81 FR 54658 - Notice of Request for the Extension of a Currently Approved Information Collection

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 158 (August 16, 2016)

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, and its implementing regulations, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) hereby announces that it is seeking renewal of the following currently approved information collection activities. Before submitting this information collection requirements for clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), FTA is soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities identified below. Title: 49 U.S.C. Section 5307--Urbanized Area Formula Program. OMB Number: 2132-0502. Background: 49 U.S.C. 5307 The Urbanized Area Formula Funding program (49 U.S.C. 5307) makes Federal resources available to urbanized areas and to Governors for transit capital and operating assistance and for transportation related planning in urbanized areas. An urbanized area is a Census-designated area with a population of 50,000 or more as determined by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. Funding is made available to designated recipients, which must be public bodies with the legal authority to receive and dispense Federal funds. Governors, responsible local officials and publicly owned operators of transit services are required to designate a recipient to apply for, receive, and dispense funds for urbanized areas pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 5307(a)(2). The Governor or Governor's designee is the designated recipient for urbanized areas between 50,000 and 200,000. Eligible activities include planning, engineering, design and evaluation of transit projects and other technical transportation- related studies; capital investments in bus and bus-related activities such as replacement of buses, overhaul of buses, rebuilding of buses, crime prevention and security equipment and construction of maintenance and passenger facilities; and capital investments in new and existing fixed guideway systems including rolling stock, overhaul and rebuilding of vehicles, track, signals, communications, and computer hardware and software. All preventive maintenance and some Americans with Disabilities Act complementary paratransit service costs are considered capital costs. For urbanized areas with populations less than 200,000, operating assistance is an eligible expense. For urbanized areas with 200,000 in population and over, funds are apportioned and flow directly to a designated recipient selected locally to apply for and receive Federal funds. For urbanized areas under 200,000 in population, the funds are apportioned to the Governor of each state for distribution. With the passing of Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, the 100 Bus Rule was been expanded to include demand response service, excluding ADA complementary paratransit service. An exception to the 100 Bus Rule has been added as well. If a public transportation system executes a written agreement with one or more other public transportation systems within the urbanized area to allocate funds by a method other than by measuring vehicle revenue hours, each public transportation system that is part of the written agreement may follow the terms of the written agreement instead of the measured vehicle revenue hours. Under Grant Recipient Requirements, a provision has been added that directs recipients to maintain equipment and facilities in accordance with their transit asset management plan. Recipients are no longer required to expend 1% of their funding for associated transit improvements. However, recipients are still required to submit an annual report listing projects that were carried out in the preceding fiscal year. The Passenger Ferry Grant Program is also available to urbanized areas under the authority provided through 49 U.S.C. 5307 (section 5307). This program provides discretionary opportunity to capital projects. Capital projects include, but are not limited to, the purchase, replacement, or rehabilitation of ferries and terminals and related equipment. Funds may not be used to fund operating expenses, planning, or preventive maintenance. Respondents: State and local government, business or other for- profit institutions and non-profit institutions. Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: Approximately 50 hours for each of the 2,245 respondents. Estimated Total Annual Burden: 67,250 hours. Frequency: Annual.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 158 (Tuesday, August 16, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54658-54659]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19462]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

[FTA Docket No. 2016-0028]


Notice of Request for the Extension of a Currently Approved 
Information Collection

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, and 
its implementing regulations, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 
hereby announces that it is seeking renewal of the following currently 
approved information collection activities. Before submitting this 
information collection requirements for

[[Page 54659]]

