Projects of National and Regional Significance Survey |
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Gregory G. Nadeau
Federal Highway Administration
October 2, 2014
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 191 (Thursday, October 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59550-59552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-23420]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Projects of National and Regional Significance Survey
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of
Transportation (DOT)
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Projects of National and
Regional Significance (PNRS) survey required under section 1120 of the
Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) will re-open
on October 2, 2014. The original survey period ran from May 29, 2014,
to June 30, 2014. However, in order to develop a more comprehensive
catalogue of Projects of National and Regional Significance to assist
DOT in planning and investment decisionmaking, DOT will re-open the
survey for 45 calendar days, including Federal holidays through
November 17, 2014. This will provide interested parties with an
additional opportunity to submit projects for consideration and
supplement existing submissions. The DOT may not consider responses
submitted after November 17, 2014, so as to allow DOT to deliver the
MAP-21 mandated report to Congress within a reasonable timeframe.
DATES: The PNRS survey will re-open from October 2, 2014 to November
17, 2014.
ADDRESSES: To respond to the survey go to: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Freight/infrastructure/nat_reg_sig/index.htm. This Web site contains
the survey instrument as well as details on the survey background, how
the survey results will be used, and who is eligible to respond. Please
note that entering the survey link does not require you to submit any
information.
For those who have already responded to the original PNRS survey,
the re-opening of the survey does not affect your previously submitted
responses. However, DOT strongly encourages those who participated in
the original survey to review their prior submissions to determine if
those submissions should be augmented with additional information. You
may choose to resubmit your survey response, add more supporting
documentation, withdraw it, or leave it as previously submitted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about the PNRS survey,
contact Tamiko Burnell, FHWA Office of Freight Management and
Operations, (202) 366-1200, or via email at tamiko.burnell@dot.gov. For
legal questions, contact Alla Shaw, FHWA Office of the Chief Counsel,
(202) 366-1042 or via email at Alla.Shaw@dot.gov. Business hours for
FHWA are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Access
You may retrieve a copy of the notice through the Federal
eRulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov. The Web site is
available 24 hours each day, every day of the year. Electronic
submission and retrieval help and guidelines are available under the
help section of the Web site. An electronic copy of this document may
also be downloaded from Office of the Federal Register's Web site at:
http://www.archives.gov/federal_register and the Government Printing
Office's Web site at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov.
Background
Section 1301 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) (Pub. L.
109-59; 119 Stat. 1144) established a program to provide grants to
States for PNRS to improve the safe, secure, and efficient movement of
people and goods throughout the United States and to improve the health
and welfare of the national economy.
Section 1120 of MAP-21 amended the PNRS program, including
authorizing $500 million to carry out the program; however, no funds
were appropriated for the program. Section 1120 of MAP-21 requires DOT
to develop a report to Congress that contains a comprehensive list of
each PNRS. The comprehensive list will enable the Secretary of
Transportation to classify PNRS and to develop recommendations on
financing for eligible project costs.
On May 29, 2014, FHWA, on behalf of DOT, launched the initial PNRS
survey that closed on June 30, 2014. The survey was emailed to
stakeholders in the categories identified as ``eligible applicants'' in
MAP-21 (State departments of transportation (State DOT), tribal
governments, and transit agencies). On June 3, 2014, FHWA hosted a
Webinar to inform stakeholders on the background and purpose of the
PNRS survey, program eligibility, and survey content.
Twenty-seven States and several transit authorities participated in
the original survey, submitting a total of 143 projects. While over
half of the 50 States participated, many regions of the country
provided limited or no participation. Therefore, the overall results
were less than comprehensive.
Purpose of This Notice
The purpose of this notice is fourfold: (1) To define the PNRS
Survey and project eligibility; (2) to re-open the PNRS Survey for a
period of 45 calendar days (including Federal holidays); (3) to
establish how DOT will conduct outreach with stakeholders and potential
respondents; and (4) to provide additional guidance on responding to
survey questions.
PNRS Survey
Section 1120 of MAP-21 requires the DOT to develop a report to
Congress that contains a comprehensive list of each project of national
and regional significance that has been compiled through a survey of
State DOTs. The comprehensive list will enable the Secretary to
classify PNRS and to develop recommendations on financing for eligible
project costs. For purposes of the survey, Section 1120 of MAP-21
defines PNRS as projects that:
Significantly improve the national or regional performance
of the Federal-aid highway system;
Generate national economic benefits, including increased
access to jobs and labor;
Reduce long-term congestion and increase the speed,
reliability, and accessibility of the movement of people or freight;
Improve transportation safety, including reducing
transportation accidents, serious injuries, and fatalities; and
Can be supported by an acceptable degree of non-Federal
financial commitments.
Using the PNRS project definitions above, the DOT is conducting a
nationwide survey. Responses to the survey are voluntary and will be
used by DOT to compile and submit the
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required PRNS Report to Congress. The final survey will list which
entities participated in the survey.
Survey respondents are asked to provide a project description and
information on how the project will: Improve national or regional
highway system performance; generate economic benefits that include
increased access to jobs; reduce long-term congestion including impacts
in the State, region, and the U.S.; and improve safety including
reducing accidents, injuries, and fatalities. The survey also requests
project cost information, including the level of non-Federal funding
sources used to construct, maintain, and operate the infrastructure
facility. Respondents are strongly encouraged to provide any available
documentation and additional information to support any prior
responses.
The survey questions were cleared by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB Control No. 2125-0642). The survey can be viewed at http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Freight/infrastructure/nat_reg_sig/index.htm.
