49736 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 164 / Friday, August 22, 2008 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

[Docket No. FHWA–2008–0118] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Request for Comments for a 

New Information Collection 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The FHWA invites public 

comments about our intention to request 

the Office of Management and Budget’s 

(OMB) approval for a new information 

collection, which is summarized below 

under Supplementary Information. We 

published a Federal Register Notice 

with a 60-day public comment period 

on this information collection on July 

19, 2007. We are required to publish 

this notice in the Federal Register by 

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 

DATES: Please submit comments by 

September 22, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

identified by DOT DMS Docket Number 

FHWA–2007–28755 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: 1–202–493–2251. 

Mail: Docket Management Facility, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, 

DC 20590. 

Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, 

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

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments received, go to http:// 

dms.dot.gov at any time or to U.S. 

Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, 

DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except Federal 

holidays. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Serena Matthews-Parrish, 202–366–

1201, Office of Human Resources, 

Student Outreach and Career Entry 

Programs Group, Federal Highway 

Administration, Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Summer Transportation 

Internship Program for Diverse Groups 

(STIPDG). 

Background: STIPDG is authorized by 

The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, 

Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A 

Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), 

Section 5204–Training and Education/ 

Surface Transportation Workforce 

Development, Training, and Education 

Act. Section 5204 states that subject to 

project approval by the Secretary, a 

State may obligate funds apportioned to 

the State for primary core programs 

workforce development, training, and 

education, including student 

internships; university or community 

college support; and outreach to 

develop interest and promote 

participation in surface transportation 

careers. STIPDG is an important part of 

DOT’s intermodal effort to promote the 

entry of women, persons with 

disabilities, and members of diverse 

groups into transportation careers where 

traditionally these groups have been 

under-represented. Accordingly, 

FHWA’s Office of Civil Rights will 

continue to actively support the STIPDG 

by working closely with FHWA’s Office 

of Human Resources, Student Outreach 

and Career Entry Programs Group, 

which has responsibility for 

administering the program. The program 

includes participation and placement of 

college students into summer intern 

placement nationwide, for all the DOT 

operating administrations. FHWA 

implements the program via a contractor 

that is selected through open 

competition. The STIPDG accepts 

approximately 500 applications each 

year, placing as few as 70 and as many 

as 100 undergraduate, graduate, and law 

students in transportation-related, nonadministrative, technical, hands-on 

assignments with a Federal and State 

mentor providing on-the-job training. 

The STIPDG provides college students 

with an opportunity to work on current 

transportation-related topics and issues 

identified in or directly pertaining to the 

current DOT Strategic Plan. The STIPDG 

is open to all qualified applicants 

regardless of race, color, religion, sex, 

national origin, political affiliation, 

sexual orientation, marital status, 

disability, age, membership in an 

employee organization, or other nonmerit factor. The STIPDG is open to all 

applicants based on the following 

eligibility requirements. Applicants 

must be currently enrolled in degreegranting programs of study at accredited 

U.S. institutions of higher education 

recognized by the U.S. Department of 

Education. Undergraduate applicants 

must be juniors or seniors for the fall of 

2008. Undergraduate applicants from 

Junior, Tribal, or Community Colleges 

must have completed their first year. 

Law applicants must be entering their 

second or third year of law school in the 

fall of 2009. Applicants who are 

scheduled to graduate during the 

coming spring or summer semesters are 

not eligible for consideration for the 

STIPDG unless: (1) They have been 

accepted for graduate school 

enrollment; (2) they have been accepted 

for enrollment at an institution of higher 

education; or (3) their acceptance is 

pending. In all instances, the applicant 

must submit their completed 

application packages and 

documentation (with the school’s logo) 

reflecting their status. Former STIPDG 

interns may apply but will not receive 

preferential consideration. Applicants 

will be evaluated based on the 

completeness of the application and the 

required documents listed below. 

Priority will be given to those with 

GPA’s of 3.0 or better (for the Major 

and/or cumulatively). Applicants must 

be available and able to participate in 

the entire 10-week program. 

Respondents: Approximately 500 

applicants. 

Frequency: Student applies every fall 

by going to the STIPDG Web site at: 

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/education/ 

Stipdg.htm, reading the requirements, 

retrieving the necessary 1-page forms, 

completing them, and packaging and 

forwarding all required documents to 

the designated PO Box identified on the 

Web site. Applications are received 

during the fall, with student offer letters 

sent by the spring, and placement 

offered by the first week of June for the 

majority of participants. The summer 

internship is managed by a contractor 

who responds to each applicant within 

24 hours of receipt of the application, 

confirms via e-mail notification to the 

applicant whether or not the application 

package is received and deemed 

completed; and within 90 days notifies 

the applicant regarding the status of 

acceptance into the program. The 

required STIPDG Application 

documents include: 

• The actual 1-page STIPDG 

Application. 

• A copy of the most recent 

Transcript/Grade Record/Report. 

• At least one reference (if possible 

with comments) from a department 

chair, professor, advisor, employer 

using the attached 1-page Reference 

Form. 

• A current 1-page resume reflecting 

work experience, volunteerism, awards, 

leadership, and extra curricular 

activities. 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 164 / Friday, August 22, 2008 / Notices 49737 

• The actual 1-page, 2009 Applicant’s 

Area of Interest/Geographical Preference 

Sheet, also included on this site. 

• For Undergraduate Students: A 

typed essay, 1-page, double-spaced, 

minimum 12-point type, on your 

transportation interests, describing how 

participation in the 2009 STIPDG will 

enhance educational and career plans 

and goals. 

