[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 244 (Thursday, December 21, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 88337-88338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28154]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

49 CFR Part 675

[FTA Docket No. FTA 2023-0018]
RIN 2132-AB46


Transit Worker Hours of Service and Fatigue Risk Management

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), United States Department 
of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking, extension of comment 
period.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is extending the 
comment period for the advance notice of proposed rulemaking regarding 
transit worker hours of service and fatigue risk management, published 
on October 30, 2023, with the original comment period closing on 
December 29, 2023. The extension is based on concerns from the American 
Public Transportation Association (APTA) that the comment period did 
not provide sufficient time to review and provide comprehensive 
comments to the ANPRM due to two Federal holidays and the closure of 
many offices between Christmas and New Year's Day. FTA recognizes that 
others interested in commenting may have similar concerns and agrees 
that the comment period should be extended.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published October 30, 
2023, at 88 FR 74107, is extended. Comments are requested by January 
29, 2024. FTA will consider comments received after that date to the 
extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: You may file comments, identified by docket number FTA-2023-
0018, by any of the following methods:
    <bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    <bullet> Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    <bullet> Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    <bullet> Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number (FTA 2023-0018) for

[[Page 88338]]

this rulemaking. All comments received will be posted without change to 
https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided.
    Docket: To access the docket and read background documents or 
comments received, go to: https://www.regulations.gov. Background 
documents and comments received may also be viewed at the U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Docket 
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, 
DC 20590-0001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For program matters, contact Valerie 
Beck, Office of Transit Safety and Oversight, FTA, telephone (202) 366-
9178 or email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#62243623240b160c071111040d102617161b22060d164c050d14"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="06405247406f72686375756069744273727f4662697228616970">[email protected]</span></a>. For legal matters, contact 
Emily Jessup, Office of the Chief Counsel, telephone (202) 366-8907 or 
email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7510181c190c5b1f100606000535111a015b121a03"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="13767e7a7f6a3d79766060666353777c673d747c65">[email protected]</span></a>. Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a letter submitted to the docket dated 
November 29, 2023, the American Public Transportation Association 
(APTA) requested a 30-day extension of the comment period for the 
advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) published in the Federal 
Register on October 30, 2023 (88 FR 74107).
    As justification for this extension, APTA believed that it could 
synthesize consensus comments from the industry by the December 29, 
2023, deadline, but it will be nearly impossible due to two Federal 
holidays between the time the NPRM was published and comments are due, 
and the fact that that many offices, including APTA's, will be closed 
between Christmas and New Year's Day. APTA also notes that it held a 
webinar for safety coordinators to collect comments and plans to hold 
another one in later December to synthesize comments. APTA also stated 
that intends to hold a meeting for transit CEOs to collect their 
thoughts on an initial draft response in late December or early 
January. APTA believes an extension of time would ensure that APTA and 
its members have the necessary time to survey, draft, and vet consensus 
comments and to produce a more complete response to the NPRM.
    Given the importance of public transportation safety and the desire 
for a robust dialogue on the issues surrounding transit worker fatigue, 
and the likelihood that other commenters may have similar concerns, FTA 
believes an extension of time is justified and is extending the comment 
period until January 29, 2024.
    FTA is not republishing the questions in this document. Instead, 
please refer to the ANPRM (88 FR 74107). To ensure that comments are 
filed correctly, please follow the instructions in the ADDRESSES 
section above and include the docket number provided [FTA-2023-0018] in 
your comments.

Veronica Vanterpool,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2023-28154 Filed 12-20-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P


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