[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 10 (Friday, January 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2454-2455]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-892]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-1999-6689]


Railroad Car Conspicuity; Establishment of Public Docket

    Congress, in the Federal Railroad Safety Authorization Act of 1994 
(Pub. L. No 103-440), requires FRA to conduct a review of the 
Department's rules with respect to the visibility of railroad cars. 
Part of this review includes collecting relevant data from operational 
experience by railroads having enhanced visibility measures in service. 
The statute, codified at 49 U.S.C. 20148, provides that if the review 
establishes that enhanced railroad car visibility would likely improve 
safety in a cost-effective manner, the Secretary of Transportation 
shall initiate a rulemaking to prescribe regulations requiring enhanced 
visibility standards for railroad cars. The Secretary has delegated 
this responsibility to the Federal Railroad Administration (``FRA'').
    FRA will consider, at a minimum--
    (1) visibility of railroad cars from the perspective of nonrailroad 
traffic;
    (2) whether certain railroad car paint colors should be prohibited 
or required;
    (3) the use of reflective materials;
    (4) the visibility of lettering on railroad cars;
    (5) the effect of any enhanced visibility measures on the health 
and safety of train crew members; and
    (6) the cost/benefit ratio of any new regulations.
    In an effort to carry out the Congressional mandate, FRA is 
establishing a public docket to provide all interested parties with a 
central location to both send and review relevant information 
concerning railroad car conspicuity. The docket established for this 
purpose is designated Docket No. FRA-1999-6689. The information 
submitted to the docket will aid FRA in determining whether or not a 
rulemaking will ultimately be appropriate.

[[Page 2455]]

    The public is invited to submit both relevant information and 
relevant comments to the docket. Written submissions should refer to 
the docket number of this notice (Docket No. FRA-1999-6689) and be sent 
to the DOT Central Docket Management Facility, 400 Seventh Street, 
S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590-0001. All docketed material will be 
available for inspection during regular business hours at DOT's Central 
Docket Management Facility, Room Pl-401 (Plaza Level), 400 Seventh 
Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20590-0001. All documents in the public 
docket are also available for inspection and copying on the Internet at 
the docket facility's web site at http://dms.dot.gov.

Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. 00-892 Filed 1-13-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-U