Establish a 

plan for coordinating public and agency 

participation in and comment on the 

environmental review process. An 

invitation to become a participating 

agency, with the scoping information 

packet appended, will be extended to 

other Federal and non-Federal agencies 

and Indian tribes that may have an 

interest in the proposed project. It is 

possible that we may not be able to 

identify all Federal and non-Federal 

agencies and Indian tribes that may 

have such an interest. Any Federal or 

non-Federal agency or Indian tribe 

interested in the proposed project that 

does not receive an invitation to become 

a participating agency should notify, at 

the earliest opportunity, the 

Environmental Manager identified 

above under ADDRESSES. A 

comprehensive public involvement 

program has been developed. The 

program includes a public scoping 

process, public hearings on release of 

the Draft Environmental Impact 

Statement (DEIS), development of 

project newsletters and their 

distribution and posting on the project 

Web site (http://www.watertransit.org). 

We invite the public and participating 

agencies to consider the preliminary 

statement of purposes of and need for 

the proposed project, as well as the 

alternatives proposed for consideration, 

and the public is welcome to use the 

public scoping process to further define 

the issues of concern among all parties 

interested in the project. Comments on 

potential significant environmental 

impacts that may be associated with the 

proposed project are also welcomed. All 

comments and suggestions will be given 

serious consideration. The purposes of 

and need for the proposed project have 

been preliminarily identified in this 

notice. We invite the public and 

participating agencies to consider the 

preliminary statement of purposes of 

and need for the proposed project, as 

well as the alternatives proposed for 

consideration. Suggestions for 

modifications to the statement of 

purposes of and need for the proposed 

project and any other alternatives that 

meet the purposes of and need for the 

proposed project are welcomed and will 

be given serious consideration. 

Comments on potentially significant 

environmental impacts that may be 

associated with the proposed project 

and alternatives are also welcomed. 

There will be additional opportunities 

to participate in the scoping process at 

the public meetings announced in this 

notice. 

In accordance with 23 CFR 771.105(a) 

and 771.133, FTA will comply with all 

Federal environmental laws, regulations 

and executive orders applicable to the 

proposed project during the 

environmental review process to the 

maximum extent practicable. These 

requirements include, but are not 

limited to, the regulations of the Council 

on Environmental Quality 

implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 

1500–1508 and 23 CFR part 771), the 

project-level air quality conformity 

regulation of the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) (40 CFR part 

93), section 404(b)(1) guidelines of EPA 

(40 CFR part 230), Executive Orders 

11988, 11990 and 12898 regarding 

floodplains, wetlands, and 

environmental justice, respectively, 

Section 106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act (36 CFR Part 800), 

Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act 

(50 CFR part 402), and section 4(f) of the 

Department of Transportation Act (23 

CFR 771.135). 

Issued On: February 5, 2007. 

Leslie T. Rogers, 

Regional Administrator, FTA, Region 9. 

[FR Doc. E7–2246 Filed 2–9–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–57–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Transit Administration 

Intent To Prepare an Environmental 

Impact Statement for the Proposed 

Exposition Corridor Light Rail Transit 

Project Phase 2 

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, 

DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit 

Administration (FTA) and the 

Exposition Metro Line Construction 

Authority (Authority), in cooperation 

with the Los Angeles County 

Metropolitan Transportation Authority 

(LACMTA), intend to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

on the proposed Phase 2 of the 

Exposition Corridor Light Rail Transit 

Project. Phase 2 would extend from the 

current planned terminus of the 

Exposition Corridor Light Rail Transit 


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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 28 / Monday, February 12, 2007 / Notices 6661 

Project Phase 1 in Culver City, 

California, approximately 6 to 8 miles to 

an end-of-line station near 5th Street 

and Colorado Boulevard in Santa 

Monica, California. The EIS will be 

prepared in accordance with the 

requirements of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 

its implementing regulations. The 

purpose of this notice is to alert 

interested parties regarding the intent to 

prepare the EIS, to provide information 

on the nature of the proposed project 

and possible alternatives, to invite 

public participation in the EIS process, 

including comments on the scope of the 

EIS proposed in this notice, to announce 

that public scoping meetings will be 

conducted, and to identify participating 

agency contacts. 

DATES: Written comments on the scope 

of the EIS, including the alternatives to 

be considered and the impacts to be 

assessed, should be sent to the 

Authority on or before April 2, 2007. 

See ADDRESSES below for the address to 

which written comments may be sent. 

