Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 112 /Thursday, June 11, 1998 / Proposed Rules 31957

in the heading of this document can be

used to cross reference this action with

the Unified Agenda.

List of Subjects in 23 CFR Part 655

Design standards, Grant programs—

Transportation, Highways and roads,

Incorporation by reference, Signs,

Traffic regulations.

(23 U.S.C. 109(d), 114(a), 315, and

402(a); 23 CFR 1.32; 49 CFR 1.48)

Issued on: June 4, 1998.

Gloria J. Jeff,

Deputy Administrator, Federal Highway

Administration.

[FR Doc. 98–15607 Filed 6–10–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

23 CFR Part 655

[FHWA Docket No. FHWA–98–3643]

Revision of the Manual on Uniform

Traffic Control Devices: Request for

Comments on the MUTCD Outreach

Effort

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Request for comments on the

MUTCD Outreach Effort.

SUMMARY: The Manual on Uniform

Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is

incorporated by reference in 23 CFR

part 655, subpart F, approved by the

Federal Highway Administrator, and

recognized as the national standard for

traffic control on all public roads. The

FHWA announced its intent to rewrite

and reformat the MUTCD on January 10,

1992, at 57 FR 1134. The FHWA plans

to publish and distribute a new edition

of the MUTCD in the year 2000. The

purpose of this request for comment is

to: identify the role of the MUTCD in

our customer and partner organizations

and develop a comprehensive outreach

strategy to ensure that information

within the revised MUTCD reaches the

appropriate audiences in the most

efficient and cost-effective manner.

DATES: Submit comments on or before

September 9, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Signed, written comments

should refer to the docket number that

appears at the top of this document and

must be submitted to the Docket Clerk,

U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL–401, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC

20590–0001. All comments received

will be available for examination at the

above address between 10 a.m. and 5

p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday,

except Federal holidays. Those desiring

notification of receipt of comments must

include a self-addressed, stamped

postcard.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Linda Brown, Office of Highway Safety,

Room 3414, (202) 366–2192, or Mr.

Raymond Cuprill, Office of the Chief

Counsel, Room 4217, (202) 366–0834,

Department of Transportation, Federal

Highway Administration, 400 Seventh

Street, SW., Washington, DC 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

Internet users can 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 Federal Register Electronic Bulletin

Board Service at (202) 512–1661.

Internet users may reach the Federal

Register’s home page at: http://

www.nara.gov/nara/fedreg and the

Government Printing Office’s database

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

The proposed text for the MUTCD

2000 is available from the FHWA, Office

of Highway Safety (HHS–10). It is also

available on the FHWA home page at

the following URL: http://

www.ohs.fhwa.dot.gov/devices/

mutcd.html.

Background

The current 1988 MUTCD is available

for inspection and copying as prescribed

in 49 CFR Part 7, appendix D. It may be

purchased for $44 (Domestic) or $55

(Foreign) from the Superintendent of

Documents, U.S. Government Printing

Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA

15250–7954, Stock No. 650–001–00001–

0. This request for comment is being

issued to provide an opportunity for

public comment on the best manner in

which to disseminate information

contained in the next edition of the

MUTCD.

The Manual On Uniform Traffic

Control Devices (MUTCD) is approved

by the Federal Highway Administrator

as the standard for design, application,

and placement of traffic control devices

used on all roads open to public travel.

The MUTCD contains principles for the

design and installation of signs, signals,

pavement markings and other traffic

control devices. Roadway safety is one

of FHWA’s primary focus areas. Singlevehicle run-off-road crashes account for

about one-third of all highway fatalities

annually and motor vehicle crashes

involving pedestrians and bicyclists

account for another 15 percent of all

highway fatalities annually. To make an

impact on our strategic safety objective

of reducing the number of highwayrelated fatalities and injuries, the FHWA

is focusing resources in these areas that

have the most significant impact in

achieving roadway safety. Providing all

users of the highway system with better

guidance tools is a critical element in

addressing run-off-road, pedestrian, and

bicyclist traffic crashes. Traffic control

devices (TCDs) are the roadway

guidance tools that ensure safety by

providing for the orderly and

predictable movement of all traffic

throughout the Nation’s transportation

system. TCDs such as pavement

markings, signs, and signals are the

language with which we communicate

to the road users.

With the Interstate highway system

near completion and the growth in

roadway traffic volumes and congestion

increasing, our Nation is at the

crossroads of its transportation

development. The FHWA recognizes the

need to infuse new ideas and

technology into the highway program—

ideas that will help us solve our current

and future highway safety challenges.

We also recognize that the policies and

technologies that we implement today

will have a strong impact on our

citizens and industries well into the

21st century. The FHWA is in the

process of publishing a new MUTCD for

the next millennium. The Agency’s goal

for the ‘‘MUTCD 2000’’ is to enhance

the mobility of all road users, promote

uniformity, improve traffic safety of

pedestrians and bicyclists, reduce the

potential for run-off-road incidents, and

incorporate technology advances in

traffic control device application.

Marketing and public outreach are

recognized as important elements in this

effort. In this new era of transportation,

we realize that marketing and public

outreach are very necessary components

of developing, promoting, and

implementing effective programs. As the

FHWA began to identify our outreach

audience, it became apparent that: (1)

the MUTCD affects a large and varied

audience, and (2) many of our partners

and customers are relatively uninformed

about principles and techniques for the

proper design and application of traffic

control devices. Additionally, the

general public has little understanding

of the respective roles of the Federal,

State, and local transportation agencies
31958 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 112 /Thursday, June 11, 1998 / Proposed Rules

in operating and maintaining

transportation facilities and services.

