Quiet Cars Notice of Public Meeting and Request for Comments, 31187-31190 [E8-12041]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 105 / Friday, May 30, 2008 / Notices
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To accomplish these purposes, the
following specific objectives are
defined:
• Improve interstate and intrastate
transit mobility, along the north-south
South Norwalk—New Milford Corridor.
• Examine enhancements to existing
transit services in the corridor by
electrifying the branch or portions of it.
• Enhance economic development
and Transit Oriented Development
(TOD) opportunities in conjunction
with participating cities and towns land
use plans.
• Improve mobility in the South
Norwalk—New Milford Corridor by
attracting trips to transit service.
Interested parties are invited to
consider and comment on this
preliminary statement of the purpose
and need for the proposed project.
III. Alternatives
The general location of the study
corridor is the existing Danbury Branch
Rail Line which traverses 23.6 miles
from South Norwalk, through Wilton,
Cannondale, Branchville, Redding, and
Bethel to Danbury, and the potential
extension of the line 14.3 miles into
New Milford. The project termini would
be the existing branch line’s southern
terminus at its connection with the New
Haven Line in South Norwalk, and the
proposed new northern terminus in
New Milford. The EIS will examine and
evaluate a number of rail service and
infrastructure improvement alternatives
in the corridor. Additional alternatives
generated by the scoping process as well
as alternative station locations for the
Build alternatives will also be
considered.
The alternatives proposed for
consideration in the EIS as a result of
the Feasibility Study (2006) include: (A)
The No-build alternative; (B) a
Transportation System Management
alternative, which include service
improvements such as new outbound
service, and express service; (C) South
Norwalk to Danbury Improvements
including electrification, addition of
passing sidings, and minor track
realignment; (D) extension of diesel
passenger service from Danbury to New
Milford with improvements including
new stations and minor track
realignment; and (E) partial
electrification from South Norwalk to
the vicinity of the Merritt 7 Station with
feeder bus/rail service to complement
the new service. The EIS will
incorporate data and findings from the
Final Report of the Feasibility Study
Danbury Branch Electrification (May
2006). Copies of this report are available
from Mr. Andrew H. Davis of ConnDOT
at the address shown above under
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and on the project Web site
at https://
www.danburybranchstudy.com.
Interested parties are invited to consider
and comment on the alternatives
proposed for consideration in the AA/
DEIS.
ADDRESSES
IV. Probable Effects
FTA and ConnDOT will evaluate all
significant environmental and
community impacts of the alternatives
that emerge from the scoping process.
FTA expects the major issue to be rail
noise and vibration impacts at nearby
residences, property acquisition and
relocation of the businesses and
residences located on the acquired
properties. These and any other impacts
will be evaluated for both the
construction period and for the longterm period of operation. Measures to
mitigate adverse impacts will be
developed for the AA/DEIS and
finalized in the Final EIS. Interested
parties are invited to consider and
comment on the impacts to be evaluated
in the AA/DEIS and on options and
measures to avoid, minimize and
mitigate adverse impacts.
V. FTA Procedures
In accordance with 23 CFR 771.105(a)
and 771.133, FTA and ConnDOT will
comply with all Federal environmental
laws, regulations, and executive orders
applicable to the proposed project
during the environmental review
process. These requirements include,
but are not limited to, the
environmental and public hearing
provisions of Federal transit laws (49
U.S.C. 5301(e), 5323(b), and 5324); the
project-level air quality conformity
regulation of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) (40 CFR Part
93); Section 404(b)(1) guidelines of EPA
(40 CFR Part 230); the regulation
implementing Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act (36
CFR Part 800); the regulation
implementing section 7 of the
Endangered Species Act (50 CFR Part
402); Section 4(f) of the Department of
Transportation Act (23 CFR part 774);
and Executive Orders 12898 on
Environmental Justice, 11988 on
Floodplain Management, and 11990 on
Wetlands.
ConnDOT anticipates seeking federal
assistance from the FTA to fund the
proposed project under 49 United States
Code 5309 and will, therefore, be
subject to regulations (49 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 611).
Accordingly, following the public
comment period for the AA/DEIS,
ConnDOT will select a locally preferred
alternative based on ridership forecasts,
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service performance evaluation,
estimated capital and operating costs,
environmental impacts, social and
economic impacts, and community
support. ConnDOT will seek FTA
approval to initiate Small Starts Project
Development, and if FTA so approves,
the Final EIS will be prepared in
conjunction with the New Starts/Small
Starts process.
Date Issued: May 21, 2008.
Brigid Hynes-Cherin,
Regional Administrator, Federal Transit
Administration.