Public scoping meetings to accept 

comments on the scope of the EIS will 

be held on the following dates: 

• Tuesday, February 27, 2007, from 

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Culver City 

Senior Center, Room B45, 4095 

Overland Avenue, Culver City, CA 

90232. 

• Wednesday, February 28, 2007, 

from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Hamilton 

High School Cafeteria, 2955 South 

Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 

90034. 

• Tuesday, March 6, 2007, from 6:30 

p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Santa Monica Civic 

Auditorium, East Wing Meeting Room, 

1855 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 

90401. 

The project’s purpose and need and 

the initial set of alternatives proposed 

for study will be presented at these 

meetings. The buildings used for the 

scoping meetings are accessible to 

persons with disabilities. Any 

individual who requires special 

assistance, such as a sign language 

interpreter, to participate in a scoping 

meeting should contact Ms. Genetha 

Eddins, Exposition Metro Line 

Construction Authority at (213) 243–

5506 or geddins@exporail.net. 

Scoping materials will be available at 

the meetings and are available by 

clicking on the Phase 2 tab on the 

project’s Web site at http:// 

www.buildexpo.org. Hard copies of the 

scoping materials are available from Mr. 

Joel Sandberg whose contact 

information is given in ADDRESSES

below. An interagency scoping meeting 

or conference call will be scheduled 

after agencies with an interest in the 

proposed project have been identified. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be sent to Mr. Joel Sandberg, P.E., 

Project Manager, Exposition Metro Line 

Construction Authority, 707 Wilshire 

Blvd., Suite 3400, Los Angeles, 

California 90017, phone (213) 922–3976, 

fax (213) 243–5553, e-mail 

jsandberg@exporail.net. The locations of 

the public scoping meetings are given 

above under DATES. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Ray Tellis, Federal Transit 

Administration, 888 South Figueroa 

Street, Suite 1850, Los Angeles, CA 

90017, phone (312) 202–3950, e-mail 

ray.tellis@dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Scoping 

The FTA and the Authority invite all 

interested individuals and 

organizations, public agencies, and 

Native American Tribes to comment on 

the scope of the EIS, including the 

project’s purpose and need, the 

alternative to be studies, and the 

impacts to be evaluated. Comments 

should focus on the purpose and need 

for the proposed project; alternatives 

that may be less costly or have less 

environmental or community impacts 

while achieving similar transportation 

objectives; and the identification of any 

significant social, economic, or 

environmental issues relating to the 

alternatives. 

Purpose and Need for the Project 

The project purpose is to improve 

public transit service in the Exposition 

Corridor between Culver City and Santa 

Monica. The overall goal of the 

proposed project is to improve mobility 

in the Exposition Corridor between 

downtown Los Angeles and Santa 

Monica by extending the mobility 

benefits of the Phase 1 project beyond 

the currently planned terminus in 

Culver City. Mobility issues in this 

corridor have been well documented in 

the many studies that have analyzed 

transportation on the Westside and in 

the 2004 Regional Transportation Plan. 

Additional considerations supporting 

the project’s need include: 

• The major concentration of activity 

centers and destinations in the 

Exposition corridor. 

• The ‘‘Centers Concept’’ Land Use 

Policy in the Los Angeles Basin 

supporting the development of high 

capacity transit corridors connecting the 

Centers including Santa Monica, Culver 

City and downtown Los Angeles. 

• The existing concentration of 

transit-supportive land use in the 

Exposition corridor. 

• The high population and 

employment densities in the Exposition 

corridor. 

• Local redevelopment plans that are 

highly supportive of, and dependent on, 

high capacity transit in the Exposition 

corridor. 

• History of strong patronage of the 

currently available transit service in the 

Exposition corridor. 

• Significant transit-dependent 

population in the Exposition corridor. 

• Significant planned future 

population and employment growth in 

the Exposition corridor. 

• Existing and future travel demand 

patterns demonstrating a strong and 

growing demand for high-capacity 

transit in the Exposition corridor. 

• Local policy direction oriented 

toward travel demand management and 

transit solutions rather than the 

expansion of the roadway network. 

The public and participating agencies 

are invited to consider and comment on 

this preliminary statement of the 

purpose and need for the proposed 

project. Comments will be given serious 

consideration. 

Alternatives 

The Exposition Light Rail Corridor 

Project Phase 2 proposes to extend 

transit from the terminus of the 

Exposition Light Rail Corridor Project 

Phase 1 at the Venice/Robertson station 

to a terminus in Santa Monica. The 

project generally follows an abandoned 

railroad right-of-way (ROW) that was 

purchased by LACMTA in 1990. 