Eligible Applicants and Projects
Entities defined by Section 1120 of MAP-21 as eligible applicants
for PNRS program funding are: A State DOT or group of State DOTs; a
transit agency; a tribal government or consortium of tribal
governments; or a multi-State or multi-jurisdictional group of State
DOTs, transit agencies or tribal governments.
Entities that are not among those groups may respond directly to
the survey or work with State DOTs, transit agencies, or tribal
governments to submit responses to the survey. Such entities could
include metropolitan planning organizations, seaport authorities,
railroads, cities, counties, coalitions or joint power authorities of
local governments, or economic development organizations which have
responsibility for planning and/or implementing infrastructure
projects.
Eligible projects are any surface transportation project or set of
integrated surface transportation projects closely related in the
function they perform, which are eligible to receive Federal assistance
under 23 U.S.C. (Section 1301 of SAFETEA-LU). Additionally, a project's
total cost must be at least $500 million or 50 percent of the amount of
Federal highway assistance funds apportioned to the State in which the
project is located. (Section 1120 of MAP-21). A list of each State's
apportionments can be found at http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/infrastructure/nat_reg_sig/pnrs_survey/pnrs_aprt_13.
In addition to traditional highway and transit infrastructure
projects, other examples of eligible PNRS projects may include public
or private rail facilities providing benefits to highway users; surface
transportation infrastructure modifications to facilitate intermodal
interchange, transfer, and access into and out of ports; and other
activities eligible under 23 U.S.C.
In general, projects eligible for the Transportation Infrastructure
Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program are eligible for the PNRS
program. For more information on PNRS project eligibility respondents
should refer to the PNRS final rule: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FHWA-2005-23393-0027. The TIFIA legislation can be
found at 23 U.S.C. 601(a)(12): http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2012-title23/html/USCODE-2012-title23-chap6-sec601.htm.
Outreach
The DOT will conduct extensive outreach to reach as many
stakeholders as possible. The outreach by DOT staff is aimed at
achieving completeness and consistency in survey responses.
An informational Webinar is scheduled for October 6, 2014. You may
register for the Webinar at http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webconfid=27944. The Webinar
will be recorded and made available for future viewing online at http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/infrastructure/nat_reg_sig/index.htm.
Survey Guidelines
The PNRS Survey can be accessed and downloaded from the following
Web site: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Freight/infrastructure/nat_reg_sig/index.htm. Additional guidance has been included for survey
respondents to help clarify what is being requested in survey questions
8-11 and 16. Listed below is the clarifying language included in the
survey instructions.
#8. Briefly describe how the project will significantly
improve performance of the Federal-aid highway system nationally, or
regionally. (limited to 1500 characters) To the extent possible, please
provide specific evidence or information about the ways this project
(which may include non-highway projects) will positively change any
performance-related features of the Federal-aid highway system--and the
extent of that impact. Quantitative information is preferred. (Survey
Question 8)
#9. Briefly describe how the project will generate national
economic benefits that reasonably exceed the costs of the project,
including increased access to jobs, labor, and other critical economic
inputs. (limited to 1500 characters) To the extent possible, please
provide specific citations or evidence linking the completion of this
particular project (regardless of whether it is part of a larger
facility or non-highway project) to positive changes in the national
economy. Quantitative information is preferred. (Survey Question 9)
#10. Briefly describe how the project will reduce long-term
congestion, including impacts in the State, region, and the United
States, and increase speed, reliability, and accessibility of the
movement of people or freight. (limited to 1500 characters) To the
extent possible, please provide specific citations or evidence linking
the completion of this particular project (regardless of whether it is
part of a larger facility) to positive changes in current or expected
congestion, such as reduced demand on the Federal-aid highway system
due to improvement of modal alternatives including transit service and
intercity passenger rail, or increased use of intelligent
transportation systems, and the extent of that impact. Quantitative
information is preferred. If congestion is not an issue this project
will address, please indicate that, as well as any related level of
service issues (e.g., reliability, accessibility) that may be affected
positively by this project. (Survey Question 10)
#11. Briefly describe how the project will improve
transportation safety, including reducing transportation accidents, and
serious injuries and fatalities. (limited to 1500 characters) To the
extent possible, please provide specific citations or evidence linking
the completion of this particular project (regardless of whether it is
part of a larger facility) to positive changes in safety for the region
or nation. Quantitative information is preferred. (Survey Question 11)
#16. Please upload any information that would help to
support your survey response. If you have multiple files please combine
them into one zip file. All common file types (e.g., PDF, Word, Excel,
PPT) are accepted. The maximum file size that can be uploaded is 16MB.
If the supporting documents are not able to be loaded into survey tool,
send directly to: PNRSSurvey@dot.gov. Documents sent by email must have
the same project title as listed in question six on the survey. Any
project-related video offered to satisfy the questions in this survey
must have hard copy documentation to support the video. (Survey
Question 16)
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Planned Schedule
The following is the approximate schedule for re-opening of the
PNRS Survey. Key milestones include:
1. October 2, 2014: Re-Open Survey;
2. October 2, 2014 to November 17, 2014, conduct outreach,
technical assistance and follow-up;
3. October 6, 2014, Conduct Informational Webinar;
4. November 17, 2014: Close Survey
Authority: Section 1120 of Public Law 112-141.
Issued on: September 23, 2014.
Gregory G. Nadeau,
Acting Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-23420 Filed 10-1-14; 8:45 am]
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