[FR Doc. E8–12098 Filed 5–29–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–57–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA–2008–0108]
Quiet Cars Notice of Public Meeting
and Request for Comments
National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of public meeting,
request for information.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NHTSA is having a public
meeting to bring together government
policymakers, stakeholders from the
blind community, industry
representatives and public interest
groups to discuss the safety of blind
pedestrians encountering quiet cars
including hybrids, all-electric vehicles
and quiet internal combustion engine
vehicles. This public meeting and the
request for information, is an
opportunity for an exchange among
interested parties, as well as the public,
on the technical and safety policy issues
related to increasingly quieter cars and
blind pedestrians. The date, time,
location, and framework for this public
meeting are announced in this notice.
DATES: Public Meeting: The public
meeting will be held on June 23, 2008,
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt
Washington, Washington, DC.
Comments: Written comments may be
submitted to the agency and must be
received no later than August 1, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs.
Debbie Ascone, Office of the Senior
Associate Administrator for Vehicle
Safety, NHTSA, telephone 202–366–
4383, e-mail Debbie.Ascone@dot.gov.
She may also be reached at 1200 New
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC
20590.
ADDRESSES: Public meeting: The public
meeting will be held at the Grand Hyatt
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Washington, 1000 H Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20001, telephone: 202–
637–4764.
Written comments: Written comments
on this meeting and topic must refer to
the docket number of this notice and be
submitted by any of the following
methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments.
• Fax: 1–202–493–2251.
• Mail: Docket Management Facility,
M–30, U.S. Department of
Transportation, West Building, Ground
Floor, Rm. W12–140, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
• Hand Delivery: West Building
Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., between 9 am
and 5 pm Eastern Time, Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Regardless of how you submit your
comments, you should mention the
docket number of this document.
You may call the Docket Management
Facility at 202–366–9826.
Instructions: For detailed instructions
on submitting comments, see the
Procedural Matters section of this
document. Note that all comments
received will be posted without change
to https://www.regulations.gov, including
any personal information provided.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
up to 25 mph). As such, these vehicles
can be significantly quieter than
conventional gasoline powered vehicles.
Deborah Kent Stein discusses an
emerging problem with HEVs in the
following:
‘‘When the hybrid is traveling at low
speeds, the electric motor is very quiet. The
problem arises when a hybrid car, powered
by its electric motor, is traveling at slow to
moderate speeds—as when it moves along a
side street, emerges from a driveway or
parking lot, or starts up after a red light or
stop sign. Under these circumstances the
engine is silent, and there is little or no
sound from tire friction or wind resistance.
In addition nearly all hybrids come to a full
stop at red lights or stop signs, shutting off
the engine completely. The engine does not
idle, emitting a low, telltale purr. It makes no
sound at all. A blind traveler has no
indication that a car is present and preparing
to move forward at any moment.’’ 2
Mrs. Stein, chairman for the National
Federation of the Blind (NFB),
Committee on Automobile and
Pedestrian Safety/Quiet Cars made this
statement in the article ‘‘Stop, Look and
Listen: Quiet Vehicles and Pedestrian
Safety,’’ in the June 2005 issue of The
Braille Monitor. NHTSA recognizes this
is a potential safety problem and is
responding to the concern and
investigating the hazard of quieter
vehicles to pedestrians, cyclists and
others who need to be aware of
approaching cars that are out of their
line of sight.
Background
While the size of the specific problem
is currently unknown, the total number
According to R.L. Polk & Co,
registration for new hybrid vehicles rose of pedestrian crashes in 2006 was
to 350,289 registrations in 2007.1 While 65,404 resulting in 4,784 fatalities and
an estimated 61,000 injuries.
hybrid vehicles remain a small portion
Since August 2007, NHTSA has been
of new registered vehicles, registrations
working through the Society of
of hybrids increased 38% from 2006 to
2007. A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is Automotive Engineers International
(SAE) to identify effective ways to
more commonly defined as a vehicle
address the safety issue with quieter
which combines a conventional
vehicles. The Alliance of Automobile
propulsion system (such as a gasoline or
Manufacturers and the Association of
diesel engine) with an electric motor
International Automobile
and has an on-board rechargeable
Manufacturers, along with the SAE have
energy storage system (such as batteries)
formed the Vehicle Sound for
to achieve better fuel economy than a
Pedestrians Subcommittee under the
conventional vehicle. HEVs prolong the
SAE Safety and Human Factors
charge on their batteries by capturing
Committee.3 This subcommittee,
kinetic energy via regenerative braking,
Vehicle Sounds for Pedestrians (VSP),
and some HEVs can use the combustion
created the three following Task Forces
engine to generate electricity by
to gather information to assist in
spinning an electrical generator (often a
determining the technical approaches to
motor-generator) to either recharge the
address the problem: Audience for
battery or directly feed power to an
specification, target sound level, and
electric motor that drives the vehicle.