There Are Two Primary Alignment 

Alternatives Being Considered 

The Exposition ROW Alignment 

alternative follows the ROW for the full 

distance from the current terminus of 

the Exposition Light Rail Transit Project 

Phase 1 at Venice/Robertson Station in 

the City of Culver City to 5th and 

Colorado in the City of Santa Monica, 

except for a one-mile segment at the 

western end where the right-of-way 

ends and the alignment would follow 

existing city streets and the edge of the 

I–10 Santa Monica Freeway to reach the 

proposed terminus station in Santa 

Monica. The alignment is approximately 

6.9 miles in length. 

The Exposition ROW/Venice/ 

Sepulveda Alignment alternative diverts 

from the rail right-of-way at the Venice/ 

Robertson station (the terminus of Phase 

1) and follows Venice Boulevard to 

Sepulveda Boulevard where it turns 

north to rejoin the Rail ROW at 

approximately the I–405 San Diego 


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Freeway. This alternative alignment also 

diverts from the ROW for one-mile 

segment at the western end where the 

right-of-way ends and the alignment 

would follow existing city streets and 

the edge of the I–10 Santa Monica 

Freeway to reach the proposed terminus 

station in Santa Monica. This alignment 

is approximately 7.8 miles in length. 

Transit Alternatives To Be Considered 

Include 

Light Rail Transit in the Exposition 

ROW Alignment—This alternative 

proposes light rail transit in the 

Exposition ROW as described above. 

Possible station sites have been 

identified at Motor, Overland, 

Sepulveda, Pico/Sawtelle, Bundy, 26th/ 

Cloverfield and 5th/Colorado. 

Light Rail Transit in the Exposition 

ROW/Venice/Sepulveda Alignment—

This alternative proposes light trail 

transit in the Exposition ROW/Venice/ 

Sepulveda alignment as described 

above. Possible station sites have been 

identified at, Venice/Overland, Venice/ 

Sepulveda, Sepulveda/National, Pico/ 

Sawtelle, Bundy, 26th Cloverfield and 

5th/Colorado. 

Bus Rapid Transit in the Exposition 

ROW Alignment—This alternative 

would utilize bus rapid transit in the 

Exposition ROW alignment as described 

above. The busway would be located 

within an abandoned rail right-of-way. 

At the end of the exclusive right-of-way 

at Olympic Boulevard in Santa Monica 

the bus service would operate along 

Olympic Boulevard, 17th Street, and 

Colorado Boulevard until reaching its 

terminus at 5th and Colorado in the City 

of Santa Monica. Possible station sites 

have been identified at Motor, Overland, 

Sepulveda, Pico/Sawtelle, Bundy, 26th/ 

Cloverfield and 5th/Colorado. 

No-Build Alternative—This 

alternative includes only ‘‘committed’’

improvements—typically those in the 

annual element of the Transportation 

Improvement Program or local capital 

programs—together with minor transit 

service expansions and/or adjustments 

that reflects a continuation of existing 

service policies. This alternative will 

include committed transportation 

improvements such as the completion of 

the Metro Rapid Bus Program by 2008 

and possible additional feeder bus 

networks to serve major activity centers 

on the Westside. 

Transportation System Management 

Alternative (TSM)—The TSM alternative 

enhances the No-Build Alternative and 

emphasizes transportation system 

upgrade such as intersection 

improvements, minor road widening, 

traffic engineering actions, bus route 

restructuring, shortened bus headways, 

expanded use of articulated buses, 

reserved bus lanes, contra-flow lanes for 

buses and High Occupancy Vehicles 

(HOVs) on freeways, special bus ramps 

on freeways, expanded park/ride 

facilities, express and limited-stop 

service, signalization improvements, 

and timed-transfer operations. 

In addition to the above described 

alternatives, others identified through 

the scoping process will be evaluated 

for potential inclusion in the Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

Because of the sensitive adjacent land 

uses located in many parts of this 

corridor, all alternatives will need to 

consider a full range of design and 

mitigation solutions to enlist the 

support of local communities for the 

completion of this line. 

Probable Effects 

The purpose of the EIS process is to 

explore in a public setting the effects of 

the proposed project and its alternatives 

on the physical, human, and natural 

environment. The FTA and the 

Authority will evaluate all significant 

environmental, social, and economic 

impacts of the construction and 

operation of the proposed project. 

Impact areas to be addressed include: 

The transportation impacts; land use, 

zoning, and economic development; 

secondary development; land 

acquisition, displacements, and 

relocations; cultural resource impacts, 

including impacts on historical and 

archaeological resources and parklands/ 

recreation areas; neighborhood 

compatibility and environmental 

justice; natural resource impacts 

including air quality, wetlands, water 

resources, noise, vibration; energy use; 

safety and security; wildlife and 

ecosystems, including endangered 

species. Measures to avoid, minimize, 

and mitigate all adverse impacts will be 

identified and evaluated. 

FTA Procedures 

The regulations implementing NEPA, 

as well as provisions of the Safe, 

Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 

Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for 

Users (SAFETEA–LU), call for public 

involvement in the EIS process. Section 

6002 of SAFETEAU–LU requires that 

FTA and the Authority do the following: 

(1) Extend an invitation to other Federal 

and non-Federal agencies and Indian 

tribes that may have an interest in the 

proposed project to become 

‘‘participating agencies,’’ (2) provide an 

opportunity for involvement by 

participating agencies and the public in 

helping to define the purpose and need 

for a proposed project, as well as the 

range of alternatives for consideration in 

the EIS, and (3) establish a plan for 

coordinating public and agency 

participation in, and comment on, the 

environmental review process. An 

invitation to become a participating 

agency, with the scoping materials 

appended, will be extended to other 

Federal and non-Federal agencies and 

Native American tribes that may have 

an interest in the proposed project. It is 

possible that FTA and the Authority 

will not be able to identify all Federal 

and non-Federal agencies and tribes that 

may have such an interest. Any Federal 

or non-Federal agency or tribe interested 

in the proposed project that does not 

receive an invitation to become a 

participating agency should notify at the 

earliest opportunity the Project Manager 

identified above under ADDRESSES. 

A comprehensive public involvement 

program will be developed and a 

Coordination Plan for public and 

interagency involvement will be created 

and posted under the Phase 2 tab on the 

project Web site at http:// 

www.buildexpro.org. The public 

involvement program includes a full 

range of involvement activities 

including a project Web site; outreach to 

local officials, community and civic 

groups, and the public; and 

development and distribution of project 

newsletters. Specific mechanisms for 

involvement will be detailed in the 

public involvement program. 

The Authority may seek New Starts 

funding for the proposed under 49 

U.S.C. 5309 and will therefore be 

subject to New Starts regulations (49 

CFR Part 611). The New Starts 

regulation requires a planning 

Alternatives Analysis that leads to the 

selection of a locally preferred 

alternative and the inclusion of the 

locally preferred alternative as part of 

the long-range transportation plan 

adopted by the Southern California 

Association of Governments. The 

Authority plans to use the Draft EIS as 

the planning Alternatives Analysis. The 

New Starts regulation also requires the 

submission of certain projectjustification information in support of a 

request to initiate preliminary 

engineering, and this information is 

normally developed in conjunction with 

the NEPA process. Pertinent New Starts 

evaluation criteria will be included in 

the Final EIS. 

The EIS will be prepared in 

accordance with NEPA and its 

implementing regulations issued by the 

Council on Environmental Quality (40 

CFR parts 1500–1508) and with the 

FTA/Federal Highway Administration 

regulations ‘‘Environmental Impact and 

Related Procedures’’ (23 CFR part 771). 

In accordance with 23 CFR 771.105(a) 


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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 28 / Monday, February 12, 2007 / Notices 6663 

and 771.133, FTA will comply with all 

Federal environmental laws, 

regulations, and executive orders 

applicable to the proposed project 

during the environmental review 

process to the maximum extent 

practicable. These requirements 

include, but are not limited to, the 

environmental and public hearing 

provisions of Federal transit laws (49 

U.S.C. 5301(e), 5323(b), and 5324), the 

project-level air quality conformity 

regulation of the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) (40 CFR part 

93), the Section 404(b)(1) guidelines of 

EPA (40 CFR part 230), the regulation 

implementing Section 106 of the 

National Historic Preservation Act (36 

CFR Part 800), the regulation 

implementing section 7 of the 

Endangered Species Act (50 CFR part 

402), Section 4(f) of the Department of 

Transportation Act (23 CFR 771.135), 

and Executive Orders 12898 on 

environmental justice, 11988 on 

floodplain management, and 11990 on 

wetlands. 

Issued on February 5, 2007. 

Leslie T. Rogers, 

Regional Administrator, Region IX, Federal 

Transit Administration. 

