60862 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 190 / Friday, October 1, 2010 / Notices 

not be consistent with the goals and 

objectives of 49 U.S.C. 31136 and 31315. 

Issued on: September 28, 2010. 

Charles A. Horan III, 

Director, Office of Bus and Truck Standards 

and Operations. 

[FR Doc. 2010–24726 Filed 9–30–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. FMCSA–1999–5748; FMCSA– 

1999–6156; FMCSA–1999–6480; FMCSA– 

2001–11426; FMCSA–2002–12294; FMCSA– 

2005–22194; FMCSA–2006–24015; FMCA– 

2008–0106; FMCSA–2008–0174] 

Qualification of Drivers; Exemption 

Renewals; Vision 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of final disposition. 

SUMMARY: FMCSA previously 

announced its decision to renew the 

exemptions from the vision requirement 

in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Regulations for 18 individuals. FMCSA 

has statutory authority to exempt 

individuals from the vision requirement 

if the exemptions granted will not 

compromise safety. The Agency has 

concluded that granting these 

exemptions will provide a level of safety 

that will be equivalent to, or greater 

than, the level of safety maintained, 

Director, Medical Programs, (202) 366– 

4001, fmcsamedical@dot.gov, FMCSA, 

without the exemptions for these 

commercial motor vehicle (CMV) 

drivers. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Mary D. Gunnels, Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Room W64–224, 

Washington, DC 20590–0001. Office 

hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Monday through Friday, except Federal 

holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Under 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315, 

FMCSA may grant an exemption for a 2- 

year period if it finds ‘‘such exemption 

would likely achieve a level of safety 

that is equivalent to, or greater than, the 

level that would be achieved absent 

such exemption.’’ The statute also 

allows the Agency to renew exemptions 

at the end of the 2-year period. The 

comment period ended on September 

16, 2010 (75 FR 50799). 

Discussion of Comments 

FMCSA received no comments in this 

proceeding. 

Conclusion 

The Agency has not received any 

adverse evidence on any of these drivers 

that indicates that safety is being 

compromised. Based upon its 

evaluation of the 18 renewal 

applications, FMCSA renews the 

Federal vision exemptions for Juan D. 

Adame, Frank R. Berritto, Daniel K. 

Davis, III, Timothy J. Droeger, Robert E. 

Engel, James H. Facemyre, James M. 

Fairman, Gregory L. Farrar, Jeffrey M. 

Hall, Victor B. Hawks, Oskia D. Johnson, 

Richard W. O’Neill, Larry A. Priewe, 

Robert J. Szeman, Patrick D. Talley, 

Loren R. Walker, Kris Wells and 

Timothy J. Wilson. 

In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) 

and 31315, each renewal exemption will 

be valid for 2 years unless revoked 

earlier by FMCSA. The exemption will 

be revoked if: (1) The person fails to 

comply with the terms and conditions 

of the exemption; (2) the exemption has 

resulted in a lower level of safety than 

was maintained before it was granted; or 

(3) continuation of the exemption would 

not be consistent with the goals and 

objectives of 49 U.S.C. 31136 and 31315. 

Issued on: September 21, 2010. 

Larry W. Minor, 

Associate Administrator for Policy and 

Program Development. 

[FR Doc. 2010–24724 Filed 9–30–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Maritime Administration 

[Docket No. MARAD–2010–0083] 

Requested Administrative Waiver of 

the Coastwise Trade Laws 

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, 

Department of Transportation. 

ACTION: Invitation for public comments 

on a requested administrative waiver of 

the Coastwise Trade Laws for the vessel 

HAWK. 

SUMMARY: As authorized by 46 U.S.C. 

12121, the Secretary of Transportation, 

as represented by the Maritime 

Administration (MARAD), is authorized 

to grant waivers of the U.S.-build 

requirement of the coastwise laws under 

certain circumstances. A request for 

such a waiver has been received by 

MARAD. The vessel, and a brief 

description of the proposed service, is 

listed below. The complete application 

is given in DOT docket MARAD–2010– 

0083 at http://www.regulations.gov. 