type of sound and driving conditions for
All HEVs have a start/stop system
the sound. The VSP subcommittee is
which can turn off the engine at idle and
currently working to both define the
restart it when needed. Some hybrids
are capable of being driven by only the
2 Stop, Look, and Listen: Quiet Vehicles and
electric motor at lower speeds (generally Pedestrian Safety by Deborah Kent Stein; from: The
1 https://usa.polk.com/news/latestnews/
news_2008_0421_hybrids.htm.
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Braille Monitor, June 2005.
3 https://www.sae.org/servlets/works/
committeeHome.do?comtID=TEITSSHF.
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issue and understand the conditions in
which these types of incidents occur
and expects to propose and evaluate
different methods to address the issues
as these factors are better understood.
Further work of the VSP
subcommittee will explore: who will
benefit from the establishment of a
minimum sound level for motor
vehicles, what that sound level should
be and the type of sound that will be
necessary to have the desired effect, and
under what vehicle and ambient
conditions the sound is required to be
heard and measured. The subcommittee
is currently in the data gathering stage:
what incidents have happened, where,
and under what conditions. Different
data sources have been identified and
approached. Concurrently, the task force
on sound measurement is preparing an
outline for a test procedure to measure
vehicle operating sounds.
Thus far, this group of human factors
experts also includes a member of the
American Council for the Blind and a
representative of NHTSA. The group is
regularly meeting at four-week intervals
to study possible ways of improving the
detection of quiet cars by pedestrians
and to explore the feasibility of
proposing an SAE Recommended
Practice. In addition to the SAE
initiative, NFB has commissioned Dr.
Lawrence Rosenblum at the University
of California-Riverside to investigate the
sound made by hybrids and people’s
ability to detect them. At Stanford
University, with financial help from the
NFB, researchers have developed a
prototype sound generating device that
receives information about the vehicle
function and transmits the information
to speakers placed on the vehicle. While
this vehicle-based system is one
potential countermeasure for quieter
vehicles, NHTSA, the automotive
industry and the SAE subcommittee
will continue their efforts to identify the
most appropriate and effective
countermeasures. In the United States
House of Representatives, a bill has
been introduced entitled the
‘‘Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of
2008,’’ which, if enacted, requires the
Secretary of Transportation to study and
establish a motor vehicle safety standard
that provides for a means of alerting
blind and other pedestrians of motor
vehicle operation.4 Additionally, in
December 2007, NHTSA met with
representatives of the NFB to discuss
this issue.
4 https://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c110:1:./
temp/∼c110LBBXF7::.
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 105 / Friday, May 30, 2008 / Notices
Public Meeting
NHTSA is having this public meeting
to discuss the technical and safety
policy issues associated with the
increasing presence of quieter cars and
the risks to blind pedestrians. The
meeting will bring together State and
local government policy makers,
stakeholders in the blind community,
industry representatives and public
interest groups.
The meeting will be open to the
public, but presentations will be by
invitation only. Time will be designated
for open floor discussion by the general
audience. Meeting participants and the
public are also invited to submit
comments on this issue to the docket.
All materials to be presented are asked
to be submitted to NHTSA in advance
for appropriate dissemination to
visually impaired attendees.
The sections below describe the
discussion of topics for the meeting.
Statement of Problem
Representatives of the blind
community will discuss the problem
facing blind pedestrians around quieter
vehicles. The discussion should include
the explanation and known size of the
problem. The presentations should
identify specific situations in which
vehicles are hard to hear, the sound
cues that are necessary in detecting a
vehicle and which of those cues are
absent in those problematic locations.
To gain a better understanding of the
desired outcome to this problem,
representatives of the blind community
should discuss general ways to increase
the safety of blind pedestrians and
potential solutions—both desirable and
undesirable to the blind community.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Pedestrian Safety
Pedestrian safety is a difficult but
important issue both nationally and
internationally. Presentations should
discuss pedestrian safety in general as
well as specifically related to the blind
community. Any known incidents with
pedestrians, in general and involving
the blind, and quieter vehicles will be
detailed. Data collection challenges
should also be discussed as well as the
needs to improve this data collection.
