The FHWA has a research program with environmental aspects and is
inviting suggestion for themes for FY 2013.
Please find below the Federal Register Notice, posted June 28, 2012.
Submissions must be made by September 28, 2012. The notice is also
available online at:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/resources/federal_register/fr28june1215895.cfm
*Federal Register Notice June 28, 2012*
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 125 (Thursday, June 28, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38709-38710]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office
[www.gpo.gov <http://www.gpo.gov>]
[FR Doc No: 2012-15895]
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*DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION*
*Federal Highway Administration*
*Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research
Program (STEP)*
*AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.*
*ACTION: Notice.*
*SUMMARY*: Section 5207 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) established
the Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research
Program (STEP). The FHWA anticipates that the STEP or a similar program
to provide resources for national research on issues related to
planning, environment, and realty will be included in future surface
transportation legislation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2013, the FHWA expects
to seek partnerships with other Federal agencies and tribes, State and
local governments, and nongovernmental transportation and environmental
stakeholders that can leverage limited research funding in the STEP with
other stakeholders and partners in order to increase the total amount of
resources available to meet the Nation's surface transportation research
needs. The purpose of this notice is to announce the STEP implementation
strategy for FY 2013 and to request suggested lines of research for the
FY 2013 STEP via the STEP Web site at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/
in anticipation of future surface transportation legislation.
*DATES*: Suggestions for lines of research should be submitted to the
STEP Web site on or before [insert date 90 days after date of
publication in Federal Register].
*FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT*: Gabe Rousseau, Acting Director,
Office of Human Environment, (202) 366-8044, [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]> or Seetha Srinivasan, Office of the Chief
Counsel, (202) 366-4099; Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
*SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION*:
*Electronic Access*
This document may be viewed online through the Federal eRulemaking
portal at: http://www.regulations.gov. Electronic submission and
retrieval help and guidelines are available on the Web site. It is
available 24 hours each day, 366 days this year. Please follow the
instructions. An electronic copy of this document may also be downloaded
from the Office of the Federal Register's home page at:
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/ and the Government Printing
Office's Web page at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/.
*Background*
Section 5207 of SAFETEA-LU (Pub. L. 109-59, Aug. 10, 2005), established
the STEP in Section 507 of Title 23, United States Code. The FHWA
anticipates that the STEP or a similar program to provide resources for
national research on issues related to planning, environment, and realty
will be included in future surface transportation legislation. The
general objective of the STEP is to improve understanding of the complex
relationship between surface transportation, planning, and the environment.
The SAFETEA-LU provided $16.875 million per year for FY 2006-2009 to
implement this cooperative research program. Due to obligation
limitations, rescissions, and congressional designations of Title V
Research in SAFETEA-LU, an average of $14.5 million of the authorized
$16.875 million was only available each fiscal year to help implement
the cooperative research program.
The STEP is the primary source of funds for FHWA to conduct research and
develop tools and technologies to advance the state of the practice
regarding national surface transportation and environmental
decisionmaking. In FY 2013, the FHWA expects to seek partnerships with
other Federal agencies and tribes; State and local governments; and
nongovernmental transportation and environmental stakeholders. These
partnerships can help leverage limited research funding in the STEP and
increase the total amount of resources available to meet the Nation's
surface transportation research needs.
The FY 2013 STEP will support the implementation of a national research
agenda that includes:
1. (1) Enhancing knowledge of strategies and tools available to
accelerate project delivery while improving environmental outcomes;
2. (2) Conducting research to develop climate change mitigation,
adaptation,and livability strategies;
3. (3) Developing and supporting accurate models and tools for
evaluating transportation measures and developing indicators of
economic, social, and environmental performance of transportation
systems to facilitate alternative analysis;
4. (4) Developing and deploying research to address congestion reduction
efforts;
5. (5) Developing transportation safety planning strategies for surface
transportation systems and improvements;
6. (6) Improving planning, operation, and management of surface
transportation systems and rights-of-way;
7. (7) Enhancing knowledge of strategies to improve transportation in
rural areas and small communities;
8. (8) Strengthening and advancing State/local and tribal capabilities
regarding surface transportation and the environment;
9. (9) Improving transportation decisionmaking and coordination across
international borders;
10. (10) Improving state of the practice regarding the impact of
transportation on the environment;
11. (11) Conducting research to promote environmental
streamlining/stewardship and sustainability;
12. (12) Exchanging knowledge and strategies to improve
performance-based planning and programming for transportation;
13. (13) Conducting research to identify, share, and test best practices
to promote transportation and livability linkages;
14. (14) Disseminating research results and advances in state of the
practice through peer exchanges, workshops, conferences, etc.;
15. (15) Meeting additional priorities as determined by the Secretary; and
16. (16) Refining the scope and research emphases through active
outreach and consultation with stakeholders.
The FHWA is issuing this notice to: (1) Announce the STEP Implementation
Strategy for the FY 2013 STEP in anticipation of future surface
transportation legislation, and (2) Solicit comments on proposed
research activities to be undertaken in the FY 2013 STEP via the STEP
Web site. The STEP Implementation Strategy can be found at
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/about_step/strategy/. That Strategy
updates information on the graphs and charts regarding historical
planning and environment research funding, and adds information about
the proposed FY 2013 STEP including proposed funding levels, goals, and
potential research activities. We invite the public to visit this Web
site to obtain additional information on the STEP, as well as
information on the process for forwarding comments to the FHWA regarding
the STEP implementation plan. The URL for the STEP Web site is:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/.
The FHWA will use this Web site as a major mechanism for informing the
public regarding the status of the STEP.
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 507.
*OMB Approval for Specific Forms, Surveys, Questionnaires: Burden Statement*
This collection of information is voluntary and will be used to identify
potential research for the creation of a research plan for the FHWA STEP
Program. Public reporting burden is estimated to average 30 minutes per
response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and
completing and reviewing the collection of information. No confidential
information will be collected; therefore, no assurances of
confidentiality will be provided. Please note that an agency may not
conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The OMB control number for
this collection is 2125-0627 (Expiration 6/30/14). Send comments
regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of
information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to:
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Federal Highway
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Authority: 5 CFR 1320.8.
Issued on: June 28, 2012
