Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 27 / Thursday, February 8, 2001 / Notices 9625

program/Part 150/environmental

assessment for airport access road.

Aircraft rescue and firefighting

vehicles.

Taxiway B west extension.

Part 107 security system.

Relocate precision approach path

indicator to runway 9R/27L.

Part 150 noise study.

Runway 9R/27L lights (medium

intensity runway lights).

Airport master plan.

Americans with Disabilities Act lift

device.

Brief Description of Project Approved

in Part for Collection and Use:

Domestic terminal expansion.

Determination: Partially approved. In

the airline consultation prior to

submission of this application, the

public agency provided information to

the air carriers indicating that the

amount of PFC revenue to be requested

for this project would be $797,403.

However, the application as submitted

requested PFC revenue in the amount of

$9,893,978 for this project and there was

no evidence submitted of further

consultation with the air carriers on this

higher amount. Therefore, the FAA

limited its approval to the amount

which was provided in the consultation

meeting.

Construct aircraft rescue and

firefighting station.

Determination: Partially approved. In

the airline consultation prior to

submission of this application, the

public agency provided information to

the air carriers indicating that the

amount of PFC revenue to be requested

for this project would be $93,628.

However, the application as submitted

requested PFC revenue in the amount of

$219,178 for this project and there was

no evidence submitted of further

consultation with the air carriers on this

higher amount. Therefore, the FAA

limited its approval to the amount

which was provided in the consultation

meeting.

Brief Description of Project

Disapproved: Parking transition to west

overflow lot.

Determination: The FAA has

determined that this project is not AIP

eligible and, therefore, does not meet

the requirements of § 158.15(b). In

accordance with AIP eligibility criteria

found in Program Guidance Letter 93–

3.2, non revenue parking lots are

eligible only at commercial service

airports which annual enplane 0.05

percent or less of the total annual

enplanements nationwide. The current

FAA enplanement data shows that

SFB’s are 0.062 percent of the

nationwide enplanements.

Brief Description of Projects

Withdrawn:

Runway 9R/27L and taxiways B and

C.

Construct runway 9L/27R declared

distance enhancement/construct access

road phase 2.

Construct terminal access road

including property acquisition.

Acquire land and construct

replacement runway 9R/27L.

North side access road.

Airport master development plan.

Taxiway fillets.

Taxiways B and C rehabilitation.

Taxiway A–4 construction.

Taxiway A.

Electrical loop to terminal, air traffic

control tower, and airfield.

Construct taxiway S, connectors, and

lights.

Rehabilitate aviation ramps.

Reconstruct taxiways B, C and K.

Instrument landing system/medium

intensity approach lighting system with

runway end identifier lights.

Terminal area ramp reconstruction.

Determination: These projects were

withdrawn by the public agency by

letter dated November 3, 2000.

Therefore, the FAA did not rule on

these projects in this decision.

Decision date: December 27, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Armando L. Rovira, Orlando Airports

District Office, (407) 812–6331,

extension 31.

Amendments to PFC Approvals

Amendment No., city, state Amendment

approved date

Original approved net

PFC revenue

Amended approved net

PFC revenue

Original estimated charge

exp. date

Amended estimated charge

exp. date

* 93–01–C–02–CYS, Cheyenne, WY .................................. 12/21/00 $742,261 $957,013 07/01/05 01/01/07

97–02–C–01–YNG, Youngstown, OH ................................. 11/27/00 734,078 384,078 07/01/02 10/01/03

94–02–C–01–YKM, Yakima, WA ......................................... 9/13/00 14,745 14,670 06/01/95 06/01/95

* 98–05–I–01–JAC, Jackson, WY ....................................... 12/21/00 1,850,000 1,903,869 01/01/03 06/01/02

* 99–06–U–01–JAC, Jackson, WY ...................................... 12/21/00 NA NA NA NA

94–02–C–02–EYW, Key West, FL ...................................... 12/20/00 1,272,858 980,574 12/01/96 08/01/96

97–03–C–02–EYW, Key West, FL ...................................... 12/20/00 1,760,000 1,885,000 12/01/99 10/01/99

99–04–C–01–EYW, Key West, FL ...................................... 12/20/00 946,503 1,596,503 04/01/00 08/01/01

* 97–01–C–01–PGV, Greenville, NC ................................... 12/15/00 453,648 494,986 11/01/01 07/01/01

* 92–01–C–02–SAV, Savannah, GA ................................... 12/04/00 49,908,639 49,808,639 12/01/15 12/01/10

* 97–01–C–01–SAV, Savannah, GA ................................... 12/04/00 1,111,931 1,111,931 11/01/16 07/01/11

Note: The amendments denoted by an asterisk (*) include a change to the PFC level charged from $3.00 per enplaned passenger to $4.50

per enplaned passenger. For Savannah, GA (92–01 amendment), Greenville, NC, Cheyenne, WY, and Jackson, WY, this change is effective on

April 1, 2001. For Savannah, GA (98–03 amendment), this change is effective April 1, 2011.

