[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 208 (Thursday, October 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58124-58125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-28350]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[FRA Docket No. FRA-1999-5685, Notice No. 3]
RIN 2130--AB33
Proposed Joint Statement of Agency Policy Concerning Shared Use
of the General Railroad System by Conventional Railroads and Light Rail
Transit Systems
AGENCIES: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Transit
Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Extension of comment period.
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SUMMARY: By notice of a proposed policy statement published on May 25,
1999 (64 FR 28238), FRA and FTA proposed how they intend to coordinate
use of their respective safety authorities to address safety issues
related to light rail transit operations that take place, or are
planned to take place, on the general railroad system of
transportation. The proposal also summarized how the process of
obtaining waivers of FRA's safety regulations may work, particularly
where the light rail and conventional rail operations occur at
different times of day. In that notice, the deadline for the submission
of written comments was July 30, 1999. By notice published on July 28,
1999 (64FR 40931), the deadline for the submission of written comments
was extended until October 29, 1999.
Due to the need to ensure that all interested parties have a
sufficient amount of time to fully develop their comments, and because
FRA's separate proposed statement of agency policy concerning its
safety jurisdiction over railroad passenger operations is not yet
published, this document announces an additional extension of the
deadline for the submission of written comments.
DATES: Written comments must be received by January 14, 2000. Comments
received after that date will be considered to the extent possible
without incurring additional expense or delay.
ADDRESSES: Procedures for written comments: Submit one copy to the
Department of Transportation Central Docket Management Facility located
in room PL-401 at the Plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh
Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590. All docket material on the proposed
statement will be available for inspection at this address and on the
Internet at http://doms.dot.gov. (Docket hours at the Nassif Building
are Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding
[[Page 58125]]
Federal holidays.) Persons desiring notification that their comments
have been received should submit a stamped, self-addressed postcard
with their comments. The postcard will be returned to the addressee
with a notation of the date on which the comments were received.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gregory B. McBride, Deputy Chief
Counsel, FTA, TCC-2, Room 9316, 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC
20590 (telephone: (202) 366-4063); and Daniel C. Smith, Assistant Chief
Counsel for Safety, FRA, RCC-10, 1120 Vermont Avenue, NW, Mail Stop 10,
Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6029).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the proposed joint policy statement
issued on May 25, 1999 by FRA and FTA, the agencies explained that the
proposal is intended to delineate the nature of the most important
safety issues related to shared use of the general railroad system by
conventional and rail transit equipment and summarize the application
of FRA safety rules to such shared-use operations. The proposal will
help transit authorities, railroads, and other interested parties
understand how the respective safety programs of the two agencies will
be coordinated. The proposed statement noted that FRA soon intended to
issue its own proposed statement of agency policy concerning its safety
jurisdiction over railroad operations, which would discuss the extent
and exercise of FRA's jurisdiction, provide guidance on which of FRA's
safety rules are likely to apply in particular operational situations,
and summarize how the process of obtaining waivers of FRA's safety
regulations may work. The expectation of the two agencies was that
commenters would then have the ability to study and analyze FRA's
proposed policy statement before October 29, 1999, the revised deadline
for submitting written comments on the proposed joint statement.
Since FRA has not yet issued its separate proposed policy
statement, potential commenters will be unable to review that document
before the close of the revised comment deadline for the proposed joint
statement. Due to the complexity and importance of adopting a joint
policy concerning shared use of the general railroad system by
conventional railroads and light rail transit systems, especially to
communities that are planning or developing light rail systems, FRA and
FTA do not wish to inhibit the ability of any party to fully develop
its comments and seek to provide sufficient time for all interested
parties to gather necessary information. Consequently, FRA and FTA
believe it is in the best interest of all parties involved to extend
the period for the submission of written comments in this proceeding to
January 14, 2000, which is the anticipated deadline that FRA will set
for submission of comments on its separate proposed statement of agency
policy. FRA and FTA do not anticipate any further extension of the
comment period in this proceeding. The two agencies will consider
comments submitted after January 14, 2000, only to the extent possible
without causing additional expense or delay.
Issued in Washington, DC, on October 25, 1999.
Jolene M. Molitoris,
Federal Railroad Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-28350 Filed 10-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P