168 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 1 / Tuesday, January 3, 1995 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Environmental Impact Statement:

Orange County, FL

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this

notice to advise the public that an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

will be prepared for a proposed highway

project in Orange County, Florida.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jim Travis, Transportation Engineer,

Federal Highway Administration, 227

N. Bronough Street, Room 2015,

Tallahassee, Florida 32301, Telephone:

(904) 942–9587.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

FHWA, in cooperation with the Florida

Department of Transportation, will

prepare an EIS for a proposal to develop

a new alignment for the Apopka Bypass,

Orange County, Florida. The proposed

improvement would involve the

development of a roadway within a

study area that begins at the intersection

of US 441 and the planned Maitland

Boulevard extension. The study area

extends in a westerly direction until

reaching the area of the intersection of

Keene Road and Ocoee-Apopka Road.

From this location, the study area

curves to the north ending at the

intersection of US 441 and CR 437 in

Orange County, Florida. The study area

will vary in width from approximately

1.2 kilometers (4,000 feet) at its eastern

terminus to 4 kilometers (21⁄2 miles) at

its northern terminus. The approximate

length is ±17.7 kilometers (±11 miles).

Improvements to the corridor are

considered necessary to provide for the

existing and projected traffic demand.

Alternatives under consideration

include: 1) taking no action, 2) alternate

corridors, and 3) alternate alignments.

Letters describing the proposed action

and soliciting comments will be sent to

appropriate Federal, State, and local

agencies, and to private organizations

and citizens who have expressed

interest in this proposal. A series of

public meetings are planned to be held

in Apopka, Orange County between

February and June, 1995. In addition, a

public hearing will be held. Public

notice will be given of the time and

place of the meetings and hearings. The

Draft EIS will be made available for

public and agency review and comment.

A formal scoping meeting is planned at

the project site during the early part of

1995.

To ensure that the full range of issues

related to the proposed action are

addressed and all significant issues

identified, comments and suggestions

are invited from all interested parties.

Comments or questions concerning this

proposed action and the EIS should be

directed to the FHWA at the address

provided above.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Number 20.205, Highway Research,

Planning and Construction. The regulations

implementing Executive Order 12372

regarding intergovernmental consultation on

Federal programs and activities apply to this

program.)

Issued on: December 20, 1994.

Melisa L. Ridenour,

Transportation Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 94–32200 Filed 12–30–94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

Intelligent Transportation Society of

America; Public Meeting

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: The Intelligent Transportation

Society of America (ITS AMERICA) will

hold a meeting of its Coordinating

Council on January 27, 1995. The

session is expected to focus on: (1)

National Intelligent Transportation

Systems (ITS) Program Plan Approval;

(2) ITS Privacy Principles Approval; (3)

System Architecture Development

Update; (4) Standards Requirements

Process; (5) Telecommunications

Strategy; and (6) Report of the Futures

Group. ITS AMERICA provides a forum

for national discussion and

recommendations on ITS activities

including programs, research needs,

strategic planning, standards,

international liaison, and priorities. The

charter for the utilization of ITS

AMERICA establishes this organization

as an advisory committee under the

Federal Advisory Committee Act

(FACA), 5 USC app. 2, when it provides

advice or recommendations to DOT

officials on IVHS policies and programs.

(56 FR 9400, March 6, 1991).

DATES: The Coordinating Council of ITS

AMERICA will meet on January 27,

1995, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon e.t.

ADDRESSES: The Omni Shoreham Hotel,

2500 Calvert Street, N.W., Washington,

D.C. 20008, (202) 234–0700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Materials associated with this meeting

may be examined at the offices of ITS

AMERICA, 400 Virginia Avenue, SW.,

Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20024.

Persons desiring further information or

to request to speak at this meeting

should contact Mr. Steve Hay at ITS

AMERICA by telephone at (202) 484–

4665, or by FAX at (202) 484–3483. The

DOT contact is Ms. Susan Lauffer,

FHWA, HTV–1, Washington, D.C.

