Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 13 / Thursday, January 22, 2009 / Notices 4069 

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 

[Disaster Declaration #11631] 

Washington Disaster # WA–00018 

Declaration of Economic Injury 

AGENCY: U.S. Small Business 

Administration. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This is a notice of an 

Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) 

declaration for the State of Washington, 

dated 01/12/2009. 

Incident: Green River/Kummer Bridge 

Closure. 

Incident Period: 11/14/2008 and 

continuing. 

EFFECTIVE DATE: 01/12/2009. 

EIDL Loan Application Deadline Date: 

10/13/2009. 

ADDRESSES: Submit completed loan 

applications to: U.S. Small Business 

Administration, Processing and 

Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport 

Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A. 

Escobar, Office of Disaster Assistance, 

U.S. Small Business Administration, 

409 3rd Street, SW., Suite 6050, 

Washington, DC 20416. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is 

hereby given that as a result of the 

Administrator’s EIDL declaration, 

applications for economic injury 

disaster loans may be filed at the 

address listed above or other locally 

announced locations. 

The following areas have been 

determined to be adversely affected by 

the disaster: 

Primary Counties: King. 

Contiguous Counties: 

Washington: Chelan, Kitsap, Kittitas, 

Pierce, Snohomish, Yakima. 

The Interest Rate is: 4.000. 

The number assigned to this disaster 

for economic injury is 116310. 

The States which received an EIDL 

Declaration # are Washington. 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Number 59002) 

Dated: January 12, 2009. 

Sandy K. Baruah, 

Acting Administrator. 

[FR Doc. E9–1208 Filed 1–21–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8025–01–P 

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 

Advisory Committee on Veterans 

Business Affairs 

AGENCY: U.S. Small Business 

Administration. 

ACTION: Notice of open Federal Advisory 

Committee meeting. 

SUMMARY: The SBA is issuing this notice 

to announce the location, date, time, 

and agenda for the next meeting of the 

Advisory Committee on Veterans 

Business Affairs. The meeting will be 

open to the public. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

February 10–11, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 5 

p.m. Eastern Standard Time. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the U.S. Small Business Administration, 

409 3rd Street, SW., Eisenhower 

Conference Room, 2nd floor, 

Washington, DC 20416. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C., 

Appendix 2), SBA announces the 

meeting of the Advisory Committee on 

Veterans Business Affairs. The Advisory 

Committee on Veterans Business Affairs 

serves as an independent source of 

advice and policy recommendation to 

the Administrator of the U.S. Small 

Business Administration. 

The purpose of the meeting is 

scheduled as a full committee meeting. 

The agenda will include: (1) Status of 

the current committee; (2) Orientation 

for new members; (3) Discussion of the 

permanency of SBA’s Advisory 

Committee; (4) A review of SBA’s 

Programs and Services; and (5) 

Implementation steps of Public Law 

110–186. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The 

meeting is open to the public; however, 

advance notice of attendance is 

requested. Anyone wishing to attend 

and/or make a presentation to the 

Advisory Committee on Veterans 

Business Affairs must contact Cheryl 

Simms, Program Liaison, by February 2, 

2009, by fax or e-mail in order to be 

placed on the agenda. Cheryl Simms, 

Program Liaison, U.S. Small Business 

Administration, Office of Veterans 

Business Development, 409 3rd Street, 

SW., Washington, DC 20416, Telephone 

number: (202) 619–1697, Fax number: 

202–481–6085, e-mail address: 

cheryl.simms@sba.gov. 

Additionally, if you need 

accommodations because of a disability 

or require additional information, please 

contact Cheryl Simms, Program Liaison 

at (202) 619–1697; e-mail address: 

cheryl.simms@sba.gov, SBA, Office of 

Veterans Business Development, 409 

3rd Street, SW., Washington, DC 20416. 

For more information, please visit our 

Web site at http://www.sba.gov/vets. 

Dated: January 5, 2009. 

Cherylyn Lebon, 

SBA Committee Management Officer. 

[FR Doc. E9–1206 Filed 1–21–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8025–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE 

[Public Notice 6488] 

In the Matter of the Review of the 

Designations of Al-Qa’ida (AQ), 

Haraket-ul-Mujahidin (HUM), Popular 

Front for the Liberation of Palestine 

(PFLP), and Palestinian Islamic Jihad 

(PIJ) and All Designated Aliases, as 

Foreign Terrorist Organizations 

Pursuant to Section 219 of the 

Immigration and Nationality Act, as 

Amended 

Based upon a review of the 

Administrative Records assembled in 

this matter pursuant to Section 

219(a)(4)(C) of the Immigration and 

Nationality Act, as amended (8 U.S.C. 

