Notice2024-07218
Notice of Availability of Proposed Policy Guidance for the Capital Investment Grants Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 5, 2024
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Transit Administration
Abstract
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) invites public comment on revisions to the agency's policy guidance for the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program. These revisions are intended to amend FTA's CIG Policy Guidance last published in January 2023 and are a comprehensive update of the CIG Policy Guidance for notice and comment, incorporating feedback FTA received in response to its Request for Information published in the Federal Register in July 2021. The proposed guidance has been placed in the docket and posted on the FTA website. This policy guidance continues to complement FTA's regulations that govern the CIG program. FTA is also posing questions concerning the CIG New Starts and Small Starts Land Use and Economic Development Project Justification Criteria.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 67 (Friday, April 5, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 67 (Friday, April 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24086-24087]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07218]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[FTA-2021-0010]
Notice of Availability of Proposed Policy Guidance for the
Capital Investment Grants Program
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed policy guidance for the
Capital Investment Grants program.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) invites public
comment on revisions to the agency's policy guidance for the Capital
Investment Grants (CIG) program. These revisions are intended to amend
FTA's CIG Policy Guidance last published in January 2023 and are a
comprehensive update of the CIG Policy Guidance for notice and comment,
incorporating feedback FTA received in response to its Request for
Information published in the Federal Register in July 2021. The
proposed guidance has been placed in the docket and posted on the FTA
website. This policy guidance continues to complement FTA's regulations
that govern the CIG program. FTA is also posing questions concerning
the CIG New Starts and Small Starts Land Use and Economic Development
Project Justification Criteria.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before June 4, 2024. Late-filed
comments will be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to DOT docket number FTA-2021-0010
by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and
follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
U.S. Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-140,
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140,
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
Fax: 202-493-2251.
Instructions: You must include the agency name (Federal Transit
Administration) and docket number (FTA-2021-0010) for this notice at
the beginning of your comments. You must submit two copies of your
comments if you submit them by mail. If you wish to receive
confirmation FTA received your comments, you must include a self-
addressed, stamped postcard. Due to security procedures in effect since
October 2001, mail received through the U.S. Postal Service may be
subject to delays. Parties submitting comments may wish to consider
using an express mail firm to ensure prompt filing of any submissions
not filed electronically or by hand.
All comments received will be posted, without charge and including
any personal information provided, to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>,
where they will be available to internet users. You may review DOT's
complete Privacy Act Statement published in the Federal Register on
April 11, 2000, at 65 FR 19477. For access to the docket and to
[[Page 24087]]
read background documents and comments received, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> at any time or to the U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Docket Management Facility,
West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590 between
9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Day, FTA Office of Planning
and Environment, telephone (202) 366-5159 or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#86c3eaeffce7e4e3f2eea8c2e7ffc6e2e9f2a8e1e9f0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="06436a6f7c676463726e2842677f4662697228616970">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 5309(g)(5), FTA is
required to publish policy guidance on the CIG program each time the
agency makes significant changes. Also, FTA is required to invite
public comment on the guidance, and to publish its response to
comments. In brief, the policy guidance that FTA periodically issues
for the discretionary Capital Investment Grants (``CIG'') program
complements the FTA regulations that govern the CIG program, codified
at 49 CFR part 611. The regulations set forth the process that grant
applicants must follow to be considered for discretionary funding under
the CIG program, and the procedures and criteria FTA uses to rate and
evaluate the projects to determine their eligibility for that
discretionary funding. The policy guidance provides a greater level of
detail about the methods FTA uses and the sequential steps a sponsor
must follow in developing a project.
FTA is seeking comment on proposed changes to FTA's CIG Policy
Guidance last issued in January 2023. (<a href="https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grant-programs/capital-investments/final-capital-investment-grant-program-interim-policy">https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grant-programs/capital-investments/final-capital-investment-grant-program-interim-policy</a>). The proposals cover multiple topics. The
proposals being made today are available on the agency's public website
at <a href="https://www.transit.dot.gov/CIG">https://www.transit.dot.gov/CIG</a>, and in the docket at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
FTA is also posing questions concerning the CIG New Starts and
Small Starts Land Use and Economic Development Project Justification
Criteria:
1. FTA currently evaluates Land Use for New Starts and Small Starts
projects based primarily on station area population densities, total
employment served by the project, and the percentage of ``legally
binding affordability restricted'' housing within a \1/2\ mile of
station areas as compared to the counties in which the corridor is
located. FTA is proposing to evaluate Land Use for New Starts and Small
Starts projects based on station area population densities, total
employment served by the project, the percentage of ``legally binding
affordability restricted'' housing within a \1/2\ mile of station
areas, and two new quantitative measures--community risk and access to
essential services. Should FTA also add a measure of walkability to the
New Starts and Small Starts Land Use Criteria? If so, please identify
measures/data sources that would be readily available nationwide
without requiring an undue burden on project sponsors to gather and FTA
to verify the information. For example, should FTA add a measure using
EPA's National Walkability Index (<a href="https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/national-walkability-index-user-guide-and-methodology">https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/national-walkability-index-user-guide-and-methodology</a>)?
2. For New Starts and Small Starts projects, should FTA use the US
DOT Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer (<a href="https://www.transportation.gov/priorities/equity/justice40/etc-explorer">https://www.transportation.gov/priorities/equity/justice40/etc-explorer</a>), an
interactive web application that uses census tracts and data to explore
the cumulative burden communities experience as a result of
underinvestment in transportation, as a measure for Land Use? If so,
should this be in addition to the five measures FTA is proposing in the
Policy Guidance, or as a substitute for the proposed community risk
measure?
3. For New Starts and Small Starts projects, FTA currently
evaluates the following under Economic Development: (1) transit-
supportive plans and policies, which includes supportive zoning in
station areas; (2) the performance and impacts of transit-supportive
plans and policies; and (3) the tools to maintain or increase the share
of affordable housing in station areas. FTA is proposing to make
supportive zoning in station areas a standalone subfactor. FTA is
proposing to move the other current measures of transit-supportive
plans and policies (growth management (for New Starts only), transit
supportive corridor policies, and tools to implement land use policies)
to the subfactor performance and impacts of transit-supportive plans
and policies. FTA is proposing that equal weight be given to three
subfactors: supportive zoning in station areas, performance and impacts
of transit-supportive plans and policies, and tools to maintain or
increase the share of affordable housing in station areas, when
developing the overall Economic Development rating. Should FTA do more
to increase the relative weight of zoning as part of the Economic
Development rating? For example, should FTA:
a. Maintain its proposal to include three subfactors within
Economic Development (supportive zoning in station areas, performance
and impacts of transit-supportive plans and policies, and tools to
maintain or increase the share of affordable housing in station areas)
but assign the zoning subfactor more weight than the other two?
b. Eliminate some of the non-zoning Economic Development subfactors
or measures and if so, which ones?
c. Make any other changes to the Economic Development subfactors or
measures, and if so, which ones and how?
After review and consideration of the comments provided on the
proposals in this document and the answers to the questions, FTA will
issue a final notice and incorporate these changes into the existing
CIG Policy Guidance.
Issued under the authority delegated in 49 CFR 1.91.
Veronica Vanterpool,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2024-07218 Filed 4-4-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P
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