Issued in Washington, DC, on January 30,

2001.

Eric Gabler,

Manager, Passenger Facility Charge Branch.

[FR Doc. 01–3312 Filed 2–7–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[FRA Emergency Order No. 21, Notice

No. 3]

Northwestern Pacific Railroad; Notice

of partial relief from Emergency Order

No. 21

AGENCY: Federal Railroad

Administration, Department of

Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of partial relief.

SUMMARY: This notice provides partial

relief for the Northwestern Pacific

Railroad from the limitations of Federal

Railroad Administration Emergency

Order No. 21. The relief allows the

Northwestern Pacific Railroad to reopen to rail traffic on approximately

40.8 miles of its line between mile post

49.8S, formerly designated as mile post

63.4, near Lombard, California and mile

post 43.0, near Petaluma, California.

9626 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 27 / Thursday, February 8, 2001 / Notices

The remainder of the NWP line, from

mile post 43.0 to Arcata, California,

remains closed pending further relief

from the emergency order.

Authority

Authority to enforce Federal railroad

safety laws has been delegated by the

Secretary of Transportation to the

Federal Railroad Administrator. 49 CFR

1.49. Railroads are subject to FRA’s

safety jurisdiction under the Federal

railroad safety laws, 49 U.S.C. 20102,

20103. FRA is authorized to issue

emergency orders where an unsafe

condition or practice ‘‘causes an

emergency situation involving a hazard

of death or personal injury.’’ 49 U.S.C.

20104. These orders may impose such

‘‘restrictions and prohibitions * * *

that may be necessary to abate the

situation.’’ (Ibid.) Likewise, FRA is

authorized to grant relief from an

emergency order when the agency

deems that the unsafe condition or

practice which gave rise to the

emergency order no longer exists.

Background

The NWP operates on a 286-mile line

between mile post 295.5 near Arcata,

California and mile post 49.8S (formerly

designated as mile post 63.4) near

Lombard, California. The North Coast

Railroad Authority, a California public

agency formed pursuant to California

Government Code Section 93000 et seq.,

owns and operates that portion of the

NWP between Healdsburg, mile post 68,

and Arcata. Another portion over which

the NWP operates and for which it is

responsible for maintenance,

Healdsburg to mile post 49.8S (formerly

mile post 63.4) near Lombard, is owned

by the Northwestern Pacific Railroad

Authority, a joint powers agency

representing the Golden Gate Bridge,

Highway and Transportation District,

the County of Marin, and the North

Coast Railroad Authority. Northwestern

Pacific Railway Co., LLC (formerly

doing business as Railways, Inc.) is the

operating agent for the North Coast

Railroad Authority, doing business as

the NWP.

The NWP is subject to the jurisdiction

of FRA. In 1997, FRA, in partnership

with the California Public Utilities

Commission (CPUC), reviewed NWP’s

compliance with Federal safety statutes

and regulations. The review revealed

widespread noncompliance, including

hundreds of track defects and a general

failure to perform periodic tests of

locomotive air brake equipment. On

June 11, 1997, FRA, CPUC, and the

NWP signed a safety compliance

agreement which detailed 11 action

items for the NWP to perform. On June

28, 1998, upon finding that the NWP

had failed to comply with most of the

agreement, the Federal Railroad

Administrator issued Compliance Order

98–1 directing NWP to perform the

corrections listed in the compliance

agreement. When FRA later found that

the NWP failed to comply with the

directives in the compliance order, and

the defects on the rail line posed an

imminent and unacceptable threat to

public safety, the Federal Railroad

Administrator issued Emergency Order

No. 21 on November 25, 1998. The

emergency order closed all railroad

operations except the operation of work

trains for the specific and sole purpose

of effecting repairs on the railroad.

In May, 1999, FRA granted the NWP

partial relief from Emergency Order No.

21 for approximately 1.5 miles of its line

near Willits, California. The partial

relief allowed the NWP to re-open traffic

between the junction with the California

Western Railroad and the Willits Depot,

as well as several tracks in Willits Yard.

In order to gain full relief from

Emergency Order No. 21, the NWP

must:

(1) Properly repair and inspect all

grade crossing signals and certify to the

Federal Railroad Administrator that all

necessary repairs and inspections have

been performed and that all required

tests are up-to-date.

(2) Adopt a set of grade crossing

signal standards and instructions

acceptable by FRA.

(3) Update, correct and/or redraw

circuit plans for each of the grade

crossing signal system to meet

compliance with 49 CFR 234.201 and

234.203. A list of locations of the

updated, corrected or redrawn circuit

plans should be submitted to FRA.

(4) Provide proper and adequate test

equipment for signal maintainers.

(5) Repair all track not subject to

Emergency Order No. 14 to class 1 track

standards as detailed in 49 CFR Part

213.

Note: Emergency Order No. 14 requires the

Northwestern Pacific Railroad to repair

certain segments of track to class 1 track

standards for the hauling of passengers and

all hazardous materials. Otherwise, the

railroad may designate the track still subject

to that order as excepted.

(6) Clear all vegetation from drainage

facilities and away from signs and

signals and track bed so that the track

meets the requirements of 49 CFR

213.37;

(7) Furnish FRA with a 12-month

track maintenance plan.

(8) Establish a program of employee

training on the Federal Track Standards

to ensure that employees performing

inspection, maintenance, and

restoration work are qualified in

accordance with 49 CFR 213.7.

(9) Certify in writing that each

individual conducting track inspections

has sufficient knowledge, skills, and

ability to successfully conduct the types

of inspections which will be performed

by that individual. Records of that

certification are to be maintained by the

railroad.

(10) Obtain approval from the Federal

Railroad Administrator that all of the

requirements of this Emergency Order

have been met and properly performed.

The emergency order allows for

partial relief for designated portions of

the NWP’s line. The NWP is required to

first meet all of the system-wide

requirements, as listed in items 2, 4, 7,

8, and 9. The NWP may then obtain

partial relief for any portion of its line

for which all of the requirements of the

emergency order are met.

On November 15, 2000, in accordance

with the terms of the emergency order,

the NWP formally requested that FRA

grant it partial relief from the emergency

order for its rail line between mile post

49.8S (formerly designated as mile post

63.4) near Lombard, and mile post 43.0

near Petaluma, California. At this time,

the NWP stated that it met all of the

systemic requirements of Emergency

Order No. 21, namely:

• The NWP adopted a set of grade

crossing signal standards and

instructions that is acceptable to FRA;

• The NWP has entered into a

contract with MEC Rail Systems, a

signal maintenance company, for the

testing and maintenance of NWP

signals. In response to the agreement,

MEC Rail Systems purchased proper

and adequate test equipment for signal

maintainers for use on the NWP;

• The NWP has furnished to FRA a

12-month track maintenance plan that

includes all of the necessary

information required by Emergency

Order No. 21;

• The NWP has established a program

of employee training on the Federal

Track Safety Standards, adopting the

Railway Educational Bureau’s Track

Foreman’s Training Program. Individual

testing of roadmaster and office engineer

candidates has begun;

• The NWP has certified that three

employees of Northwestern Pacific

Railway Co., LLC. (formerly doing

business as Rail-Ways, Inc.), who are

responsible for track inspections, have

sufficient knowledge, skills and ability

to successfully conduct track

inspections. Any employees who

become responsible for track

inspections subsequent to the granting

of this partial relief will be certified by

the NWP as well.

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 27 / Thursday, February 8, 2001 / Notices 9627

1Stagecoach controls Coach through various

subsidiaries, namely, SUS 1 Limited, SUS 2

Limited, Stagecoach General Partnership, and SCH

US Holdings Corp.

2See Stagecoach Holdings PLC-Control-Coach

USA, Inc., et al., STB Docket No. MC–F–20948 (STB

served July 22, 1999).

3See Coach USA, Inc. and Coach USA North

Central, Inc.-Control-Nine Motor Carriers of

Passengers, STB Docket No. MC–F–20931, et al.

(STB served July 14, 1999).

4Travel Impressions is a Nevada corporation

headquartered in Las Vegas, NV. It holds federallyissued operating authority in Docket No. MC–

340826, authorizing it to provide charter and

special services between points in the United

States. Travel Impressions also holds intrastate

operating authority issued by the Transportation

Service Authority of Nevada. The carrier operates

53 buses, employs 114 persons, and earned gross

revenues of approximately $9.2 million during the

12-month period ended September 30, 2000. It

provides charter and airport services in the Las

Vegas area and between Las Vegas and points in

nearby states. Prior to the transfer of its stock into

a voting trust, the carrier was owned by two

individuals, Philip Oldridge and Maria C.

Armstrong.

NWP’s compliance at this time with

the systemic requirements of the

emergency order makes the railroad

eligible to request partial relief for the

designated segment of track between

Lombard and Petaluma. However, FRA

will monitor the railroad’s continuing

compliance with these systemic

requirements.

