Safety of Private Highway-Rail Grade Crossings; Notice of Safety Inquiry, 18730 [E7-7064]
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18730
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 71 / Friday, April 13, 2007 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA–2005–23281, Notice No.
5]
Safety of Private Highway-Rail Grade
Crossings; Notice of Safety Inquiry
Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of open meeting date
change.
AGENCY:
On July 27, 2006, FRA
published a notice announcing its intent
to conduct a series of open meetings
throughout the United States, in
cooperation with appropriate State
agencies, to consider issues related to
the safety of private highway-rail grade
crossings. FRA has conducted four
meetings to date and on March 17, 2007,
FRA published a notice announcing the
scheduling of an additional meeting to
be held April 26, 2007, in Syracuse,
New York. Due to recently developed
scheduling conflicts, however, it is
necessary to postpone this April 26
meeting. This Notice No. 5 is an
announcement that the Syracuse, New
York, meeting has been rescheduled for
July 26, 2007. FRA regrets any
inconvenience this date change may
have caused.
At the meeting, FRA intends to solicit
oral statements from private crossing
owners, railroads, and other interested
parties on issues related to the safety of
private highway-rail grade crossings,
which will include, but not be limited
to, current practices concerning the
responsibility for safety at private grade
crossings, the adequacy of warning
devices at private crossings, and the
relative merits of a more uniform
approach to improving safety at private
crossings. FRA has also opened a public
docket on these issues so that interested
parties may submit written comments
for public review and consideration.
DATES: The fifth public meeting will be
held in Syracuse, New York on July 26,
2007, at the Renaissance Syracuse Hotel,
701 East Genesee Street, Syracuse, New
York 13210, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Persons wishing to participate are
requested to provide their names,
organizational affiliation, and contact
information to Michelle Silva, FRA
Docket Clerk, 1120 Vermont Avenue
NW., Washington, DC 20590 (telephone:
202–493–6030). Persons needing sign
language interpretation or other
reasonable accommodation for disability
are also encouraged to contact Ms. Silva
using the aforementioned information.
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:52 Apr 12, 2007
Jkt 211001
Ron
Ries, FRA Office of Safety, 1120
Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC
20590 (telephone: 202–493–6299);
Miriam Kloeppel, FRA Office of Safety,
1120 Vermont Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: 202–
493–6299); or Kathryn Shelton, FRA
Office of Chief Counsel, 1120 Vermont
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20590
(telephone: 202–493–6038).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For
additional information, please see the
initial notice published July 27, 2006, in
the Federal Register (71 FR 42713) and
available at https://
a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/
01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/
2006/pdf/06–6501.pdf
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Request for Comments
While FRA solicits discussion and
comments on all areas of safety at
private highway-rail grade crossings, we
particularly encourage comments on the
following topics:
• At-grade highway-rail crossings
present inherent risks to users,
including the railroad and its
employees, and to other persons in the
vicinity should a train derail into an
occupied area or release hazardous
materials. When passenger trains are
involved, the risks are heightened. From
the standpoint of public policy, how do
we determine whether the creation or
continuation of a private crossing is
justified?
• Is the current assignment of
responsibility for safety at private
crossings effective? To what extent do
risk management practices associated
with insurance arrangements result in
the ‘‘regulation’’ of safety at private
crossings?
• How should improvement and/or
maintenance costs associated with
private crossings be allocated?
• Is there a need for alternative
dispute resolution mechanisms to
handle disputes that may arise between
private crossing owners and the
railroads?
• Should the State or Federal
Government assume greater
responsibility for safety at private
crossings?
• Should there be nationwide
standards for warning devices at private
crossings, or for intersection design of
new private grade crossings?
• How do we determine when a
private crossing has a ‘‘public purpose’’
and is subject to public use?
• Should some crossings be
categorized as ‘‘commercial crossings,’’
rather than as ‘‘private crossings?’’
• Are there innovative traffic control
treatments that could improve safety at
PO 00000
Frm 00111
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
private crossings on major rail corridors,
including those on which passenger
service is provided?
• Should DOT request enactment of
legislation to address private crossings?
If so, what should it include?
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 9,
2007.
Jo Strang,
Associate Administrator for Safety.
[FR Doc. E7–7064 Filed 4–12–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
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–2007–27287]
Applicant: BNSF Railway Company, Mr.
Gregory C. Fox, Vice President
Engineering, P.O. Box 961034, Fort
Worth, Texas 76161–0034.
BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) seeks
relief from the requirements of the
Rules, Standards and Instructions, Title
49 CFR part 236, Section 236.377
Approach Locking, 236.378 Time
locking, 236.379 Route Locking, 236.380
Indication Locking, and 236.381 Traffic
Locking, on processor-based systems to
the extent that only the following be
required every four years after initial
testing or program change:
• Verification of the CRC/Check Sum/
UCN of the existing location specific
application logic to the previously
tested version.
• Tests on equipment outside the
processor (switch indication, track
indication, searchlight signal indication,
approach locking (if external)) are
verified to the processor’s inputs and
switch locking is tested from the
processor’s output to the switch
machine.
• Testing of the duration of any
timers with variable settings.
Applicant’s justification for relief:
Many of BNSF’s interlockings and
control points are controlled by solidstate processor-based systems. The 2year signal locking tests for solid-state
E:\FR\FM\13APN1.SGM
13APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 71 (Friday, April 13, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 18730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7064]
[[Page 18730]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2005-23281, Notice No. 5]
Safety of Private Highway-Rail Grade Crossings; Notice of Safety
Inquiry
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of open meeting date change.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: On July 27, 2006, FRA published a notice announcing its intent
to conduct a series of open meetings throughout the United States, in
cooperation with appropriate State agencies, to consider issues related
to the safety of private highway-rail grade crossings. FRA has
conducted four meetings to date and on March 17, 2007, FRA published a
notice announcing the scheduling of an additional meeting to be held
April 26, 2007, in Syracuse, New York. Due to recently developed
scheduling conflicts, however, it is necessary to postpone this April
26 meeting. This Notice No. 5 is an announcement that the Syracuse, New
York, meeting has been rescheduled for July 26, 2007. FRA regrets any
inconvenience this date change may have caused.
At the meeting, FRA intends to solicit oral statements from private
crossing owners, railroads, and other interested parties on issues
related to the safety of private highway-rail grade crossings, which
will include, but not be limited to, current practices concerning the
responsibility for safety at private grade crossings, the adequacy of
warning devices at private crossings, and the relative merits of a more
uniform approach to improving safety at private crossings. FRA has also
opened a public docket on these issues so that interested parties may
submit written comments for public review and consideration.
DATES: The fifth public meeting will be held in Syracuse, New York on
July 26, 2007, at the Renaissance Syracuse Hotel, 701 East Genesee
Street, Syracuse, New York 13210, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Persons wishing to participate are requested to provide their
names, organizational affiliation, and contact information to Michelle
Silva, FRA Docket Clerk, 1120 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20590
(telephone: 202-493-6030). Persons needing sign language interpretation
or other reasonable accommodation for disability are also encouraged to
contact Ms. Silva using the aforementioned information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron Ries, FRA Office of Safety, 1120
Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: 202-493-6299);
Miriam Kloeppel, FRA Office of Safety, 1120 Vermont Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: 202-493-6299); or Kathryn Shelton, FRA
Office of Chief Counsel, 1120 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20590
(telephone: 202-493-6038).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For additional information, please see the
initial notice published July 27, 2006, in the Federal Register (71 FR
42713) and available at https://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/
01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/06-6501.pdf
Request for Comments
While FRA solicits discussion and comments on all areas of safety
at private highway-rail grade crossings, we particularly encourage
comments on the following topics:
At-grade highway-rail crossings present inherent risks to
users, including the railroad and its employees, and to other persons
in the vicinity should a train derail into an occupied area or release
hazardous materials. When passenger trains are involved, the risks are
heightened. From the standpoint of public policy, how do we determine
whether the creation or continuation of a private crossing is
justified?
Is the current assignment of responsibility for safety at
private crossings effective? To what extent do risk management
practices associated with insurance arrangements result in the
``regulation'' of safety at private crossings?
How should improvement and/or maintenance costs associated
with private crossings be allocated?
Is there a need for alternative dispute resolution
mechanisms to handle disputes that may arise between private crossing
owners and the railroads?
Should the State or Federal Government assume greater
responsibility for safety at private crossings?
Should there be nationwide standards for warning devices
at private crossings, or for intersection design of new private grade
crossings?
How do we determine when a private crossing has a ``public
purpose'' and is subject to public use?
Should some crossings be categorized as ``commercial
crossings,'' rather than as ``private crossings?''
Are there innovative traffic control treatments that could
improve safety at private crossings on major rail corridors, including
those on which passenger service is provided?
Should DOT request enactment of legislation to address
private crossings? If so, what should it include?
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 9, 2007.
Jo Strang,
Associate Administrator for Safety.
[FR Doc. E7-7064 Filed 4-12-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
