2023-19972. Advisory Committee on Transportation Equity (ACTE); Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY:

Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation.

ACTION:

Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY:

DOT OST announces a meeting of ACTE, which will take place via videoconference.

DATES:

The meeting will be held Friday, September 22, 2023, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. eastern time. Requests for accommodations because of a disability must be received by Friday, September 15. Requests to submit questions must be received no later than Friday, September 15.

ADDRESSES:

The meeting will be held via videoconference. Those members of the public who would like to participate virtually should go to https://www.transportation.gov/​civil-rights/​acte/​meetinginfo to access the meeting, a detailed agenda for the entire meeting, meeting minutes, and additional information on ACTE and its activities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sandra Norman, Senior Advisor, Departmental Office of Civil Rights and Warner Dixon, Special Assistant for Civil Rights, Departmental Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 934–2380, [e-mail]. Any ACTE-related request or submissions should be sent via email to the points of contact listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Notice of this meeting is required under section 1009(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). 41 CFR 102–3.150(b) provides “In exceptional circumstances, the agency may give less than 15 calendar days' notice, provided that the reasons for doing so are included in the advisory committee meeting notice published in the Federal Register .” Consequently, this notice is being published less than 15 days from the meeting date due to the immediate need to establish the framework and work flows of the FACA and to identify items and measures for action in light of the increased infrastructure planning needs and funding opportunities created in BIL is Public Law 117–58 https://www.congress.gov/​117/​plaws/​publ58/​PLAW-117publ58.pdf and and IRA Public Law 117–169 https://www.govinfo.gov/​content/​pkg/​PLAW-117publ169/​pdf/​PLAW-117publ169.pdf).

Background

Purpose of the Committee

ACTE was established to provide independent advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation about comprehensive, interdisciplinary issues related to civil rights and transportation equity in the planning, design, research, policy, and advocacy contexts from a variety of transportation equity practitioners and community leaders. Specifically, the Committee will provide advice and recommendations to inform the Department's efforts to:

Implement the Agency's Equity Action Plan and Strategic Plan, helping to institutionalize equity into Agency programs, policies, regulations, and activities:

Strengthen and establish partnerships with overburdened and underserved communities who have been historically underrepresented in the Department's outreach and engagement, including those in rural and urban areas:

Empower communities to have a meaningful voice in local and regional transportation decisions; and ensure the compliance of Federal funding recipients with civil rights laws and nondiscrimination programs, policies, regulations, and activities.

Meeting Agenda

The agenda for the meeting will consist of:

An inauguration of the ACTE members

An overview of the ACTE charter

An overview of the role and impact of ACTE members

Remarks from Secretary Buttigieg

An overview of ACTE focus areas

A discussion on collaborative approaches and transparency

Concluding remarks

Meeting Participation

Advance registration is required. Please register at https://www.transportation.gov/​civil-rights/​acte/​meetinginfo by the deadline referenced in the DATES section. The meeting will be open to the public for its entirety. The U.S. Department of Transportation is committed to providing equal access to this meeting for all participants. If you need alternative formats or services because of a disability, such as sign language, interpretation, or other ancillary aids, please contact the points of contact listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.

Questions from the public will be answered during the public comment period only at the discretion of the ACTE chair, vice chair, and designated Federal officer. Members of the public may submit written comments and questions to the points of contact listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section on the topics to be considered during the meeting by the deadline referenced in the DATES section.

Dated: September 11, 2023.

Irene Marion,

Director, Departmental Office of Civil Rights.