Interested parties may comment on the 

effect this action may have on U.S. 

vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. 

that use U.S.-flag vessels. If MARAD 

determines, in accordance with 46 

U.S.C. 12121 and MARAD’s regulations 

at 46 CFR part 388 (68 FR 23084; April 

30, 2003), that the issuance of the 

waiver will have an unduly adverse 

effect on a U.S.-vessel builder or a 

business that uses U.S.-flag vessels in 

that business, a waiver will not be 

granted. Comments should refer to the 

docket number of this notice and the 

vessel name in order for MARAD to 

properly consider the comments. 

Comments should also state the 

commenter’s interest in the waiver 

application, and address the waiver 

criteria given in § 388.4 of MARAD’s 

regulations at 46 CFR part 388. 

DATES: Submit comments on or before 

November 1, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to 

docket number MARAD–2010–0083. 

Written comments may be submitted by 

hand or by mail to the Docket Clerk, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 

Docket Operations, M–30, West 

Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 

Washington, DC 20590. You may also 

send comments electronically via the 

Internet at http://www.regulations.gov. 

All comments will become part of this 

docket and will be available for 

inspection and copying at the above 

address between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., 

E.T., Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. An electronic version 

of this document and all documents 

entered into this docket is available on 

the World Wide Web at http:// 

www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Joann Spittle, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Maritime 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., Room W21–203, 

Washington, DC 20590. Telephone 202– 

366–5979. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As 

described by the applicant the intended 

service of the vessel HAWK is: 

INTENDED COMMERCIAL USE OF 

VESSEL: ‘‘Day charter, eco/historic 

tourism.’’ 

Geographic Region: ‘‘Massachusetts, 

Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, 

New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, 

Virginia, North Carolina, South 

Carolina, Georgia, Florida.’’ 

Privacy Act 

Anyone is able to search the 

electronic form of all comments 

received into any of our dockets by the 


emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 190 / Friday, October 1, 2010 / Notices 60863 

name of the individual submitting the 

comment (or signing the comment, if 

submitted on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). You may 

review DOT’s complete Privacy Act 

Statement in the Federal Register 

published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 

65, Number 70; Pages 19477–78). 

By Order of the Maritime Administrator. 

Dated: September 21, 2010. 

Christine Gurland, 

Secretary, Maritime Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2010–24693 Filed 9–30–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–81–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

Safety Advisory 2010–02 

AGENCY: Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of Safety Advisory; 

Signal Recording Devices for HighwayRail Grade Crossing Active Warning 

Systems that are Interconnected with 

Highway Traffic Signal Systems. 

SUMMARY: FRA is issuing Safety 

Advisory 2010–02 to address Safety 

Recommendations I–96–10 and I–96–11, 

issued by the National Transportation 

Safety Board (NTSB) that relate to 

railroad and highway signal recording 

devices at highway-rail grade crossings 

equipped with active warning systems 

that are interconnected with highway 

traffic signal systems. This safety 

advisory recommends that States, local 

highway authorities, and railroads 

install, maintain, and upgrade railroad 

and highway traffic signal recording 

devices at these types of grade crossings. 

This safety advisory also recommends 

that States, local highway authorities, 

and railroads conduct comprehensive 

periodic joint inspections of highway 

traffic signal pre-emption 

interconnections and use information 

obtained from any railroad and highway 

traffic signal recording devices during 

those inspections. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron 

Ries, Staff Director, Highway-Rail Grade 

Crossing & Trespasser Prevention 

Division, FRA, RRS–23, Mail Stop 25, 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 

Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 

493–6285); Thomas McFarlin, Staff 

Director, Signal & Train Control 

Division, FRA, RRS–13, Mail Stop 25, 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 

Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 

493–6203); or Kathy Shelton, Office of 

Chief Counsel, FRA, RCC–11, Mail Stop 

10, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., 

Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 

493–6063). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In Safety 

Recommendation I–96–10, the NTSB 

recommended that DOT require the use 

and maintenance of railroad and 

highway traffic signal recording devices 

at all new and improved highway-rail 

grade crossings equipped with active 

warning systems that are interconnected 

with highway traffic signal systems. 

