TIFIA 15 Day Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 139 / Friday, July 19, 2013 / Notices
responsible for administration of the
Foreign Service written examination,
and other authorized agencies
administering pre-employment tests,
Office of Personnel Management and
other Federal agencies, prospective
alien spouses of Foreign Service
employees; grievance staff and appeals
boards, affidavits and testimony of
witnesses.
SYSTEMS EXEMPTED FROM CERTAIN PROVISIONS
OF THE ACT:

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a (k)(1),
subject to the provisions of section
552(b)(1), records are exempted from 5
U.S.C. 552a (c)(3), (d), (e)(1), (e)(4)(G),
(H) and (I), and (f) to protect material
required to be kept Secret. Pursuant to
5 U.S.C. 552a (k)(4), records contained
within this system that are maintained
solely for statistical purposes are also
exempted from 5 U.S.C. 552a (c)(3), (d),
(e)(1), (e)(4)(G), (H) and (I), and (f).
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a (k)(5) and
(k)(7), certain records contained within
this system contain confidential source
information and are exempted from 5
U.S.C. 552a (c)(3), (d), (e)(1), (e)(4)(G),
(H) and (I), and (f). Pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
552a (k)(6), records that contain testing
or examination material the release of
which may compromise testing or
examination procedures are also
exempted from 5 U.S.C. 552a (c)(3), (d),
(e)(1), (e)(4)(G), (H) and (I), and (f). See
Department of State Rules published in
22 CFR 171.
[FR Doc. 2013–17391 Filed 7–18–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–26–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary of
Transportation
Transportation Infrastructure
Financing and Innovation Act (TIFIA)
Program; Agency Information
Collection Activities and Request for
Comments
Office of the Secretary of
Transportation (OST).
SUMMARY: The Department of
Transportation (DOT) invites public
comments on a request to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to
approve an Emergency Information
Collection Request in accordance with
the requirements of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13,
44 USC 3501 et seq). This request is
being submitted to OMB via an
Emergency Information Collection
Request.
On July 6, 2012, the President of the
United States signed the Moving Ahead

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AGENCY:

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for Progress in the 21st Century Act of
2012 (MAP–21). 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. This
information collection relates to the
collection of information from entities
interested in TIFIA credit assistance and
assists the DOT in evaluating projects
and project sponsors for program
eligibility and creditworthiness.
DATES: Written comments should be
submitted by August 5, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on:
(a) The need for the proposed collection
of information for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(b) The accuracy of the agency’s
estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information, including the
validity of the methodology and
assumptions used; (c) Ways to enhance
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d)
Ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques. You may submit
comments identified by Docket No.
DOT–OST–2013–0138 through one of
the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
• Fax: 1–202–493–2251.
• Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket
Management Facility, U.S. Department
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE., West Building, Room W12–
140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except on Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The
TIFIA program manager via email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Transportation Infrastructure
Financing and Innovation Act program
or TIFIA program.
OMB Control Number: 2105–New.
Affected Public: State and local
governments, transit agencies, railroad
companies, special authorities, special
districts, and private entities.
Estimated Total Annual Number of
Responses: 50 letters of interest and 50
applications.

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Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 6,000 hours. Based on the
number and type of interested
stakeholders that have contacted the
Department about this program, OST
estimates that it will receive 50
applications and letters of interest and
that it will generally not take applicants
more than 100 person-hours to assemble
individual applications and 20 personhours to assemble individual letters of
interest. Therefore, the total annual hour
burden of this collection of applications
is 6,000 hours.
Frequency of Collection: The
Department expects that this
information collection will occur on a
rolling basis as interested entities seek
TIFIA credit assistance.
Background: This is an existing
information collection without an OMB
Control Number. DOT has published a
notice in the Federal Register (also
available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/
ipd/pdfs/tifia/
fy2013_tifia_nofa_073112.pdf) to give
project sponsors an opportunity to
submit Letters of Interest and
applications for the newly authorized
funding as soon as possible. However,
in addition to authorizing more funding
for TIFIA credit assistance, MAP–21
made some significant changes to the
TIFIA program’s structure, including the
terms and conditions pursuant to which
DOT can provide TIFIA credit
assistance. DOT is required to solicit
letters of interest and applications for
TIFIA credit assistance from interested
applicants. DOT has developed forms
that provide a way for interested
applicants to submit information
required by DOT in order for DOT to
evaluate that interested applicant’s
application for TIFIA credit assistance.
The forms for the letter of interest and
application are available for review at
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/tifia/
guidance_applications/
tifia_applications.htm. The DOT will
use the collected information to
evaluate and select recipients for credit
assistance as authorized under MAP–21.
Applicants may be asked to provide
additional supporting evidence or to
quantify details during the review and
negotiation process on a case-by-case
basis, but completion of the letter of
interest and application.
MAP–21 establishes a multi-step
application process for TIFIA credit
assistance. This process begins with the
submission of a Letter of Interest and
determination of eligibility. Only after a
project sponsor has submitted a Letter of
Interest and met all statutory eligibility
requirements will the project sponsor be
invited to submit an application.

