[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 63 (Monday, April 2, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19747-19748]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7804]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary of Transportation
[Docket No. DOT-OST-2012-0046]
Notice of Transportation Services' Transition from Paper to
Electronic Fare Media
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of
Transportation Services (TRANServe), located within the Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Administration, has initiated the adoption of a
new program distribution methodology for transit benefits. TRANServe
has shifted to electronic fare media in specific areas in New York,
parts of the National Capitol Region, and parts of the Southeast.
TRANServe intends to implement electronic fare media across the United
States within the eight TRANServe Geographic Service Areas as it
ensures that the implementation in each area will be consistent with
applicable statutes and regulations. The implementation of electronic
distribution, and a limited paper voucher process, allows for the most
effective and efficient mechanism for the qualified transportation
fringe benefit.
DATES: TRANServe will consider all comments received on or before April
23, 2012.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov to submit or view comments and to view supporting
and related materials available electronically.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send one copy of
your comment to Docket No. DOT-OST-2012-0046, DOT/TRANServe, 1200 New
Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Reading Room (Public Terminal): You may read any comments that we
receive on this docket in our reading room (Public Terminal). The
reading room is located in room W12-140 of the US DOT 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To be sure
someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366-9826 or (202) 366-
9317 before arriving.
Other Information: Additional information about TRANServe is
available on the internet at (http://transerve.dot.gov/index.html).
[[Page 19748]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Denise P. Wright, Business Office
Manager, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
TRANServe provides service to over 250,000 transit benefit
participants employed by over 100 federal organizations nationwide.
Since the program's inception, TRANServe has distributed the qualified
transportation fringe benefit to participating Federal employees via a
paper voucher process. To that end, TRANServe has operated a highly
sophisticated ordering, inventory and distribution program supported by
a complex network of activities, such as statistical forecasting for
nationwide distribution, multi-million dollar contract awards, support
arrangements for travel and distribution, and an elaborate array of
financial analysis for billing participating Federal agencies. In
addition to a growing number of participants, many state and local
transit authorities have transitioned, or are transitioning, to
electronic fare media, compelling the shift from a paper based system
(vouchers) to an electronic fare media structure. TRANServe has also
experienced rising program costs related to inventory, travel, and
infrastructure support, requiring that TRANServe adopt a new
distribution method from paper to electronic fare media. As a result,
TRANServe is implementing an efficient and effective electronic fare
media transition to its participating transit benefit agencies,
consistent with statutory requirements in 49 U.S.C. 327, Administrative
Working Capital Fund; 26 U.S.C. 132(f), Qualified Transportation
Fringe; 31 U.S.C. 3302, Custodians of Money; Federal Employees Clean
Air Incentives Act (Pub. L. 103-172); and Executive Order 13150,
Federal Workforce Transportation. To date, for instance, TRANServe has
shifted to electronic fare media in specific areas in New York, parts
of the National Capitol Region, and parts of the Southeast. TRANServe
intends to implement electronic fare media across the United States
within the eight identified TRANServe areas. The eight Geographic
TRANServe Service Areas are segmented based on TRANServe participant
population and natural Transit Authority boundaries. The eight
TRANServe Geographic Service Areas are as follows:
Service Area 1--Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
Service Area 2--(Southeast)--Tennessee, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana.
Service Area 3--(Upper Midwest)--Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan,
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virgin Islands, and
Puerto Rico.
Service Area 4--(Pacific Northwest)--Washington, Oregon, Alaska,
Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska.
Service Area 5--(Northeast)--Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New
York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Service Area 6--California.
Service Area 7--(Southwest-HI)--Hawaii, Nevada, Arizona, New
Mexico, Utah, and Colorado.
Service Area 8--(Upper TX--Lower Midwest)--Texas, Missouri,
Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
Public Comments: Persons wishing to offer written comments and
suggestions concerning the activities of TRANServe's distribution
method should file comments in the Public Docket (Docket Number DOT-
OST-2012-0046) at www.Regulations.gov.
Issued in Washington, DC, on March 26, 2012.
Marie Petrosino-Woolverton,
Director, Office of Financial Management & Transportation Services.
[FR Doc. 2012-7804 Filed 3-30-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P