Notice To Rescind Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension, Azusa to Montclair in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, CA, 64424-64425 [2011-26872]

Download as PDF 64424 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 201 / Tuesday, October 18, 2011 / Notices mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 6th Floor, West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590–0001. Telephone: (202) 493– 0192; E-mail Address: dee.williams@dot.gov. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Motorcoach Passenger and Driver Survey: Motorcoach Safety and Pre-Trip Safety Awareness and Emergency Preparedness Information. OMB Control Number: 2126–XXXX. Type of Request: New information collection. Respondents: Motorcoach passengers and drivers. Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,050 respondents. Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes. Form Numbers: Form MCSA–5868, Motorcoach Passenger Survey: Pre-Trip Safety Awareness and Emergency Preparedness Information—To collect motorcoach passengers’ responses during five one-shot in-person survey events. Form MCSA–5869, Motorcoach Driver Survey: Pre-Trip Safety Awareness and Emergency Preparedness Information— To collect motorcoach drivers’ responses during five one-shot inperson survey events. Expiration Date: N/A. This is a new information collection. Frequency of Response: One-time. Estimated Total Annual Burden: 175 hours [1,050 respondents × 10 minutes/ 60 minutes = 175 hours]. Background Due to several recent fatal motorcoach crashes, Congress, DOT, specifically FMCSA, and other Federal oversight agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), are increasing their scrutiny over the motorcoach industry and the enforcement of and compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). NTSB issued a Safety Recommendation to DOT, H–99– 08, requiring motorcoach operators to provide passengers with pre-trip safety awareness information. This recommendation resulted from NTSB’s investigation of two motorcoach crashes from the late 1990s which revealed that passengers felt a general sense of panic not knowing what to do on a motorcoach in the case of an emergency. The intent of the recommendation is to empower passengers to take their personal safety into their own hands in the event of an imminent hazard or emergency situation. To address the VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:46 Oct 17, 2011 Jkt 226001 recommendations issued by NTSB, FMCSA formed a work group that included representatives from the motorcoach industry, motorcoach manufacturers, insurance industry, safety consulting industry, trade associations, State agencies, and other Federal regulatory agencies. The work group decided to address the recommendation by having the motorcoach industry provide pre-trip safety briefings on a voluntary basis. FMCSA is concerned about the accuracy of self-reported data provided by motorcoach operators and requires third party validation of industry efforts to provide this information to passengers, as well as the effectiveness of the means by which the information is being provided. Currently, compliance is measured during FMCSA’s National Passenger Carrier Strike Forces. The data received from these Strike Forces has shown increased adoption levels, however this data is based solely on input from the motorcoach companies and not actual passengers. FMCSA would like to verify that voluntary compliance continues to increase, using different sources, and also collect information on the effectiveness of compliance. FMCSA intends to use this data to address passenger concerns and to provide NTSB and Congress with additional data on voluntary compliance levels. The goals and objectives of this survey are to assess the current levels of voluntary compliance by motorcoach operators and to obtain passenger opinions of the implementation of the pre-trip safety awareness and emergency preparedness information. This will help eliminate any self-reporting biases by the motorcoach companies; and determine whether the pre-trip safety information is being provided and if it is effective. The Form MCSA–5868 will be used to survey motorcoach passengers and the Form MCSA–5869 will be used to survey motorcoach drivers. The DOT and FMCSA will use this data to further inform future policy and regulatory decisions, as well as other initiatives to improve motorcoach safety in the United States. Public Comments Invited The Agency requests emergency processing of this information request. The information collection is essential to FMCSA’s safety mission: to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. Expedited review is necessary so FMCSA can use the results to further inform Departmental and Agency efforts currently underway to improve passenger safety. In light of recent fatal PO 00000 Frm 00127 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 crashes, FMCSA believes delay in collection of this information could result in harm to motorcoach passenger safety. You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed collection is necessary for the performance of FMCSA’s functions; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways for FMCSA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of the collected information. Issued on: October 12, 2011. Kelly Leone, Associate Administrator for Research and Information Technology. [FR Doc. 2011–26936 Filed 10–17–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration Notice To Rescind Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension, Azusa to Montclair in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, CA AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT. Rescind Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement. ACTION: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority (the Construction Authority) are issuing this notice to advise the public that the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed improvements in the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Transit Corridor from Azusa to Montclair is being rescinded. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ray Tellis, Team Leader, Los Angeles Metropolitan Office, Federal Transit Administration, 888 South Figueroa Street, Suite 1850, Los Angeles, CA 90017, phone (213) 202–3950, e-mail ray.tellis@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FTA, in cooperation with the Construction Authority, published a NOI in the Federal Register on December 27, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 247) to prepare an EIS for the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension from Azusa to Montclair Project per 23 U.S.C. 139. The Build Alternative is a Light Rail Transit (LRT) system that would begin at the current SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM 18OCN1 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 201 / Tuesday, October 18, 2011 / Notices terminus of the Metro Gold Line at the Azusa Citrus Station continuing east to Montclair. Stations plus associated parking and traction power substations were also included in the LRT Alternative. The Construction Authority indicated that in order to preserve project momentum, the Construction Authority has decided not to engage in the environmental process under the National Environmental Policy Act. Therefore, the FTA has determined that there are no Federal actions to be undertaken by the FTA for this project at this time. The NOI will be rescinded accordingly. Comments and questions concerning the proposed action should be directed to FTA at the address provided above. Issued on: October 13, 2011. Leslie T. Rogers, Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Region IX. [FR Doc. 2011–26872 Filed 10–17–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. AB 33 (Sub-No. 300X); Docket No. AB–414 (Sub-No. 6X)] mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Union Pacific Railroad Company— Abandonment Exemption—in Pottawattamie County, IA; Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd.