Department of Transportation – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Volvo Bus Corporation (VBC) has determined that certain model year (MY) 2009-2023 Volvo 9700 buses do not fully comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment. VBC filed a noncompliance report dated November 15, 2022, and subsequently petitioned NHTSA (the "Agency") on December 13, 2022, for a decision that the subject noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety. This document announces receipt of VBC's petition.

The Department is extending through June 12, 2024, the period for interested persons to submit comments to its proposed rule on Ensuring Safe Accommodations for Air Travelers with Disabilities Using Wheelchairs.

The FAA is revising a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would have applied to all Bell Textron Inc., Model 204B, 205A, 205A-1, 205B, and 210 helicopters. This AD was prompted by an accident and incidents involving failure of the tail boom attachment structure. This action revises the NPRM by changing the proposed required actions and adding a special flight permit limitation. The FAA is proposing this airworthiness directive (AD) to address the unsafe condition on these products. Since these actions would impose an additional burden over those in the NPRM, the agency is requesting comments on this SNPRM.

The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that it is rescinding its Notice of Intent (NOI) and will not be preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed highway project in Shelby County, Tennessee. A NOI to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register on February 9, 2009.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collected is required by the Office of Registration to process name changes, address changes, and reinstatements of operating authority for motor carriers, freight forwarders, and brokers. On December 14, 2023, FMCSA published a notice in the Federal Register with a 60-day comment period to announce its intention to submit this ICR to OMB for renewal. FMCSA received no comments in response to the published notice.

These special conditions are issued for the Airbus Helicopters (Airbus) Model H160-B helicopter. This helicopter has a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for helicopters. This design feature is the extended duration of continued safe flight and landing beyond 30 minutes after indication to the flightcrew of the loss of main gearbox lubrication. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

The Board adopts new regulations that provide for the prescription of reciprocal switching agreements as a means to promote adequate rail service through access to an additional line haul carrier. Under the new regulations, eligibility for prescription of a reciprocal switching agreement will be determined in part using objective performance standards that address reliability in time of arrival, consistency in transit time, and reliability in providing first-mile and last-mile service. The Board will also consider, in determining whether to prescribe a reciprocal switching agreement, certain affirmative defenses and the practicability of a reciprocal switching agreement. To help implement the new regulations, the Board will require all Class I railroads to submit certain service data on an ongoing and standardized basis, which will be generalized and publicly accessible. Railroads will also be required to provide individualized, machine-readable service data to a customer upon a written request from that customer.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG (RRD) Model Trent 1000-A, Trent 1000-A2, Trent 1000-AE, Trent 1000-AE2, Trent 1000-C, Trent 1000-C2, Trent 1000-CE, Trent 1000-CE2, Trent 1000-D, Trent 1000-D2, Trent 1000- E, Trent 1000-E2, Trent 1000-G, Trent 1000-G2, Trent 1000-H, Trent 1000-H2, Trent 1000-J2, Trent 1000-K2, and Trent 1000-L2 engines. This AD was prompted by reports of wear in the combining spill valve (CSV) assembly of certain hydro-mechanical units (HMUs). This AD requires removing certain HMUs from service and replacing with a serviceable part. This AD also prohibits the installation of certain HMUs unless the HMU is a serviceable part or the CSV assembly has been replaced, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Canada Limited Partnership Model BD-500-1A10 and BD- 500-1A11 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report that at various lavatory and galley locations within the airplane, incorrect terminal lugs were installed which are not compatible with the associated wire gauge. This proposed AD would require removing and replacing existing lug terminals at various lavatory and galley locations, as specified in a Transport Canada AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference (IBR). The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. This document describes a new collection of information for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval titled Examining Distraction and Driver Monitoring Systems to Improve Driver Safety. A Federal Register Notice with a 60- day comment period soliciting comments on the following information collection was published on July 14, 2023. Four comments were received during the comment period. This 30-day notice includes a summary of those comments, responses to the comments (no changes to the study are expected as a result of the comments), and an update to the estimated burden hours from the 60-day notice.

This final rule amends the uniform procedures implementing the State Highway Safety Grant Program to waive, for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, the requirement that targets for the common performance measures be identical to targets in the State Highway Safety Improvement Program. This final rule makes a corresponding change to a similar requirement in the FHWA's performance management regulation.

This notice announces that the FAA intends to file a Deactivation request for Tallahassee Commercial Airport (68J), a privately owned for public use airport.

FMCSA proposes amendments to its Hazardous Materials Safety Permits (HMSPs) regulations to incorporate by reference the updated Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) handbook containing inspection procedures and Out-of-Service Criteria (OOSC) for inspections of shipments of transuranic waste and highway route- controlled quantities (HRCQs) of radioactive material (RAM). The OOSC provide enforcement personnel nationwide, including FMCSA's State partners, with uniform enforcement tolerances for inspections. Currently, the regulations reference the April 1, 2023, edition of the handbook. Through this notice, FMCSA proposes to incorporate by reference the April 1, 2024, edition.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Advanced Research Projects AgencyInfrastructure (ARPA-I) is seeking input from interested parties on the potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in transportation, as well as emerging challenges and opportunities in creating and deploying AI technologies in applications across all modes of transportation. The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to obtain input from a broad array of stakeholders on AI opportunities, challenges and related issues in transportation pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14110 of October 30, 2023 entitled "Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence".

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) invites public comments on our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information collection in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The proposed collection OMB 2133-0018 (Title XI Obligations Guarantees) will be used to evaluate an applicant's project and capabilities, make the required determinations, and administer any agreements executed upon approval of loan guarantees. This collection is being updated to include minor changes to the instructions to streamline the data collection process through electronic submission capability. There is also a reduction in the public burden since the last renewal. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies.

FMCSA announces its decision to renew exemptions for 13 individuals from the hearing requirement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) for interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. The exemptions enable these hard of hearing and deaf individuals to continue to operate CMVs in interstate commerce.

The FAA is considering a proposal to change approximately 2.392 acres of airport land from aeronautical use to non-aeronautical use and to authorize the sale of airport property located at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Columbus, OH. The property is located in the northwest portion of the airport along the north side of Johnstown Road, west of the Runway Protection Zone for Runway 10L. The aforementioned land is proposed to be sold for future development of an office/warehouse building and is not needed for aeronautical use.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A350-941 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of cracks found on the trunnion arms of the inboard flap assemblies. This AD requires repetitive inspections for cracking of the trunnion arms of the inboard flap assembly, and applicable corrective actions, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. This AD also prohibits the installation of affected parts. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier, Inc., Model CL-600-2B16 (604 Variant) airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report indicating that a new filter plate connector for the nose wheel steering (NWS) system electronic control module (ECM) does not meet certain certification requirements. This AD requires replacing all affected ECMs. This AD also prohibits the installation of affected parts under certain conditions. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for a new information collection. The collection involves obtaining information from FAA employees and contractors who will travel overseas on official business. The information to be collected will be used in the event an FAA employee and/or contractor is isolated overseas and requires lifesaving assistance.