45086 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 154 / Friday, August 10, 2007 / Notices 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

FHWA, Mississippi Division Office will 

serve as the lead Federal agency for this 

project while the Mississippi 

Department of Transportation (MDOT) 

will serve as joint lead agency. The 

FHWA, in cooperation with MDOT, will 

prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) to study potential 

improvements to the existing State 

Route 22 (SR 22) corridor. This 40-mile 

long corridor will be upgraded to 

Interstate standards. It has logical 

termini near Canton, MS in Madison 

County on Interstate 55 and near 

Edwards, MS on Interstate 20 in Hinds 

County. 

The purpose of the EIS is to address 

the transportation, environmental, and 

safety issues of such a transportation 

corridor. The improved connection will 

improve mobility and access throughout 

the Jackson metropolitan area and 

support economic activity. the highway 

is proposed as a full control of access 

facility, and appropriate interchanges 

will be studied at various locations. 

Alternatives under consideration 

include (1) taking no action and (2) 

build alternatives. 

The FHWA and MDOT are seeking 

input as a part of the scoping process to 

assist in determining and clarifying 

issues relative to this project. Letters 

describing the proposed action and 

soliciting comments will be sent to 

appropriate federal, state, and local 

agencies, Native American tribes, 

private organizations and citizens who 

have previously expressed or are known 

to have interest in this proposal. A 

formal scoping meeting with federal, 

state, and local agencies, and other 

interested parties will be held in the 

near future. Public involvement 

meetings will be held during the EIS 

process. The draft EIS will be available 

for public and agency review and 

comment prior to the official public 

hearing. 

To ensure that the full range of issues 

related to this proposed action are 

addressed and all significant issues 

identified, comments and suggestions 

are invited from all interested parties. 

Comments or questions concerning this 

proposed action and the EIS should be 

directed to the FHWA at the address 

provided above. 

Andrew H. Hughes, 

Federal Highway Administration, Division 

Administrator, Mississippi Division, Jackson, 

Mississippi. 

[FR Doc. 07–3907 Filed 8–9–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

National Safe Routes to School Task 

Force to the Secretary of 

Transportation 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of meetings of advisory 

committee. 

SUMMARY: This document announces 

two meetings of the National Safe 

Routes to School Task Force to the 

Secretary of Transportation. These are 

the third and fourth meetings of the 

Task Force. The purpose of the Task 

Force is to advise the Secretary of 

Transportation, through the Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA) Office 

of Safety, on strategies to advance Safe 

Routes to School (SRTS) Programs 

nationwide and to encourage children, 

including those with disabilities, to 

walk and bicycle to school pursuant to 

section 1404(h) of the Safe, 

Accountable, Flexible, Efficient 

Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for 

Users (SAFETEA–LU) (Pub. L. 109–59, 

Aug. 10, 2005). These meetings are open 

to the public and will have time 

allocated for public testimony. The 

public is welcome to present written or 

oral comments to the Task Force. 

DATES: The third meeting of the Task 

Force is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 5 

p.m., m.t., on September 25, and for 

8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., m.t., on 

September 26, 2007. The fourth meeting 

is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.t., 

on November 15, and for 8:30 a.m. to 

12:30 p.m., e.t., on November 16, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: The third meeting will be 

held at the Warwick Hotel, 1776 Grant 

Street, Denver, CO 80203. The fourth 

meeting will be held at The Holiday Inn 

Capitol, 550 C Street, SW., Washington, 

DC 20024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Tim Arnade, the Designated Federal 

Official, Safe Routes to School Program 

Manager, FHWA Office of Safety 

Programs, (202) 366–2205 

(Tim.Arnade@dot.gov); Federal 

Highway Administration, 1200 New 

Jersey Ave., SE., Washington, DC 20590. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Section 1404 of SAFETEA–LU 

required the Secretary of Transportation 

to establish a Safe Routes to School 

(SRTS) Program. The purpose of the 

program is to enable and encourage 

children, including those with 

disabilities, to walk and bicycle to 

school and to make bicycling and 

walking to school a safer and more 

appealing transportation alternative. 

Section 1404(h) requires the 

establishment of a National SRTS Task 

Force. These two meetings are the third 

and fourth meetings of the Task Force. 