• For Graduate Students: A writing 

sample representing your educational 

and career plans and goals. 

• For Law Students: A legal writing 

sample. 

Estimated Average Burden per 

Response: The estimated average burden 

is 4 hours per respondent. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: The estimated total annual 

burden is 2,000 hours per year. 

Public Comments Invited: You are 

asked to comment on any aspect of this 

information collection, including: (1) 

Whether the proposed collection is 

necessary for the FHWA’s performance; 

(2) the accuracy of the estimated 

burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to 

enhance the quality, usefulness, and 

clarity of the collected information; and 

(4) ways that the burden could be 

minimized, including the use of 

electronic technology, without reducing 

the quality of the collected information. 

The agency will summarize and/or 

include your comments in the request 

for OMB’s clearance of this information 

collection. 

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act 

of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; 

and 49 CFR 1.48. 

Issued on: August 14, 2008. 

James R. Kabel, 

Chief, Management Programs and Analysis 

Division. 

[FR Doc. E8–19326 Filed 8–21–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Transit Administration 

Over-the-Road Bus Accessibility 

Program Announcement of Project 

Selections 

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, 

DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of Project Selections. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Transportation (DOT) Federal Transit 

Administration (FTA) announces the 

selection of projects to be funded under 

Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 and FY 2008 

appropriations for the Over-the-Road 

Bus (OTRB) Accessibility Program, 

authorized by section 3038 of the 

Transportation Equity Act for the 21st 

Century (TEA–21). The OTRB 

Accessibility Program makes funds 

available to private operators of overthe-road buses to help finance the 

incremental capital and training costs of 

complying with DOT’s Over-the-Road 

Bus accessibility rule. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The 

appropriate FTA Regional Office for 

grant-specific issues (Appendix A); or 

Blenda Younger, Office of Program 

Management, 202–366–2053, for general 

information about the OTRB Program. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A total of $15.9 million, which 

includes $7.6 million in FY 2007 funds 

and $8.3 million in FY 2008 funds is 

available for allocation. Of the FY 2007 

funds, $5.7 million is available to be 

awarded to intercity fixed-route 

providers and $1.9 million is available 

for other providers. Also, of the FY 2008 

funds, $6.225 million is available to be 

awarded to intercity fixed-route 

providers and $2.075 million is 

available for other providers. The 

category of other providers includes 

commuter, charter, and tour bus 

operators. 

A total of 123 applicants requested 

$41.6 million: $21.8 million was 

requested by intercity fixed-route 

providers, and $19.8 million was 

requested by all other providers. Project 

selections were made on a discretionary 

basis, based on each applicant’s 

responsiveness to statutory project 

selection criteria, fleet size, and level of 

funding received in previous years. 

Because of the high demand for the 

funds available, most successful 

applicants received less funding than 

they requested, and applicants who did 

not meet the statutory criteria were not 

selected for funding. Selected projects 

will result in the addition of lifts to 375 

new vehicles, the retrofitting of 96 

vehicles, and $136,915 for training in 

the proper operation of the equipment. 

Each of the following 79 awardees listed 

in Table 1, as well as the 44 applicants 

who were not selected for funding, will 

receive a letter that explains how 

funding decisions were made. 

Eligible project costs may be incurred 

by awardees prior to final grant 

approval. The incremental capital cost 

for adding wheelchair lift equipment to 

any new vehicles delivered on or after 

June 9, 1998, the effective date of TEA–

21, is eligible for funding under the 

OTRB Accessibility Program. 

Applicants selected for funding may be 

contacted by FTA regional offices if 

additional information is needed before 

grants are made. Awards are processed 

through FTA’s electronic grants 

management system, TEAM–WEB, and 

the project identification (ID) listed will 

be used to track the obligation of funds 

for the projects selected. The grant 

applications will be sent to the U.S. 

Department of Labor (DOL) for 

certification under labor protection 

requirements pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 

5333(b). After referring applications to 

affected employees represented by a 

labor organization, DOL will issue a 

certification to FTA. Terms and 

conditions of the certification will be 

incorporated in the FTA grant 

agreement under the new guidelines 

replacing those in 29 CFR part 215. 

Please see Amendment to Section 

5333(b), Guidelines to Carry Out New 

Programs Authorized by the 

Transportation Equity Act for the 21st 

Century (TEA–21); Final Rule (64 FR 

40990, July 28, 1999). 

Issued in Washington, DC, this 15th day of 

August, 2008. 

James S. Simpson, 

Administrator. 

Appendix A 

Richard H. Doyle: Regional Administrator, Region 1—Boston, Kendall 

Square, 55 Broadway, Suite 920, Cambridge, MA 02142–1093. Tel. 

617–494–2055. States served: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, 

New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Robert C. Patrick: Regional Administrator, Region 6—Ft. Worth, 819 

Taylor Street, Room 8A36, Ft. Worth, TX 76102. Tel. 817–978–0550. 

States served: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and 

Texas. 

Brigid Hynes-Cherin, Regional Administrator, Region 2—New York, 

One Bowling Green, Room 429, New York, NY 10004–1415. Tel. 

No. 212–668–2170. States served: New Jersey, New York.

Mokhtee Ahmad, Regional Administrator, Region 7—Kansas City, MO, 

901 Locust Street, Room 404, Kansas City, MO 64106. Tel. 816–

329–3920. States served: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. 


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