1189(a)(4)(C)) (‘‘INA’’) , and in 

consultation with the Attorney General 

and the Secretary of the Treasury, I 

conclude that the circumstances that 

were the basis for the 2003 redesignations of the aforementioned 

organizations as foreign terrorist 

organizations have not changed in such 

a manner as to warrant revocation of the 

designations and that the national 

security of the United States does not 

warrant a revocation. 

Therefore, I hereby determine that the 

designations of the aforementioned 

organizations as foreign terrorist 

organizations, pursuant to Section 219 

of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1189), shall be 

maintained. 

This determination shall be published 

in the Federal Register. 

Dated: January 9, 2009. 

John D. Negroponte, 

Deputy Secretary of State, Department of 

State. 

[FR Doc. E9–1221 Filed 1–21–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4710–10–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

[FHWA Docket No. FHWA–08–0106] 

Express Lanes Demonstration 

Program—Performance Goals for the 

Texas Department of Transportation 

Express Lanes IH–635/IH35E and North 

Tarrant Express Lanes Projects 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: Section 1604(b)(7) of the Safe, 

Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 

Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for 

Users (SAFETEA–LU) (Pub. L. 109–59; 

Aug. 10, 2005), authorizes the Secretary 

of Transportation (Secretary) to develop 


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4070 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 13 / Thursday, January 22, 2009 / Notices 

and publish performance goals for each 

express lane project accepted under the 

Express Lanes Demonstration Program. 

This notice lists the Performance Goals, 

Monitoring and Reporting Program 

requirements for the I–635 (the LBJ 

Freeway) project in Dallas and North 

Tarrant Express project in Ft. Worth in 

the State of Texas. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before February 23, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: Mail or hand deliver 

comments to: Docket Management 

Facility, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, or 

submit electronically at http:// 

www.regulations.gov, or fax comments 

to (202) 493–2251. 

All comments should include the 

docket number that appears in the 

heading of this document. All 

comments received will be available for 

examination and copying at the above 

address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.t., 

Monday through Friday, except Federal 

holidays. Those desiring notification of 

receipt of comments must include a selfaddressed, stamped postcard or may 

print the acknowledgment page that 

appears after submitting comments 

electronically. Anyone is able to search 

the electronic form of all comments in 

any one of our dockets by the name of 

the individual submitting the comment 

(or signing the comment, if submitted 

on behalf of an association, business, or 

labor union). You may review the DOT’s 

complete Privacy Act Statement in the 

Federal Register published on April 11, 

2000 (Volume 65, Number 70, Pages 

19477–78) or you may visit http:// 

DocketsInfo.dot.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

questions about this notice, contact Mr. 

Wayne Berman, Office of Operations, 

(202) 366–4069, 

(Wayne.Berman@dot.gov); for legal 

questions contact Mr. Michael Harkins, 

Attorney Advisor, Office of the Chief 

Counsel, (202) 366–4928, 

(Michael.Harkins@dot.gov). The FHWA 

is located at 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 

SE., Washington, DC 20590. Office 

hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., 

e.t., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Access 

An electronic copy of this document 

may be downloaded from the Federal 

Register’s home page at: http:// 

www.archives.gov and the Government 

Printing Office’s database at: http:// 

www.access.gpo.gov/nara. 

Background 

Section 1604(b) of SAFETEA–LU, 

established the Express Lanes 

Demonstration Program (ELDP). Under 

the ELDP, the Secretary must carry out 

15 demonstration project during the 

period of fiscal years 2005 through 2009 

to permit States to collect a toll from 

motor vehicles at eligible toll facilities. 

On September 18, 2007, the Texas 

Department of Transportation (TxDOT) 

submitted an application to the FHWA 

for the I–635 (LBJ Freeway) managed 

lane project, which was approved on 

March 19, 2008. Subsequently, TxDOT 

submitted an application to the FHWA 

for the North Tarrant Express managed 

lane project, which was approved on 

July 16, 2008. 

The I–635 project would consist of the 

construction of 28 miles of new 

managed (tolled) lanes as part of the 

reconstruction of portions of I–635 and 

I–35E in the Dallas area. The North 

Tarrant Express project would consist of 

the construction of approximately 36 

miles of new managed (tolled) lanes as 

part of the reconstruction of portions of 

I–820, I–35W, and State Highway 183 in 

the Fort Worth area. 

Pursuant to section 1604(b)(7) of 

SAFETEA–LU, the Secretary, in 

cooperation with the State, public 

authority, private entity, and other 

program participants must develop 

performance goals for each project and 

publish such goals for public comment. 