The first two meetings were held in 

Washington, DC. The first was held on 

January 11, 2007, and the second was 

held on April 19, 2007. Complete 

minutes from these two meetings are 

posted on the Web site listed below. 

The agenda for the third and fourth 

meetings will include discussion of 

strategies to advance SRTS programs 

nationwide and discussion of a draft 

report to the Secretary of 

Transportation. 

For the third meeting (in Denver), 

public comments will be taken at 

approximately 2:45 p.m., m.t., on 

September 25. For the fourth meeting 

(in Washington, DC), public comments 

will be taken at approximately 2:45 

p.m., e.t., on November 15. Further 

information about the Task Force can be 

found at http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/ 

task_force/. Once a detailed agenda is 

developed, it will be posted on this Web 

site. Please note, agenda items are 

subject to change as priorities dictate. 

Conclusion 

The third meeting of the National Safe 

Routes to School Task Force will be 

held at the Warwick Hotel, 1776 Grant 

Street, Denver, CO 80203, from 8:30 

a.m. to 5 p.m., m.t., on September 25 

and from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., 

m.t., on September 26, 2007. The fourth 

meeting of the National Safe Routes to 

School Task Force will be held at the 

Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20024, from 8:30 a.m. 

to 5 p.m., e.t., on November 15 and from 

8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., e.t., on 

November 16, 2007. 

(Authority: Section 1404(h), Pub. L. 109–

59; 5 U.S.C., App. II § 1) 

Issued on: August 3, 2007. 

J. Richard Capka, 

Federal Highway Administrator. 

[FR Doc. E7–15744 Filed 8–9–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

Sunshine Act Meetings; Unified Carrier 

Registration Plan Board of Directors 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), DOT. 

TIME AND DATE: September 13, 2007, 11 

a.m. to 2 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time, 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 154 / Friday, August 10, 2007 / Notices 45087 

1S6.1.3 states that the warning must activate if 

the platform is more than 25 mm below the 

threshold warning area, but it may activate when 

the platform is at a lesser dimension (e.g., 20 mm 

below the platform threshold area). 

and September 20, 2007, 11 a.m. to 2 

p.m., Eastern Daylight Time. 

PLACE: These meetings will take place 

telephonically. Any interested person 

may call Mr. Avelino Gutierrez at (505) 

827–4565 to receive the toll free 

numbers and pass codes needed to 

participate in these meetings by 

telephone. 

STATUS: Open to the public. 

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: The Unified 

Carrier Registration Plan Board of 

Directors (the Board) will continue its 

work in developing and implementing 

the Unified Carrier Registration Plan 

and Agreement and to that end, may 

consider matters properly before the 

Board. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Avelino Gutierrez, Chair, Unified 

Carrier Registration Board of Directors at 

(505) 827–4565. 

Dated: August 7, 2007. 

William A. Quade, 

Associate Administrator for Enforcement and 

Program Delivery. 

[FR Doc. 07–3942 Filed 8–8–07; 3:11 pm] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. NHTSA 2006–26281; Notice 2] 

The Braun Corporation; Denial of 

Petition for Decision of 

Inconsequential Noncompliance 

The Braun Corporation (Braun) has 

determined that certain wheelchair lifts 

it produced in 2005 through 2006 do not 

comply with paragraph S6.1.3 of 49 CFR 

571.403, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 

Standard (FMVSS) No. 403, Platform 

Lift Systems for Motor Vehicles. 

Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118(d) and 

30120(h), Braun has petitioned for a 

determination that this noncompliance 

is inconsequential to motor vehicle 

safety and has filed an appropriate 

report pursuant to 49 CFR Part 573, 

Defect and Noncompliance 

Responsibility and Reports. Notice of 

receipt of a petition was published, with 

a 30-day public comment period, on 

December 13, 2006, in the Federal 

Register (71 FR 74994). The National 

Highway Traffic Safety Administration 

(NHTSA) received no comments. To 

view the petition and all supporting 

documents, go to: http://dms.dot.gov/ 

search/searchFormSimple.cfm and enter 

Docket No. NHTSA–2006–26281. 

For further information on this 

decision, contact Ms. Theresa Lacuesta, 

Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance, 

NHTSA, telephone (202) 366–2319, 

facsimile (202) 493–0073. 

Affected are a total of approximately 

12,940 model NL, NCL, and NVL 

platform lifts produced by Braun 

between July 6, 2005 and July 19, 2006. 

