[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