43730 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 166 / Monday, August 27, 2018 / Notices 

supporting documentation. The FDOT 

believes that this system improvement 

will ensure that supporting 

documentation, which was sometimes 

missing as SWEPT was initially 

implemented, would now be present 

prior to an approval point. The 

implementation of these improvements 

was incorporated after the audit project 

file review time frame. 

Finalizing this Report 

The FHWA received three responses 

to the Federal Register Notice during the 

public comment period for this draft 

report. None of comments were 

substantive; one from the American 

Road and Transportation Builders 

Association voiced support of this 

program and another was anonymous 

that was unrelated to this report. The 

remaining comments came from FDOT. 

The Audit Team met with FDOT to 

discuss their comments throughout the 

Audit report development. The FHWA 

considered FDOT’s comments not to be 

substantive but nonetheless revised the 

report language in several instances. 

This notice includes a final version of 

the audit report that addresses all 

comments submitted on the draft audit 

report. 

[FR Doc. 2018–18476 Filed 8–24–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket Number FRA–2018–0029] 

Petition for Waiver of Compliance 

Under part 211 of Title 49 of the Code 

of Federal Regulations (CFR), this 

provides the public notice that by a 

letter dated March 15, 2018, the 

Maryland Transit Administration 

(MTA–MARC), the Illinois Department 

of Transportation (IDOT), and the 

California Department of Transportation 

(Caltrans), have jointly petitioned the 

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 

for a waiver of compliance from certain 

provisions of the Federal railroad safety 

regulations contained at 49 CFR part 

238, Passenger Equipment Safety 

Standards. FRA assigned the petition 

docket number FRA–2018–0029. 

Specifically, Petitioners request relief 

from 49 CFR 238.131 and 238.133, 

pertaining to the exterior side door 

safety system interface with the Siemens 

SC–44 diesel-electric locomotives to be 

used in passenger service, when 

operating in a lite consist (locomotives 

only). Petitioners found that in daily 

operation, the by-pass switch for the 

door safety system must be put into ‘‘bypass’’ to operate the locomotive lite, 

causing an operational constraint for 

daily servicing, maintenance, 

inspection, and fueling. The repeated 

unsealing and resealing of the by-pass 

switch may cause premature failure of 

the switch. MARC and Siemens worked 

jointly to develop a proposed ‘‘Yard 

Mode’’ solution, which monitors the 

door summary circuit trainline, along 

with other trainlines and locomotive 

operating parameters, determining 

whether the locomotive is operating in 

a lite consist or a passenger car consist. 

When ‘‘Yard Mode’’ is activated, it 

allows low speed (10 miles per hour or 

less) operation of the locomotive 

without placing the door by-pass device 

in by-pass. The ‘‘Yard Mode’’ solution 

relies on a multi-step software 

verification, along with multiple 

deliberate acts and confirmations by an 

operator, to enable the system. 

A copy of the petition, as well as any 

written communications concerning the 

petition, is available for review online at 

www.regulations.gov and in person at 

the Department of Transportation’s 

Docket Operations Facility, 1200 New 

Jersey Ave. SE, W12–140, Washington, 

DC 20590. The Docket Operations 

Facility is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except Federal 

Holidays. 

Interested parties are invited to 

participate in these proceedings by 

submitting written views, data, or 

comments. FRA does not anticipate 

scheduling a public hearing in 

connection with these proceedings since 

the facts do not appear to warrant a 

hearing. If any interested party desires 

an opportunity for oral comment, they 

should notify FRA, in writing, before 

the end of the comment period and 

specify the basis for their request. 

All communications concerning these 

proceedings should identify the 

appropriate docket number and may be 

submitted by any of the following 

methods: 

• Website: http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Mail: Docket Operations Facility, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE, W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Room W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal Holidays. 

Communications received by October 

11, 2018 will be considered by FRA 

before final action is taken. Comments 

received after that date will be 

considered if practicable. 

Anyone can search the electronic 

form of any written communications 

and comments received into any of our 

dockets by the name of the individual 

submitting the comment (or signing the 

document, if submitted on behalf of an 

association, business, labor union, etc.). 

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT 

solicits comments from the public to 

better inform its processes. DOT posts 

these comments, without edit, including 

any personal information the 

commenter provides, to 

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 also http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!privacyNotice for the privacy notice of 

regulations.gov. 

Issued in Washington, DC. 

Robert C. Lauby, 

Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety 

Chief Safety Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2018–18496 Filed 8–24–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket Number FRA–2018–0066] 

Petition for Waiver of Compliance 

Under part 211 of Title 49 Code of 

Federal Regulations (CFR), this 

document provides the public notice 

that by a letter dated April 11, 2018, 

BNSF Railway (BNSF) petitioned the 

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 

for a waiver of compliance from certain 

provisions of the Federal railroad safety 

regulations contained at 49 CFR part 

227. FRA assigned the petition Docket 

Number FRA–2018–0066. 

In its petition, BNSF asked FRA to 

waive compliance with 49 CFR 227.109 

to allow employees certified under 49 

CFR part 240 and/or part 242 to exceed 

1,095 days between audiometric tests if 

they meet the hearing acuity timelines 

of 49 CFR 240.217 and/or 242.201. 

Specifically, BNSF asked FRA to allow 

employees subject to part 240 and/or 

part 242 audiometric testing 

requirements to go up to 1,460 days 

between audiometric tests to alleviate 

the confusion of having multiple 

hearing test requirements for part 240 

and 242 certified employees (testing 

requirements under parts 240 and/or 

242 as well as under part 227). 

A copy of the petition, as well as any 

written communications concerning the 

petition, is available for review online at 

www.regulations.gov and in person at 

the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 


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