This notice lists, and solicits public 

comment on, the Performance Goals, 

Monitoring and Reporting Programs for 

the I–635 and North Tarrant Express 

Projects. 

Performance Goals, Monitoring and 

Reporting Program 

The following describes the agreed 

upon Express Lane Demonstration 

Program’s Performance Goals, 

Monitoring and Reporting Program for 

the I–635 and the North Tarrant Express 

Projects. This program has been 

developed cooperatively between 

TxDOT and FHWA. 

A. Performance Goals 

The FHWA and TxDOT have 

identified the following three 

Performance Goals for the project. These 

Performance Goals reflect the priorities 

for the project at the State and local 

levels. The Performance Goals also 

reflect the goals of the Express Lanes 

Demonstration Project set forth in 

Federal law at SAFETEA–LU Section 

1604(b). 

I. Effects on travel, traffic, and air 

quality. 

II. Distribution of benefits and 

burdens. 

III. Use of alternative transportation 

modes. 

IV. Use of revenues to meet 

transportation or impact mitigation 

needs. 

B. Core Performance Measures 

The following Core Performance 

Measures will be utilized to focus the 

monitoring and reporting work 

undertaken to evaluate facility 

performance. The Performance Goals for 

which each Core Performance Measure 

will provide relevant information are 

indicated in parenthesis. Specific 

reporting items for each Core 

Performance Measure are listed 

immediately below it. 

Generally, facility performance will 

be assessed by reference to baseline 

values or trends for the reported items 

under the Core Performance Measures. 

The methodology for determining each 

baseline value or trend will be 

explained in detail in the Performance 

Monitoring and Evaluation Manual 

described below. 

1. Travel-Time Reliability in Priced 

Lanes (I, II, III) 

• Report percentage of time that the 

managed lanes are operating at a 

minimum average speed of 50 miles per 

hour, broken down into daily averages 

for the a.m. peak, off-peak, and p.m. 

peak periods. 

• Report 95th percentile travel times 

for the managed lanes, broken down 

into daily averages for the a.m. peak, offpeak, and p.m. peak periods. (The 95th 

percentile represents the slowest traffic 

day each month.) This measure is 

reported in minutes. 

• Report the Buffer Index calculated 

to demonstrate performance in the 

managed lanes, broken down into daily 

averages for the a.m. peak, off-peak, and 

p.m. peak periods. The Buffer Index is 

the extra time that travelers must add to 

their average travel time when planning 

trips to ensure on-time arrival. (For 

example, a buffer index of 40 percent 

means that for a trip that usually takes 

20 minutes a traveler should budget an 

additional 8 minutes to ensure on-time 

arrival most of the time. The 8 extra 

minutes is called the buffer time. 

Therefore, the traveler should allow 28 

minutes for the trip in order to ensure 

on-time arrival 95 percent of the time.) 

• Report traffic volumes and traffic 

volume changes on a total and 

percentage-change basis annually, 

broken into daily averages, for daily 

total, by a.m. peak, off-peak, and p.m. 

peak the managed lanes by direction. 

• Report traffic speeds and traffic 

speed differences from the previous year 

(on a total and percentage-change basis) 


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annually, broken into daily averages, for 

daily total, by a.m. peak, off-peak, and 

p.m. peak for the managed lanes by 

direction. 

• Report actual number of incidents 

and identify the effect on lane 

availability for the managed lanes 

during this time, including the length of 

time each such lane was unavailable. 

2. Changes in Mode Split/Ridership/ 

Vehicle Occupancies of Priced vs. 

General Purpose Lanes (I, II, III) 

• Report number of declared HOVs 

for the year and differences from the 

previous year (on a total and percentagechange basis), broken into daily 

averages, by a.m. peak and p.m. peak for 

managed lanes. 

• Report number of buses (i.e. 

registered non-revenue accounts) for the 

year and differences from the previous 

year (on a total and percentage-change 

basis), broken into daily averages, by 

a.m. peak, off-peak, and p.m. peak for 

managed lanes. 

• Report average toll charged for the 

year and differences from the previous 

year (on a total and percentage-change 

basis), by vehicle type, broken into daily 

averages, by a.m. peak, off-peak, and 

p.m. peak for managed lanes. 

• If reasonably available, report 

ridership volumes for the year and 

differences from the previous year (on a 

total and percentage-change basis), by 

vehicle type; SOV, HOV2+, HOV3+, 

Bus, Van Pool and Other, broken into 

daily averages by a.m. peak, off-peak, 

and p.m. peak for the general purpose 

lanes, managed lanes, and parallel 

access roads as applicable. 

