Railroad Safety Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting, 14515-14516 [2016-05997]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 52 / Thursday, March 17, 2016 / Notices to share their perspectives on U.S. engagement in SG20. To inform the discussion, the head of the U.S. delegation to SG20 will describe the outcomes of the first two meetings of the study group. The ITAC will meet on April 21st, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. EDT at: Verizon, Inc., 1300 I Street NW., Suite 400W, Washington, DC 20005. Attendance at this meeting is open to the public as seating capacity allows. The public will have an opportunity to provide comments at this meeting at the invitation of the chair. Further details on this ITAC meeting will be announced on the Department of State’s email list, ITAC@lmlist.state.gov. Use of the ITAC list is limited to meeting announcements and confirmations, distribution of agendas and other relevant meeting documents. The Department welcomes any U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident to remain on or join the ITAC listserv by providing his or her name, email address, and the company, organization, or community that he or she is representing, if any. Persons wishing to request reasonable accommodation for the meeting should contact gadsdensf@state.gov not later than April 13, 2016. Requests made after that time will be considered, but might not be able to be fulfilled. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact Adriane LaPointe at (202) 647–0049, lapointea@state.gov. Dated: March 11, 2016. Julie Zoller, Senior Deputy Coordinator, International Communications and Information Policy, U.S. State Department. [FR Doc. 2016–06049 Filed 3–16–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4710–AE–P DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice: 9485] asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES U.S. Department of State Advisory Committee on Private International Law: Public Meeting on Micro-, Small-, and Medium Sized Enterprises The Office of the Assistant Legal Adviser for Private International Law, Department of State, hereby gives notice that the micro-, small-, and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) study group of the Advisory Committee on Private International Law (ACPIL) will hold a public meeting. The ACPIL MSME Study Group will meet to discuss the next session of the UNCITRAL MSMEs Working Group, scheduled for April 4– 8 in New York. This is not a meeting of the full Advisory Committee. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:03 Mar 16, 2016 Jkt 238001 UNCITRAL has established a working group aimed at reducing the legal obstacles faced by MSMEs throughout their life cycle, and in particular those in developing countries. UNCITRAL further directed that the work should start with a focus on the legal issues surrounding the simplification of incorporation. At its upcoming session, the UNCITRAL MSME Working Group will consider draft recommendations on key principles on business registration (UN Doc. A/CN.9/WG.I/WP.93) and a draft model law on a simplified business entity (UN Doc. A/CN.9/WG.I/ WP.89). The draft texts, along with the reports of earlier sessions of the Working Group are available at https:// www.uncitral.org/uncitral/en/ index.html. Time and Place: The meeting of the ACPIL MSME Study Group will take place on Thursday March 31, from 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT at the U.S. Department of State, Harry S. Truman Building, 2201 C. Street NW., Room 5426. Participants should arrive at the C Street entrance by 9:45 a.m. for visitor screening. Participants will be met at the C Street entrance and will be escorted to the conference room. Persons arriving later will need to make arrangements for entry using the contact information provided below. If you are unable to attend the public meeting and would like to participate from a remote location, teleconferencing will be available. Public Participation: This meeting is open to the public, subject to the capacity of the meeting room. Access to the building is strictly controlled. For pre-clearance purposes, those planning to attend should email pil@state.gov providing full name, address, date of birth, citizenship, driver’s license or passport number, and email address. This information will greatly facilitate entry into the building. A member of the public needing reasonable accommodation should email pil@ state.gov not later than February 1. Requests made after that date will be considered, but might not be able to be fulfilled. If you would like to participate by telephone, please email pil@state.gov to obtain the call-in number and other information. Data from the public is requested pursuant to Public Law 99–399 (Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986), as amended; Public Law 107–56 (USA PATRIOT Act); and Executive Order 13356. The purpose of the collection is to validate the identity of individuals who enter Department facilities. The data will be entered into the Visitor Access Control System (VACS– PO 00000 Frm 00106 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 14515 D) database. Please see the Security Records System of Records Notice (State-36) at https://foia.state.gov/_docs/ SORN/State-36.pdf for additional information. Dated: March 9, 2016. Michael J. Dennis, Attorney-Adviser, Office of Private International Law, Office of the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State. [FR Doc. 2016–06057 Filed 3–16–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4710–08–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration [Docket No. FRA–2000–7257, Notice No. 81] Railroad Safety Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation. ACTION: Notice of Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) meeting. AGENCY: FRA announces the twentieth anniversary and fifty-fifth meeting of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC), a Federal Advisory Committee that develops railroad safety regulations through a consensus process. The RSAC meeting topics will include opening remarks from the FRA Administrator and the Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and Chief Safety Officer. Status reports will be provided by the Remote Control Locomotive, Track Standards, Hazardous Materials Issues, and Rail Integrity Working Groups. A status report will also be provided by the Engineering Task Force. This agenda is subject to change, including the possible addition of further proposed tasks. SUMMARY: The RSAC meeting is scheduled to commence at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 7, 2016, and will adjourn by 4:30 p.m. ADDRESSES: The RSAC meeting will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, located at 1000 H Street NW., Washington, DC 20001. The meeting is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, and is accessible to individuals with disabilities. Sign and oral interpretation can be made available if requested 10 calendar days before the meeting. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Woolverton, RSAC Administrative Officer/Coordinator, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mailstop 25, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 493–6212; or Robert Lauby, Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety and DATES: E:\FR\FM\17MRN1.SGM 17MRN1 14516 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 52 / Thursday, March 17, 2016 / Notices Chief Safety Officer, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mailstop 25, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 493–6474. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92– 463), FRA is giving notice of a meeting of the RSAC. The RSAC was established to provide advice and recommendations to FRA on railroad safety matters. The RSAC is composed of 60 voting representatives from 39 member organizations, representing various rail industry perspectives. In addition, there are non-voting advisory representatives from the agencies with railroad safety regulatory responsibility in Canada and Mexico, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Federal Transit Administration. The diversity of the Committee ensures the requisite range of views and expertise necessary to discharge its responsibilities. See the RSAC Web site for details on prior RSAC activities and pending tasks at https://rsac.fra.dot.gov/. Please refer to the notice published in the Federal Register on March 11, 1996 (61 FR 9740), for additional information about the RSAC. Issued in Washington, DC, on March 8, 2016. Robert C. Lauby, Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer. [FR Doc. 2016–05997 Filed 3–16–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–06–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration [Safety Advisory No. 2016–01] Movement of Roadway Maintenance Machines Over Highway-Rail Grade Crossings Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation. ACTION: Notice of Safety Advisory. AGENCY: FRA recently completed its investigation into a fatal accident that occurred when an on-track roadway maintenance machine traveling on main track collided with a motor vehicle at a highway-rail grade crossing. FRA is issuing this Safety Advisory 2016–01 to heighten rules compliance and situational awareness of railroads, railroad contractors, and their respective employees when operating roadway maintenance machines over highwayrail grade crossings. This Safety Advisory makes recommendations to railroads and railroad contractors asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:03 Mar 16, 2016 Jkt 238001 regarding the need to review, update, and follow rules and procedures governing the safe movement of roadway maintenance equipment over highway-rail grade crossings. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick T. Warren, Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety Compliance and Program Implementation, Office of Railroad Safety, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 493–1366; or Joseph Riley, Track Specialist, Track Division, Office of Railroad Safety, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 493–6357. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In January 2015, a fatal accident occurred when an on-track roadway maintenance machine, traveling as part of a large roadway work group (rail gang) over main track, collided with a private motor vehicle at a public highway-rail grade crossing in Gilroy, California (Gilroy). The driver of the motor vehicle died as a result of the collision. While investigating this 2015 accident, FRA reviewed its accident data regarding other collisions at highway-rail grade crossings involving railroad maintenance-of-way equipment. FRA’s review found that between January 2010 and November 2015, 187 accidents involving maintenance-of-way equipment and motor vehicles occurred at highway-rail grade crossings. The 187 accidents resulted in 2 fatalities to highway vehicle motorists, 62 injuries to motor vehicle occupants, and 6 injuries to railroad employees. The January 2015 accident referenced here and FRA’s review of accident data described above illustrate the safety risk to railroad and railroad contractor employees and the public when roadway maintenance machines travel over highway-rail grade crossings. This risk is heightened when roadway maintenance machines, including hi-rail vehicles, fail to activate grade crossing warning devices. To reduce this safety risk, FRA recommends that the railroad industry evaluate relevant railroad rules and emphasize compliance with those rules and any other procedures governing the safe movement of on-track equipment over highway-rail grade crossings. Accident Summary The accident description provided below is based on FRA’s investigation of the January 2015 accident and serves to illustrate the risks associated with moving railroad roadway maintenance machines over highway-rail grade crossings. On January 9, 2015, near PO 00000 Frm 00107 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Gilroy, a Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) system rail gang was in the process of changing job locations from a siding track to an industrial lead track approximately 12 miles away. The rail gang consisted of 62 pieces of roadway maintenance machinery moving over UP main track to a new job location under the authority of a train dispatcher. At approximately 1:05 p.m., a spiker/gager roadway maintenance machine (40th machine in the consist) was traveling approximately 12 miles per hour over the Masten Avenue highway-rail grade crossing in Gilroy and collided with a motor vehicle (pickup truck) as it proceeded westbound over the crossing. The driver was the sole occupant of the pickup truck and received fatal injuries. The spiker/gager operator was operating in reverse and was not facing the direction of the machine’s movement, relying on side mirrors to see in the direction of movement. Additionally, a semi-tractor trailer had stopped short of the crossing for a traffic light and may have blocked the spiker/ gager operator’s view of westbound vehicular traffic approaching the highway-rail grade crossing. Applicable UP rules require that ‘‘[t]rack cars and on-track equipment must approach all grade crossings prepared to stop and must yield the right-of-way to vehicular traffic. If necessary, personnel will be deployed to flag the crossing to protect movement of a track car or other ontrack equipment.’’ UP’s rules further specify: When approaching any grade crossing equipped with automatic warning devices and the automatic warning devices are not activated, all track cars and on-track equipment must stop short of the crossing and not proceed until safe to do so, unless the crossing has been closed or barricaded or is protected by properly equipped flaggers. FRA’s investigation indicates that the operator of the spiker/gager involved in the collision failed to follow applicable UP rules by not stopping short of the crossing and failing to yield the right-ofway to vehicle traffic. It appears that the spiker/gager had fallen several hundred feet behind the machine it was following and FRA’s review of the downloaded grade crossing warning device data indicated the crossing gates had recovered (lifted) before the spiker/ gager arrived at the crossing. Unlike trains, roadway maintenance machines do not always shunt or maintain shunt in track circuits to trigger activation of grade crossing warning device systems and, in most cases, roadway maintenance machines are not designed or built to shunt the track circuit. E:\FR\FM\17MRN1.SGM 17MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 52 (Thursday, March 17, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14515-14516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-05997]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2000-7257, Notice No. 81]