There will also be discussion of current
technologies to aide the blind
community in safer pedestrian travel. A
NHTSA representative will discuss
ongoing and planned activities for
pedestrian safety, identifying potential
activities that could be enhanced for the
blind. A representative from the
international vehicle safety community
will present information about the
problem globally as well as work in
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other nations to address pedestrians and
quieter vehicles. The discussion should
also include international standards for
pedestrian safety and any potential
solutions for this problem that have
been researched internationally.
Sound Measurement and Mobility
In developing a solution to assist
blind pedestrians around quieter cars, a
few fundamental questions must be
addressed. Presentations on this topic
should include discussions of which
sounds of a vehicle should be measured
and the means by which to measure that
sound. Any studies into this area should
also be included. Sound experts should
also describe average noise levels as
reference points for the audience as well
as extreme noise levels—both low and
high extremes. A mobility expert should
discuss sound cues for blind individuals
and any measurement studies related to
the field. There should also be
discussion on mobility in rural areas
and locations that lack the infrastructure
for technology.
Automotive Industry Perspective
A representative from the automobile
industry should speak about how the
industry is addressing the problem. The
discussion should include information
on what current and future vehicles
would qualify as quiet cars as well as
what features of the car cause the
reduction in sound. The automobile
industry representative should also
discuss what the industry is willing to
commit to, product development and
lead time for vehicle-based solutions.
SAE Work and Status
As was discussed previously, SAE has
a subcommittee dedicated to this topic
and has active working groups looking
at specific details. An SAE
spokesperson will discuss the process in
general and the current status of this
work. Additional details of the working
groups should be laid out at the meeting
and the representative should describe
the needs of the subcommittee to
continue work and expedite both the
work and the process.
Potential Solutions
Research into potential ways to
address this issue should include
vehicle-, person-, and infrastructurebased approaches. Presentations should
include current and past research into
each of these areas, literature and
conclusions from such. Product
development, effectiveness, lead time,
cost and public acceptance of solutions
should also be discussed. Any potential
solution that is currently marketed or
planned for market would be included
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31189
in this discussion as well as the history
of the development of the product.
Noise Abatement
While the lower sound of vehicles
presents a safety concern for blind
pedestrians, it also provides a solution
to the health concern arising from noise
pollution. Presentations on this topic
should include federal and local
perspective on noise pollution as well
as the jurisdiction of noise pollution
laws. The discussion should also
include studies about what levels of
sound are dangerous to health and
studies into the magnification of sound
presented by large numbers of vehicles
or vehicles in confined spaces. Current
or planned efforts to reduce the sound
emitted by vehicles should also be
discussed along with supporting
research into determination of said
maximum levels.
Procedural Matters
The meeting will be open to the
public with advanced registration for
seating on a space-available basis.
Individuals wishing to register to assure
a seat in the public seating area should
provide their name, affiliation, phone
number and e-mail address to Mrs.
Debbie Ascone using the contact
information at the beginning of this
notice. Should it be necessary to cancel
the meeting due to an emergency or
some other reason, NHTSA will take all
available means to notify registered
participants by e-mail or telephone.
The meeting will be held at a site
accessible to individuals with
disabilities. Individuals who require
accommodations such as sign language
interpreters should contact Ms. Debbie
Ascone by June 16, 2008. All written
materials to be presented at the meeting
will be available electronically on the
day of the meeting to accommodate the
needs of the visually impaired. A
transcript of the meeting and other
information received by NHTSA at the
meeting will be placed in the docket for
this notice at a later date.
How can I submit comments on this
subject?
It is not necessary to attend or to
speak at the public meeting to be able
to comment on the issues. NHTSA
invites readers to submit written
comments which the agency will
consider in its research and proceedings
with the safety of quiet cars and
pedestrians.
How do I prepare and submit
comments?
Your comments must be written and
in English. To ensure that your
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 105 / Friday, May 30, 2008 / Notices
comments are correctly filed in the
Docket, please include the docket
number of this document in your
comments.
Your primary comments must not be
more than 15 pages long (49 CFR
553.21). However, you may attach
additional documents to your primary
comments. There is no limit on the
length of the attachments.
Anyone is able to search the
electronic form of all 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) or you
may visit https://regulations.gov.
How can I be sure that my comments
were received?
If you wish Docket Management to
notify you upon its receipt of your
comments, enclose a self-addressed,
stamped postcard in the envelope
containing your comments. Upon
receiving your comments, Docket
Management will return the postcard by
mail.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
How do I submit confidential business
information?
If you wish to submit any information
under a claim of confidentiality, send
three copies of your complete
submission, including the information
you claim to be confidential business
information, to the Chief Counsel,
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave.,
SE., Washington, DC 20590. Include a
cover letter supplying the information
specified in our confidential business
information regulation (49 CFR part
512).
