Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 122 / Monday, June 25, 2001 / Notices 33737

proposed policy because of the

comments received.

Background

The Society of Automotive Engineers

has issued an Aerospace Recommended

Practice (ARP) that addresses video

system abuse load testing. This

document, ARP 5475, represents the

industry recommendation for making an

assessment of the injury potential for a

video system, and is an acceptable

means of addressing this feature. With

the issuance of the this ARP, the FAA

considers that qualification of the seat

itself using that document is sufficient

to show compliance with the relevant

Federal Aviation Regulations with

respect to in-arm video monitors. That

is, the in-arm video may be treated the

same way as are other seat features.

Based on successful experience with

design features qualified in accordance

with industry standards, we believe that

this will simplify the certification

process with no adverse effect on safety.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on June 19,

2001.

Ali Bahrami,

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 01–15899 Filed 6–22–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Environmental Impact Statement;

Oakland and Genesee Counties, MI

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 Oakland and Genesee

counties, Michigan. A Section 4(f)

Statement will be prepared in

coordination with the EIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

James A. Kirschensteiner, Engineer,

Environmental Programs & Field

Operations, Federal Highway

Administration, 315 West Allegan St.,

Room 207, Lansing, Michigan 48933,

Telephone (517) 702–1835, Fax: 377–

1804; email:

james.kirschensteiner@fhwa.dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

FHWA, in cooperation with the

Michigan Department of Transportation,

will prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) on a proposal to

improve M–15 in Oakland and Genesee

counties, Michigan. The proposed

improvement will involve the

reconstruction of existing M–15

between I–75 and I–69, a distance of

approximately 20 miles. Due to the

presence of cultural resources, a Section

4(f) Statement will be developed in

conjunction with the EIS.

Improvements to the corridor are

considered necessary to provide for

projected traffic demand. Alternatives

under consideration include: (1) Taking

no action, (2) Low-Cost Improvements/

Transportation Systems Management,

(3) New Alignments, and (4) M–15

Reconstruction. Incorporated into and

studied with the various build

alternatives will be design variation of

typical sections and alignment.

Letters describing the proposed action

and soliciting comments have been sent

to appropriate federal, state, and local

agencies, and to private organizations

and citizens who have previously

expressed or are known to have an

interest in this proposal. A series of

public meetings have been held; June 7

and 8, 2000, August 24, 2000, October

25, 2000, November 15, 2000, January

24, 2001, and April 3 and 4, 2001. A

public hearing will be held after

appropriate public notice is given of the

time and place of the hearing. The draft

EIS will be available for public and

agency review and comment prior to the

public hearing. Formal scoping

meetings were held September 20, 2000,

in Lansing for agency officials and in

the corridor for local stakeholders.

To ensure that the full range of issues

related to this 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 Planning

and Construction. The regulations

implementing Executive Order 12372

regarding intergovernmental consultation of

Federal programs and activities apply to this

program)

Issued on: June 14, 2001.

James J. Steele,

Division Administrator, Lansing, Michigan.

[FR Doc. 01–15833 Filed 6–22–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA–2001–9595]

Motorcycle Safety Improvement Plan

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Request for comments.

SUMMARY: This document announces the

availability of a draft planning

document that describes the agency’s

current and planned activities to reduce

the deaths and injuries associated with

motorcycle crashes. Since reaching an

historic low in the number of

motorcyclist fatalities in 1997 (2,116),

motorcyclist fatalities have increased 27

percent to 2,680 in 2000. This continued

a rising trend in motorcycle deaths that

is in stark contrast to the general decline

witnessed in previous years.

Consequently, NHTSA concluded that a

renewed national effort is needed at all

levels—federal, state, and community—

in order to once again begin to reduce

the levels of motorcycle crashes,

fatalities, and injuries in the U.S. New,

effective programs would therefore need

to be undertaken to achieve these

outcomes:

• Improved rider and passenger

safety;

• Safer motorcycles;

• Improved motorcycle crash data

collection and analysis; and

• A safer riding environment.

NHTSA intends to continue to serve

as a leader and major partner in

motorcycle safety. Therefore, this plan

has been developed to respond to and

support the framework of National

Agenda for Motorcycle Safety (DOT–HS

809 156, November 2000). The plan

reflects a coordinated agency-wide

planning effort that also involved our

sister agency, the Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA), to address

roadway and related environment safety

issues related to improved safety for

motorcyclists on the nation’s roadways.

For each of the defined actions, the plan

provides background information,

describes current agency activities, and

presents proposed activities to achieve

the goal of improving motorcycle safety.