— Discontinuance of Service Exemption—in Pottawattamie County, IA On October 3, 2011, Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) and Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd. (IAIS) (collectively, petitioners) jointly filed with the Surface Transportation Board a petition under 49 U.S.C. 10502 for exemption from the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 10903 to permit: (1) UP to abandon and IAIS to discontinue service over UP’s railroad line known as the Chicago and Great Western Industrial Lead, between milepost 503.6 and milepost 504.05, a distance of approximately 0.45 miles, in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa (the UP line); (2) UP to abandon and IAIS to discontinue service over UP’s connecting track from UP milepost 503.85 on the UP line to the end point at IAIS milepost 486.8, a distance of 400 feet (the UP connecting track); (3) IAIS to discontinue its trackage rights over the UP line and the UP connecting track (the IAIS trackage rights); and (4) UP to discontinue its overhead trackage rights over that portion of IAIS’s mainline from IAIS milepost 486.8 to IAIS milepost 488.0, a distance of 1.2 miles VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:46 Oct 17, 2011 Jkt 226001 (the UP overhead trackage rights). The UP line and UP connecting track traverse United States Postal Service Zip Code 51503 and include no stations; the IAIS line traverses United States Postal Service Zip Codes 51501 and 51503 and also includes no stations. In addition to an exemption from the prior approval requirements of 49 U.S.C. 10903, petitioners seek an exemption from 49 U.S.C. 10904 (offer of financial assistance procedures) and 10905 (public use provisions). In support, petitioners state that, following abandonment of the UP line and UP connecting track (collectively, the UP lines) and discontinuance of IAIS’s trackage rights and UP’s overhead trackage rights, UP will sell the UP lines to a shipper, Red Giant Oil Company (Red Giant), subject to a permanent access easement over the UP lines for another shipper, Midwest Walnut Company of Iowa (Midwest Walnut). Red Giant and Midwest Walnut are the only shippers on the UP lines. Petitioners state that, as a consequence of the sale, Red Giant and Midwest Walnut will have permanent, direct access to IAIS, the common carrier railroad that currently serves them; Red Giant and Midwest Walnut will own, control, and use their respective interests in the UP lines as a typical shipper owned industrial lead; and IAIS will serve both Red Giant and Midwest Walnut pursuant to railroad industry track agreements each has entered into with IAIS. These requests will be addressed in the final decision. Petitioners state that the lines do not contain Federally granted rights-of-way. Any documentation in petitioners’ possession will be made available promptly to those requesting it. The interest of railroad employees will be protected by the conditions set forth in Oregon Short Line Railroad— Abandonment Portion Goshen Branch Between Firth & Ammon, In Bingham & Bonneville Counties, Idaho, 360 I.C.C. 91 (1979). By issuing this notice, the Board is instituting an exemption proceeding pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502(b). A final decision will be issued by January 20, 2012. Any offer of financial assistance (OFA) under 49 CFR 1152.27(b)(2) will be due no later than 10 days after service of a decision granting the petition for exemption. Each OFA must be accompanied by a $1,500 filing fee. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25). All interested persons should be aware that, following abandonment of rail service and salvage of the line, the line may be suitable for other public use, including interim trail use. Any PO 00000 Frm 00128 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 64425 request for a public use condition under 49 CFR 1152.28 or for trail use/rail banking under 49 CFR 1152.29 will be due no later than November 10, 2011. Each trail use request must be accompanied by a $250 filing fee. See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(27). All filings in response to this notice must refer to Docket Nos. AB 33 (SubNo. 300X) and AB 414 (Sub-No. 6X), and must be sent to: (1) Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20423–0001; (2) for UP—Mack H. Shumate, Jr., Senior General Attorney, 101 N. Wacker Drive, Room 1920, Chicago, IL 60606; and (3) for IAIS—Lanny M. Van Daele, Corporate Counsel, 5900 6th SW., Cedar Rapids, IA 52404. Replies to the joint petition are due on or before November 10, 2011. Persons seeking further information concerning abandonment procedures may contact the Board’s Office of Public Assistance, Governmental Affairs, and Compliance at (202) 245–0238 or refer to the full abandonment or discontinuance regulations at 49 CFR part 1152. Questions concerning environmental issues may be directed to the Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis (OEA) at (202) 245–0305. Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– 800–877–8339. An environmental assessment (EA) (or environmental impact statement (EIS), if necessary) prepared by OEA will be served upon all parties of record and upon any agencies or other persons who commented during its preparation. Other interested persons may contact OEA to obtain a copy of the EA (or EIS). EAs in these abandonment proceedings normally will be made available within 60 days of the filing of the petition. The deadline for submission of comments on the EA will generally be within 30 days of its service. This action will not significantly affect either the quality of the human environment or the conservation of energy resources. Decided: October 13, 2011. By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, Director, Office of Proceedings. Jeffrey Herzig, Clearance Clerk. [FR Doc. 2011–26899 Filed 10–17–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4915–01–P E:\FR\FM\18OCN1.SGM 18OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 201 (Tuesday, October 18, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64424-64425]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-26872]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Notice To Rescind Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension, Azusa to 
Montclair in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, CA