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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 139 / Friday, July 19, 2013 / Notices

The Letter of Interest must (i) describe
the project and the location, purpose,
and cost of the project, (ii) outline the
proposed financial plan, including the
requested credit assistance and the
proposed obligor, (iii) provide a status
of environmental review, and (iv)
provide information regarding
satisfaction of other eligibility
requirements of the TIFIA credit
program. Letters of Interest will be
submitted using the form on the TIFIA
Web site: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ipd/
tifia/guidance_applications/index.htm.
DOT has revised the form for the Letter
of Interest to reflect changes made to the
TIFIA program by MAP–21. The Letter
of Interest form requires project
sponsors to provide information
demonstrating satisfaction (or expected
satisfaction if permitted by the statute)
of each of the eligibility requirements
included in MAP–21. DOT estimates
that the letter of interest would require
approximately 20 hours in each instance
to complete.
If a project sponsor is invited to
submit an application, DOT estimates
that each application will require
approximately 100 hours to complete.
The information that DOT seeks through
the application includes: Contact
information for the applicant entity;
project information including name,
location, description, rural project
description (if applicable), purpose
(quantitative/qualitative details), cost
and TIFIA credit assistance request,
project management and compliance
monitoring plan, maintenance and
operations plan, satisfaction of
eligibility requirements including
creditworthiness (rate covenant,
coverage requirements, investment
grade rating(s)), fostering partnerships
that attract public and private
investment, how TIFIA assistance
would enable the project to proceed at
an earlier date or with reduced lifecycle
costs, how TIFIA assistance would
reduce the contribution of federal grant
assistance, environmental review
(NEPA), permits and approvals,
transportation planning and
programming process approvals (STIP
and TIP), construction contracting
process readiness, project schedule, a
financial plan including estimated
capital project cost, amount and type of
credit assistance requested, amount of
TIFIA assistance requested, a summary
table: Detailing sources and uses of
funds, cash flow pro forma, a
supplementary narrative detailing other
borrowed funds and revenue sources
(including pledged repayment source),
proposed terms for the requested TIFIA
credit instrument, reasons for selecting

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the proposed type(s) of credit
instrument, flexibility in financial plan
to support a reduced percentage-share of
TIFIA credit assistance, risks and
mitigation strategies, details on the
applicant’s organizational structure,
including background information and
legal authority, organization and
management, identity of the entity that
will serve as applicant (public-sector
agency or private-sector firm), whether
the applicant the same entity as the
borrower (detail project team members),
prior experience, financial condition,
and litigation and/or conflicts.
Issued in Washington, DC on July 16, 2013.
Patricia Lawton,
Departmental PRA Clearance Officer, Office
of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013–17406 Filed 7–18–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration
Use of Wireless Mobile Data Devices
as Transponders for the Commercial
Motor Vehicle Information Systems
and Networks (CVISN) Electronic
Screening Systems
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice; announcement of policy.
AGENCY:

FMCSA announces that
Commercial Mobile Radio Services
(CMRS) network devices can be used as
transponders for the purposes of CVISN
electronic screening truck inspection
and weigh station bypass systems.
CMRS network devices such as
smartphones, tablets, fleet management
systems, global positioning system
(GPS) navigational units, and onboard
telematics devices (referred to
collectively as ‘‘wireless mobile data
devices’’) have the capability of
transmitting and receiving the same
information between the driver and the
inspection site as the dedicated shortrange communication (DSRC)-enabled
transponders operating at the 915 MHz
frequency currently used to fulfill the
CVISN electronic screening requirement
for core compliance. This policy does
not affect the applicability or
enforcement of FMCSA’s regulations
prohibiting texting and the use of handheld wireless mobile phones by
commercial motor vehicle (CMV)
drivers.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
information concerning this notice or
this activity, contact Mr. Jose M.
Rodriguez, CVISN Technical Program
SUMMARY:

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Manager, Technology Division of
FMCSA, (202) 366–3517,
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background
The purpose of the CVISN program is
to advance technological capability and
promote the deployment of Intelligent
Transportation System applications for
commercial vehicle operations,
including commercial vehicle,
commercial driver, and carrier specific
information systems and networks.
CVISN is divided into core and
expanded deployment. Before a State is
eligible for expanded deployment
funding, it must complete core
deployment. In order to complete core
deployment, States must install an
electronic system to screen transponderequipped commercial vehicles at a
minimum of one fixed or mobile
inspection site in the State and replicate
this screening at other sites. The
objective of electronic screening is to
identify enrolled vehicles; to screen
vehicles based on safety history, weight,
and credential status (e.g., registration,
fuel tax payment, operating authority);
and to allow enrolled vehicles that meet
the State’s criteria to bypass inspection
sites. By allowing compliant vehicles to
bypass weigh stations and inspection
sites without stopping, FMCSA and its
State partners are able to increase the
effectiveness of enforcement efforts by
targeting high risk motor carriers.
Currently, weigh stations and inspection
sites electronically screen DSRCenabled transponder-equipped CMVs to
determine if an inspection is necessary
or if the driver should bypass the weigh
station or inspection site.
In the past, States have installed only
DSRC electronic screening transponder
systems to satisfy the CVISN core
electronic screening requirement
because that was the prevalent
technology at the time the CVISN
program was authorized. States or
private companies providing the DSRC
screening services were required to
install DSRC infrastructure to
participate in the information sharing
between roadside activities and the
vehicles required to be in compliance
with Core CVISN deployment. States
may continue to deploy DSRC electronic
screening transponder systems
operating at the 915 MHz frequency to
fulfill the CVISN electronic screening
requirement for core compliance.
Use of CMRS To Comply With CVISN
Since the CVISN program began, there
has been a significant expansion of
CMRS networks in North America.

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