[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 96 (Wednesday, May 20, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23776-23777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-11718]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

[Docket Number: FTA-2009-0009]


Notice of Availability of Proposed Guidance for New Starts/Small 
Starts Policies and Procedures and Request for Comments

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of, and requests 
comments on, the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Proposed 
Guidance on New Starts/Small Starts Policies and Procedures. The 
proposed guidance presents weights to be assigned for the six project 
justification criteria for New Starts and the three project 
justification criteria for Small Starts in the project evaluation 
process. FTA also proposes a process to ensure that the impacts of 
tunnels are considered in project evaluation.

DATES: Comments on the Proposed Guidance on New Starts/Small Starts 
Policies and Procedures must be received by June 19, 2009. Late filed 
comments will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments [identified by the Docket Number 
FTA-2009-0009] by any of the following methods:
    Web site: http://regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
    Fax: 202-493-2251.
    Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, 
West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., 
Washington, DC 20590.
    Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Ave., SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 8:30 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-2009-0009). 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 Federal government Web 
site located at http://regulations.gov. This means that if your comment 
includes any personal identifying information, such information will be 
made available to users of Web site.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Day, Office of Planning and 
Environment, telephone (202) 366-5159 and Christopher Van Wyk, Office 
of Chief Counsel, telephone (202) 366-1733. FTA is located at 1200 New 
Jersey Ave., SE., East Building, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are 
from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed changes described in the policy 
guidance made available by this notice have been necessitated by the 
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act--A 
Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) Technical Corrections Act of 2008 (Pub. 
L. 110-244), which amends 49 U.S.C. 5309. The Act specifies that each 
of the project justification criteria for proposed New Starts and Small 
Starts projects should be given ``comparable, but not necessarily 
equal, numerical weight * * * in calculating the overall project 
rating.'' The guidance proposes to set the weights at 20 percent each 
for the mobility, cost-effectiveness, land use, and economic 
development criteria, and 10 percent each for the operating 
efficiencies and environmental benefits criteria for New Starts 
projects. Each of the three project justification criteria for Small 
Starts (land use, economic development and cost-effectiveness) would be 
set at a third each.
    The Act further states that the Secretary of Transportation shall 
analyze, evaluate, and consider the congestion relief, improved 
mobility, and other benefits of tunnels in transit projects that 
include a transit tunnel, as well as the associated ancillary and 
mitigation costs necessary to relieve congestion, improve mobility, and 
decrease air and noise pollution in those projects that do not include 
a tunnel but where a transit tunnel was one of the alternatives 
analyzed. FTA proposes to require that project sponsors develop and 
consider such information during alternative analysis studies. FTA will 
ensure that such information has been addressed as part of the FTA 
review of project applications for entry into preliminary engineering.
    FTA will respond to comments received on the proposed guidance in a 
second Federal Register notice to be published after the close of the 
comment period. That notice will describe any changes made to the 
weights for project justification criteria

[[Page 23777]]

and to the process for consideration of tunnel alternatives in response 
to comments received.
    FTA requests comments on the policy guidance, which is available in 
DOT's electronic docket at http://regulations.gov and on FTA's Web site 
at http://www.fta.dot.gov/planning/newstarts/planning_environment_5615.html.

    Issued this May 14, 2009, in Washington, DC.
Matthew J. Welbes,
Acting Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. E9-11718 Filed 5-19-09; 8:45 am]
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