[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 11, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39138-39140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-10754]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-2006-24957]
Safe Routes to School Task Force to the Secretary of
Transportation
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent to form an advisory committee.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 1404 (h) of the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
(SAFETEA-LU), the Secretary of Transportation is establishing a Safe
Routes to School Task Force to study and develop a strategy for
advancing safe routes to school programs nationwide. The FHWA Office of
Safety will serve as sponsor of the Task Force for the Secretary. The
purpose of this notice is to invite interested parties to submit
comments to the FHWA on the strategy or issues that should be discussed
by the Task Force, and the organizations and participants to be
considered for representation on the Task Force.
[[Page 39139]]
DATES: Comments and/or applications for membership or nominations for
membership on the Task Force must be received on or before August 10,
2006.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Tim Arnade, Safe Routes to School
Program Manager, FHWA Office of Safety Programs, 202-366-
2205(Tim.Arnade@dot.gov); or Ms. Lisa MacPhee, Office of the Chief
Counsel, (202) 366-1392 (Lisa.MacPhee@dot.gov); 400 Seventh Street,
SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15
p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Access
You may submit or retrieve comments online through the Document
Management System (DMS) at: http://dms.dot.gov/submit. The DMS 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 be downloaded from the
Federal Register's home page at: http://www.archives.gov and the
Government Printing Office's database at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/
nara.
Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's
complete Privacy Act Statement in a Federal Register published on April
11, 2000 (70 FR 19477), or you may visit http://dms.dot.gov.
Please note that even after the comment closing date, we will
continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it becomes
available. Further, some people may submit late comments and we
recommend that you periodically check the Docket for new material. We
will consider late comments to the extent practicable.
Background
On August 10, 2005, the President signed into law the Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy
for Users (SAFETEA-LU) (Pub. L. 109-59, 119 Stat. 1144). Section 1404
(h) of SAFETEA-LU mandates the establishment of a Safe Routes to School
Task Force.
The DOT has determined that the establishment of the Task Force
falls within the scope of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5
U.S.C. App. II.
A. Notice of Intent To Establish a Task Force and Request for Comment
In accordance with the requirements of the FACA, an agency of the
Federal government cannot establish or utilize a group of people in the
interest of obtaining consensus advice or recommendations unless that
group is chartered as a Federal advisory committee. The purpose of this
notice is to indicate the FHWA's intent to create a Task Force to study
and develop a strategy for advancing safe routes to school programs
nationwide, including information regarding the use of funds for
infrastructure-related and noninfrastructure-related activities funded
by the new Federal aid Safe Routes to School Program.
B. Name of Committee
National Safe Routes to School Task Force.
C. Purpose and Objective
The National Safe Routes to School Task Force will study and
develop a strategy for advancing safe routes to school programs
nationwide and will submit a report to the Secretary containing the
results of the study conducted, a description of the strategy
developed, and information regarding use of funds for infrastructure
related projects and non-infrastructure related activities funded by
the new Federal aid Safe Routes to School Program.
The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Task Force does not exercise
program management or regulatory development responsibilities, and
makes no decisions directly affecting the programs on which it provides
advice. The SRTS Task Force provides a forum for the development,
consideration, and communication of information from a knowledgeable
and independent perspective of a strategy for advancing Safe Routes to
School Programs nationwide.
D. Balanced Membership Plans
Task Force members shall represent a cross-section of the diverse
agencies, organizations and individuals that are involved in Safe
Routes to School activities and programs in the U.S. According to
section 1404(h) of SAFETEA-LU, ``The Secretary shall establish a Safe
Routes to School Task Force composed of leaders in health,
transportation, and education, including representatives of appropriate
Federal agencies.'' Pursuant to Congressional conference report
language, Congress acknowledges the need to include a broad range of
agencies and organizations in the Task Force and ``members could
include representatives from State and local agencies as well as
relevant non-profit organizations and associations including
organizations or associations that represent automobile drivers.''
This document gives notice to potential participants of the process
and affords them the opportunity to request representation on the SRTS
Task Force. The procedure for requesting such representation is set out
below. In addition, we invite comments and suggestions for potential
participants.
The FHWA is aware that there are many more potential organizations
and participants than there are membership positions on the SRTS Task
Force. It is very important to recognize that interested parties who
are not selected for membership on the SRTS Task Force can make
valuable contributions to the work of the SRTS Task Force in several
ways. For example, the person or organization could request to be
placed on the SRTS Task Force mailing list, submitting written
comments, as appropriate.
Any member of the public is welcome to attend the SRTS Task Force
meetings, and, as provided in FACA, speak to the SRTS Task Force. Time
will be set aside during each meeting for this purpose, consistent with
the SRTS Task Force's need for sufficient time to complete its
deliberations.
E. Applications for Membership
Each application for membership or nomination to the Task Force
should include:
(1) A brief resume or letter (no more than one page) demonstrating
the applicant or nominee's knowledge in SRTS projects or programs and
why they are interested in serving on the Task Force (please note,
resumes or letters will be posted on the public docket and therefore
should not contain personal information such as date of birth, etc).
(2) The name of the applicant or nominee and the interest(s)
identified in either section 1404 (h) of SAFETEA-LU or the conference
report language such person would represent;
(3) Evidence that the applicant or nominee is authorized to
represent parties related to the interest(s) the person proposes to
represent; and
(4) A written commitment that the applicant or nominee would
participate in good faith.
Since all comments and/or applications for membership or
nominations for membership on the Task Force will be posted on the
Public Docket, we encourage you to include
[[Page 39140]]
only that information you are willing to provide for the public docket
and submit your application electronically using the docket number
provided on this notice through the U.S. DOT online Document Management
System found at: http://dms.dot.gov/submit.
Every effort will be made to select Task Force members who are
objective. A balanced membership is needed and weight will be given to
a variety of factors including but not limited to geographical
distribution, gender, minority status, organization, and expertise.
Members of the Task Force may receive travel and per diem, as
allowed by Federal regulations and U.S. Department of Transportation
policy.
F. Duration
Two years from the establishment of the Task Force Charter.
G. Notice of Establishment
After evaluating applications and nominations received as a result
of this notice, the Department will publish in the Federal Register a
notice announcing the establishment and composition of the SRTS Task
Force.
(Authority: Section 1914 of Pub. L. 109-59.)
Issued on: July 3, 2006.
J. Richard Capka,
Federal Highway Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-10754 Filed 7-10-06; 8:45 am]
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