clearance by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), FTA is 
soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities 
identified below.
    Title: 49 U.S.C. Section 5307--Urbanized Area Formula Program.
    OMB Number: 2132-0502.
    Background: 49 U.S.C. 5307 The Urbanized Area Formula Funding 
program (49 U.S.C. 5307) makes Federal resources available to urbanized 
areas and to Governors for transit capital and operating assistance and 
for transportation related planning in urbanized areas. An urbanized 
area is a Census-designated area with a population of 50,000 or more as 
determined by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. 
Funding is made available to designated recipients, which must be 
public bodies with the legal authority to receive and dispense Federal 
funds. Governors, responsible local officials and publicly owned 
operators of transit services are required to designate a recipient to 
apply for, receive, and dispense funds for urbanized areas pursuant to 
49 U.S.C. 5307(a)(2). The Governor or Governor's designee is the 
designated recipient for urbanized areas between 50,000 and 200,000. 
Eligible activities include planning, engineering, design and 
evaluation of transit projects and other technical transportation-
related studies; capital investments in bus and bus-related activities 
such as replacement of buses, overhaul of buses, rebuilding of buses, 
crime prevention and security equipment and construction of maintenance 
and passenger facilities; and capital investments in new and existing 
fixed guideway systems including rolling stock, overhaul and rebuilding 
of vehicles, track, signals, communications, and computer hardware and 
software. All preventive maintenance and some Americans with 
Disabilities Act complementary paratransit service costs are considered 
capital costs. For urbanized areas with populations less than 200,000, 
operating assistance is an eligible expense. For urbanized areas with 
200,000 in population and over, funds are apportioned and flow directly 
to a designated recipient selected locally to apply for and receive 
Federal funds. For urbanized areas under 200,000 in population, the 
funds are apportioned to the Governor of each state for distribution. 
With the passing of Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, the 
100 Bus Rule was been expanded to include demand response service, 
excluding ADA complementary paratransit service. An exception to the 
100 Bus Rule has been added as well. If a public transportation system 
executes a written agreement with one or more other public 
transportation systems within the urbanized area to allocate funds by a 
method other than by measuring vehicle revenue hours, each public 
transportation system that is part of the written agreement may follow 
the terms of the written agreement instead of the measured vehicle 
revenue hours. Under Grant Recipient Requirements, a provision has been 
added that directs recipients to maintain equipment and facilities in 
accordance with their transit asset management plan. Recipients are no 
longer required to expend 1% of their funding for associated transit 
improvements. However, recipients are still required to submit an 
annual report listing projects that were carried out in the preceding 
fiscal year. The Passenger Ferry Grant Program is also available to 
urbanized areas under the authority provided through 49 U.S.C. 5307 
(section 5307). This program provides discretionary opportunity to 
capital projects. Capital projects include, but are not limited to, the 
purchase, replacement, or rehabilitation of ferries and terminals and 
related equipment. Funds may not be used to fund operating expenses, 
planning, or preventive maintenance.
    Respondents: State and local government, business or other for-
profit institutions and non-profit institutions.
    Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: Approximately 50 hours for 
each of the 2,245 respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 67,250 hours.
    Frequency: Annual.

DATES: Comments must be submitted before October 17, 2016.

ADDRESSES: To ensure that your comments are not entered more than once 
into the docket, submit comments identified by the docket number by 
only one of the following methods:
    1. Web site: www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments on the U.S. Government electronic docket site. 
(Note: The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT's) electronic 
docket is no longer accepting electronic comments.) All electronic 
submissions must be made to the U.S. Government electronic docket site 
at www.regulations.gov. Commenters should follow the directions below 
for mailed and hand-delivered comments.
    2. Fax: 202-493-2251.
    3. Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE., Docket Operations, M-30, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    4. Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Docket Operations, M-30, West Building, Ground 
Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001 between 9:00 a.m. and 
5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
    Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket number 
for this notice at the beginning of your comments. Submit two copies of 
your comments if you submit them by mail. For confirmation that FTA has 
received your comments, include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Note 
that all comments received, including any personal information, will be 
posted and will be available to Internet users, without change, to 
www.regulations.gov. You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act 
Statement in the Federal Register published April 11, 2000, (65 FR 
19477), or you may visit www.regulations.gov. Docket: For access to the 
docket to read background documents and comments received, go to 
www.regulations.gov at any time. Background documents and comments 
received may also be viewed at the U.S. Department of Transportation, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Docket Operations, M-30, West Building, 
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001 between 9:00 a.m. 
and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
Section 5307--Tara Clark, Office of Program Management (202) 366-2623, 
or email: [email protected].
Passenger Ferry Program--Vanessa Williams, Office of Program Management 
(202) 366-4818 or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested parties are invited to send 
comments regarding any aspect of this information collection, 
including: (1) The necessity and utility of the information collection 
for the proper performance of the functions of the FTA; (2) the 
accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways to 
minimize the collection burden without reducing the quality of the 
collected information. Comments submitted in response to this notice 
will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of 
this information collection.

William Hyre,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-19462 Filed 8-15-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-57-P