SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Census Bureau's urban-rural classification is a delineation of geographical areas, identifying individual urban areas as well as the rural portion of the Nation. The resulting classification of “urban areas” is distinguishable from FHWA and FTA's definition of “urbanized areas,” but the population data from the decennial census informs which geographical areas meet the definition of “urbanized area” for transportation planning purposes under Titles 23 and 49 of the United States Code (23 U.S.C. 101(a)(36) and 49 U.S.C. 5302(24)).

The Census Bureau defined the qualifying urban areas from the 2020 Census using the criteria published in the Federal Register on March 24, 2022 (87 FR 16706). As a result of these criteria and a decade of population and land use change, there are significant differences in the UZAs based on the 2020 Census from those based on the 2010 Census, including place names, boundary shapes, and population counts. Notably, 192 UZAs have populations over 200,000, the statutory threshold for TMA designation, including 15 UZAs that were not identified in the Federal Register on July 18, 2012 (77 FR 42354). Furthermore, 2 UZAs that were previously above 200,000 are now below the threshold ( i.e., Norwich-New London, Connecticut, and Visalia, California).

Titles 23 and 49 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) (23 U.S.C. 134(k)(1)(A) and 49 U.S.C. 5303(k)(1)(A)) require the Secretary of Transportation to identify each UZA over 200,000 in population as a TMA. The UZAs that meet this threshold, as determined by the 2020 Census, are listed in the table below and are hereby identified as TMAs. For the multistate UZAs over 200,000 in population, the UZA is listed under the State with the largest share of the population; however, the TMA designation applies to the entire multistate area.

The TMAs are subject to special transportation planning and programming requirements. These requirements apply to the metropolitan planning areas that must be determined jointly by the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) and Governor, in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 134(e) and 49 U.S.C. 5303(e). The FTA and FHWA have developed a series of “Questions and Answers” related to applying 2020 Census data to urban areas and UZAs in the joint FTA and FHWA planning processes. More information can be found at: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/​planning/​census_​issues/​urbanized_​areas_​and_​mpo_​tma/​ and https://www.transit.dot.gov/​census.

Additional UZAs may be designated as TMAs by the Secretary of Transportation upon request of the Governor and the MPO or affected local officials. Notification of any additional TMAs will be issued through a Secretarial Memorandum to the appropriate State Governors and MPOs, not as a notice published in the Federal Register .

For example, the Governor of Texas and the Permian Basin MPO (formerly the Midland Odessa Transportation Organization) requested TMA designations in 2012 for the Midland, Texas, and the Odessa, Texas, UZAs. On July 31, 2012, the Secretary of Transportation approved the request and designated both UZAs as TMAs. Although the Midland, Texas, and Odessa, Texas, UZAs do not meet the statutory population threshold for TMA designation under the 2020 Census, FHWA and FTA continue to recognize the Midland, Texas and Odessa, Texas UZAs as TMAs due to the Secretary's prior action.

In addition, the bi-State Lake Tahoe MPO region shall be treated as a TMA with a UZA population of 145,000 in the State of California and 65,000 in the State of Nevada, per 23 U.S.C. 134(r).

Authority:23 U.S.C. 315, 23 U.S.C. 134(k)(1)(A), 49 U.S.C. 5303(k)(1)(A), 49 CFR 1.85(c)(19), and 49 CFR 1.91(a).

( printed page 36638)

88 FR 36637