• Report on the amount of vehicle 

miles traveled (VMT) for the year and 

differences from the previous year (on a 

total and percentage-change basis), by 

vehicle type; SOV, HOV2+, HOV3+, 

Bus, Van Pool and Other, broken into 

daily averages by a.m. peak, off-peak, 

and p.m. peak on the managed lanes. 

• Report Metropolitan Planning 

Organization (MPO) rideshare 

payments, HOV subsidy and other 

disbursements. 

3. Transit Schedule Adherence (II, III) 

• To the extent the information is 

reasonably available, report on transit 

service reliability—percentage of ontime performance of transit service. 

• To the extent the information is 

reasonably available, report on any 

existing bus transit routes or sanctioned 

van-pool accounts utilizing the corridor 

in advance of opening the project for 

tolling. This is to be used as a 

benchmark for added bus transit routes 

or sanctioned van-pool accounts 

utilizing the corridor after tolling 

begins. 

4. Application of Revenue Reinvestment 

(II, IV) 

• Report breakdown of the use of 

revenues. 

• Report percentage of revenue used 

to mitigate impacts. 

5. Change in Criteria Pollutant 

Emissions for the Region (I) 

• Report on the concentrations of six 

criteria pollutants (particle pollution, 

ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, 

sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead) 

during the current year and differences 

from the previous year (on a total and 

percentage-change basis) utilizing 

reasonably available and reliable air 

quality reporting tools and mechanisms. 

• Utilize the results of the core 

performance sub-elements B.I(a) 

(Travel-time reliability in tolled lanes) 

and B.III(a) (Changes in mode split/ 

ridership/vehicle occupancies of tolled 

vs. general purpose lanes) to the extent 

possible to assist in utilizing the 

NCTCOG’s air quality modeling tools 

and mechanisms to demonstrate any 

reductions in criteria pollutant 

emissions. 

C. Monitoring and Reporting Program 

I. Performance Monitoring and 

Evaluation Manual 

Prior to commencement of pricing 

operations on the facility, TxDOT will 

prepare a Performance Monitoring and 

Evaluation Manual document that will 

describe the information to be collected, 

the methodology for identifying baseline 

values and approach for developing the 

annual reports that assess facility 

performance. It will serve as a tool to 

facilitate achievement of the 

performance goals identified in Part A 

by documenting the program for regular 

monitoring and reporting to be utilized 

in the assessment of the Core 

Performance Measures identified in Part 

B. 

The Performance Monitoring and 

Evaluation Manual will be in the form 

of an instruction manual, and will 

address the following subject areas. 

1. Project Overview 

2. Purpose and Need 

3. Organization of Document 

4. Overview of Project Goals 

5. Overview of Core Performance 

Measures 

a. Key Questions and definition of 

Core Performance Measures 

b. Description of how specific 

reported information relates to Core 

Performance Measures and Performance 

Goals 

6. Methodology for Determining 

Baseline Measurements 

7. Annual Monitoring Program 

Measurement Processes and Procedures 

8. Coordination with other 

Transportation Providers 

9. Reference Documentation Listing as 

Applicable 

II. Monitoring and Reporting Annual 

Report 

The annual monitoring and reporting 

program measurement processes and 

procedures will be documented in an 

annual report that shall include the 

following sections. 

1. Project Information 

2. Performance Highlights 

3. Performance Summary 

4. Performance Details 

D. Timeline and Process for Submission 

of ELDP Monitoring Report 

The annual reporting period for the 

Express Lanes Demonstration Program 

is between January 1st and December 

31st of each year. Data collected and 

reported will align with this time 

period. The first year’s data after tolling 

commences will be data collected from 

the date of service commencement to 

December 31st of that year.TxDOT’s 

submission to FHWA of the Monitoring 

and Reporting Annual Report will occur 

no later than March 31st of each year. 

Authority: Section 1604(b)(7) of the Safe, 

Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 

Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for 

Users (SAFETEA–LU) (Pub. L. 109–59; Aug. 

10, 2005). 

Issued on: January 8, 2009. 

Thomas J. Madison, Jr., 

Federal Highway Administrator. 

[FR Doc. E9–1174 Filed 1–21–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

Petition for Waiver of Compliance 

In accordance with Part 211 of Title 

49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 

notice is hereby given that the Federal 

Railroad Administration (FRA) has 

received a request for a waiver of 

compliance from certain requirements 

of its safety standards. The individual 

petition is described below, including 

the party seeking relief, the regulatory 

provisions involved, the nature of the 

relief being requested, and the 

petitioner’s arguments in favor of relief. 

Iowa Interstate Railroad 

[Docket Number FRA–2008–0105] 

The Iowa Interstate Railroad (IAIS), a 

Class III Railroad, petitioned for a 


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