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Rescind Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement.

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

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Metro Gold 
Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority (the Construction 
Authority) are issuing this notice to advise the public that the Notice 
of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 
proposed improvements in the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Transit 
Corridor from Azusa to Montclair is being rescinded.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Ray Tellis, Team Leader, Los 
Angeles Metropolitan Office, Federal Transit Administration, 888 South 
Figueroa Street, Suite 1850, Los Angeles, CA 90017, phone (213) 202-
3950, e-mail ray.tellis@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FTA, in cooperation with the 
Construction Authority, published a NOI in the Federal Register on 
December 27, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 247) to prepare an EIS for the 
Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension from Azusa to Montclair Project per 
23 U.S.C. 139. The Build Alternative is a Light Rail Transit (LRT) 
system that would begin at the current

[[Page 64425]]

terminus of the Metro Gold Line at the Azusa Citrus Station continuing 
east to Montclair. Stations plus associated parking and traction power 
substations were also included in the LRT Alternative. The Construction 
Authority indicated that in order to preserve project momentum, the 
Construction Authority has decided not to engage in the environmental 
process under the National Environmental Policy Act. Therefore, the FTA 
has determined that there are no Federal actions to be undertaken by 
the FTA for this project at this time. The NOI will be rescinded 
accordingly.
    Comments and questions concerning the proposed action should be 
directed to FTA at the address provided above.

    Issued on: October 13, 2011.
Leslie T. Rogers,
Regional Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Region IX.
[FR Doc. 2011-26872 Filed 10-17-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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