Railroad Safety Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) meeting.

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

SUMMARY: FRA announces the twentieth anniversary and fifty-fifth 
meeting of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC), a Federal 
Advisory Committee that develops railroad safety regulations through a 
consensus process. The RSAC meeting topics will include opening remarks 
from the FRA Administrator and the Associate Administrator for Railroad 
Safety and Chief Safety Officer. Status reports will be provided by the 
Remote Control Locomotive, Track Standards, Hazardous Materials Issues, 
and Rail Integrity Working Groups. A status report will also be 
provided by the Engineering Task Force. This agenda is subject to 
change, including the possible addition of further proposed tasks.

DATES: The RSAC meeting is scheduled to commence at 9:30 a.m. on 
Thursday, April 7, 2016, and will adjourn by 4:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The RSAC meeting will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, 
located at 1000 H Street NW., Washington, DC 20001. The meeting is open 
to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, and is accessible to 
individuals with disabilities. Sign and oral interpretation can be made 
available if requested 10 calendar days before the meeting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Woolverton, RSAC Administrative 
Officer/Coordinator, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mailstop 25, 
Washington, DC 20590, (202) 493-6212; or Robert Lauby, Associate 
Administrator for Railroad Safety and

[[Page 14516]]

Chief Safety Officer, FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mailstop 25, 
Washington, DC 20590, (202) 493-6474.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), FRA is giving notice of a 
meeting of the RSAC. The RSAC was established to provide advice and 
recommendations to FRA on railroad safety matters. The RSAC is composed 
of 60 voting representatives from 39 member organizations, representing 
various rail industry perspectives. In addition, there are non-voting 
advisory representatives from the agencies with railroad safety 
regulatory responsibility in Canada and Mexico, the National 
Transportation Safety Board, and the Federal Transit Administration. 
The diversity of the Committee ensures the requisite range of views and 
expertise necessary to discharge its responsibilities. See the RSAC Web 
site for details on prior RSAC activities and pending tasks at https://rsac.fra.dot.gov/. Please refer to the notice published in the Federal 
Register on March 11, 1996 (61 FR 9740), for additional information 
about the RSAC.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 8, 2016.
Robert C. Lauby,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-05997 Filed 3-16-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-06-P

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.