Traffic Control Devices on Federal-Aid and Other Streets and Highways; Standards, 34297 [E6-9243]

Agencies

• Federal Highway Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 14, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 34297]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-9243]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

23 CFR Part 655

[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-2005-23182]
RIN 2125-AF16


Traffic Control Devices on Federal-Aid and Other Streets and 
Highways; Standards

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The FHWA is extending the comment period for a notice of 
proposed rulemaking (NPRM) and request for comments, which was 
published on April 25, 2006, at 71 FR 23877. The original comment 
period is set to close on June 26, 2006. The extension is based on 
concern expressed by the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control 
Devices (NCUTCD) that the June 26 closing date does not provide 
sufficient time for discussion of the issues in committee and a 
subsequent comprehensive response to the docket. The FHWA recognizes 
that others interested in commenting may have similar time constraints 
and agrees that the comment period should be extended. Therefore, the 
closing date for comments is changed to July 21, 2006, which will 
provide the NCUTCD and others interested in commenting additional time 
to discuss, evaluate, and submit responses to the docket.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 21, 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, or submit electronically at https://
dmses.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 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 print the 
acknowledgement page that appears after submitting comments 
electronically. Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all 
comments in any one of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, or labor union). 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 
https://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Linda Brown, Office of 
Transportation Operations, (202) 366-2192; or Mr. Raymond W. Cuprill, 
Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-0791, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20590. 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: https://dmses.dot.gov/submit. Electronic 
submission and retrieval help and guidelines are available under the 
help section of the Web site. Alternatively, internet users may access 
all comments received by the DOT Docket Facility by using the universal 
resource locator (URL) https://dms.dot.gov. It is available 24 hours 
each day, 365 days each year. Please follow the instructions. An 
electronic copy of this document may also be downloaded by accessing 
the Office of the Federal Register's home page at: https://
www.archives.gov or the Government Printing Office's Web page at: 
https://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara.

Background

    On April 25, 2006, the FHWA published in the Federal Register a 
notice of proposed rulemaking proposing changes to 23 CFR 655, the 
regulations for traffic control devices on Federal-aid and other 
streets and highways. The NPRM proposed, along with other 
administrative changes, to update these regulations by deleting 
references to obsolete reference materials; clarifying the phrase 
``open to public travel'' by providing examples of roads and other 
facilities meant to be covered by the regulations; clarifying that 
``substantial conformance'' with the National MUTCD, as required under 
the regulations, means that the State MUTCD or supplement shall conform 
as a minimum to the standard statements included in the National MUTCD 
unless a variation is approved by the FHWA Division Administrator or 
FHWA Associate Administrator of the Federal Lands Highway Program; and, 
allowing States to adopt the National MUTCD within two years from the 
effective date of the final rule making such changes, rather than the 
issuance date of the final rule.
    The original comment period for the NPRM closes on June 26, 2006. 
The NCUTCD has expressed concern that this closing date does not 
provide sufficient time to review and discuss the proposed changes; and 
then, develop and submit complete responses to the docket. To allow 
time for this organization and others to submit comprehensive comments, 
the closing date is changed from June 26, 2006, to July 21, 2006.

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 101(a), 104, 109(d), 114(a), 217, 315, and 
402(a); 23 CFR 1.32 and 49 CFR 1.48(b).

    Issued on: June 7, 2006.
Frederick G. Wright, Jr.,
Federal Highway Executive Director.
[FR Doc. E6-9243 Filed 6-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P