In addition, send two copies from
which you have deleted the claimed
confidential business information to
Docket Management, 1200 New Jersey
Ave., SE., West Building, Room W12–
140, Washington, DC 20590, or submit
them electronically, in the manner
described at the beginning of this notice.
Will the agency consider late
comments?
We will consider all comments that
Docket Management receives before the
close of business on the comment
closing date indicated above under
DATES. To the extent possible, we will
also consider comments that Docket
Management receives after that date.
Please note that even after the
comment closing date, we will continue
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16:52 May 29, 2008
Jkt 214001
to file relevant information in the docket
as it becomes available. Further, some
people may submit late comments.
Accordingly, we recommend that you
periodically check the docket for new
material.
How can I read the comments submitted
by other people?
You may read the materials placed in
the docket for this document (e.g., the
comments submitted in response to this
document by other interested persons)
at any time by going to https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online
instructions for accessing the dockets.
You may also read the materials at the
Docket Management Facility by going to
the street address given above under
ADDRESSES. The Docket Management
Facility is open between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30168;
delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and
501.8.
Ronald L. Medford,
Senior Associate Administrator, Vehicle
Safety.
[FR Doc. E8–12041 Filed 5–29–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–59–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Finance Docket No. 34284]
Southwest Gulf Railroad Company—
Construction and Operation
Exemption—in Medina County, TX
Surface Transportation Board.
Notice of Availability of a Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: On February 27, 2003,
Southwest Gulf Railroad Company
(SGR) filed a petition with the Surface
Transportation Board (Board) pursuant
to 49 U.S.C. 10502 for authority to
construct and operate a rail line
approximately seven miles long from a
Vulcan Construction Materials, LP
(VCM) proposed limestone quarry to a
Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP)
rail line near Dunlay, Texas. SGR
proposed construction and operation of
the rail line to transport limestone
aggregate from VCM’s proposed quarry
to the UP rail line. SGR anticipates
operating approximately four trains per
day (comprising two inbound empty
and two outbound loaded trains). Each
train would consist of 100 railcars.
The Board’s Section of Environmental
Analysis (SEA) has prepared the FEIS
was pursuant to the National
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Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA), 42 United States Code (U.S.C.)
4231 et seq. Under NEPA, the Board
must consider the environmental
impacts of actions requiring Board
authorization and complete its
environmental review before making a
final decision on a proposed action.
SEA is the office within the Board that
carries out the Board’s responsibilities
and related environmental laws and
regulations, including the Council on
Environmental Quality’s (CEQ)
regulations for implementing NEPA at
40 CFR Part 1500; the Board’s
environmental regulations at 49 CFR
Part 1105; and the Section 106 National
Historic Preservation Act of 1966
(NHPA) process.
DATES: This notice is effective on May
30, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIS have
been served on all interested parties and
will be made available to additional
parties upon request. The entire FEIS is
also available for review on the Board’s
Web site (https://www.stb.dot.gov) by
clicking on the ‘‘Decisions and Notices’’
link, then ‘‘E-LIBRARY’’ and searching
by the Service Date (May 30, 2008) or
Docket Number (FD 34284). Copies of
the FEIS will also be available for public
review at the following locations (hours
vary, contact individual repositories for
available times): the Hondo Public
Library at 1011 19th Street, Hondo,
Texas, telephone: (830) 426–5333; the
Castroville Public Library, 802 London
Street, Castroville, Texas, telephone:
(830) 931–4095; and the San Antonio
Central Library, 600 Soledad, San
Antonio, Texas, telephone: (210) 207–
2500.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Diana Wood, Section of Environmental
Analysis, Surface Transportation Board,
395 E Street, SW., Washington, DC
20423–0001, telephone (202) 245–0302,
fax (202) 245–0454, or by e-mail at
woodd@stb.dot.gov. Assistance for the
hearing impaired is available through
the Federal Information Relay Service at
1–800–877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SEA
issued a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) on November 5, 2004,
for public review and comment. The
DEIS evaluated the potential
environmental impacts that could result
from SGR’s proposed rail line
construction and operation, as well as
four alternatives (including the NoAction Alternative) to SGR’s Proposed
Route and recommended mitigation that
could be undertaken to reduce the
potential impacts identified. In response
to the DEIS, SEA received
approximately 120 written comment
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 105 (Friday, May 30, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31187-31190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-12041]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. NHTSA-2008-0108]
Quiet Cars Notice of Public Meeting and Request for Comments
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of public meeting, request for information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NHTSA is having a public meeting to bring together government
policymakers, stakeholders from the blind community, industry
representatives and public interest groups to discuss the safety of
blind pedestrians encountering quiet cars including hybrids, all-
electric vehicles and quiet internal combustion engine vehicles. This
public meeting and the request for information, is an opportunity for
an exchange among interested parties, as well as the public, on the
technical and safety policy issues related to increasingly quieter cars
and blind pedestrians. The date, time, location, and framework for this
public meeting are announced in this notice.
