[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 217 (Friday, November 7, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 66288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26619]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or 
Modification of a Railroad Signal System or Relief From the 
Requirements of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations Part 236

    Pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 235 and 
49 U.S.C. 20502(a), the following railroad has petitioned the Federal 
Railroad Administration (FRA) seeking approval for the discontinuance 
or modification of the signal system or relief from the requirements of 
49 CFR Part 236 as detailed below.

[Docket Number FRA-2008-0108]

Applicant: Port of San Francisco, Ms. Evelyn Onderdonk, P.E., Resident 
Engineer, Pier 1, The Embarcadero, San Francisco, California 94111.

    The Port of San Francisco seeks relief from the requirements of the 
Rules, Standards, and Instructions, Title 49 CFR Part 236, Sec. Sec.  
236.312, Movable bridge, interlocking of signal appliances with bridge; 
236.303, Control circuits for signals, selected through circuit 
controller operated by switch points or by switch locking mechanism; 
and 236.55, Dead section; maximum length, on the Illinois Street Bridge 
Project. The Port is the owner of the bridge and the railroad. The 
location of the bridge is in San Francisco on Illinois Street between 
Cargo Way and Marin Street.
    Applicant's justification for relief: As to Sec.  236.312, the 
Illinois Street Bridge is a non-counterweighted single leaf trunnion 
type bascule span rotated by hydraulic cylinders. The leaf weighs 475 
kips. The bridge is opened by brute force. As such, there is no need 
for a mechanical locking device to hold the bridge down. Horizontal 
alignment of the rail is provided by the trunnion at the heel end and 
by friction on the toe end bearings. In addition, a toe end centering 
device, or lug, is provided to ensure bridge horizontal alignment in 
overload conditions such as moderate earthquakes and ship impacts.
    As to Sec.  236.303, trains are operating at 10 mph, regardless of 
the switch points' position the train engineer, per the railroad's 
operating procedures, will get off the engine, inspect the switch 
points and align if required to ensure that they are in the correct 
position and that no obstructions are present, push the appropriate 
push button, wait until a proceed signal is received, board the engine, 
and proceed.
    As to Sec.  236.55, there is a 70-foot dead section on the bridge. 
A trap circuit ensures that the bridge cannot be raised while the 
bridge is occupied by a train and functions as follows: ``When a train 
leaves the last track circuit before the dead section and enters the 
dead section, the track circuit on the other side of the dead section 
must become occupied and then unoccupied before the bridge can be 
raised.'' Under this system, there is a possibility that a rail car 
could be left within the dead section and not be detected. To protect 
against this possibility, operation of the bridge must occur from the 
roof of the bridge control house where conditions on the bridge can be 
observed. The bridge cannot be raised remotely. The train engineer 
shall use line of sight to ensure that the bridge is unobstructed 
before proceeding across the bridge.
    Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings 
by submitting written views, data, or comments. FRA does not anticipate 
scheduling a public hearing in connection with these proceedings since 
the facts do not appear to warrant a hearing. If any interested party 
desires an opportunity for oral comment, they should notify FRA, in 
writing, before the end of the comment period and specify the basis for 
their request.
    Any interested party desiring to protest the granting of an 
application shall set forth specifically the grounds upon which the 
protest is made, and it shall contain a concise statement of the 
interest of the party in the proceeding. Additionally, one copy of the 
protest shall be furnished to the applicant at the address listed 
above.
    All communications concerning these proceedings should be 
identified by Docket Number FRA-2008-0108 and may be submitted by any 
of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Operations Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., W12-140, Washington, DC 
20590.
     Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays.
    Communications received within 45 days of the date of this notice 
will be considered by FRA before final action is taken. Comments 
received after that date will be considered as far as practicable. All 
written communications concerning these proceedings are available for 
examination during regular business hours (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) at the above 
facility. 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://www.regulations.gov.
    Anyone is able to search the electronic form of any written 
communications and comments received into any of our dockets by the 
name of the individual submitting the comment (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).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 3, 2008.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Standards and Program 
Development.
[FR Doc. E8-26619 Filed 11-6-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P