[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 38 (Monday, February 27, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9855-9857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2682]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-2006-23550]
Interstate Oasis Program
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The FHWA is soliciting comments on a proposed Interstate Oasis
program. Specifically, section 1310 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible,
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (``SAFETEA-
LU'', Pub. L. 109-59, enacted August 10, 2005), requires the Secretary
of Transportation to develop standards for designating certain
facilities as Interstate Oases and to design a uniform logo for such
designated facilities. The FHWA has developed a preliminary framework
for an Interstate Oasis program and is seeking public comments in order
to refine and finalize the program.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 28, 2006.
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 20590-0001, or submit electronically at
http://dms.dot.gov/submit, or fax comments to (202) 493-2251. All
comments should include the docket number that appears in the heading
of this document. All comments received will be available for
examination and copying at the above address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Those desiring
notification of receipt of comments must include a self-addressed,
stamped postcard or you may print the acknowledgement page that appears
after submitting comments electronically. Anyone is able to search the
electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the
name of the individual submitting the comments (or signing the comment,
if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.).
You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal
Register published on April 11, 2000, (Volume 65, Number 70, Pages
19477-78) or you may visit http://dms.dot.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Hari Kalla, (202) 366-5915, Office
of Transportation Operations, HOTO, or Mr. Robert Black, Office of the
Chief Counsel, HCC-30, (202) 366-1359. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m.
to 4:15 p.m., e.t., 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://dms.dot.gov/submit. 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.
An electronic copy of this document may also be downloaded from the
Office of the Federal Register's home page at: http://www.archives.gov
and the Government Printing Office's Web page at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.
Background
In response to a provision in the Joint Explanatory Statement of
the Committee of Conference (House Report 106-355) that accompanied the
Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,
2000 (Pub. L. 106-69, 113 Stat. 986), the FHWA has been in the process
of investigating a number of issues relating to rest areas on the
Interstate System. Of particular concern is that States are considering
closing or privatizing rest areas on Interstate highways because of the
costs of maintenance and operation, security issues, and potential
liability. Insufficient truck parking has also been found to be a
significant problem in some States at rest areas on the Interstate
system, on local road systems near interchanges with Interstate
highways, and at adjoining businesses. Commercialization of existing
Interstate highway public rest areas to allow private firms to provide
services such as those found in ``service plazas'' on many toll roads
and turnpikes, in exchange for private responsibility for maintenance
and operation of the rest areas, has been advocated by some States and
by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials (AASHTO). However, such commercialization is not authorized
by current laws and regulations and is strongly opposed by business
interests located off the Interstate system.
The designation of certain privately owned facilities off the
Interstate system, such as commercial truck stops, under public-private
partnership agreements, has been identified as a potential alternative
to address road user needs in lieu of commercialization of Interstate
rest areas and as a possible way to provide motorist services as well
as help address shortages of truck parking. Such private facilities
would be required to meet certain minimum standards and signing would
be provided on the highway to lead road users to these facilities. The
FHWA has identified two States, Utah and Vermont, that have programs in
operation for designation of and signing to such off-Interstate
facilities, and a third State, Louisiana, that has developed the
framework for such a program but has not implemented it.
In August 2005, SAFETEA-LU was enacted. Section 1310 of SAFETEA-LU,
entitled ``Interstate Oasis Program'', requires FHWA to establish an
Interstate Oasis program and, after providing an opportunity for public
comment, develop standards for designating as an Interstate Oasis a
facility that, as a minimum, offers products and services
[[Page 9856]]
to the public, 24-hour access to restrooms, and parking for automobiles
and heavy trucks. Section 1310 also requires the standards for
designation as an Interstate Oasis to include the ``appearance of a
facility'' and the proximity of the facility to the Interstate system,
and requires FHWA to design a logo to be displayed by a designated
Interstate Oasis facility. Further, section 1310 requires that, if a
State elects to participate in the Interstate Oasis program, any
facility meeting the standards for designation shall be eligible for
designation as an Interstate Oasis.
A related provision of SAFETEA-LU, section 1305, authorized a
separate program to provide Federal funding for building, expanding, or
improving truck parking facilities along the National Highway System.
The FHWA plans to issue a separate notice in the Federal Register to
announce this program and solicit applications for use of the available
funding. The FHWA will closely coordinate the section 1305 and section
1310 programs to assure they are compatible and complementary to each
other in serving the public need.
Description of Proposed Interstate Oasis Program
The FHWA has developed a preliminary framework for an Interstate
Oasis program that FHWA believes is responsive to the requirements in
section 1310 of SAFETEA-LU. Figures will be developed and sign numbers
will be designated at a later date to illustrate certain signing
elements after they are finalized. Therefore, figure numbers included
in the draft text of the program document are left blank at this time,
and sign numbers are general and not specific. The draft text of the
program document is as follows:
``An Interstate Oasis shall be defined as a facility near an
Interstate highway, but not within the Interstate right-of-way,
designated by a State after meeting certain eligibility criteria, that
provides products and services to the public, 24-hour access to public
restrooms, and parking for automobiles and heavy trucks.
