[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 149 (Friday, August 2, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37951-37952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-16595]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Maritime Administration

[Docket Number: MARAD-2019-0121]


Request for Information on Opportunities, Challenges and Impacts 
of Automated Transportation in a Port Environment

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Request for information (RFI).

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SUMMARY: Automation, including automated vehicles, trains, vessels, 
infrastructure, and equipment, is increasingly being tested and 
introduced into the transportation system, including ports. At ports, 
various modes of transportation, such as vessels, rail and motor 
carriers, intersect to create a hub of freight transfer in global 
supply chains. The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is interested in 
engaging in research that may help support strategies to safely 
implement automated transportation on and around ports. To that end, 
MARAD is publishing this RFI to solicit views from the public, 
including stakeholders (e.g., State and local agencies, vehicle, train, 
vessel, infrastructure, and equipment design, development and 
manufacturing industries, intelligent transportation systems industry, 
technology developers, related associations, etc.), on a range of 
issues related to the safety effects, opportunities, challenges and 
impacts of automated transportation in a port environment to inform 
potential research projects.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 3, 2019. MARAD 
will consider comments filed after this date to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket Number 
MARAD-2019-0121 by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. 
Search by using the docket number (provided above). Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments on the electronic docket site.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room PL-401, Washington, DC 
20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 of the Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and 
docket number.

    Note:  All comments received, including any personal 
information, will be posted without change to the docket and is 
accessible via http://www.regulations.gov. Input submitted online 
via www.regulations.gov is not immediately posted to the site. It 
may take several business days before your submission is posted.

    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov at any time or to 
Room PL-401 of the Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays. The Federal Docket Management Facility's 
telephone number is 202-366-9826 or 202-366-9317, the fax number is 
202-493-2251.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Travis Black, Office of Ports & 
Waterways Planning, Maritime Administration, telephone: 202-366-9087, 
email: [email protected]. If you have questions on viewing the 
Docket, call Docket Operations, telephone: 202-366-9826 or 202-366-
9317.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Input from this RFI will inform future MARAD 
research activities. Although MARAD seeks comments and relevant 
information and data on all issues related to the development and 
continued implementation of automated port systems and technologies, 
MARAD specifically requests comment and data in response to the 
following questions:
    1. How does the port industry and its stakeholders currently define 
``autonomous/automated operations''? Would it be helpful to develop 
automated port taxonomy (i.e., a system of standards to clarify and 
define different levels of automation in ports)? Are there substantive 
efforts already under way to develop such port automation taxonomy?
    2. Are ports planning to automate operations? Are there substantive 
plans or efforts already underway to integrate autonomous/automated 
vehicles, rail, vessels, infrastructure, and equipment (i.e., vehicles, 
rail, vessels, infrastructure, and equipment capable of sensing their 
environments and operating without human input)? If so, for what types 
of operations?
    3. What are the obstacles to implementing automation strategies

[[Page 37952]]

(short and long term)? What are the most significant factors that 
impact cost-benefit analysis?
    4. How can port stakeholders, including port equipment and 
infrastructure suppliers, manufacturers, and maintainers, better 
support ports' automation efforts and strategies to implement other 
autonomous/automated vehicles, trains, vessels, infrastructure, and 
equipment?
    5. How could further integration of autonomous/automated systems 
and transport impact freight flows and/or supply chains both 
domestically and globally?
    6. What societal benefits if any, could be expected to result from 
the adoption of these technologies (e.g., environmental, safety, 
efficiency, or noise reduction)? What societal disadvantages could 
occur?
    7. Are there best practices from implementing past or current 
projects? Are there current anticipated projects and initiatives that 
could benefit from further monitoring or support? If so, what are the 
needs?
    8. What are the infrastructure needs for effectively, safely, and 
securely implementing these automation technologies? MARAD is 
particularly interested in expected or anticipated infrastructure 
needs, including data infrastructure, to accommodate the various 
components (i.e., vehicles, trains, vessels, infrastructure, and 
equipment) working together at ports for the multi-modal transfer of 
freight. What concerns do industry stakeholders have regarding 
infrastructure planning and investment, including funding, finance and 
revenue impacts, required for new automation technologies and how could 
additional research help address those concerns?
    9. What is the potential impact of the adoption of these automation 
technologies on the existing port industry workforce? MARAD is 
interested in how automated technologies may affect workforce needs, 
including current and future port employment demands, and employee 
skills and training requirements.
    10. What further research related to autonomous/automated 
transportation activities is needed to maximize U.S. port capacity and 
efficiency?
    11. What challenges are known or anticipated in implementing these 
types of technologies, including technological obstacles? How should 
the port industry anticipate addressing these challenges, and what 
efforts are currently underway to address them?
    12. What are the regulatory or statutory challenges that must be 
addressed before autonomous vehicles, trains, vessels, and equipment 
can be made part of port operations in the United States?
    13. Are there current regulations and/or safety standards that 
impede the development and and/or implementation of automated 
transportation systems or technologies in the port industry, including 
the development and/or implementation of autonomous vehicles, trains, 
vessels, infrastructure, and equipment? If so, what are they and how 
should they be addressed?
    14. Is there safety, performance, or other data relevant to the 
development and integration of automated port systems and technologies 
that currently exists that could be voluntarily exchanged to support 
the development of future voluntary standards?

Public Participation

How do I submit comments?

    Please submit your comments, including any attachments, following 
the instructions provided under the above heading entitled ADDRESSES. 
Be advised that it may take a few hours or even days for your comment 
to be reflected on the docket. In addition, your comments must be 
written in English. We encourage you to provide concise comments. You 
may attach additional documents as necessary. There is no limit on the 
length of the attachments.
    Please note that even after the comment period has closed, MARAD 
will continue to file relevant information in the Docket as it becomes 
available.

Where do I go to read public comments, and find supporting information?

    Go to the docket online at http://www.regulations.gov., keyword 
search MARAD-2019-0121 or visit us in person at the Docket Management 
Facility (see ADDRESSES for hours of operation). We recommend that you 
periodically check the Docket for new submissions and supporting 
material.

Will my comments be made available to the public?

    Yes. Be aware that your entire comment, including your personal 
identifying information, will be made publicly available.

May I submit comments confidentially?

    If you wish to submit comments under a claim of confidentiality, 
you should submit three copies of your complete submission, including 
the information you claim to be confidential business information, to 
the Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, Office of 
Legislation and Regulations, MAR-225, W24-220, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE, Washington, DC 20590. Include a cover letter setting forth with 
specificity the basis for any such claim and, if possible, a summary of 
your submission that can be made available to the public.

Privacy Act

    In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT/MARAD solicits comments 
from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT/MARAD 
posts these comments, without edit, to www.regulations.gov, as 
described in the system of records notice, DOT/ALL-14 FDMS, accessible 
through www.transportation.gov/privacy. To facilitate comment tracking 
and response, we encourage commenters to provide their name, or the 
name of their organization; however, submission of names is completely 
optional. Whether or not commenters identify themselves, all timely 
comments will be fully considered. If you wish to provide comments 
containing proprietary or confidential information, please contact the 
agency for alternate submission instructions.

(Authority: 49 CFR Sections 1.92 and 1.93)
* * * * *

    Dated: July 30, 2019.

    By Order of the Maritime Administrator.
T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr.,
Secretary, Maritime Administration.
[FR Doc. 2019-16595 Filed 8-1-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-81-P