Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

William Hyre
Federal Transit Administration
19 May 2017

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 96 (Friday, May 19, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23130-23131]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-10171]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

[FTA Docket No. FTA 2017-0013]


Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces that the Information Collection Requirements (ICRs) 
abstracted below have been forwarded to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describe the nature of the 
information collection and their expected burdens. The Federal Register 
notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the 
following collections of information was published on January 17, 2017.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before June 19, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tia Swain, Office of Administration, 
Management Planning Division, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 
TAD-10, Washington, DC 20590 (202) 366-0354 or tia.swain@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Public Law 104-13, Section 2, 109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised 
at 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), and its implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 
1320, require Federal agencies to issue two notices seeking public 
comment on information collection activities before OMB may approve 
paperwork packages. 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5, 1320.8(d)(1), 
1320.12. On January 17, 2017, published a 60-day notice (82 FR 4963) in 
the Federal Register soliciting comments on the ICR that the agency was 
seeking OMB approval. FTA received no comments after issuing this 60-
day notice. Accordingly, DOT announces that these information 
collection activities have been re-evaluated and certified under 5 
CFR1320.5(a) and forwarded to OMB for review and approval pursuant to 5 
CFR 1320.12(c).
    Before OMB decides whether to approve these proposed collections of 
information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. 44 U.S.C. 
3507(b); 5 CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires OMB to approve or 
disapprove paperwork packages between 30 and 60 days after the 30-day 
notice is published. 44 U.S.C. 3507 (b)-(c); 5 CFR 1320.12(d); see also 
60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that the 30-day notice 
informs the regulated community to file relevant comments and affords 
the agency adequate time to digest public comments before it renders a 
decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should 
submit their respective comments to OMB within 30 days of publication 
to best ensure having their full effect. 5 CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 
FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
    The summaries below describe the nature of the information 
collection requirements (ICRs) and the expected burden. The 
requirements are being submitted for clearance by OMB as required by 
the PRA.
    Title: Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation Planning and 
Metropolitan Transportation Planning
    OMB Control Number: 2132-0529
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved information 
collection
    Abstract: The FTA and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) jointly 
carry out the federal mandate to improve urban and rural 
transportation. 49 U.S.C. 5303 and 5304 and 23 U.S.C. 134 and 135 
authorize the use of federal funds to assist Metropolitan Planning 
Organizations (MPOs), States, and local public bodies in developing 
transportation plans and programs to serve the transportation needs of 
urbanized areas over 50,000 in population and other areas of States 
outside of urbanized areas. The information collection activities 
involved in developing the Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), the 
Metropolitan Transportation Plan, the Long-Range Statewide 
Transportation Plan, the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), and 
the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) are necessary 
to identify and evaluate the transportation issues and needs in each 
urbanized area and throughout every State. These products of the 
transportation planning process are essential elements in the 
reasonable planning and programming of federally funded transportation 
investments. In addition to serving as a management tool for MPOs, the 
UPWP is used by both FTA and FHWA to monitor the transportation 
planning activities of MPOs. It also is needed to establish national 
out year budgets and regional program plans, develop policy on using 
funds, monitor State and local compliance with technical emphasis 
areas, respond to Congressional inquiries, prepare Congressional 
testimony, and ensure efficiency in the use and expenditure of Federal 
funds by determining that planning proposals are both reasonable and 
cost-effective. 49 U.S.C. 5303 and 23 U.S.C. 134(j) require the 
development of TIPs for urbanized areas; STIPs are mandated by 49 
U.S.C. 5304 and 23 U.S.C. 135(g) for an entire State. After approval by 
the Governor and MPO, metropolitan TIPs in attainment areas are to be 
incorporated directly into the STIP. For nonattainment areas, FTA/FHWA 
must make a conformity finding on the TIPs before including them in the 
STIP. The complete STIP is then jointly reviewed and approved or 
disapproved by FTA and FHWA. These conformity findings and approval 
actions constitute the determination that States are complying with the 
requirements of 23 U.S.C. 134 and 135 and 49 U.S.C. 5303 and 5304 as a 
condition of eligibility for federal-aid funding. Without these 
documents, approvals and findings, FTA and FHWA cannot provide capital 
and/or operating assistance.
    The FTA and FHWA updated their method for estimating the annual

[[Page 23131]]

burden hours of the transportation planning programs on respondents to 
reflect the Final Rule on Statewide and Nonmetropolitan Transportation 
Planning and Metropolitan Transportation Planning. On July 6, 2012, the 
President signed into law Public Law 112-141, the Moving Ahead for 
Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) and on December 4, 2015, 
signed into law Public Law 114-94, the Fixing America's Surface 
Transportation Act (FAST). The MAP-21 makes significant changes to the 
statewide and nonmetropolitan planning process and the metropolitan 
transportation planning process, and the FAST makes minor changes to 
existing provisions. As a result, FHWA and FTA have issued a final rule 
that makes the regulations consistent with current statutory 
requirements. The rule is central to the implementation of the overall 
performance management framework created by MAP-21. The changes to the 
FHWA/FTA statewide and nonmetropolitan and metropolitan transportation 
planning regulations (23 CFR part 450 and 49 CFR part 613) make the 
regulations consistent with current statutory requirements. Major 
regulatory revisions include a new mandate for States and MPOs to take 
a performance-based approach to planning and programming; a new 
emphasis on the nonmetropolitan transportation planning process, by 
requiring States to have a higher level of involvement with 
nonmetropolitan local officials and providing a process for the 
creation of regional transportation planning organizations (RTPOs); a 
structural change to the membership of the larger MPOs; a new framework 
for voluntary scenario planning; and a process for programmatic 
mitigation plans. The revised burden hour estimates reflect the annual 
compliance burden of the requirements in the Final Rule on Statewide 
and Nonmetropolitan Transportation Planning and Metropolitan 
Transportation Planning published on May 27, 2016.
    Annual Estimated Total Burden Hours: 4,199,279 hours.

ADDRESSES:  All written comments must refer to the docket number that 
appears at the top of this document and be submitted to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: FTA Desk Officer. 
Alternatively, comments may be sent via email to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of Management and 
Budget, at the following address: oira_submissions@omb.eop.gov
    Comments are Invited On: Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology. A comment to OMB is best assured of having its 
full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register.

William Hyre,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Administration.
[FR Doc. 2017-10171 Filed 5-18-17; 8:45 am]
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