20690 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 66 / Thursday, April 5, 2012 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Environmental Impact Statement: 

Albuquerque, New Mexico 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), USDOT. 

ACTION: Rescind Notice of Intent. 

SUMMARY: The FHWA is rescinding the 

notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement for the 

proposed improvements to the Interstate 

25 and Paseo del Norte Interchange in 

Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg 

Heitmann, Environmental Specialist, 

Federal Highway Administration, New 

Mexico Division, 4001 Office Court 

Drive, Suite 801, Santa Fe, New Mexico 

87507, Telephone (505) 820–2027. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

FHWA, in cooperation with the New 

Mexico Department of Transportation 

(NMDOT), is rescinding the Notice of 

Intent to prepare an Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 

improvements to the Interstate 25 (I–25) 

and Paseo del Norte (PDN) Interchange 

in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The 

original project proposal resulted in a 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

(DEIS) with estimated construction costs 

in excess of $350 million. Given the 

circumstances of economic conditions 

nationally and within the state of New 

Mexico it became highly evident that 

the proposed alternatives would not be 

feasible. 

Based on the comments received at 

the public hearing, results of the 

continuing study, as well as alternative 

concept work performed by the City of 

Albuquerque with input from the 

NMDOT, a new alternative resulted. The 

new alternative with a conceptual cost 

of $93 million is contained in a much 

smaller footprint and addresses the level 

of service on I–25; this solution is a 

workable incremental approach that can 

be integrated into the region’s long 

range plan for this sector of the 

Albuquerque Metropolitan Area. 

Project Funding is being gathered 

through Federal, state, and local 

sources. The New Mexico State 

Legislature and Governor passed and 

signed a funding bill that pursues a 

design-build method for the project. 

Other sources of funding include: 

Congestion Mitigation Air Quality 

(CMAQ) funds as well as Transportation 

Improvement Program funds from 

FHWA, City of Albuquerque funds, and 

Bernalillo County funds. TIGER IV grant 

funds from the USDOT are also being 

sought to fund the project. 

The project will proceed under a 

design and build procurement process. 

A consultant has been awarded the 

contract under the direction of the 

NMDOT. The preferred alternative and 

the focus of the project are the 

northbound I–25 to westbound PDN 

movement and the eastbound PDN to 

southbound I–25 movement as 

identified by the previous DEIS. These 

improvements are at the center of the 

proposed work and project development 

will proceed under the direction of the 

NMDOT. The preliminary engineering 

associated with the preferred alternative 

will be completed by the NMDOT’s 

consultant. The following elements 

must be completed prior to procuring a 

Design and Build contractor: (a) Identify 

and develop the right of way needs and 

mapping in order for the NMDOT to 

acquire the necessary rights of way. (b) 

Develop and obtain the necessary 

environmental documentation; it is 

currently anticipated that a Categorical 

Exclusion will be completed for the 

proposed improvements. Extensive 

public involvement will be part of the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA). If necessary, an Environmental 

Assessment (EA) may be considered to 

complete the NEPA decision-making 

components. (c) Complete the required 

Interchange Access Change Request 

(IACR) to support the new interchange 

alternative. 

The new interchange improvements 

will have to take into account the 

following: (a) There are improvements 

that will be required on both PDN and 

I–25. These improvements are not 

independent of each other. There are 

also improvements along the 

northbound and/or southbound I–25 

and at the PDN/Jefferson intersection 

that will need to be in place before any 

of the interchange flyovers are 

constructed. (b) The alternative must 

demonstrate that it minimizes the 

features that do not fit into the project 

design (reduce sacrificial construction 

or roadway features that would be torn 

down during future phases). (c) The 

alternative must demonstrate that it 

improves the operation of I–25 as well 

as PDN and improves traffic flow in the 

roadway network surrounding the 

project area. 

Finally, the project timelines indicate 

a preliminary engineering effort, 

including NEPA documentation, of 6–12 

months. It is anticipated that 

construction would commence in June 

of 2013. 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning 

and Construction. The regulations 

implementing Executive Order 12372 

regarding intergovernmental consultation on 

Federal programs and activities apply to this 

proposed program.) 

Issued on March 26, 2012. 

J. Don Martinez. 

Division Administrator, Federal Highway 

Administration, Santa Fe, New Mexico. 

[FR Doc. 2012–8216 Filed 4–4–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket No. FRA–2011–0027; Notice No. 4] 

Northeast Corridor Safety Committee; 

Notice of Meeting 

AGENCY: Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Announcement of the Northeast 

Corridor Safety Committee (NECSC) 

Meeting. 

SUMMARY: FRA announces the second 

meeting of the NECSC, a Federal 

Advisory Committee mandated by 

Section 212 of the Passenger Rail 

Investment and Improvement Act of 

2008 (PRIIA). The NECSC is made up of 

stakeholders operating on the Northeast 

Corridor (NEC), and the purpose of the 

Committee is to provide annual 

recommendations to the DOT Secretary. 

NECSC’s meeting topics will include: 

Positive Train Control update 

presentations from NEC railroads, 

Transportation Security Administration 

NEC security initiatives, aging electric 

traction infrastructure, the Americans 

with Disabilities Act requirements, and 

a general discussion of safety issues. 

DATES: The NECSC meeting is 

scheduled to commence on Thursday, 

May 24, 2012, at 9 a.m., and will 

adjourn by 4:30 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The NECSC meeting will be 

held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel 

Philadelphia Downtown, located at 

1800 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA. 

The meeting is open to the public on a 

first-come, first-served basis, and is 

accessible to individuals with 

disabilities. Sign and oral interpretation 

can be made available if requested 10 

calendar days before the meeting. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Larry Woolverton, NECSC 

Administrative Officer/Coordinator, 

FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Mailstop 25, Washington, DC 20590, 

(202) 493–6212; or Mr. Robert Lauby, 

Acting Associate Administrator for 

Railroad Safety/Chief Safety Officer, 

FRA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 

Mailstop 25, Washington, DC 20590, 

(202) 493–6300. 


Tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 66 / Thursday, April 5, 2012 / Notices 20691 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

NECSC is mandated by a statutory 

provision in Section 212 of the PRIIA 

(codified at 49 U.S.C. 24905(f)). This 

Committee is chartered by the DOT 

Secretary and is an official Federal 

Advisory Committee established in 

accordance with the provisions of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as 

amended, Title 5 U.S.C.—Appendix. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on March 30, 

2012. 

Robert C. Lauby, 

Acting Associate Administrator for Railroad 

Safety/Chief Safety Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2012–8134 Filed 4–4–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket Number FRA–2011–0078] 

Petition for Waiver of Compliance 

In accordance with Part 211 of Title 

49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 

this document provides the public 

notice that by a document dated 

September 26, 2011, Iowa Interstate 

Railroad, Ltd. (IAIS) has 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 

230. FRA assigned the petition Docket 

Number FRA–2011–0078. 

IAIS seeks relief from performing the 

fifth annual inspection as it pertains to 

the inspection of flexible staybolt caps 

every 5 years as required by 49 CFR 

230.41(a), and requests to extend the 

inspection interval to the tenth annual 

inspection. IAIS will perform all other 

inspections as required by 49 CFR 

230.16, Annual Inspection. IAIS’s 

justification for requesting this relief is 

that the current level of safety would be 

maintained due to the low number of 

service days accrued in this engine 

since the last flexible staybolt cap 

inspection. There will be a significant 

cost savings as the IAIS shop forces 

would not be required to remove the 

cab, piping, jacketing, and insulation to 

gain access to the caps to perform the 

staybolt cap inspection. IAIS estimates 

that it would take 3 months and five 

full-time employees to perform this 

inspection at a significant cost. 

A copy of the petition, as well as any 

written communications concerning the 

petition, is available for review online at 

http://www.regulations.gov and in 

person at the U.S. Department of 

Transportation’s (DOT) Docket 

Operations Facility, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue 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: 

• Web site: 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 May 7, 

2012 will be considered by FRA before 

final action is taken. Comments received 

after that date will be considered as far 

as practicable. 

Anyone is able to 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 comment, if 

submitted on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). You may 

review DOT’s complete Privacy Act 

Statement in the Federal Register 

published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 

65, Number 70; Pages 19477–78), or 

online at http://www.dot.gov/ 

privacy.html. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on March 30, 

2012. 

Ron Hynes, 

Acting Deputy Associate Administrator for 

Regulatory and Legislative Operations. 

[FR Doc. 2012–8177 Filed 4–4–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket Number FRA–2011–0050] 

Petition for Waiver of Compliance 

In accordance with Part 211 of Title 

49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 

notice is hereby given that the Federal 

Railroad Administration (FRA) has 

received a request for a waiver of 

compliance from certain requirements 

of its safety standards. The individual 

petition is described below, including 

the party seeking relief, the regulatory 

provisions involved, the nature of the 

relief being requested, and the 

petitioner’s arguments in favor of relief. 

FRA has assigned the petition Docket 

Number FRA–2011–0050. 

The Alaska Railroad Corporation 

(ARRC) has applied for extension of the 

clean, repair, and test intervals for air 

brake valves and related components, as 

required by the Railroad Locomotive 

Safety Standards found at Title 49 Code 

of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 

229.27, Annual tests, and Section 

229.29, Biennial tests. This relief has 

been requested for Locomotives ARRC 

4001–4016, which are equipped with 

New York Air Brake (NYAB) CCB–I 

brake systems; Locomotives ARRC 

4317–4328, which are equipped with 

NYAB CCB–II brake systems; and Diesel 

Multiple Unit ARRC 751, which is 

equipped with a NYAB CCB–II brake 

system. These units are also equipped 

with air dryers. Applications were 

originally submitted by ARRC for 

inclusion under the relief granted to the 

Association of American Railroads 

(AAR) by Waiver Docket Number FRA– 

2005–21613. However, the decision 

letter for that waiver specifically limits 

the relief to AAR member railroads. 

ARRC is not an AAR member; therefore, 

separate processing of these requests is 

necessary. 

In support of this petition, ARRC 

submitted letters from NYAB attesting 

to the essential similarity of the air 

brake systems on these units to air brake 

systems on locomotives tested and 

inspected at extended intervals and 

granted relief under FRA–2005–21613 

on CSX Transportation and the 

Canadian Pacific Railway. In addition, 

ARRC reported that they have 

experienced very few failures on units 

equipped with CCB brake systems, and 

that inspection of air brake components 

removed from Locomotives 4001–4016, 

at 5 years of age, ‘‘revealed exceptional 

cleanliness and no issues were noted 

which would prevent the continued 

serviceability of the parts or materials 

* * *. ’’ 


Tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES