[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 157 (Monday, August 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 49631]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20523]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

[FMCSA Docket No. FMCSA 2000-7645]


Developing and Implementing a Long-Term Strategy and Performance 
Plan for Improving Commercial Motor Vehicle, Operator, and Carrier 
Safety

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: To comply with section 104 of the Motor Carrier Safety 
Improvement Act of 1999 (MCSIA), the FMCSA is developing a long-term 
strategy and performance plan for the period between fiscal years 2001 
and 2010. Both the Congress and the Department of Transportation have 
stated long-term goals for improving commercial motor vehicle safety. 
This notice asks for public comment on the means by which the goals can 
be achieved and on the process to develop the plan.

DATES: You should submit your comments to this notice no later than 
December 15, 2000. We will consider late comments if we can within our 
tight deadline for action.

ADDRESSES: Mail or hand deliver comments to the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Dockets Management Facility, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, or submit electronically at http://dmses.dot.gov/submit. Please include the docket number that appears in 
the heading of this document. You can examine and copy comments at the 
above address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays. If you want notification of receipt of 
comments, you must include a self-addressed, stamped postcard or you 
may print the acknowledgment page that appears after submitting 
comments electronically.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bob Proferes, Chief, Strategic 
Planning and Program Evaluation Division, Telephone (202) 366-9220, 
Office of Policy Plans and Regulations, Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. 
Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., et, Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access and Filing

    You may submit or retrieve comments online through the Document 
Management System (DMS) at: http://dmses.dot.gov/submit. Acceptable 
formats include: MS Word (versions 95 to 97), MS Word for Mac (versions 
6 to 8), Rich Text File (RTF), American Standard Code Information 
Interchange (ASCII)(TXT), Portable Document Format (PDF), and 
WordPerfect (versions 7 to 8). The DMS is available 24 hours each day, 
365 days each year. Electronic submission and retrieval help and 
guidelines are available under the help section of the web site.
    Internet users also may find this document on the FMCSA web site at 
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sap/stratplan.htm.

Background

    Section 104 of the MCSIA, Public Law 106-159, 113 Stat. 1748, at 
1754, requires that the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) develop 
a long-term strategy for improving commercial motor vehicle, operator, 
and carrier safety. The strategy shall include an annual plan and a 
schedule of achieving, at a minimum, the following goals:
    (1) Reducing the number and rates of crashes, injuries, and 
fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles;
    (2) Improving the consistency and effectiveness of commercial motor 
vehicle, operator, and carrier enforcement and compliance programs;
    (3) Identifying and targeting enforcement efforts at high-risk 
commercial motor vehicles, operators, and carriers; and
    (4) Improving research efforts to enhance and promote commercial 
motor vehicle, operator, and carrier safety and performance.
    The strategy and annual plans shall include, at a minimum, specific 
numeric or measurable goals designed to achieve the strategic goals, 
and estimates of the funds and staff resources needed to accomplish 
each activity.
    In 1999, the Secretary established a Departmental goal for 
improving motor carrier safety of reducing large truck-related 
fatalities by 50 percent by the end of fiscal year 2009. Based on this 
goal, a long-term strategy will be developed for the planning period 
between fiscal years 2001 and 2010. The long term strategy will be 
aligned with the Department's 5-year strategic plan and annual 
performance plans, which are mandated by the Government Performance and 
Results Act of 1993, Public Law 103-62, 107 Stat. 285. A strategy and 
performance plan framework consisting of the Agency goals, strategies, 
measures, and resources will be prepared by the FMCSA and submitted to 
the Congress by the end of calendar year 2000.
    A more detailed description of the planning process that the FMCSA 
will use to prepare the strategy and performance plan is available in 
this public docket and on the Internet at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sap/stratplan.htm. A series of project deliverables will be developed and 
placed in the public docket and on the Internet as soon as they become 
available. The deliverables will include: (1) Assessment of the truck 
and bus-related crash problem; (2) a statement of the FMCSA mission, 
vision, values, and goals; (3) a series of papers on trends impacting 
truck and bus safety; (4) a series of issues papers outlining the key 
commercial vehicle safety challenges and potential solutions; (5) FMCSA 
and Department long-term strategies and discussion of current and 
future resource requirements; and (6) program performance model, 
including an outcome monitoring and evaluation plan.
    This request offers the opportunity for any comments on the means 
by which the Agency and Department can achieve the stated goals, as 
well as comments on the planning process.

    (Authority: 49 U.S.C. 322; 49 CFR 1.73)

    Issued on: August 4, 2000.
Clyde J. Hart, Jr.,
Acting Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-20523 Filed 8-11-00; 8:45 am]
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