NHTSA seeks public review and

comment on this draft plan. Comments

received will be evaluated and

incorporated, as appropriate, into the

planned agency activities.

DATES: Comments must be received no

later than August 9, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons may

obtain a copy of the draft plan by

33738 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 122 / Monday, June 25, 2001 / Notices

downloading a copy of the document

from the Docket Management System,

U.S. Department of Transportation, at

the address provided below, or from

NHTSA’s website at http://

www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people /injury/

pedbimot/motorcycle. Alternatively,

interested persons may obtain a copy of

the document by contacting the agency

officials listed in the section titled, FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT,

immediately below.

Submit written comments to the

Docket Management System, U.S.

Department of Transportation, PL 401,

400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington,

DC 20590–0001. Comments should refer

to the Docket Number (NHTSA–2001–

9595) and be submitted in two copies.

If you wish to receive confirmation of

receipt of your written comments,

include a self-addressed, stamped

postcard.

Comments may also be submitted to

the docket electronically by logging onto

the Docket Management System website

at http://dms.dot.gov. Click on ‘‘Help &

Information’’ to obtain instructions for

filing the comment electronically. In

every case, the comment should refer to

the docket number.

The Docket Management System is

located on the Plaza level of the Nassif

Building at the Department of

Transportation at the above address.

You can review public dockets there

between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, except Federal

holidays. You can also review

comments on-line at the DOT Docket

Management System web site at

http://dms.dot.gov/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joey

Syner, Safety Countermeasures

Division, Traffic Safety Programs, NTS–

15, National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, Room 5118, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC

20590. Telephone: 202–366–1770.

Email: jsyner@nhtsa.dot.gov or Delmas

Johnson, Office of Strategic and Program

Planning, NPP–10, National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration, Room

5208, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20590. Telephone:

202–366–1574. Email:

djohnson@nhtsa.dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Motorcycle safety is a priority for

NHTSA because motorcycle deaths and

injuries are an important and difficult

challenge in the public health issue of

traffic safety. Thus, the agency will

remain a major participant in improving

motorcycle safety. The growth in the

motorcycle problem calls for new

program actions to supplement existing

initiatives. As mentioned, the

motorcyclist fatality level increased in

recent years, growing by almost 8

percent in 2000, following a similar

annual increase of 8 percent from 1997

to 1999. This accounted for an estimated

2,680 motorcyclist deaths in 2000

(based on preliminary estimates),

compared to 2,472 riders killed in 1999,

along with another 50,000 injured.

Historically, there have in fact been

periods of major improvement in

motorcycle safety since federal laws and

programs were first enacted about 35

years ago. But upward trends in the

recent past sound a warning that the

effects of earlier improvements are

waning. And this unfortunate reversal is

occurring just as other major safety

trends, such as traffic deaths for other

vehicle types, are for the most part

showing an encouraging trend

downward. In spite of the safety

community’s best efforts, crash data

indicate unmistakably that riding a

motorcycle continues to be a risky

endeavor. It is in fact the most

hazardous means of travel in the United

States.

Efforts by the motorcycle community

to improve safety face a difficult

situation. Although national data show

that trends in crashes involving

motorcycles shift to some degree over

time, the big issues surrounding

motorcycle safety—such as rider

protection during crashes, the need for

good training, and the impairing effects

of alcohol—are extant from year to year.

As a result, motorcycle crashes tend to

be over-represented in the overall crash

picture. In 1999, motorcyclists

represented less than 2 percent of all

registered vehicles in the United States

and accounted for only 0.4 percent of

vehicle miles traveled, but crashes

involving motorcycles accounted for 6

percent of total traffic fatalities on U.S.

roadways. The effects of a crash

involving a motorcycle can often be

devastating. NHTSA estimates that 80

percent of motorcycle crashes continue

to result in rider injury or death. Agency

data show that these high fatality and

injury rates result from both a higher

incidence of crash involvement and as

the higher risk of injury and death

associated with motorcycle crashes.

The emergence of a broadly-supported

National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety

[DOT HS 809 156, November 2000]

represents a significant event in the

history of motorcycle safety. In 1998,

cooperation got underway between the

Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF)

and NHTSA, along with important

motorcycling groups, for the purpose of

shaping a national safety agenda—the

recently released National Agenda for

Motorcycle Safety [Agenda]. The

Agenda serves as a comprehensive,

national blueprint which all interests

can use to promote motorcycle safety.

Developing this framework involved

participation by experts in industry,

research, safety, training, and rider

communities (including law

enforcement, health care, media,

insurance companies). The result was a

collaborative document that examines

components of motorcycle safety

programs at federal, state and local

levels, and offers strategies for broadbased support and action.

The Agenda was a crucial resource in

helping to guide development of this

NHTSA motorcycle safety plan

demonstrating the agency’s commitment

to several of the recommendations in

the Agenda.

How Do I Prepare and Submit

Comments?

Your comments must be written and

in English. To ensure that your

comments are correctly filed in the

Docket, please include the Docket

number of this document (NHTSA–

2001–9595) in your comments.

Please send two paper copies of your

comments to Docket Management or

submit them electronically. The mailing

address is U.S. Department of

Transportation Docket Management,

Room PL–401, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20590. If you submit

your comments electronically, log onto

the Docket Management System website

at http://dms.dot.gov and click on ‘‘Help

& Information’’ or ‘‘Help/Info’’ to obtain

instructions.

How Can I Be Sure That My Comments

Were Received?

If you wish Docket Management to

notify you upon its receipt of your

comments, enclose a self-addressed,

stamped postcard in the envelope

containing your comments. Upon

receiving your comments, Docket

Management will return the postcard by

mail.

How Do I Submit Confidential Business

Information?

If you wish to submit any information

under a claim of confidentiality, send

three copies of your complete

submission, including the information

you claim to be confidential business

information, to the Chief Counsel, NCC–

01, National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, Room 5219, 400

Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC

20590. Include a cover letter supplying

the information specified in our

confidential business information

regulation (49 CFR part 512).

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 122 / Monday, June 25, 2001 / Notices 33739

In addition, send two copies from

which you have deleted the claimed

confidential business information to

Docket Management, Room PL–401, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC

20590.

Will the Agency Consider Late

Comments?

In our response, we will consider all

comments that Docket Management

receives before the close of business on

the comment closing date indicated

above under DATES. To the extent

possible, we will also consider

comments that Docket Management

receives after that date.

Please note that even after the

comment closing date, we will continue

to file relevant information in the

Docket as it becomes available. Further,

some people may submit late comments.

Accordingly, we recommend that you

periodically check the Docket for new

material.

How Can I Read the Comments

Submitted by Other People?

You may read the comments by

visiting Docket Management in person

at Room PL–401, 400 Seventh Street,

SW., Washington, DC from 10 a.m. to 5

p.m., Monday through Friday.

You may also see the comments on

the Internet by taking the following

steps:

• Go to the Docket Management

System (DMS) Web page of the

Department of Transportation (http://

dms.dot.gov).

• On that page, click on ‘‘search.’’

• On the next page ((http://

dms.dot.gov/search/) type in the fourdigit Docket number shown at the

beginning of this document (9595).

Click on ‘‘search.’’

• On the next page, which contains

Docket summary information for the

Docket you selected, click on the

desired comments. You may also

download the comments.

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30111, 30117, 30168;

delegation of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and

501.8.

William H. Walsh,

Associate Administrator for Plans and Policy.

[FR Doc. 01–15813 Filed 6–22–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Ex Parte No. 290 (Sub No. 5) (2001–

3)]

Quarterly Rail Cost Adjustment Factor

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Approval of rail cost adjustment

factor.

SUMMARY: The Board has approved the

third quarter 2001 rail cost adjustment

factor (RCAF) and cost index filed by

the Association of American Railroads.

The third quarter 2001 RCAF

(Unadjusted) is 1.079. The third quarter

2001 RCAF (Adjusted) is 0.585. The

third quarter 2001 RCAF–5 is 0.562.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: H.

Jeff Warren, (202) 565–1533. Federal

Information Relay Service (FIRS) for the

hearing impaired: 1–800–877–8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Additional information is contained in

the Board’s decision. To purchase a

copy of the full decision, write to, call,

or pick up in person from: DA· TO· DA

OFFICE SOLUTIONS, Suite 405, 1925 K

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–

0001, telephone (202) 293–7776.

[Assistance for the hearing impaired is

available through FIRS: 1–800–877–

8339.]

This action will not significantly

affect either the quality of the human

environment or energy conservation.

Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 605(b), we

conclude that our action will not have

a significant economic impact on a

substantial number of small entities

within the meaning of the Regulatory

Flexibility Act.

Decided: June 19, 2001.

By the Board, Chairman Morgan, Vice

Chairman Clyburn, and Commissioner

Burkes.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 01–15890 Filed 6–22–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P