20590, (202) 366–0372. Office hours are

from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday

through Friday, except for Federal

holidays.

(23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48)

Issued on: December 22, 1994.

Rodney E. Slater,

Federal Highway Administrator.

[FR Doc. 94–32312 Filed 12–30–94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P

State Laws and Regulations Affecting

Interstate Motor Carrier Operations;

Establishment of a Compliance Date

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice; establishment of

compliance date.

SUMMARY: The FHWA is announcing the

date by which States must adopt and

enforce motor carrier safety regulations

that have the same effect as the Federal

Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

(FMCSRs) and are applicable to all

commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) used

in interstate commerce with a gross

vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross

combination weight rating (GCWR) of

greater than 10,000 pounds. A State’s

failure to comply within three years of

January 3, 1995 will subject the State to

the loss of Motor Carrier Safety

Assistance Program (MCSAP) funding.

DATES: Each State must adopt and

enforce compatible interstate weight

threshold requirements within three

years from January 3, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Brad A. Trullinger, Office of Motor

Carrier Standards, (202) 366–4009, or

Mr. David Sett, Office of the Chief

Counsel, (202) 366–0834, Federal

Highway Administration, Department of

Transportation, 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

legal Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Motor

Carrier Safety Act of 1984 (The Act),

Pub. L. 98–554, 98 Stat. 2832, (codified

as amended at 49 U.S.C. 31111), seeks

to promote the safe operation of CMVs

in interstate commerce. The Act was

intended to assure consistency of State

laws and regulatory requirements as

they pertain to commercial vehicle

safety. The Congress found that there

was a need for more uniform CMV

safety measures between the State and
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 1 / Tuesday, January 3, 1995 / Notices 169

Federal governments that, with

strengthened enforcement, would

reduce the number of fatalities and

injuries related to CMV operations. The

Act provided that State laws and

regulations pertaining to CMV safety

could continue to be enforced only if

they have the same effect as the Federal

regulations.

The Act also created a Commercial

Motor Vehicle Safety Regulatory Review

Panel to review all State laws and

regulations as they pertain to motor

carrier safety affecting interstate

operations. The focus of the Safety

Panel was to determine which State

laws and regulations either have the

same effect, are more stringent than, or

are less stringent than the requirements

of the FMCSRs. The Safety Panel

initially inventoried over 70,000 State

motor carrier safety laws and

regulations affecting interstate carriers.

In August of 1990, the Safety Panel

submitted a final report of its findings

and recommendations to the Secretary

of Transportation. (DOT/FHWA,

Achieving Compatibility of State and

Federal Safety Requirements: A Report

to the Secretary of Transportation,

August 1990.) The Safety Panel

identified many State laws and

regulations that were determined to be

less stringent than the Federal

requirements. The Safety Panel

specifically recommended using an

approach whereby the FHWA could

preempt less stringent State laws or

regulations, deny funding under the

Motor Carrier Safety Assistance

Program, or both. This approach was

subsequently adopted by the FHWA,

and codified in 49 CFR parts 350 and

355. In fact, appendix A in part 355

specifically uses the 10,001 pound or

more weight threshold as an example of

a guideline for regulatory review.

However, the Safety Panel ‘‘gave States

latitude on the compatibility of their

weight threshold requirements’’

pending the outcome of an FHWA

rulemaking action on this issue,

initiated by an advance notice of

proposed rulemaking (ANPRM)

published on February 17, 1989, at 54

FR 7224. (Safety Panel Report, at p. 11)

The FHWA requested comments in

the ANPRM on possible changes to the

GVWR criterion, including whether the

10,001 pound weight threshold should

be raised to as high as 26,001 pounds.

Because the information obtained from

that effort did not support a change in

the weight threshold, the FHWA is

closing docket MC–89–5, and is

providing notice of the withdrawal of

the weight threshold proposal for CMVs,

elsewhere in today’s Federal Register.

Consequently, States will be granted a

three-year period, from January 3, 1995,

to adopt and enforce motor carrier safety

laws and regulations having the same

effect as the FMCSRs, at the 10,001

pound weight threshold, or be subject to

the loss of MCSAP funding. It should be

emphasized that this notice is expressly

limited to the weight threshold issue

concerning the definition of a CMV used

in interstate commerce. States are

expected to maintain regulatory

requirements that are consistent with

the FMCSRs. Generally, a State has up

to three years from the effective date of

the new Federal requirement to adopt

and enforce that requirement. The

FHWA views this action as falling

within that category. Future FHWA

rulemaking actions will specify

appropriate deadlines for the States to

promulgate and adopt their appropriate

regulatory changes. See 49 CFR

350.11(f) and part 355, appendix A.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. app. 2301 through

2304, 2505 through 2507; 49 U.S.C. 504 and

3102; 23 U.S.C. 315, 49 CFR 1.48.

Issued on: December 22, 1994.

Rodney E. Slater,

Federal Highway Administrator.

[FR Doc. 94–32310 Filed 12–30–94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P

Federal Railroad Administration

Petition for Waivers of Compliance

In accordance with 49 CFR Sections

211.9 and 211.41, notice is hereby given

that the Federal Railroad

Administration (FRA) has received a

request for waivers of compliance with

certain requirements of the Federal

safety laws and regulations. The petition

is described below, including the

regulatory provisions involved, the

nature of the relief being requested and

the petitioner’s arguments in favor of

relief.

Central Puget Sound Regional Transit

Authority (RTA)

FRA Docket Numbers SA–94–12 and

RSGM–94–26

The RTA, working with the

Burlingtion Northern Railroad and the

Union Pacific Railroad, is developing a

Commuter Rail Demonstration Project

(CRDP). The CRDP is part of an ongoing

effort to improve mass transit services in

the three-county, Seattle-TacomaEverett region in the State of

Washington. The RTA plans to begin

operation in late January or early

February of 1995, and be concluded not

later than May 31, 1995.

The RTA effort to identify suitable

passenger equipment for the CRDP

concluded that the only possible source

of adequate equipment is GO Transit in

Toronto, Ontario, Canada. RTA plans to

lease 14 bi-level passenger cars, two

auxiliary power car units (APCU) and

two locomotives from GO Transit. Some

of the same GO Transit equipment was

leased for varying lengths of time by

other United States commuter railroads

in the past, most recently by the

Southern California Regional Rail

Authority for service in the Los Angeles,

California, area to augment its

equipment fleet because of the increase

in commuter rail demand resulting from

the January 17, 1994, earthquake.

The RTA seeks waivers of compliance

from certain sections of the FRA

regulations which are described herein.

Conditional waivers were granted to the

other commuter rail operators which

leased the GO Transit equipment.

FRA Docket Number SA–94–12

The RTA seeks a temporary waiver of

compliance with certain provisions of

the Railroad Safety Appliance Standards

(49 CFR Part 231) for 14 GO Transit

passenger cars which do not fully

comply with the regulations. Section

231.14(c)(3) requires that the side corner

handholds be located specifically in

relation to the center line of the coupler.

RTA states that the side corner

handholds are not located the correct

distance above the centerline of the

coupler.

FRA Docket Number RSGM–94–26

The RTA seeks a temporary waiver of

compliance with certain provisions of

the Railroad Safety Glazing Standards

(49 CFR Part 223) for 14 GO Transit bilevel commuter passenger cars, 2 APCU,

and 2 locomotives which do not fully

comply with the regulation. The glazing

material installed in the equipment is

manufactured to CSA-D263–1972 (ANSI

Z.26.1) standards, laminated safety glass

suitable for locomotives and railway

cars. The side facing and end facing

glazing material is not in compliance

with 49 CFR Section 223.15.

Interested parties are invited to

participate in these proceedings by

submitting written reviews, 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 (e.g., Waiver

Petition Docket Number SA–94–12) and