INFORMATION: Outdated Guidance Documents and the FHWA/FTA Planning Final Rule


Printer Friendly Number 2007-42
05-03-07

May 3, 2007

Mass Mailout Number III-2007-42

Subject:  INFORMATION:  Outdated Guidance Documents and the FHWA/FTA Planning Final Rule

Dear Transit Colleague:

The purpose of this message is to provide information on the implementation of the FHWA/FTA Final Rule on statewide and metropolitan transportation planning and programming and congestion management processes/systems, which was published in the Federal Register on February 14, 2007.

As a reminder, this Final Rule became effective on March 16, 2007.  The information contained in several past guidance memorandums, correspondence, and documents has been incorporated into and/or superseded by these new regulatory provisions.  Developed cooperatively with the FHWA Office of Planning, the following list reflects these now outdated documents.

Note – Most of the following pages are linked to FTA’s website from http://www.fta.dot.gov/planning/metro/planning_environment_208.html.  Below are the source links:

FHWA/FTA guidance memorandum Implementing TEA-21 Planning Provisions (issued on February 2, 2001), currently residing on-line at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/tea21mem.htm;

FHWA/FTA information/guidance Implementing the 2000 Census in Metropolitan Transportation Planning Processes (issued via E-Mail on November 30, 2004);

FHWA/FTA Program Guidance on Linking the Transportation Planning and NEPA Processes (issued on February 23, 2005), currently residing on-line at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/plannepa.htm;

FHWA/FTA Guidance on Designation and Redesignation of MPOs (issued on March 30, 2005), currently residing on-line at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/mpodes.htm;

Planning Horizons for Metropolitan Long-Range Transportation Plans (issued on April 12, 2005), currently residing on-line at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/planhorz.htm;

Interim FHWA/FTA Guidance on Fiscal Constraint for STIPs, TIPs, and Metropolitan Plans (issued on June 30, 2005), currently residing on-line at http://www.fta.dot.gov/planning/metro/planning_environment_2483.html

The “Planning Provisions” portion of the Interim Guidance for Implementing Key SAFETEA-LU Provisions on Planning, Environment, and Air Quality for Joint FHWA/FTA Authorities (issued on September 2, 2005), currently residing on-line at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/igslpja.htm;

Transition and Implementation of SAFETEA-LU Planning Provisions (issued on December 8, 2005), currently residing on-line at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/planningtransition.htm;

FHWA/FTA Preliminary Guidance on the Annual Listing of Obligated Projects (issued on February 24, 2006), currently residing on-line at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/annuallistemail.htm; and

Deadline for New Planning Requirements - July 1, 2007 (issued on May 2, 2006), currently residing on-line at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/plandeadline.htm.

To minimize confusion, these outdated guidance documents formerly posted on FHWA and FTA websites soon will include a “watermark” and notation alerting Internet users who rely on “bookmarks” that these documents have been incorporated into and/or superseded by this Final Rule.

Additionally, for your information, the March 12, 2007 Federal Register contained a minor correction to the FHWA/FTA Final Rule on statewide and metropolitan transportation planning and programming and congestion management processes/systems.  Under 23 CFR 450.324(h) (see Page 7278 of the February 14, 2007 Federal Register), the date “December 11, 2007” replaces the phrase “[Insert date 270 days after effective date].”  This correction can be found at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/C7-493.htm (HTML) or
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/C7-493.pdf (pdf).

For additional information, please contact from FTA Headquarters:  Charles R. Goodman at (202) 366-1944 or Victor Austin, at (202) 366-2996.

Please feel free to distribution this throughout your organization as appropriate.

Sincerely,


Herman C. Shipman
Acting Regional Administrator

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