[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 184 (Friday, September 23, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-23572]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: September 23, 1994]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
 

Notice of Public Meeting

AGENCY: Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department (DOT) will hold a Rail Safety Summit on 
September 30, 1994. The summit will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 11:45 
a.m. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. The public is invited to attend 
and/or submit written statements.

DATES: The summit will occur on September 30. Written statements should 
be submitted before that date.

ADDRESSES: All written statements should be submitted to: Honorable 
Jolene M. Molitoris, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, 
400 Seventh Street, SW., Room 8206, Washington, DC 20590. The summit 
will be held at the Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Avenue, 
Washington, DC.

Background

    On August 4, 1994, the Secretary of Transportation announced that 
he would hold a Rail Safety Summit to focus on safety and the 
prevention of railroad accidents. In a news release on that date, the 
Secretary said, ``We want to raise safety vigilance in all aspects of 
the railroad system, from the freight railroads that provide track for 
Amtrak, to the state and local officials responsible for highway-rail 
grade crossings. We will bring together the best minds in the industry 
to heighten safety awareness throughout the railroad system * * *.''
    DOT originally intended to invite only specific organizations and 
industry leaders to the summit. However, as planning progressed, DOT 
decided that members of the general public might also be interested in 
attending and/or submitting written statements. Accordingly, the DOT 
obtained a site for the summit that will accommodate more than those 
who have been invited directly. Seating will be reserved, of course, 
for those who have been invited. Remaining seats will be available to 
the public on a first come, first served basis. Those considering 
attending should consider that the additional seating will be limited 
and that C-Span will televise the summit.
    The summit is not a hearing designed to obtain advice or 
recommendations on what the DOT, the Federal Railroad Administration, 
or any other agency should do to improve railroad safety. Nor is it a 
regulatory hearing to discuss pending rail safety regulatory proposals. 
The summit is intended to be a dialogue between several of the 
Department's senior officials and a diverse group of industry leaders 
on selected issues that appear key to improving safety. The Secretary 
is interested in learning what the industry is doing and plans to do in 
the subject areas chosen for discussion. Those subjects are:
     Highway-rail grade crossing and trespasser safety
     Passenger equipment and emergency response training and 
planning
     Ways for passenger and freight railroads to achieve 
success
     The role of system safety planning, and
     The future of railroad safety
    Of course, there are many other important subjects in the area of 
railroad safety (e.g., hazardous materials transportation, track 
safety, and employee qualifications). Unfortunately, the time available 
for the summit is quite limited. Therefore, DOT had to be very 
selective in choosing topics and decided on these because they seem to 
include some of the most important and current issues in the vast field 
of railroad safety. For those who wish to submit written statements, we 
would appreciate your focusing on the specific topics set forth above.
    The summit will consist primarily of panel discussions of the 
selected topics. DOT chose panel members that would represent a wide 
range of views. The Secretary and senior DOT officials will participate 
directly in those discussions. At the conclusion of the five panel 
discussions, any remaining time will be available for general questions 
directed to panel members or the DOT officials by members of the 
audience. These questions must be submitted on forms that will be 
available at the summit during registration.

    Issued this 18th day of September, 1994.
Federico Pena,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-23572 Filed 9-22-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-M