DATES: Public Meeting: The public meeting will be held on June 23,
2008, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt Washington, Washington,
DC.
Comments: Written comments may be submitted to the agency and must
be received no later than August 1, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Debbie Ascone, Office of the
Senior Associate Administrator for Vehicle Safety, NHTSA, telephone
202-366-4383, e-mail Debbie.Ascone@dot.gov. She may also be reached at
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
ADDRESSES: Public meeting: The public meeting will be held at the Grand
Hyatt
[[Page 31188]]
Washington, 1000 H Street, NW., Washington, DC 20001, telephone: 202-
637-4764.
Written comments: Written comments on this meeting and topic must
refer to the docket number of this notice and be submitted by any of
the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
Mail: Docket Management Facility, M-30, U.S. Department of
Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140,
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., between 9 am and 5 pm Eastern Time, Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Regardless of how you submit your comments, you should mention the
docket number of this document.
You may call the Docket Management Facility at 202-366-9826.
Instructions: For detailed instructions on submitting comments, see
the Procedural Matters section of this document. Note that all comments
received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov,
including any personal information provided.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
According to R.L. Polk & Co, registration for new hybrid vehicles
rose to 350,289 registrations in 2007.\1\ While hybrid vehicles remain
a small portion of new registered vehicles, registrations of hybrids
increased 38% from 2006 to 2007. A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is
more commonly defined as a vehicle which combines a conventional
propulsion system (such as a gasoline or diesel engine) with an
electric motor and has an on-board rechargeable energy storage system
(such as batteries) to achieve better fuel economy than a conventional
vehicle. HEVs prolong the charge on their batteries by capturing
kinetic energy via regenerative braking, and some HEVs can use the
combustion engine to generate electricity by spinning an electrical
generator (often a motor-generator) to either recharge the battery or
directly feed power to an electric motor that drives the vehicle. All
HEVs have a start/stop system which can turn off the engine at idle and
restart it when needed. Some hybrids are capable of being driven by
only the electric motor at lower speeds (generally up to 25 mph). As
such, these vehicles can be significantly quieter than conventional
gasoline powered vehicles.
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\1\ https://usa.polk.com/news/latestnews/news_2008_0421_
hybrids.htm.
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Deborah Kent Stein discusses an emerging problem with HEVs in the
following:
``When the hybrid is traveling at low speeds, the electric motor
is very quiet. The problem arises when a hybrid car, powered by its
electric motor, is traveling at slow to moderate speeds--as when it
moves along a side street, emerges from a driveway or parking lot,
or starts up after a red light or stop sign. Under these
circumstances the engine is silent, and there is little or no sound
from tire friction or wind resistance. In addition nearly all
hybrids come to a full stop at red lights or stop signs, shutting
off the engine completely. The engine does not idle, emitting a low,
telltale purr. It makes no sound at all. A blind traveler has no
indication that a car is present and preparing to move forward at
any moment.'' \2\
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\2\ Stop, Look, and Listen: Quiet Vehicles and Pedestrian Safety
by Deborah Kent Stein; from: The Braille Monitor, June 2005.
Mrs. Stein, chairman for the National Federation of the Blind
(NFB), Committee on Automobile and Pedestrian Safety/Quiet Cars made
this statement in the article ``Stop, Look and Listen: Quiet Vehicles
and Pedestrian Safety,'' in the June 2005 issue of The Braille Monitor.
NHTSA recognizes this is a potential safety problem and is responding
to the concern and investigating the hazard of quieter vehicles to
pedestrians, cyclists and others who need to be aware of approaching
cars that are out of their line of sight.
While the size of the specific problem is currently unknown, the
total number of pedestrian crashes in 2006 was 65,404 resulting in
4,784 fatalities and an estimated 61,000 injuries.
Since August 2007, NHTSA has been working through the Society of
Automotive Engineers International (SAE) to identify effective ways to
address the safety issue with quieter vehicles. The Alliance of
Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of International
Automobile Manufacturers, along with the SAE have formed the Vehicle
Sound for Pedestrians Subcommittee under the SAE Safety and Human
Factors Committee.\3\ This subcommittee, Vehicle Sounds for Pedestrians
(VSP), created the three following Task Forces to gather information to
assist in determining the technical approaches to address the problem:
Audience for specification, target sound level, and type of sound and
driving conditions for the sound. The VSP subcommittee is currently
working to both define the issue and understand the conditions in which
these types of incidents occur and expects to propose and evaluate
different methods to address the issues as these factors are better
understood.