Interstate Oasis facilities shall comply with laws concerning:
1. The provisions of public accommodations without regard to race,
religion, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability; and
2. The State and local licensing and approval of such service
facilities.
If a State elects to provide Interstate Oasis signing, there should
be a statewide policy, program, procedures, and criteria for the
designation and signing of a facility as an Interstate Oasis. To
qualify for designation and signing as an Interstate Oasis, a business
should, at a minimum:
1. Be located no more than 3 miles from an interchange with an
Interstate highway, except a lesser distance may be required when State
laws restrict truck travel to lesser distances from the Interstate
system;
2. As determined by an engineering study, be accessible via
highways that are unrestricted as to vehicle weight or vehicle type,
size, or weight and from which road users can safely and conveniently
travel to the facility, enter and leave the facility, return to the
Interstate highway, and continue in the same direction of travel;
3. As determined by an engineering study, have physical geometry of
site layout and driveway access to safely and efficiently accommodate
ingress, on-site travel, maneuvering, and parking, and egress by all
vehicles, including heavy trucks of the size and weight anticipated to
use the facility;
4. Have modern sanitary facilities (rest rooms) and drinking water,
available to the public at no charge or obligation at all times (24
hours per day, 365 days per year);
5. Have adequate and well lit parking accommodations for vehicles,
including heavy trucks, with maximum allowed parking duration not less
than 10 hours, to meet demands based on volumes, the percentage of
heavy vehicles in the Interstate highway traffic, and other pertinent
factors;
6. Be staffed by at least one person on duty at all times (24 hours
per day, 365 days per year); and
7. Provide, at a minimum, the following products and services:
a. Public telephone;
b. Food (vending, snacks, fast food, and/or full service); and
c. Fuel, oil, and water for automobiles and trucks.
Statewide criteria may impose additional minimum requirements,
beyond those listed above, determined necessary by the State to promote
and enhance road user safety, efficiency, and productivity. If a State
elects to provide Interstate Oasis signing, any facility meeting the
State's minimum criteria shall be eligible for designation as an
Interstate Oasis.
Signing to denote the availability of an Interstate Oasis at an
interchange, to guide road users to an Interstate Oasis, or to
designate a business as an Interstate Oasis should incorporate the
Interstate Oasis symbol depicted in Figure ``X''. [Figure to be
developed and numbered later.]
States electing to provide Interstate Oasis signing should use only
one of the following signing practices on the freeway for any given
exit:
1. If Specific Service signing (See MUTCD Chapter 2F) is provided
at the interchange, a 12-inch diameter circular ``patch'' containing
the Interstate Oasis symbol may be located in the lower right-hand
corner of the specific service logo panel for the designated business
in a manner in which it touches both the specific service logo and the
blue sign panel; or
2. If General Service signing (See MUTCD Figures 2E-41 and 2E-42)
is provided at the interchange, the Interstate Oasis General Service
Sign (D9-x) may be included on or appended above or below an existing
D9-18, D9-18a, or D9-18e General Service sign; or
3. If no other service signing is provided at the interchange, the
Interstate Oasis General Service Sign (D9-x) may be appended above or
below an existing ground mounted Advance Guide or Exit Direction sign,
or a separate D9-y sign, incorporating both the Interstate Oasis symbol
and the legend ``Interstate Oasis'' may be installed in an effective
location, between the Advance Guide sign and the Exit Direction sign
and with adequate spacing from other adjacent signs, in advance of the
exit leading to the Oasis. The D9-y sign shall have a blue background
and white border and legend and shall contain an action message such as
``NEXT EXIT'' for unnumbered interchanges or, for numbered
interchanges, the exit number as illustrated in Figure ``Y''. [Figure
to be developed and numbered later.]
Signing should be provided near the exit ramp terminal and along
the cross road to guide road users from the interchange to the
Interstate Oasis and back to the interchange.''
Discussion of Proposed Interstate Oasis Program
The FHWA believes that the draft text stated above meets the intent
and the specific requirements of section 1310 of SAFETEA-LU and
enhances the safety, efficiency, and productivity of the highway system
and its users. It would establish minimum criteria meeting the needs of
travelers on the Interstate highway system in a manner that any State
could implement despite wide varieties in existing conditions and needs
from State to State. Similar to criteria for businesses to be eligible
for Specific Services signing, detailed in Chapter 2F of the Manual on
Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), States could decide to impose
additional criteria, beyond the minimum national criteria, that they
deem appropriate for their State.
[[Page 9857]]
Section 1310 specifically states that the standards for designation
of an Interstate Oasis shall include standards relating to ``the
appearance of a facility.'' The FHWA does not believe that it is
feasible to prescribe uniform nationwide standards for facility
appearance, in terms of building design, site layout, or other
potential elements of appearance. The FHWA believes that the minimum
eligibility criteria, plus the use of a standard nationwide Interstate
Oasis symbol (logo) on official traffic signs and on private business
signing of designated facilities, will meet the intent of assuring that
travelers can readily identify the specific locations of facilities
meeting the required criteria.
The proposed Interstate highway signing requirements for exits
providing access to an Interstate Oasis generally follow the principles
of General Services and Specific Services signing, as established in
Part 2 of the MUTCD, and the FHWA's Interim Approval dated September 6,
2005, for use of ``RV Friendly'' symbol ``patches'' on Specific
Services signs. The complete MUTCD and FHWA's September 6, 2005,
Interim Approval can be accessed at FHWA's MUTCD Web site at http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov. Proposed sign numbers and figure numbers in the
draft text are indeterminate at this time and will be finalized in the
completed document.
Specific Questions on Which FHWA Is Seeking Comments
The FHWA is requesting comments on this proposed Interstate Oasis
program as described above. The FHWA is also seeking comments and input
regarding several specific questions to help refine and finalize the
program:
1. Is 3 miles an appropriate maximum distance from the interchange?
The maximum distance specified in MUTCD Section 2F.01 for specific
services is 3 miles. If the concept of identifying an Interstate Oasis
by adding a ``patch'' to the Specific Service logo panel is used,
consistency in the distance policies may be needed. States would have
the flexibility to require a closer distance in their State policies,
especially if a State's laws limit certain trucks to a lesser distance
when traveling off the Interstate system. However, in some sparsely
populated areas, it may be difficult to find any facilities within 3
miles that would qualify as an Interstate Oasis along very long
sections of Interstate highways. Should States have the flexibility to
extend the 3-mile maximum (as they can do for existing Specific
Services) in cases such as this?
2. Should the criteria for safe and convenient access to and from a
potential Interstate Oasis facility, and for adequate on-site geometry,
be more specific, or is it sufficient to require the States to perform
an engineering study to make these determinations?
3. Should the minimum national criteria require a specific minimum
number of parking spaces for cars and/or heavy trucks, or a specific
minimum percentage of total spaces that must be designed for use by
heavy trucks? If so, what should those numbers be and on what basis or
rationale are they recommended?
4. Are there other products and services beyond those listed that
are essential for inclusion in the minimum national criteria for
designation as an Interstate Oasis? States will have the flexibility to
add their own requirements for products and/or services beyond the
national minimums. However, States will not have the ability to waive
any required products or services contained in the minimum national
criteria.
5. Should States have the flexibility to designate and sign an exit
for an Interstate Oasis if all the criteria cannot be met by any one
business at the exit, but the combination of two or more businesses in
close proximity to each other do meet the criteria? For example, one
particular business may meet all criteria except offering fuel, but
fuel is continuously available from another nearby business. In areas
where no public rest areas are available for very long distances along
the Interstate highway, would allowing States this flexibility for
Interstate Oasis designation better serve the public need?
6. What symbol (logo) should be used to indicate an Interstate
Oasis? The symbol must be simple, conspicuous and legible from a long
distance at freeway speeds, and easily understood. It must also be
capable of being displayed by designated businesses on their facilities
and on their private signing.
7. If a State provides separate signing, such as ``Interstate Oasis
Next Exit'', advising road users of the availability of an Interstate
Oasis at an interchange, should the business designated as an
Interstate Oasis be disqualified from having business logos on Specific
Service signs for gas, food, etc. at that interchange? Conversely,
should the States have the flexibility to include the name and/or
business logo of the designated business on the separate signing, such
as ``Interstate Oasis--Business Name/Logo--Next Exit''?
8. Assuming proper marketing and public education, will the name
``Interstate Oasis'' be readily understood by the public and identified
with the type of service offered? Utah and Vermont use the names ``Rest
Stop'' and ``Rest Exit,'' respectively, for the types of facilities
contemplated under the Interstate Oasis program. Would the Vermont or
Utah names, or other names, better serve the public, and if so, what
names are suggested and why?
9. What educational and marketing efforts would be necessary to
familiarize travelers and businesses with this program?
Comments regarding the program and/or the questions listed above
should clearly state the reasoning behind the responses. After
receiving and considering comments submitted to the docket in response
to this Notice, the FHWA may issue a policy memorandum detailing the
Interstate Oasis program. The FHWA also may propose revising the MUTCD
via the normal formal rulemaking process, to add pertinent standards,
guidance, and options regarding Interstate Oasis signing in a future
edition of the MUTCD.
Authority: Sec. 1305, Pub. L. 105-59, 119 Stat. 1144; 23 U.S.C.
109(d), 315, and 402; 23 CFR 1.32 and 655.603; and 49 CFR 1.48(b).
Issued on: February 16, 2006.
J. Richard Capka,
Acting Federal Highway Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-2682 Filed 2-24-06; 8:45 am]
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