Specifically, paragraph S6.1.3 of FMVSS 

No. 403 requires: 

A visual and audible warning must activate 

if the platform is more than 25 mm (1 inch 1) 

below the platform threshold area and 

portions of a passenger’s body or mobility aid 

is on the platform threshold area defined in 

S4 when tested in accordance with S7.4. 

The threshold warning systems of the 

noncompliant lifts are unable to detect 

occupancy throughout the entire 

platform threshold area defined in 

paragraph S4. Braun has corrected the 

problem that caused these errors so that 

they will not be repeated in future 

production. 

Braun asserts that the noncompliance 

is inconsequential to motor vehicle 

safety and that no corrective action is 

warranted. Braun explains that ‘‘the 

sensitivity of the system used to detect 

occupancy has been found to be 

diminished through the center of the 

threshold area.’’ Braun also states: 

[I]t is virtually impossible for a wheelchair 

to transit the entire depth of the threshold 

warning area without triggering the warning. 

* * * [A] rolling wheelchair cannot 

conceivably get to an area of attenuated 

threshold sensitivity without first triggering 

the warning. In addition, the rolling 

wheelchair cannot conceivably roll off the 

outer end of the threshold warning area 

without again triggering the warning. 

NHTSA Decision 

NHTSA initially detected this 

noncompliance. In NHTSA’s tests, the 

wheelchair test device could be 

positioned in a significant portion of the 

platform threshold area without Braun’s 

warning system recognizing its 

presence, i.e., a warning failed to 

activate under the conditions of 

paragraph S6.1.3. (The area in which the 

presence of the test device was not 

detected is characterized in this notice 

as a ‘‘dead zone’’ for clarity.) 

Braun’s petition is based on two 

incorrect premises, i.e., that only 

passengers in wheelchairs are protected 

by the standard, and that the ‘‘dead 

zone’’ in the threshold area does not 

present a safety risk. 

The wheelchair test device specified 

in FMVSS No. 403 should not be 

interpreted as an indication that the 

threshold warning requirements are 

only intended to protect passengers in 

mobility aids fitting that description. 

The safety standard’s Scope section 

states as follows: 

This standard specifies requirements for 

platform lifts used to assist persons with 

limited mobility in entering or leaving a 

vehicle. 

More important, the standard itself 

requires activation of a warning if 

portions of a passenger’s body or 

mobility aid are on the threshold area 

(S6.1.3). Therefore, the relevant risks 

include those to persons whose body 

part and/or mobility device (e.g., a cane) 

may move directly to the ‘‘dead zone’’

of the threshold area without touching 

the perimeter of that area. When 

NHTSA published the standard at 65 FR 

46238, it recognized that all types of 

mobility aids including all designs of 

manual and powered wheelchairs, 

scooters, and other devices are used as 

seats on motor vehicles. Furthermore, at 

67 FR 79421, NHTSA indicated that it 

believes the threshold warning system 

should reasonably detect the weight of 

any occupant in a mobility device as 

well as unattended standing passengers. 

The standard specifies that the 

threshold warning system be tested by 

placing one front wheel of an unloaded 

wheelchair test device on any portion 

(including the center) of the threshold 

warning area without first transiting the 

perimeter of the threshold area. This 

weight of one front wheel is considered 

to be representative of the minimum 

force exerted by a wheelchair or half the 

weight of a small child using the lift 

unattended. Therefore, this test assures 

that a warning is provided to all 

standing passengers, including those 

who may be aided by canes and 

walkers, and who step into or are 

standing in the platform threshold area, 

as well as, persons seated in 

wheelchairs, scooters and other mobility 

aids that roll through the threshold area. 

Braun suggests that it is virtually 

impossible for a wheelchair to transit 

the entire depth of the platform 

threshold area without triggering the 

required warning and supports that 

premise by stating that a rolling 

wheelchair cannot conceivably get to an 

area of attenuated threshold sensitivity 

without first triggering the warning. 

Braun indicates that, as a result, the 

noncompliance presents an 

inconsequential risk. 

However, the standard requires that 

the alarm be activated when the test 

device is placed on ‘‘any portion’’ of the 

threshold area (S7.4.2), and there is 

good reason for that requirement. 

NHTSA’s tests demonstrated that the 

warning would only be activated as the 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with PROPOSALS