[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4091-4093]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-2020]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
[Docket No. OST-97-2085]
Proposed Policy Encouraging Metropolitan Planning Organizations
and Airport Operators to Cooperate in Transportation Planning
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.
ACTION: Proposed policy statement.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Transportation (DOT) is publishing for
comment a proposed policy statement regarding the need for coordination
between aviation and surface transportation planning efforts,
particularly between airport operators and metropolitan planning
organizations, with emphasis on urbanized areas over one million
population as defined by the latest Decennial Census.
There are a number of concerns and issues shared by policy makers
responsible for airport and surface transportation decision making,
including the need to plan for and develop adequate surface
transportation access serving airports. This policy addresses the need
to enhance cooperation across transportation modes. This type of
cooperation is especially important because planning requirements for
the individual transportation modes (highway, transit, rail, and
aviation) are contained in separate statutory authority. The DOT
believes that it is desirable to stimulate and revitalize the
cooperative relationship between airport operators and metropolitan
planning organizations to achieve a thoughtful and carefully
coordinated program of intermodal and multimodal system planning and
development.
This proposed policy is consistent with the statutory policy
provisions guiding the Federal airport improvement program, such as
encouraging the efficient and effective development of intermodal
transportation systems. 49 U.S.C. 47101(a)(5). This proposed policy
also implements the statutory policy directing the Department to
integrate airport improvement planning with intermodal planning. 49
U.S.C. 47101(g), as amended by section 141 of the Federal Aviation
Authorization Act of 1996. Pub. L. No. 104-264, October 9, 1996.
DATES: Comments on this proposal should be received by March 31, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Submit written, signed comments to Docket No. OST-97-2085,
the Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Transportation, Room PL-401, SVC-
[[Page 4092]]
121.30, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590. All comments
received will be available for examination at the above address between
9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. Those desiring notification of receipt of comments must
include a self-addressed, stamped envelope or postcard.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Carl Swerdloff, Office of
Economics, Office of the Secretary, at (202) 366-5427, DOT, 400 Seventh
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590; or Mr. Larry Kiernan, Office of
Airport Planning and Programming, FAA, at (202) 267-8784, 800
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591. Office hours are from
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
The Proposed Policy Statement
The DOT proposes to adopt a new policy encouraging improved
cooperation between metropolitan planning organizations and airport
operators in devising realistic plans to address transportation issues
and more effectively integrate airport and urban surface transportation
systems.
Proposed Policy Encouraging Metropolitan Planning Organizations and
Airport Operators To Cooperate in Transportation Planning
Introduction
DOT, through this proposed policy encourages metropolitan planning
organizations and airport operators, especially in urbanized areas with
one million population or more, to cooperate and coordinate on a wide
range of transportation issues. This policy will improve cooperation
between airport and metropolitan transportation planning and
development activities. It is the expectation of the United States DOT
that this effort will identify additional opportunities for intermodal
and multimodal cooperation. The policy addresses obstacles to the
effective integration of multimodal issues in metropolitan
transportation planning. These obstacles have developed over time and
are, in part, the unintended result of different statutory requirements
for transportation planning for surface and air modes. While both
surface and air transportation are recognized as having a major
influence on urban development, metropolitan planning organizations
have taken a larger role in surface transportation planning and have
concentrated their expertise and resources on that topic.
DOT recognizes that a thoughtful program of airport planning and
development conducted within the context of the metropolitan planning
framework can greatly enhance the air transportation potential of the
region, with benefits to the region and the nation. DOT wants to ensure
that surface and airport planning are mutually supported by appropriate
expertise.
Several factors must be addressed to encourage participation of
metropolitan planning organizations in the airport planning process.
Adequate staff and budget resources must be available to enable
metropolitan planning organizations to make competent assessments of
the airport planning process, especially in urbanized areas of one
million population and greater. Full-time professional staff with
expertise in air transportation is desirable in transportation planning
agencies, but consultant services may be an acceptable alternative.
Technical guidance is needed to provide the context for metropolitan
planning within the framework of the national airport system and to
describe the techniques available for analyzing specialized technical
issues such as aviation activity forecasting, air transportation demand
analysis, airspace utilization, environmental impact, and ground access
requirements. Airport operators should have major input to the planning
process if it is to be well informed and effective.
General Planning Principles
1. The regional airport system should be planned and operated to
provide the public with the safest and most efficient air
transportation service possible and to ensure adequate capacity to
accommodate current and forecast aviation demand.
2. Airport planning and development within a metropolitan region
should be conducted in cooperation with the metropolitan transportation
planning process to ensure the best use of resources compatible with
land use, general development, and surface transportation plans for the
region.
3. Metropolitan planning organizations should develop and maintain
organizational capacity in aviation planning including forecasting,
demand analysis, environmental impact, ground transportation
requirements, and economic impact.
4. Airport operators should be active and influential participants
in the metropolitan transportation planning process through such
mechanisms as technical advisory committees and metropolitan planning
organization policy boards to ensure maximum consistency between
surface and aviation plans.
5. Local governments and airport operators are encouraged to make
optimal use of existing regional airport and aviation facilities and
capacity in meeting current and future air transportation demand, and
to plan for additional airport and aviation facilities and capacity as,
when and where future transportation demand warrants.
Implementation
The DOT proposes to implement the proposed policy through a variety
of measures to encourage metropolitan planning organizations to become
more involved with aviation issues.
After our highest priority safety and security needs have been met,
DOT will give a high priority to requests for financial aid under the
Airport Improvement Program to enable metropolitan planning
organizations, with special emphasis on urbanized areas of one million
population and greater, to develop, retain, and apply aviation planning
capabilities. DOT will develop and distribute current technical
guidance including a guide for planning metropolitan and regional
aviation systems and a guide for planning surface access to airports.
DOT will consider the extent to which metropolitan planning
organizations have enhanced their capability to analyze aviation issues
as a factor in the review of requests for financial aid under this
policy.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Request for Comments
The proposed policy anticipates that the potential for integrating
metropolitan airport capacity and service with other modes can be
greatly enhanced through thoughtful and well coordinated metropolitan
surface transportation and airport planning. DOT seeks public input on
the following issues in its further consideration of this proposal.
--Will this goal be effectively advanced by this proposal or are
additional measures necessary?
--Are incentives needed to encourage metropolitan planning
organizations to develop aviation planning capability?
--Is additional technical guidance needed?
--Are the financial resources now available adequate to support the
desired level of metropolitan airport planning?
--Are institutional changes necessary to expand the participation of
airport
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operators in the metropolitan transportation system planning process?
If so, what measures are indicated, who should initiate and implement
them, and what policies and procedures should apply to their
implementation?
--What actions can DOT undertake to build upon this initiative to
further enhance cooperation between airport and surface transportation
policy makers?
Comments on these and other aspects of the proposed policy are
welcome.
Issued in Washington, DC on January 21, 1997.
Federico Pena,
Secretary of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 97-2020 Filed 1-27-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-62-P
