65124 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 237 / Wednesday, December 10, 1997 / Notices

Rotunda—Suite 220, 711 West 40th

Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21211.

Telephone (410) 962–4440.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

FHWA in cooperation with the Federal

Transit Administration, the

Environmental Protection Agency, the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the

Maryland Department of Transportation,

will prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) on a proposal to provide

multi-modal transportation measures

within the I–270/U.S. 15 corridor in

Montgomery and Frederick Counties,

Maryland for a distance of

approximately 35 miles.

The proposed strategies consist of a

combination of improvements to the

existing corridor such as highway

widening, and transportation

management strategies, as well as

additional multi-modal facilities

including a busway, or light rail transit.

The purpose of the proposed

transportation improvements is to

address the effect of regional growth and

traffic congestion on transportation

trends and safety operations.

The I–270/U.S. 15 Corridor provides a

connection between the Washington,

D.C. metropolitan area and central and

western Maryland, as well as to the

midwest via I–70 and I–68. Current

operating conditions within the I–270/

U.S. 15 Corridor reflect severe traffic

congestion at many locations within the

project area. Congestion is expected to

increase as continued growth in both

population and employment occur over

the next quarter century.

Letters describing the proposed action

and soliciting comments will be sent to

appropriate Federal, State, and Local

agencies, and to private organizations

and citizens who have previously

expressed or are known to have an

interest in this proposal. A public

hearing is anticipated in the fall of 1998.

Public notice will be given of the time

and place of this hearing.

The draft EIS will be available for

public and agency review and comment

prior to the public hearing. Scoping

meetings for the public, agencies, and

for the Metropolitan Washington

Council of Governments have been

conducted throughout the course of the

project. No formal scoping meeting for

this project is planned at this time.

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.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Number 20.205, Highway Research,

Planning And Construction. The regulations

implementing Executive Order 12372

regarding intergovernmental consultation of

Federal programs and activities apply to this

program.)

Issued On: December 3, 1997.

Renee Sigel,

Planning, Research and Environment Team

Leader, Baltimore.

[FR Doc. 97–32316 Filed 12–9–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

Notice of Application for Approval of

Discontinuance or Modification of a

Railroad Signal System or Relief From

the Requirements of 49 CFR Part 236

Pursuant to Title 49 Code of Federal

Regulations (CFR) part 235 and 49

U.S.C. App. 26, the following railroads

have petitioned the Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA) seeking approval

for the discontinuance or modification

of the signal system or relief from the

requirements of 49 CFR part 236 as

detailed below.

Rules Standards & Instructions

Application (RS&I–AP)–No. 1102

Applicants

New Jersey Transit Rail Operations,

Incorporated, Mr. Robert A. Randall,

Vice President and General

Manager—Rail, One Penn Plaza East,

Newark, New Jersey 07105–2246.

Morristown and Erie Railway,

Incorporated, Mr. Benjamin

Friedland, President and General

Manager, P. O. Box 2206, Morristown,

New Jersey 07962–2206.

New Jersey Transit Rail Operations,

Incorporated (NJTR) and the Morristown

and Erie Railway, Incorporated (ME),

jointly seek temporary relief from

Section 236.566 of the Rules, Standards,

and Instructions (49 CFR 236.566), to

the extent that NJTR be permitted to

operate two non-equipped ME

locomotives in automatic cab signal

territory, on the Morristown Line

between Lower Hack, milepost 2.7 and

Netcong, milepost 48.0; the Bergen

County Line between Bergen Junction,

milepost 3.1 and ‘‘BT,’’ milepost 14.2;

and the Boonton Line between

Mountain View, milepost 21.3 and

Denville, milepost 34.4, until such time

as the locomotives can be equipped

with automatic cab signal and automatic

train control equipment, on or before

June 30, 1998.

Applicant’s justification for relief:

NJTR is currently installing an

automatic cab system on the associated

trackage, and temporary relief is

requested so that the other freight and

passenger service can benefit at the

earliest time, from the additional safety

afforded by the cab signal and automatic

train control systems.

Any interested party desiring to

protest the granting of an application

shall set forth specifically the grounds

upon which the protest is made, and

contain a concise statement of the

interest of the protestant in the

proceeding. The original and two copies

of the protest shall be filed with the

Associate Administrator for Safety,

FRA, 400 Seventh Street, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20590 within 45

calendar days of the date of issuance of

this notice. Additionally, one copy of

the protest shall be furnished to the

applicant at the address listed above.

FRA expects to be able to determine

these matters without oral hearing.

However, if a specific request for an oral

hearing is accompanied by a showing

that the party is unable to adequately

present his or her position by written

statements, an application may be set

for public hearing.

Issued in Washington, D.C. on December 1,

1997.

Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Standards and Program Development.

[FR Doc. 97–32312 Filed 12–9–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA–97–3190]

Notice of Receipt of Petition for

Decision That Nonconforming 1994–

1997 Mercedes-Benz S500 Passenger

Cars Are Eligible for Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition for

decision that nonconforming 1994–1997

Mercedes-Benz S500 passenger cars are

eligible for importation.

SUMMARY: This notice announces receipt

by the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) of a petition

for a decision that 1994–1997 MercedesBenz S500 passenger cars that were not

originally manufactured to comply with

all applicable Federal motor vehicle

safety standards are eligible for

importation into the United States

because (1) They are substantially