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\3\ https://www.sae.org/servlets/works/
committeeHome.do?comtID=TEITSSHF.
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Further work of the VSP subcommittee will explore: who will benefit
from the establishment of a minimum sound level for motor vehicles,
what that sound level should be and the type of sound that will be
necessary to have the desired effect, and under what vehicle and
ambient conditions the sound is required to be heard and measured. The
subcommittee is currently in the data gathering stage: what incidents
have happened, where, and under what conditions. Different data sources
have been identified and approached. Concurrently, the task force on
sound measurement is preparing an outline for a test procedure to
measure vehicle operating sounds.
Thus far, this group of human factors experts also includes a
member of the American Council for the Blind and a representative of
NHTSA. The group is regularly meeting at four-week intervals to study
possible ways of improving the detection of quiet cars by pedestrians
and to explore the feasibility of proposing an SAE Recommended
Practice. In addition to the SAE initiative, NFB has commissioned Dr.
Lawrence Rosenblum at the University of California-Riverside to
investigate the sound made by hybrids and people's ability to detect
them. At Stanford University, with financial help from the NFB,
researchers have developed a prototype sound generating device that
receives information about the vehicle function and transmits the
information to speakers placed on the vehicle. While this vehicle-based
system is one potential countermeasure for quieter vehicles, NHTSA, the
automotive industry and the SAE subcommittee will continue their
efforts to identify the most appropriate and effective countermeasures.
In the United States House of Representatives, a bill has been
introduced entitled the ``Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2008,''
which, if enacted, requires the Secretary of Transportation to study
and establish a motor vehicle safety standard that provides for a means
of alerting blind and other pedestrians of motor vehicle operation.\4\
Additionally, in December 2007, NHTSA met with representatives of the
NFB to discuss this issue.
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\4\ https://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c110:1:./temp/
~c110LBBXF7::.
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[[Page 31189]]
Public Meeting
NHTSA is having this public meeting to discuss the technical and
safety policy issues associated with the increasing presence of quieter
cars and the risks to blind pedestrians. The meeting will bring
together State and local government policy makers, stakeholders in the
blind community, industry representatives and public interest groups.
The meeting will be open to the public, but presentations will be
by invitation only. Time will be designated for open floor discussion
by the general audience. Meeting participants and the public are also
invited to submit comments on this issue to the docket. All materials
to be presented are asked to be submitted to NHTSA in advance for
appropriate dissemination to visually impaired attendees.
The sections below describe the discussion of topics for the
meeting.
Statement of Problem
Representatives of the blind community will discuss the problem
facing blind pedestrians around quieter vehicles. The discussion should
include the explanation and known size of the problem. The
presentations should identify specific situations in which vehicles are
hard to hear, the sound cues that are necessary in detecting a vehicle
and which of those cues are absent in those problematic locations. To
gain a better understanding of the desired outcome to this problem,
representatives of the blind community should discuss general ways to
increase the safety of blind pedestrians and potential solutions--both
desirable and undesirable to the blind community.
Pedestrian Safety
Pedestrian safety is a difficult but important issue both
nationally and internationally. Presentations should discuss pedestrian
safety in general as well as specifically related to the blind
community. Any known incidents with pedestrians, in general and
involving the blind, and quieter vehicles will be detailed. Data
collection challenges should also be discussed as well as the needs to
improve this data collection. There will also be discussion of current
technologies to aide the blind community in safer pedestrian travel. A
NHTSA representative will discuss ongoing and planned activities for
pedestrian safety, identifying potential activities that could be
enhanced for the blind. A representative from the international vehicle
safety community will present information about the problem globally as
well as work in other nations to address pedestrians and quieter
vehicles. The discussion should also include international standards
for pedestrian safety and any potential solutions for this problem that
have been researched internationally.
Sound Measurement and Mobility
In developing a solution to assist blind pedestrians around quieter
cars, a few fundamental questions must be addressed. Presentations on
this topic should include discussions of which sounds of a vehicle
should be measured and the means by which to measure that sound. Any
studies into this area should also be included. Sound experts should
also describe average noise levels as reference points for the audience
as well as extreme noise levels--both low and high extremes. A mobility
expert should discuss sound cues for blind individuals and any
measurement studies related to the field. There should also be
discussion on mobility in rural areas and locations that lack the
infrastructure for technology.