These devices should be capable of 

recording sufficient parameters to allow 

railroad and highway personnel to 

readily determine that the highway 

traffic signals and railroad active 

warning systems are operating properly 

and in a coordinated manner. The NTSB 

further recommended that DOT require 

the use of information obtained from 

these railroad and highway traffic signal 

recording devices during 

comprehensive and periodic joint 

inspections. 

In Safety Recommendation I–96–11, 

the NTSB recommended that DOT 

require the retention or upgrading of 

existing recording devices installed at 

highway-rail grade crossings equipped 

with active railroad warning systems 

that are interconnected with highway 

traffic signal systems. In addition, the 

NTSB recommended that DOT require 

maintenance of these recording devices 

and the use of information obtained 

from the devices during comprehensive 

and periodic joint inspections. 

Highway traffic signal pre-emption 

interconnections, when present, play a 

critical role in the proper functioning of 

a highway-rail grade crossing active 

warning system. By changing the 

sequence of the traffic signal to allow 

highway traffic to exit the crossing prior 

to the arrival of a train, they can prevent 

vehicle entrapment on the highway-rail 

grade crossing. Also, the changed traffic 

signal sequence prevents conflicting 

visual traffic control messages for 

motorists approaching highway-rail 

grade crossings located in close 

proximity to highway traffic control 

signals (i.e., a proceed highway traffic 

signal display into a nearby highwayrail grade crossing active warning 

system which is activated to indicate 

the approach or occupancy of a train). 

In order to facilitate the proper 

functioning of the highway traffic signal 

pre-emption interconnection, 49 CFR 

234.261 requires that railroads test each 

highway traffic signal pre-emption 

interconnection at least once each 

month. Therefore, States, local highway 

authorities, and railroads should 

identify which highway-rail grade 

crossings are equipped, or intended to 

be equipped, with a highway traffic 

signal pre-emption interconnection. If 

so equipped, railroads should ensure 

that the circuit plan shows the actual 

interconnection and the designed preemption time. Railroads should also 

ensure that the interconnection is in 

place and the train detection device (or 

equivalent) is programmed or equipped 

to provide the appropriate designed preemption function. 

While FRA regulations require the 

testing of highway traffic signal preemption interconnections at least once a 

month, this requirement has historically 

only been applicable to the proper 

functioning of the railroad’s control 

circuit to the highway traffic controller. 

While inspecting the highway traffic 

signal pre-emption interconnection, the 

actual operation of the highway traffic 

signal should be observed. Railroads 

should not rely solely on the operation 

of a relay or the opening of a control 

circuit to the traffic signal control 

housing. In fact, the preferred method of 

testing highway traffic signal preemption is by observation of a train 

movement and of the actual preemption function. Therefore, FRA 

recommends that railroads conduct 

comprehensive joint inspections of the 

highway traffic signal pre-emption 

interconnection with State and local 

highway authorities. These 

comprehensive joint inspections should 

be conducted when the highway-rail 

grade crossing active warning system is 

placed in service, whenever any portion 

of the system which may affect the 

proper function of the interconnection 

is modified or disarranged, and at least 

once every 12 months, during which 

observation of the actual pre-emption 

function and its effect on the highway 

traffic signal system can be made. These 

comprehensive periodic joint 

inspections should also include an 

inspection of the timing and operation 

of highway traffic signal systems that 

are interconnected with highway-rail 

grade crossing active warning devices, 

in order to ensure that the highway 

traffic signal system responds 

appropriately to the railroad control 

circuit and as designed. By conducting 

comprehensive periodic joint 

inspections, the railroad and State and 

local highway authorities can work 

together to observe and verify proper 

functioning of all necessary components 

of the highway traffic signal preemption upon activation of the 

highway-rail grade crossing active 

warning system. 

Neither the Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA) nor FRA 

require the retention or installation of 

railroad or highway signal recording 

devices at highway-rail grade crossings 


emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES