66580 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 215 / Monday, November 6, 2000 / Notices

needed for the FHWA to fulfill its

statutory obligations regarding funding

determinations on emergency work to

repair highway facilities. The

requirements covering the FHWA ER

program are contained in 23 CFR part

668.

Respondents: 52 State Transportation

Departments, including the District of

Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Frequency: As required.

Estimated Total Annual Burden:

5,000 hours. 200 hours per application

for an average of 30 annual applications.

For Further Information Contact: Mr.

Mohan Pillay, 202–366–4655,

Department of Transportation, Federal

Highway Administration, Infrastructure

Core Business Unit, 400 Seventh Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office

hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, except Federal

holidays.

6. Title: Preparation and Execution of

the Project Agreement and

Modifications

OMB Control Number: 2125–0529

(Expiration Date: May 31, 2001).

Abstract: Formal agreements between

State transportation departments and

the FHWA are required for Federal-aid

highway projects. These agreements,

referred to as ‘‘project agreements’’ are

written contracts between the State and

the Federal government that define the

extent of work to be undertaken and

commitments made concerning a

highway project. In a notice of proposed

rulemaking (NPRM), published on

August 31, 2000 (65 FR 52962), the

FHWA proposed actions that would

update and modify existing

requirements to reflect statutory changes

to the project agreement process

mandated by section 1305 of the

Transportation Equity Act for the 21st

Century (TEA–21) (Public Law 105–178,

112 Stat. 107). This FHWA proposal

would combine the authorization of

work and execution of the project

agreement for a Federal-aid project into

a single action. We do not expect the

basic requirement for a project

agreement to change, nor do we expect

changes to the current information

collection burden estimates as a result

of this proposal. Nonetheless, the

FHWA will consider any comments

received to the NPRM regarding these

information collections before issuance

of a final rule in this matter. A final rule

would reflect any necessary changes to

23 CFR 630, subpart A. Thus, the

FHWA’s current submission to OMB

seeking approval to renew this

information collection will not reflect

any revised estimates in burdens. The

estimates set forth below are based on

current regulations.

Respondents: 50 State Transportation

Departments, the District of Columbia,

the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands, and the Territories of Guam, the

Virgin Islands and American Samoa

Estimated Total Annual Burden:

12,040 hours. There are an average of

215 annual agreements per respondent.

Each agreement requires approximately

one hour to complete.

For Further Information Contact: Mr.

Jack Wasley, 202–366–4658, Department

of Transportation, Federal Highway

Administration, Infrastructure Core

Business Unit, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are

from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

7. Title: Nationwide Survey of ‘‘Public

Roads’’ Readers

OMB Control Number: 2125–0562

(Expiration Date: May 31, 2001)

Abstract: ‘‘Public Roads’’ is a

bimonthly magazine published by the

FHWA. The FHWA conducts periodic

surveys of its readers to improve the

quality and content of the magazine.

Executive Order 12862 requires all

agencies to identify their customers,

survey their satisfaction with current

services, set standards for service and

measure results against them. A

nationwide census of readers was

conducted in 1995 to establish

benchmarks to gauge overall reader

satisfaction and to measure, in

particular, satisfaction with significant

changes that had been made in the

magazine’s design and content, subject

scope, and audience. The results of

ongoing surveys will form the basis of

a major, direct-mail campaign to

increase the number of paid subscribers.

Respondents: Approximately 1,500

paid and complementary subscribers to

‘‘Public Roads’’ magazine.

Frequency: Biennially.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 375

hours. The average burden per response

is 15 minutes.

For Further Information Contact: Ms.

Martha Soneira, 202–493–3468,

Department of Transportation, Federal

Highway Administration, Research,

Development and Technology Service

Business Unit, Turner-Fairbank

Highway Research Center, 6300

Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101.

Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30

p.m., Monday through Friday, except

Federal holidays.

Electronic Access: Internet users may

access all comments received by the

U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL–401, by

using the universal resource locator

(URL): http://dms.dot.gov. It is available

24 hours each day, 365 days each year.

Please follow the instructions online for

more information and help. An

electronic copy of this document may be

downloaded using a modem and

suitable communications software from

the Government Printing Office

Electronic Bulletin Board Service at

telephone number 202–512–1661.

Internet users may reach the Federal

Register’s home page at http://

www.nara.gov/fedreg and the

Government Printing Office’s database

at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act

of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended;

and 49 CFR 1.48.

Issued on: October 31, 2000.

James R. Kabel,

Chief, Management Programs and Analysis

Division.

[FR Doc. 00–28345 Filed 11–03–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 65–60–50–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

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) received

a request for a waiver of compliance

with 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.

Blue Ridge Scenic Railway Company

[Docket Number FRA–2000–8132]

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway

Company of Blue Ridge, Georgia, has

petitioned for a permanent waiver of

compliance for one passenger coach

from the requirements of the Safety

Glazing Standards, 49 CFR Part 223,

which requires certified glazing in all

windows and a minimum of four

emergency windows. The railroad

indicates that the car is used in tourist

service over 13 miles of track between

Blue Ridge and McCaysville, Georgia, at

a speed not to exceed 15 mph. The

railroad indicates that there is no freight

operated over this line, which is in a

rural area along the Toccoa River.

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

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 215 / Monday, November 6, 2000 / Notices 66581

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 (e.g., Waiver

Petition Docket Number FRA–2000–

8132) and must be submitted in

triplicate to the Docket Clerk, DOT

Central Docket Management Facility,

Room Pl–401, Washington, DC, 20590–

0001. Communications received within

45 days of the date of this notice will

be considered by FRA before final

action is taken. Comments received after

that date will be considered as far as

practicable. All written communications

concerning these proceedings are

available for examination during regular

business hours (9 a.m.–5 p.m.) at DOT

Central Docket Management Facility,

Room Pl–401 (Plaza Level), 400 Seventh

Street SW, Washington, DC. All

documents in the public docket are also

available for inspection and copying on

the Internet at the docket facility’s Web

site at http://dms.dot.gov.