The daily interaction of the general

public with the physical components of

our transportation system, particularly

the installation of proper and effective

traffic control devices, provides an ideal

opportunity for creating public

awareness and understanding of the

safety benefits inherent in our

transportation system. Outreach and

interaction have the following benefits:

1. Encourages commitment to and

compliance with the established goals

and methods of managing and

improving our transportation system;

2. Provides a rich amount of

information about ways to improve the

transportation system and make it safer

for travel; and

3. Provides an opportunity to measure

the quality of service we deliver.

As part of the ‘‘MUTCD 2000’’, the

FHWA envisions a comprehensive

outreach effort to the widest possible

audience. Our goal is to expand our

traditional network of customers and

partners and provide information

contained in the MUTCD to other

groups, such as State departments of

motor vehicles, drivers’ education

classes, law enforcement personnel,

governors’ highway safety

representatives, emergency response

providers, state and local officials, and

community civic leaders.

Our Agency customers and partners

are often in the best position to provide

information to transportation users and

providers because they routinely

interact with city, county, and local

officials. The Agency’s commitment to

marketing and outreach provides a

unique opportunity to work

cooperatively to identify methods of

disseminating information to

businesses, organizations, public

agencies, and others that may be

affected by the proposed changes to the

MUTCD.

The FHWA plans to provide the

MUTCD 2000 in a variety of formats: a

hard copy manual, a CD–ROM version,

and a version available through the

Internet. In addition, both internal and

external customers have suggested that

the Agency consider the following as

part of the MUTCD 2000 release: video

presentations to highlight the changes;

training course and materials; exhibit

booth graphics and kiosks; brochures

and other promotional materials.

The purpose of this request for

comments is to identify what role the

MUTCD plays in your organization and

specifically seek your ideas on ways to

effectively disseminate the MUTCD

2000, as well as receive your comments

on ways to expand the Agency’s target

audience. To stimulate an exchange of

ideas, the following questions have been

developed:

1. What is your primary interest in the

MUTCD?

2. How do you currently use the

MUTCD?

3. How would you envision utilizing

the information in the MUTCD in the

future?

4. How often do you receive inquiries

regarding the MUTCD and what is the

nature of these inquiries?

5. Whom would you identify as the

audience for the MUTCD?

6. Are there missing pieces of

information the MUTCD should cover?

7. Does your organization have a

knowledge gap the MUTCD can fill?

8. Does your organization wish to

partner with FHWA by publishing/

printing the MUTCD after the final text

has been approved by the FHWA?

(a) Do you wish to provide this

service alone or with other

organizations?

(b) How much would your

organization contribute to the initial

printing setup cost?

(c) Are there any conditions or

requirements your organization has for

this service?

(d) Are there any conditions or

requirements your organization has for

its logo, title, credits, etc. to be placed

in the MUTCD 2000?

9. Does your organization wish to

partner with FHWA by developing

training videos for traffic engineers,

technicians, drivers (drivers’ education),

pedestrians, bicyclists, elder citizens

and/or children in the MUTCD 2000?

10. Does your organization wish to

partner with FHWA by developing

public information press releases,

printed articles, radio announcements,

or videos on ‘‘What’s new in the

MUTCD 2000’’?

11. Does your organization wish to

partner with FHWA by developing other

training courses and materials for the

MUTCD?

12. Do you have other suggestions to

include in the MUTCD 2000 outreach

effort?

13. Does your organization have

access to the Internet and/or facilities

for using a CD–ROM version of the

MUTCD?

14. What trade publications or

journals do you commonly receive and

what trade conferences do you attend?

15. What are your professional and

civic affiliations?

The FHWA welcomes input and

encourages responders to expand on

these questions with other suggestions.

List of Subjects in 23 CFR Part 655

Design standards, Grant programs—

transportation, Highways and roads,

Incorporation by reference, Signs,

Traffic regulations.

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 101(a), 104, 105,

109(d), 114(a), 135, 217, 307, 315, and 402(a);

23 CFR 1.32; and 49 CFR 1.48(b).

Issued on: June 5, 1998.

Kenneth R. Wykle,

Federal Highway Administrator.

[FR Doc. 98–15598 Filed 6–10–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

46 CFR Part 27

[CG 97–064]

RIN 2115–AF–53

Towing Vessel Safety

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Correction to notice of proposed

rulemaking; request for comments.

SUMMARY: This document contains a

correction to the notice of proposed

rulemaking (CGD 97–064) which was

published Friday, October 6, 1997, [62

FR 52057]. The rules are intended to

improve the safety of towing vessels and

tank barges.

DATES: Comments must reach the Coast

Guard on or before August 10, 1998.

ADDRESSES: You may mail comments to

the Executive Secretary, Marine Safety

Council (G–LRA/3406) (CG–97–064),

U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100

Second Street SW., Washington, DC

20593–0001, or deliver them to room

3406 at the same address between 9:30

a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through

Friday, except Federal holidays. The

telephone number is 202–267–1477.

The Executive Secretary maintains the

public docket for this rulemaking.

Comments will become part of this

docket and will be available for

inspection or copying at room 3406,

U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, between

9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through

Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Robert Markle, Project Manager (Fire

Protection) 202–267–1076; or Mr. Allen

Penn, Project Manager (Emergency

Control Systems) 202–267–2997, U.S.

Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second

Street SW., Washington, DC 20593–

0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION