99-19369. Proposed Joint Statement of Agency Policy Concerning Shared Use of the General Railroad System by Conventional Railroads and Light Rail Transit Systems

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40931-40932]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19369]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration
[FRA Docket No. FRA-1999-5685, Notice No. 2]
Federal Transit Administration
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

AGENCY: 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 their respective safety authorities to

[[Page 40932]]

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, FRA established a deadline for 
the submission of written comments of July 30, 1999. Due to the need to 
ensure that all interested parties have sufficient amount of time to 
fully develop their comments, and because FRA has not yet seperately 
issued a proposed statement of agency policy concerning its safety 
jurisdiction over railroad passenger operations, this document 
announces an extension of the deadline for the submission of written 
comments.

DATES: Written comments must be received by October 29, 1999. Comments 
received after that date will be considered to the extent possible 
without incurring additional expenses 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, S.W., Washington, D.C. 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 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 
notification 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, S.W., Washington, 
D.C. 20590 (telephone: [phone]); and Daniel C. Smith, Assistant 
Chief Counsel for Safety, FRA, RCC-10, 1120 Vermont Avenue, N.W., Mail 
Stop 10, Washington, D.C. 20590 (telephone: [phone]).

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 coodinated. 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 would 
discuss the extent and exercise of 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 July 30, 1999, 
the deadline for sumbitting written comments on the proposed joint 
statement.
    While FRA still intends to issue a separate proposed policy 
statement, regrettably that document will not be published before the 
close of the comment period 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 October 29, 1999. 
It should be noted that since FRA expects to issue its proposed policy 
statement before the October 29, 1999 deadline, FRA and FTA do not 
anticipate any futher extension of the comment period in this 
proceeding. The two agencies will consider comments submitted after 
October 29, 1999, only to the extent possible without causing 
additional expense or delay.
Jolene M. Molitoris,
Federal Railroad Administrator.
Gordon J. Linton,
Federal Transit Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-19369 Filed 7-27-99; 8:45 am]
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