Issued in Washington, DC, on November 1,

2000.

Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Standards and Program Development.

[FR Doc. 00–28442 Filed 11–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. RSAC–96–1, Notice No. 21]

Railroad Safety Advisory Committee

(RSAC); Working Group Activity

Update

AGENCY: Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA), Department of

Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Announcement of Railroad

Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC)

Working Group Activities.

SUMMARY: FRA is updating its

announcement of RSAC‘s working

group activities to reflect the current

status of working group activities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Trish Paolella or Lydia Leeds, RSAC

Coordinators, FRA, 1120 Vermont Ave.,

NW, Mailstop 25, Washington, DC

20590, (202) 493–6213 or Grady Cothen,

Deputy Associate Administrator for

Safety Standards Program Development,

FRA, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW, Mailstop

25, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 493–

6302.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice serves to update FRA’s last

announcement of working group

activities and status reports on

December 17, 1999 (64 FR 70756). The

fifteenth full Committee meeting was

held September 14, 2000 at the

Association of American Railroads

Conference Center in Washington, D.C.

Since its first meeting in April of

1996, the RSAC has accepted sixteen

tasks. Status for each of the tasks is

provided below:

Task 96–1—Revising the Freight

Power Brake Regulations. This Task was

formally withdrawn from the RSAC on

June 24, 1997. FRA published an NPRM

on September 9, 1998, reflective of what

FRA had learned through the

collaborative process. Two public

hearings were conducted and a

technical conference was held. The date

for submission of written comments was

extended to March 1, 1999. The final

rule is in review and clearance. Contact:

Thomas Hermann (202) 493–6036.

Task 96–2—Reviewing and

recommending revisions to the Track

Safety Standards (49 CFR Part 213). This

task was accepted April 2, 1996, and a

Working Group was established.

Consensus was reached on

recommended revisions and an NPRM

incorporating these recommendations

was published in the Federal Register

on July 3, 1997, (62 FR 36138). The final

rule was published in the Federal

Register on June 22, 1998 (63 FR 33991).

The effective date of the rule was

September 21, 1998. A task force was

established to address Gage Restraint

Measurement System (GRMS)

technology applicability to the Track

Safety Standards. A GRMS amendment

to the Track Safety Standards was

approved by the full RSAC in a mail

ballot during August. The final rule

amendment will be published in the

Federal Register. Contact: Al

MacDowell (202) 493–6236.

Task 96–3—Reviewing and

recommending revisions to the Radio

Standards and Procedures (49 CFR Part

220). This Task was accepted on April

2, 1996, and a Working Group was

established. Consensus was reached on

recommended revisions and an NPRM

incorporating these recommendations

was published in the Federal Register

on June 26, 1997 (62 FR 34544). The

final rule was published on September

4, 1998 (63 FR 47182), and was effective

on January 2, 1999. Contact: Gene Cox

(202) 493–6319.

Task 96–4—Reviewing the

appropriateness of the agency’s current

policy regarding the applicability of

existing and proposed regulations to

tourist, excursion, scenic, and historic

railroads. This Task was accepted on

April 2, 1996, and a Working Group was

established. The Working Group

monitored the steam locomotive

regulations task. Planned future

activities involve the review of other

regulations for possible adaptation to

the safety needs of tourist and historic

railroads. Contact: Grady Cothen (202)

493–6302.

Task 96–5—Reviewing and

recommending revisions to Steam

Locomotive Inspection Standards (49

CFR Part 230). This Task was assigned

to the Tourist and Historic Working

Group on July 24, 1996. Consensus was

reached and an NPRM was published on

September 25, 1998 (63 FR 51404). A

public hearing was held on February 4,

1999, and recommendations were

developed in response to comments

received. The final rule was published

on November 17, 1999 (64 FR 62828).

Contact: George Scerbo (202) 493–6349.

Task 96–6—Reviewing and

recommending revisions to

miscellaneous aspects of the regulations

addressing Locomotive Engineer

Certification (49 CFR Part 240). This

Task was accepted on October 31, 1996,

and a Working Group was established.

Consensus was reached and an NPRM

was published on September 22, 1998.

The Working Group met to resolve

issues presented in public comments.

The RSAC recommended issuance of a

final rule with the Working Group

modifications. The final rule was

published November 8, 1999 (64 FR

60966). Contact: John Conklin (202)

493–6318.

Task 96–7—Developing Roadway

Maintenance Machine (On-Track

Equipment) Safety Standards. This task

was assigned to the existing Track

Standards Working Group on October

31, 1996, and a Task Force was

established. The Task Force finalized a

proposed rule which was approved by

the full RSAC in a mail ballot in August.

The NPRM will be published in the

Federal Register. Contact: Al MacDowell

(202) 493–6236.

Task 96–8—This Planning Task

evaluated the need for action responsive

to recommendations contained in a

report to Congress entitled, Locomotive

Crashworthiness & Working Conditions.

This Planning Task was accepted on

October 31, 1996. A Planning Group

was formed and reviewed the report,

grouping issues into categories, and

prepared drafts of the task statements

for Tasks 97–1 and 97–2.

Task 97–1—Developing

crashworthiness specifications to

promote the integrity of the locomotive

cab in accidents resulting from

collisions. This Task was accepted on