Automotive Industry Perspective
A representative from the automobile industry should speak about
how the industry is addressing the problem. The discussion should
include information on what current and future vehicles would qualify
as quiet cars as well as what features of the car cause the reduction
in sound. The automobile industry representative should also discuss
what the industry is willing to commit to, product development and lead
time for vehicle-based solutions.
SAE Work and Status
As was discussed previously, SAE has a subcommittee dedicated to
this topic and has active working groups looking at specific details.
An SAE spokesperson will discuss the process in general and the current
status of this work. Additional details of the working groups should be
laid out at the meeting and the representative should describe the
needs of the subcommittee to continue work and expedite both the work
and the process.
Potential Solutions
Research into potential ways to address this issue should include
vehicle-, person-, and infrastructure-based approaches. Presentations
should include current and past research into each of these areas,
literature and conclusions from such. Product development,
effectiveness, lead time, cost and public acceptance of solutions
should also be discussed. Any potential solution that is currently
marketed or planned for market would be included in this discussion as
well as the history of the development of the product.
Noise Abatement
While the lower sound of vehicles presents a safety concern for
blind pedestrians, it also provides a solution to the health concern
arising from noise pollution. Presentations on this topic should
include federal and local perspective on noise pollution as well as the
jurisdiction of noise pollution laws. The discussion should also
include studies about what levels of sound are dangerous to health and
studies into the magnification of sound presented by large numbers of
vehicles or vehicles in confined spaces. Current or planned efforts to
reduce the sound emitted by vehicles should also be discussed along
with supporting research into determination of said maximum levels.
Procedural Matters
The meeting will be open to the public with advanced registration
for seating on a space-available basis. Individuals wishing to register
to assure a seat in the public seating area should provide their name,
affiliation, phone number and e-mail address to Mrs. Debbie Ascone
using the contact information at the beginning of this notice. Should
it be necessary to cancel the meeting due to an emergency or some other
reason, NHTSA will take all available means to notify registered
participants by e-mail or telephone.
The meeting will be held at a site accessible to individuals with
disabilities. Individuals who require accommodations such as sign
language interpreters should contact Ms. Debbie Ascone by June 16,
2008. All written materials to be presented at the meeting will be
available electronically on the day of the meeting to accommodate the
needs of the visually impaired. A transcript of the meeting and other
information received by NHTSA at the meeting will be placed in the
docket for this notice at a later date.
How can I submit comments on this subject?
It is not necessary to attend or to speak at the public meeting to
be able to comment on the issues. NHTSA invites readers to submit
written comments which the agency will consider in its research and
proceedings with the safety of quiet cars and pedestrians.
How do I prepare and submit comments?
Your comments must be written and in English. To ensure that your
[[Page 31190]]
comments are correctly filed in the Docket, please include the docket
number of this document in your comments.
Your primary comments must not be more than 15 pages long (49 CFR
553.21). However, you may attach additional documents to your primary
comments. There is no limit on the length of the attachments.
Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all 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) or you may visit
https://regulations.gov.
How can I be sure that my comments were received?
If you wish Docket Management to notify you upon its receipt of
your comments, enclose a self-addressed, stamped postcard in the
envelope containing your comments. Upon receiving your comments, Docket
Management will return the postcard by mail.
How do I submit confidential business information?
If you wish to submit any information under a claim of
confidentiality, send three copies of your complete submission,
including the information you claim to be confidential business
information, to the Chief Counsel, National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Include a cover letter supplying the information specified in our
confidential business information regulation (49 CFR part 512).
In addition, send two copies from which you have deleted the
claimed confidential business information to Docket Management, 1200
New Jersey Ave., SE., West Building, Room W12-140, Washington, DC
20590, or submit them electronically, in the manner described at the
beginning of this notice.
Will the agency consider late comments?
We will consider all comments that Docket Management receives
before the close of business on the comment closing date indicated
above under DATES. To the extent possible, we will also consider
comments that Docket Management receives after that date.
Please note that even after the comment closing date, we will
continue to file relevant information in the docket as it becomes
available. Further, some people may submit late comments. Accordingly,
we recommend that you periodically check the docket for new material.
How can I read the comments submitted by other people?
You may read the materials placed in the docket for this document
(e.g., the comments submitted in response to this document by other
interested persons) at any time by going to https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for accessing the dockets. You may also
read the materials at the Docket Management Facility by going to the
street address given above under ADDRESSES. The Docket Management
Facility is open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30168; delegation of authority at 49
CFR 1.50 and 501.8.
Ronald L. Medford,
Senior Associate Administrator, Vehicle Safety.
[FR Doc. E8-12041 Filed 5-29-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P
