Department of Transportation February 13, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an environmental impact statement will not be prepared for the US 51 Project, a proposed transportation improvement project in Christian, Shelby, Fayette, Marion, Clinton, Jefferson and Washington Counties in Illinois.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 747-8 and 747-8F series airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by an evaluation by the design approval holder (DAH) indicating that the skin lap joints at certain stringers are subject to widespread fatigue damage (WFD). This proposed AD would require modifying the left and right side lap joints of the fuselage skin, repetitive post-modification inspections for cracking, and applicable on-condition actions. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Models GVI, GVII-G500, and GVII-G600 airplanes. This AD requires revising the airplane flight manual (AFM) by attaching an airplane flight manual supplement (AFMS), which contains new or revised operating limitations, abnormal procedures, and emergency procedures. This AD was prompted by reports of continued flight after a flight control surface shutdown. If flight is continued after a flight control surface shutdown, the airplane is left without protection against flight control surface hard-over and force fight events on the remaining, operable flight control surfaces. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of up to $7,300,000 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 and FY 2019 Public Transportation Innovation funds to demonstrate and evaluate innovative technologies, safer designs and/or practices to improve rail transit safety. FTA is seeking to fund cooperative agreements to engage in demonstrations that will improve the operational safety of rail transit services in the U.S. FTA is particularly interested in proposals to prevent and mitigate suicide and trespassing hazards on rail transit systems, and for systems that improve the operational safety of shared corridor fixed guideway systems, including highway-rail grade crossing safety.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Bombardier, Inc., Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701 & 702) airplanes; Model CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705) airplanes; Model CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) airplanes; and Model CL- 600-2E25 (Regional Jet Series 1000) airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report of incorrectly installed flight compartment door edge protection plates on both sides of the upper decompression panel. This AD requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate a functional check of the flight compartment door decompression latches. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This rule establishes reductions in the annual registration fees the States collect from motor carriers, motor private carriers of property, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies for the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan and Agreement for the registration years beginning in 2020. For the 2020 registration year, the fees will be reduced by 14.45 percent below the 2018 registration fee level to ensure that fee revenues collected do not exceed the statutory maximum, and to account for the excess funds held in the depository. The fees will remain at the same level for 2021 and subsequent years unless revised in the future. The reduction of the current 2019 registration year fees (finalized on December 28, 2018) range from approximately $3 to $2,712 per entity, depending on the number of vehicles owned or operated by the affected entities.