The collection of information is necessary in order to receive applications for grant funds pursuant to Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act of 2012 ("MAP-21"). MAP-21 authorizes additional funding and makes significant changes to the Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act ("TIFIA") program. The purpose of the TIFIA program is to provide Federal credit assistance in the form of direct loans, loan guarantees, and standby lines of credit to eligible surface transportation projects.
On July 6, 2012, the President of the United States signed the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act of 2012 (ÂMAP-21Â). MAP-21 authorized $750 million in FY 2013 and $1 billion in FY 2014 for the Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program to pay the subsidy cost of supporting Federal credit. The TIFIA program will provide Federal credit assistance in the form of direct loans, loan guarantees, and standby lines of credit to eligible surface transportation projects. Under MAP-21, by April 1, 2014, DOT must have committed an amount equal to at least 75 percent of the new TIFIA budget authority, or a portion of such budget authority will be distributed to states via the Federal-aid formula as grants, and USDOT will lose any discretion on how the funds are spent. Without your approval of this request the publication of the solicitation may be delayed. We appreciate your consideration of this request.
US Code:
23 USC Section 122
Name of Law: Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 1997 (TIFIA)
The program reporting requirements have not changed since the previous request for Extension of a Previously Approved Collection submitted in 2005. An adjustment has been made to the Information Collection Request; the number of affected tickets remains in the midrange of the 2005 while the estimated number of respondents has decreased. Both changes reflect the changing nature of the passenger airline industry: increased use of Internet booking sites, decreased numbers of and commissions paid to travel agents, increased numbers of air travel journeys, and the same (or less) change of gauge service in the domestic and international markets. We also note that several airlines (which had some degree of codeshare relationships in past) have merged, including (a) Delta and Northwest and (b) United and Continental.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.