[FR Doc. 07–609 Filed 2–9–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–57–M 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Transit Administration 

[Docket Number: FTA–2007–27172] 

Notice of Availability of Proposed 

Guidance on New and Small Starts 

Policies and Procedures 

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration 

(FTA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

availability of the Federal Transit 

Administration’s (FTA) Proposed 

Guidance on New and Small Starts 

Policies and Procedures and requests 

your comments on it. The guidance 

explains proposed changes to the New 

and Small Starts programs that will 

become effective upon the issuance of 

Final Guidance, which will be 

announced in a subsequent Federal 

Register notice. FTA requests comments 

on the Proposed Guidance, which is 

available in DOT’s electronic docket and 

on FTA’s Web site. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

March 14, 2007. Late filed comments 

will be considered to the extent 

practicable. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

[identified by the DOT DMS Docket 

Number FTA–2007–27172] by any of 

the following methods: 

Web site: http://dms.dot.gov. Follow 

the instructions for submitting 

comments on the DOT electronic docket 

site. 

Fax: 202–493–2251. 

Mail: Docket Management Facility; 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 

Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, 

PL–401, Washington, DC 20590–0001. 

Hand Delivery: Room PL–401 on the 

plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, 

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

Instructions: You must include the 

agency name (Federal Transit 

Administration) and the docket number 

(FTA–2007–27172). You should submit 

two copies of your comments if you 

submit them by mail. If you wish to 

receive confirmation that FTA received 

your comments, you must include a 

self-addressed stamped postcard. Note 

that all comments received will be 

posted without change to the 

Department Docket Management System 

(DMS) Web site located at http:// 

dms.dot.gov. This means that if your 

comment includes any personal 

identifying information, such 

information will be made available to 

users of DMS. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron 

Fisher, Office of Planning and 

Environment, telephone (202) 366–

4033, Federal Transit Administration, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 

20590 or Ronald.Fisher@dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

1. Background 

On August 10, 2005, President Bush 

signed the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, 

Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A 

Legacy for Users (SAFETEA–LU). 

Section 3011 of SAFETEA–LU made a 

number of changes to 49 U.S.C. 5309, 

which authorizes the Federal Transit 

Administration’s (FTA) fixed guideway 

capital investment program known as 

‘‘New Starts’’, and created a new 

program category known as ‘‘Small 

Starts’’. This notice announces the 

availability of FTA’s Proposed Guidance 

on New and Small Starts Policies and 

Procedures and requests your comment 

as described below. The document is 

available in the docket, which can be 

accessed by going to http://dms.dot.gov 

at any time, or you can view the 

document on FTA’s Web site at http:// 

www.fta.dot.gov/15052_ENGHTML.html. 

A. Proposed Changes for the New and 

Small Starts Program 

The purpose of this policy guidance is 

to solicit comments on the policies and 

procedures for the New and Small Starts 

programs. The changes, once announced 

as final, will apply to all New and Small 

Starts submittals received after the 

effective date announced in the Notice 

of Availability published in the Federal 

Register for the Final Guidance. The 

proposed improvements include: 

Elimination of the reporting 

requirements for information on FTA’s 

measures for operating efficiencies and 

environmental benefits; optional 

submission of information related to 

land use; reduction in number of 

projects required to submit information 

for the Annual Report on Funding 

Recommendations; request for grantees 

to allow FTA’s reviews of descriptions 

of alternatives to be timely; requirement 

for travel models to be validated based 

on recent transit surveys; an approach 

for accounting for additional user 

benefits for new transit modes to an 

area; use of a five-tiered rating for a 

project’s overall rating; consideration of 

overmatch for Small and Very Small 

Starts; new measures for mobility of 

transit dependents; consolidation of the 

subfactors used for the capital and 

operating components of the financial 

rating; rating credit for consideration of 

private contracting for operations and 

maintenance; treatment of FTA rating 

information in planning studies; and 

consideration of congestion 

management/pricing strategies and 

‘‘make-the-case’’ document as ‘‘other 

factors’’ for project justification. 

Comments received will be used to 

develop the ratings, evaluations, and 

procedures for projects seeking funds 

from the New and Small Starts 

programs, and will be issued in spring 

of 2007. FTA will respond to comments 

received in response to this Notice in a 

second Federal Register notice to be 

published after the close of the 

comment period. The notice will 

announce the availability of the 

Reporting Instructions for the Section 

5309 New Starts Criteria and the Interim 

Guidance for Small Starts, reflecting the 

changes implemented as a result of this 

policy guidance and comments received 

thereon. 

Issued in Washington, DC this 5th day 

February 2007. 

James S. Simpson, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. E7–2249 Filed 2–9–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–57–P 


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