[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 83 (Thursday, April 30, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23822-23823]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-11523]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Truck Size and Weight Impact Methodology Review Conference

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is announcing an informational meeting concerning the 
analytical procedures used to estimate the impact of potential changes 
to the Nation's truck size and weight (TS&W) limits on:

1. Freight diversion and mode share;
2. Safety and traffic operations;
3. Highway agency costs (pavement, bridge and roadway geometry);
4. Shipper costs and rail industry profitability;
5. Roadway geometry requirements;
6. Traffic operations; and
7. Environmental quality and energy consumption.

An understanding of these procedures is required to evaluate the 
illustrative TS&W scenarios which will be presented in the U.S. 
Department of Transportation's (U.S. DOT's) 1998 Comprehensive Truck 
Size & Weight (CTS&W) Study.

DATES: The meeting will be held on July 7, 1998, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 
p.m. and on July 8, 1998, from 8:30 a.m. to noon.


[[Page 23823]]


ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Willard Inter-Continental 
Hotel, 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Regina McElroy, Office of Policy 
Development, HPP-10, (202) 366-9216, for substantive information 
regarding the conference; Megan Naranjo, HPP-10, (202) 366-0281, for 
conference registration material; or Mr. Charles E. Medalen, Office of 
the Chief Counsel, HCC-20, (202) 366-1354, Federal Highway 
Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, D.C. 20590. Office 
hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a modem 
and suitable communications software from the Federal Register 
Electronic Bulletin Board Service at (202) 512-1661. Internet users may 
reach the Federal Register's home page at: <a href="http://www.nara.gov/nara/
fedreg">http://www.nara.gov/nara/
fedreg</a> and the Government Printing Office's database at: <a href="http://
www.access.gpo.gov/su__docs">http://
www.access.gpo.gov/su__docs</a>.

Background

    The U.S. DOT currently has underway a CTS&W Study. The Study was 
initiated in 1994 by Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater, who 
was then the Federal Highway Administrator. The Study is intended to 
provide decisionmakers with fact-based information regarding the highly 
controversial and multifaceted TS&W issue. The Department anticipates 
that the final TS&W Study report will be transmitted to Congress by the 
end of 1998. It will include four volumes: Volume I--Executive Summary, 
Volume II--Issues and Background, Volume III--Scenario Analysis, and 
Volume IV--Guide to Documentation. A draft version of Volume II was 
distributed for external review in June 1997. Many valuable comments 
were received and, as a result, the final version will be markedly 
improved.
    Work on Volume III, Scenario Analysis, is now in progress. The 
Department expects that a draft version will be available for review 
and comment this summer. A number of illustrative size and weight 
scenarios have been identified for analysis, and each scenario will be 
evaluated in terms of its likely impact on freight diversion, safety, 
infrastructure (pavement, bridge and roadway geometry), shipper costs, 
rail industry viability, traffic operations, energy consumption and 
environmental quality. The scenarios, as well as the impact areas, were 
selected based on comments received through the Study's extensive 
outreach process.
    As part of the overall outreach activity, the FHWA, on behalf of 
the Department, is sponsoring a TS&W Impact Methodology Review 
Conference. This event is being organized to facilitate review of the 
Volume III draft. At the conference, subject matter experts will 
present the analytical approach employed, for each of the impact areas 
identified above, to evaluate the illustrative scenarios. The 
presentations will focus on technical methods used in the scenario 
analysis. Study results will not be discussed.
    For individuals unable to attend the meeting, copies of the 
briefing material may be obtained, free of charge, by contacting Ms. 
Megan Naranjo at the address and telephone number listed at the 
beginning of this Notice. In addition, we will publish a summary of the 
conference following the event. The summary may also be obtained by 
contacting Ms. Naranjo.

Meeting Information

    Guest rooms at the Willard Hotel, for confirmed participants, are 
available at a discounted rate. Room reservations should be made 
directly with the hotel at (202) 628-9100.
    An agenda, registration form, and supporting conference materials 
may be obtained from the FHWA. The point of contact is Ms. Megan 
Naranjo at the address and telephone number at the beginning of this 
Notice.
    In order to provide ample opportunity for dialogue, we are limiting 
the meeting to 100 participants. All participants must be registered in 
advance. Should demand significantly exceed this limit, we will 
consider holding another similar event.
    A fee is being charged to partially cover the cost of the 
conference. The fee includes a continental breakfast on the first and 
second days and lunch on the first day. The early registration fee 
(received on or before June 6, 1998) is $55.00. After June 6, 1998, a 
late registration fee of $65.00 is payable at the conference.

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.

Gary E. Maring,
Acting Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 98-11523 Filed 4-29-98; 8:45 am]
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