Transportation Asset Management Plan Development Processes Certification and Recertification Guidance; Transportation Asset Management Plan Consistency Determination Guidance

Walter C. Waidelich, Jr.
Federal Highway Administration
5 June 2017

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 106 (Monday, June 5, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25905-25906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-11529]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[FHWA Docket no. FHWA-2017-0018]


Transportation Asset Management Plan Development Processes 
Certification and Recertification Guidance; Transportation Asset 
Management Plan Consistency Determination Guidance

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is seeking comments on two draft documents: (1) 
Transportation Asset Management Plan Development Processes 
Certification and Recertification Guidance, and (2) Transportation 
Asset Management Plan Consistency Determination Guidance. These 
documents provide implementation guidance on provisions of the Moving 
Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and the Asset 
Management Final Rule, which requires a State department of 
transportation (State DOT) to develop and implement a risk-based asset 
management plan. Under these authorities, FHWA must (1) certify that 
transportation asset management plan (TAMP) development processes 
established by a State DOT meet applicable requirements, and (2) make 
an annual consistency determination, evaluating whether a State DOT has 
developed and implemented a State-approved TAMP that meets all 
applicable requirements. This notice announces the availability of 
these draft documents on the online docket at the docket number for 
this notice.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 5, 2017.

ADDRESSES: To ensure that you do not duplicate your docket submissions, 
please submit all comments by only one of the following means:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., W12-140, Washington, DC 
20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone number is (202) 366-
9329.
     Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket 
number at the beginning of your comments. All comments received will be 
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this notice 
contact Mr. Stephen Gaj, FHWA Office of Infrastructure, (202) 366-1336, 
Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, 
DC 20590, or via email at Stephen.Gaj@dot.gov. For legal questions, 
please contact Ms. Janet Myers, FHWA Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 
366-2019, Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., 
Washington, DC 20590-0001, or via email at Janet.Myers@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 and Filing

    Copies of the proposed Transportation Asset Management Plan 
Development Processes Certification and Recertification Guidance; and 
Consistency Determination Guidance are available online for download 
and public inspection online under the docket at the Federal 
eRulemaking portal at: http://www.regulations.gov. You may also submit 
or retrieve comments online through the Federal eRulemaking portal. The 
Web site is available 24 hours each day, 365 days each 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 home page at: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register and the Government Publishing Office's Web page at: 
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/. Late comments will be considered to the 
extent practicable.

Background

    Under the asset management provisions enacted in MAP-21, codified 
at 23 U.S.C. 119, State DOTs must develop and implement a risk-based 
TAMP. This TAMP must include all National Highway System (NHS) 
pavements and bridges, regardless of whether the State or some other 
entity owns the relevant NHS facility.
    The FHWA must take two actions with respect to State DOT asset 
management activities. The first is TAMP development process 
certification/recertification. Under 23 U.S.C. 119(e)(6), FHWA must 
certify at least every 4 years that the State DOT's processes for 
developing its TAMP are consistent with applicable requirements. The 
FHWA must also recertify whenever the State amends its TAMP development 
processes, in accordance with 23 CFR 515.13(c). The second FHWA action, 
under 23 U.S.C. 119(e)(5), is an annual consistency determination, 
which evaluates whether the State DOT has developed and implemented a 
TAMP that is consistent with the requirements of 23 U.S.C. 119. The 
FHWA adopted the asset management rule, 23 CFR part 515, to implement 
these and other asset management requirements. The FHWA Division 
Offices (Divisions) are responsible for making these two decisions on 
behalf of FWHA.
    To assist State DOTs and Divisions with these requirements, the 
FHWA Office of Asset Management, Pavements, and Construction is seeking 
comment on the two draft guidance documents announced by this notice. 
Please note that any comments should be limited to these guidance 
documents; FHWA is not soliciting further comment on the Asset 
Management Final Rule.
    The Transportation Asset Management Plan Development

[[Page 25906]]

Processes Certification and Recertification Guidance provides a 
framework for Divisions to undertake and complete the process 
certification for a State DOT's TAMP development processes as outlined 
in 23 CFR 515.13. The Transportation Asset Management Plan Consistency 
Determination Guidance assists Divisions on evaluating whether a State 
DOT has developed and implemented its TAMP in accordance with 
provisions in 23 CFR 515.13(b). All guidance is subject to change as 
the state of asset management practices change and the asset management 
rule is further implemented.

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 119; 23 CFR part 515; 49 CFR 1.85.

    Issued on: May 26, 2017.
Walter C. Waidelich, Jr.,
Acting Deputy Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2017-11529 Filed 6-2-17; 8:45 am]
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