Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Request for Approval To Begin Field Testing on Its Positive Train Control Network, 25444-25445 [2023-08746]

Download as PDF 25444 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 / Notices The meeting will be held virtually for its entirety. FMCSA will make the MRB task statement relating to the review of medical examiner certification test questions and an agenda for the meeting available at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mrb at least 1 week in advance of the meeting. Copies of the meeting minutes will be available at the website following the meeting. You may visit the MRB website at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mrb for further information on the committee and its activities. ADDRESSES: Ms. Shannon L. Watson, Senior Advisor to the Associate Administrator for Policy, FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 360–2925, mrb@dot.gov. Any committee-related request should be sent to the person listed in this section. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: MRB was created under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) in accordance with section 4116 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users 1 to provide FMCSA ‘‘with medical advice and recommendations on medical standards and guidelines for the physical qualifications of operators of commercial motor vehicles, medical examiner education, and medical research’’ (49 U.S.C. 31149(a)(1)). MRB operates in accordance with FACA under the terms of the MRB charter, filed November 25, 2021. II. Agenda The MRB will complete its review of test questions to be used to determine eligibility of healthcare professionals to be certified as medical examiners and be listed on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. MRB began this review at its September 14, 2022, meeting. ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 III. Public Participation The meeting will be closed to the public due to the discussion of specific test questions to be used to certify medical examiners, which are not available for release to the public. Premature disclosure of secure test information would compromise the integrity of the examination and therefore exemption 9(B) of section 552b(c) of Title 5 of the United States Code justifies closing this portion of the Law 109–59, 119 Stat. 1144, 1726 (2005). VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:28 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 259001 Larry W. Minor, Associate Administrator for Policy. [FR Doc. 2023–08773 Filed 4–25–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration [Docket No. FRA–2010–0030] Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Request for Approval To Begin Field Testing on Its Positive Train Control Network Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments. AGENCY: This document provides the public with notice that, on April 11, 2023, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) submitted a request to field test its trains that have been equipped with MBTA’s Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System II (ACSES II) technology on its South Coast Rail commuter rail lines. MBTA states that the tests will be performed and operation verified for all ACSES II PTC functions. FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public comment on MBTA’s request to test its PTC system. DATES: FRA will consider comments received by June 26, 2023. FRA may consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable and without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary testing on a PTC system. ADDRESSES: Comments: Comments may be submitted by going to https:// www.regulations.gov and following the online instructions for submitting comments. Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the applicable docket number. The relevant PTC docket number for this host railroad is Docket No. FRA–2010–0030. For convenience, all active PTC dockets are hyperlinked on FRA’s website at https://railroads.dot.gov/researchdevelopment/program-areas/traincontrol/ptc/railroads-ptc-dockets. All comments received will be posted without change to https:// www.regulations.gov; this includes any personal information. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gabe Neal, Staff Director, Signal, Train SUMMARY: I. Background 1 Public meeting pursuant to 41 CFR 102– 3.155(a). PO 00000 Frm 00087 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Control, and Crossings Division, telephone: 816–516–7168, email: Gabe.Neal@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In general, Title 49 United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 20157(h) requires FRA to certify that a host railroad’s PTC system complies with Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 236, subpart I, before the technology may be operated in revenue service. On June 30, 2020, FRA certified MBTA’s ACSES II PTC system under 49 CFR 236.1015 and 49 U.S.C. 20157(h). Pursuant to 49 CFR 236.1035, a railroad must obtain FRA’s approval before field testing an uncertified PTC system, or a product of an uncertified PTC system, or any regression testing of a certified PTC system on the general rail system. See 49 CFR 236.1035(a). There are three stages of testing for which approval is being requested, starting with track database validation, followed by precertification and integration testing, and the final stage involving test results and documentation completion. MBTA’s test request contains the required information, including a complete description of MBTA’s Concept of Operations and its specific test procedures, including the measures that will be taken to ensure safety during testing, are available for review online at https://www.regulations.gov in Docket No. FRA–2010–0030. Interested parties are invited to comment on MBTA’s Test Request by submitting written comments or data. During FRA’s review of this railroad’s request, FRA will consider any comments or data submitted within the timeline specified in this notice and to the extent practicable, without delaying testing of valuable or necessary modifications to a PTC system. See 49 CFR 236.1035. Under 49 CFR 236.1035, FRA maintains the authority to approve, approve with conditions, or deny a railroad’s test request at FRA’s sole discretion. Privacy Act Notice In accordance with 49 CFR 211.3, FRA solicits comments from the public to better inform its decisions. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including any personal information the commenter provides, to https:// www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/ALL– 14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at https://www.transportation.gov/privacy. See https://www.regulations.gov/ privacy-notice for the privacy notice of regulations.gov. To facilitate comment tracking, we encourage commenters to provide their name, or the name of their E:\FR\FM\26APN1.SGM 26APN1 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 80 / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 / Notices organization; however, submission of names is completely optional. If you wish to provide comments containing proprietary or confidential information, please contact FRA for alternate submission instructions. Issued in Washington, DC. Carolyn R. Hayward-Williams, Director, Office of Railroad Systems and Technology. [FR Doc. 2023–08746 Filed 4–25–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–06–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [Docket No. NHTSA–2023–0018] Beat the Street Interiors, Inc.—Receipt of Petition for Temporary Exemption From Shoulder Belt Requirement for Side-Facing Seats on Motorcoaches National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition for temporary exemption; request for comment. AGENCY: Beat the Street Interiors, Inc. (‘‘BTS’’) has petitioned NHTSA for a temporary exemption from a shoulder belt requirement of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, ‘‘Occupant crash protection,’’ for side-facing seats on motorcoaches. The petitioner seeks to install Type 1 seat belts (lap belt only) at side-facing seating positions instead of Type 2 seat belts (lap and shoulder belts) required by FMVSS No. 208. The petitioner states that, absent the requested exemption, it will otherwise be unable to sell a vehicle whose overall level of safety or impact protection is at least equal to that of a nonexempted vehicle. NHTSA is publishing this document to notify the public of the receipt of the petition and to request comment on it, in accordance with statutory and administrative provisions. DATES: If you would like to comment, you should submit your comment not later than June 26, 2023. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Callie Roach, Office of the Chief Counsel, NCC–200, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 202–366–2992; Fax: 202–366–3820. ADDRESSES: You may submit your comment, identified by the docket number in the heading of this ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:28 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 259001 document, 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: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M– 30, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. • Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366–9322 before coming. Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and docket number. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to https:// www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act discussion below. NHTSA will consider all comments received before the close of business on the comment closing date indicated above. To the extent possible, NHTSA will also consider comments filed after the closing date. Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to https:// www.regulations.gov at any time or to 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. Telephone: 202–366–9826. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366– 9322 before coming. Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts these comments, without edit, to www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice, DOT/ALL– 14 FDMS, accessible through www.dot.gov/privacy. In order to facilitate comment tracking and response, the agency encourages commenters to provide their name, or the name of their organization; however, submission of names is completely optional. Whether or not commenters identify themselves, all timely comments will be fully considered. If you wish to provide comments containing proprietary or confidential information, please see below. Confidential Business Information: If you wish to submit any information under a claim of confidentiality, you must submit your request directly to PO 00000 Frm 00088 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 25445 NHTSA’s Office of the Chief Counsel. Requests for confidentiality are governed by part 512. NHTSA is currently treating electronic submission as an acceptable method for submitting confidential business information to the agency under part 512. If you would like to submit a request for confidential treatment, you may email your submission to Dan Rabinovitz in the Office of the Chief Counsel at Daniel.Rabinovitz@dot.gov or you may contact Dan for a secure file transfer link. At this time, you should not send a duplicate hardcopy of your electronic CBI submissions to DOT headquarters. If you claim that any of the information or documents provided to the agency constitute confidential business information within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4), or are protected from disclosure pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1905, you must submit supporting information together with the materials that are the subject of the confidentiality request, in accordance with part 512, to the Office of the Chief Counsel. Your request must include a cover letter setting forth the information specified in our confidential business information regulation (49 CFR 512.8) and a certificate, pursuant to § 512.4(b) and part 512, appendix A. In addition, you should submit a copy, from which you have deleted the claimed confidential business information, to the Docket at the address given above. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background a. Statutory Authority for Temporary Exemptions The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Safety Act), codified as 49 U.S.C. chapter 301, provides the Secretary of Transportation authority to exempt, on a temporary basis, under specified circumstances, and on terms the Secretary considers appropriate, motor vehicles from a motor vehicle safety standard or bumper standard. This authority and circumstances are set forth in 49 U.S.C. 30113. The Secretary has delegated the authority for implementing this section to NHTSA. NHTSA established 49 CFR part 555, Temporary Exemption from Motor Vehicle Safety and Bumper Standards, to implement the statutory provisions concerning temporary exemptions. Under part 555 subpart A, a vehicle manufacturer seeking an exemption must submit a petition for exemption containing specified information. Among other things, the petition must set forth (a) the reasons why granting the exemption would be in the public interest and consistent with the E:\FR\FM\26APN1.SGM 26APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25444-25445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08746]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2010-0030]


Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Request for Approval 
To Begin Field Testing on Its Positive Train Control Network

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

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: This document provides the public with notice that, on April 
11, 2023, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) 
submitted a request to field test its trains that have been equipped 
with MBTA's Advanced Civil Speed Enforcement System II (ACSES II) 
technology on its South Coast Rail commuter rail lines. MBTA states 
that the tests will be performed and operation verified for all ACSES 
II PTC functions. FRA is publishing this notice and inviting public 
comment on MBTA's request to test its PTC system.

DATES: FRA will consider comments received by June 26, 2023. FRA may 
consider comments received after that date to the extent practicable 
and without delaying implementation of valuable or necessary testing on 
a PTC system.

ADDRESSES: 
    Comments: Comments may be submitted by going to https://www.regulations.gov and following the online instructions for 
submitting comments.
    Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and the 
applicable docket number. The relevant PTC docket number for this host 
railroad is Docket No. FRA-2010-0030. For convenience, all active PTC 
dockets are hyperlinked on FRA's website at https://railroads.dot.gov/research-development/program-areas/train-control/ptc/railroads-ptc-dockets. All comments received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov; this includes any personal information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gabe Neal, Staff Director, Signal, 
Train Control, and Crossings Division, telephone: 816-516-7168, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In general, Title 49 United States Code 
(U.S.C.) Section 20157(h) requires FRA to certify that a host 
railroad's PTC system complies with Title 49 Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) part 236, subpart I, before the technology may be 
operated in revenue service. On June 30, 2020, FRA certified MBTA's 
ACSES II PTC system under 49 CFR 236.1015 and 49 U.S.C. 20157(h). 
Pursuant to 49 CFR 236.1035, a railroad must obtain FRA's approval 
before field testing an uncertified PTC system, or a product of an 
uncertified PTC system, or any regression testing of a certified PTC 
system on the general rail system. See 49 CFR 236.1035(a). There are 
three stages of testing for which approval is being requested, starting 
with track database validation, followed by pre-certification and 
integration testing, and the final stage involving test results and 
documentation completion. MBTA's test request contains the required 
information, including a complete description of MBTA's Concept of 
Operations and its specific test procedures, including the measures 
that will be taken to ensure safety during testing, are available for 
review online at https://www.regulations.gov in Docket No. FRA-2010-
0030.
    Interested parties are invited to comment on MBTA's Test Request by 
submitting written comments or data. During FRA's review of this 
railroad's request, FRA will consider any comments or data submitted 
within the timeline specified in this notice and to the extent 
practicable, without delaying testing of valuable or necessary 
modifications to a PTC system. See 49 CFR 236.1035. Under 49 CFR 
236.1035, FRA maintains the authority to approve, approve with 
conditions, or deny a railroad's test request at FRA's sole discretion.

Privacy Act Notice

    In accordance with 49 CFR 211.3, FRA solicits comments from the 
public to better inform its decisions. DOT posts these comments, 
without edit, including any personal information the commenter 
provides, to https://www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of 
records notice (DOT/ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at https://www.transportation.gov/privacy. See https://www.regulations.gov/privacy-notice for the privacy notice of regulations.gov. To facilitate 
comment tracking, we encourage commenters to provide their name, or the 
name of their

[[Page 25445]]

organization; however, submission of names is completely optional. If 
you wish to provide comments containing proprietary or confidential 
information, please contact FRA for alternate submission instructions.

    Issued in Washington, DC.
Carolyn R. Hayward-Williams,
Director, Office of Railroad Systems and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2023-08746 Filed 4-25-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.