On December 18 and 19, 2000, FRA

inspected the track for which the NWP

requested relief from the emergency

order. FRA found the track to meet Class

1 track standards in accordance with 49

CFR part 213. Between December 11

and December 13, 2000, FRA inspected

the grade crossing signal systems on the

track for which NWP requested relief

from the emergency order and found

that not all necessary repairs,

inspections and tests had been

performed. FRA found that several

grade crossing signals were not in

compliance with Federal regulations. In

addition, FRA found that the grade

crossing signal on the east approach to

‘‘D’’ Street in Petaluma, California had

been removed. FRA informed NWP that

all signal systems would have to be in

complete working order and that

restoration of the grade crossing signal

at ‘‘D’’ Street in Petaluma would be

required in order for partial relief to be

granted. As of January 31, 2001, FRA

found that all of the signal systems on

the rail line between Lombard and

Petaluma, including the grade crossing

signal system at D Street in Petaluma,

are in compliance with FRA regulations.

Relief

In light of the foregoing, I grant NWP

partial relief from Emergency Order No.

21. NWP trackage between mile post

49.8S (formerly designated as mile post

63.4) near Lombard and mile post 43.0

near Petaluma may open immediately to

rail traffic. The issuance of this Notice

does not preclude imposition of another

emergency order governing the segment

of track should conditions of the track

or rail operations deteriorate to the

extent that I believe they pose an

imminent and unacceptable threat to

public safety.

Issued in Washington on February 1, 2001.

S. Mark Lindsey,

Acting Deputy Administrator.

[FR Doc. 01–3316 Filed 2–7–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–U

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Docket No. MC–F–20977]

Stagecoach Holdings PLC and Coach

USA, Inc., et al.—Control—Travel

Impressions LLC

AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.

ACTION: Notice tentatively approving

finance transaction.

SUMMARY: Stagecoach Holdings PLC

(Stagecoach) and its subsidiary, Coach

USA, Inc. (Coach), noncarriers, and

various subsidiaries of each

(collectively, applicants), filed an

application under 49 U.S.C. 14303 to

acquire control of Travel Impressions

LLC (Travel Impressions) d/b/a Nevada

Charter, a motor passenger carrier based

in Las Vegas, NV. Persons wishing to

oppose this application must follow the

rules under 49 CFR part 1182.5 and

1182.8. The Board has tentatively

approved the transaction, and, if no

opposing comments are timely filed,

this notice will be the final Board

action.

DATES: Comments must be filed by

March 26, 2001. Applicants may file a

reply by April 9, 2001. If no comments

are filed by March 26, 2001, this notice

is effective on that date.

ADDRESSES: Send an original and 10

copies of any comments referring to STB

Docket No. MC–F–20977 to: Surface

Transportation Board, Office of the

Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925 K

Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423–

0001. In addition, send one copy of any

comments to applicants’ representative:

Betty Jo Christian, Steptoe & Johnson

LLP, 1330 Connecticut Avenue, NW.,

Washington, DC 20036–1795.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joseph H. Dettmar (202) 565–1600. [TDD

for the hearing impaired: 1–800–877–

8339.]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Stagecoach is a public limited

corporation organized under the laws of

Scotland. With operations in several

countries, Stagecoach is one of the

world’s largest providers of passenger

transportation services. Stagecoach had

annual revenues of $3.29 billion for the

fiscal year ending April 30, 2000. Coach

is a Delaware corporation that currently

controls over 90 motor passenger

carriers.

Stagecoach and its subsidiaries

currently control Coach,1 its noncarrier

regional management subsidiaries, and

the motor passenger carriers jointly

controlled by Coach and the

management subsidiaries.2 In previous

Board decisions, Coach management

subsidiaries, including Coach USA

West, Inc., have obtained authority to

control motor passenger carriers jointly

with Coach.3

Applicants state that Coach acquired

Travel Impressions in a September 12,

2000 transaction in which it acquired all

of the outstanding stock of Travel

Impressions.4 Simultaneously with that

acquisition, Coach placed the stock of

Travel Impressions into an independent

voting trust. The control transaction that

is the subject of this application will not

involve any further transfer of the

federal operating authority held by

Travel Impressions and will not entail

any change in its operations. Travel

Impressions will also be jointly

controlled by Coach USA West, Inc.

Applicants have submitted

information, as required by 49 CFR

1182.2(a)(7), to demonstrate that the

proposed acquisition of control is

consistent with the public interest

under 49 U.S.C. 14303(b). Applicants

state that the proposed transaction will

not reduce competitive options,

adversely impact fixed charges, or

adversely impact the interests of the

employees of Travel Impressions.

Applicants assert that granting the

application will allow Travel

Impressions to take advantage of

economies of scale and substantial

benefits offered by applicants, including

interest cost savings and reduced

operating costs. In addition, applicants

have submitted all of the other

statements and certifications required

by 49 CFR 1182.2. Additional

information, including a copy of the

application, may be obtained from the

applicants’ representatives.