FOIA - Freedom of Information Act |
This document describes the location and hours of operation of the document inspection facilities ("reading rooms") of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); the kinds of records that are available for public inspection and copying at these facilities; and the procedures by which members of the public may make requests for records.
Written requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act should be sent to the appropriate field of Headquarters office, and the envelope in which the request is sent should be prominently marked with the letters "FOIA". Additionally, FOIA requests for FHWA Headquarters records may be submitted via e-mail to FHWA Headquarters at the following address: foia.officer@fhwa.dot.gov. Please include your name, current electronic mail address, a mailing address (U.S. mail), and a telephone number where you can be reached during business hours.
a. Washington Headquarters
FOIA Officer (HAIM-10), Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE; Washington, D.C., 20590-9898. 7:45 a.m.-4:15 p.m. ET.
b. Federal-aid Division Offices, Federal Lands Division Offices, and Resource Centers
(1) Copies of records pertaining to specific Federal-aid highway projects.
(2) Copies of environmental studies for Federal-aid highway projects.
(1) FLH project records.
(2) FLH contract files.
For general information regarding FHWA's Federal Lands Highway program, you may access their web page at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/flh/index.htm.
(1) Copies of contracts or solicitations.
(2) Any policy or interpretation issued by the Federal Highway Administration, including any policy or interpretation concerning a particular factual situation, if that policy or interpretation can reasonably be expected to have precedential value in any case involving a member of the public in a similar situation.
(3) Listing of agency small purchase credit card holders.
(1) FHWA Manuals, issued by the Federal Highway Administration and containing detailed procedures, standards, and guides relating to the administration of the Federal-aid Highway Program, the Federal Lands Highway Program, and the Highway Safety Program. They include the following:
(a) Federal-Aid Policy Guide (FAPG), an organized, looseleaf, single source documentation of the FHWA's current policies, regulations and nonregulatory procedural guidance information related to the Federal-aid Highway Program.
(b) Labor Compliance Manual, used as a guide in Federal-aid Highway Program and Federal Lands Highway Program construction projects, to assure compliance with federal labor laws by the highway construction contractors.
(c) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), a publication of the Federal Highway Administration, setting forth basic principles that govern the design and usage of traffic control devices, and current traffic control device design and application standards.
(d) Standard Specifications for Construction of Roads and Bridges on Federal Highway Projects, FP-96, contains the specifications for Federal Lands Highway Program construction projects. (Available in the Headquarters and Federal Lands Highway Program division offices document inspection facilities.)
(e) U.S. DOT FHWA Federal Lands Construction Manual, used as a guide for the construction of roads and bridges within federally owned and administered parks and lands. (Available in the Headquarters and Federal Lands Highway Program division offices document inspection facilities.)
(f) Emergency Relief Manual, providing instructions on procedures for FHWA, State, and local highway agency personnel involved in Federal-aid Highway system emergencies (severe damage to highways as a result of a major catastrophe or natural disaster), including guidance for evaluating damage and preparing the documents necessary to support the use of Emergency Relief (ER) funds.
(g) Emergency Relief Manual for Federally Owned Roads - Disaster Assistance Manual, containing detailed program guidance for the administration of emergency relief for Federal roads, i.e., roads and trails administered by the National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Defense. (Available in the Headquarters and Federal Lands Highway Program division offices' document inspection facilities. Some division offices may have copies.)
(h) Federal Lands Highway Project Development and Design Manual, provides information and guidance to engineering staffs involved with project development and design of highways. Identifies those standards, specifications, guides, and references approved for use in carrying out the highway and bridge design responsibilities in the Federal Lands Highway Program.
(2) Guidelines/determinations - guidelines or determinations containing details of compliance programs, accident investigations, enforcement programs, and interpretations.
(a) Environmental Guidebook, a comprehensive, compilation of interpretations of the environmental regulations and environmental law, federal government-wide, with procedural guidance, policy memos, and implementation instructions. (Complete files available in the Washington headquarters document inspection facility.)
(b) Highway Safety Guidelines - highway-related guidelines applying to those provisions of the State and Community Highway Safety Program under the Highway Safety Act of 1966 (Title 23, U.S. Code, Chapter 4) and delegations of authority by the Secretary of Transportation, for which responsibility resides in the FHWA.
Search and review time are charged as follows. These figures as current as of January 2007 and are applicable nationwide.
Duplication fees are charged as follows:
Paper reproduction - 10 cents per page (up to 8 ½ x 14")
Computer tapes and print-outs - direct costs and labor costs