Document ID: FRA-1999-6254-0047
Agency: fra
Document Type: Notice
Title: Petitions for Waivers of Compliance: Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Posted Date: 2018-05-24T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 101 (Thursday, May 24, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24156-24157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11079]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket Number FRA-1999-6254]

Petition for Waiver of Compliance

    Under part 211 of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), this 
document provides the public notice that on May 10, 2018, the Santa 
Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA) petitioned the Federal 
Railroad Administration (FRA) for a waiver of compliance from certain 
provisions of the Federal railroad safety regulations. FRA assigned the 
petition docket number FRA-1999-6254.
    In its petition, SCVTA seeks to extend the terms and conditions of 
its Shared Use waiver regarding operations in its Vasona Corridor, 
originally granted by FRA's Railroad Safety Board (Board) on September 
26, 2005; modified in 2008; and extended in 2011 and 2013. 
Specifically, this Shared Use waiver is for the continued operation of 
the SCVTA rail fixed guideway transit system in the Vasona Corridor. 
SCVTA shares this corridor with Union Pacific Railroad (UP) running 
parallel for 5 miles of the existing 15-mile long UP Vasona Industrial 
Lead and serves the cities of southwest San Jose, CA, and Campbell, CA. 
SCVTA and the parallel UP line share grade crossings and the corridor, 
but have no other connection. Because SCVTA owns this 5-mile-long 
portion of the shared corridor, SCVTA and UP have executed an 
Operations and Maintenance Agreement, which includes an exclusive 
operating easement, allowing UP to fulfill its obligations as a common 
carrier of freight by continuing its existing freight operations within 
the purchased corridor. This agreement requires SCVTA to inspect, 
maintain, and repair all tracks, signal systems and automatic warning 
devices along the freight track within that portion of the corridor 
shared with SCVTA tracks.
    SCVTA continues to seek partial relief from 49 CFR part 220, 
Railroad Communications, for SCVTA employees, except its dispatchers; 
and from 49 CFR part 225, Railroad Accidents/Incident Reports, to waive 
employee injury reporting requirements only. SCVTA continues to seek 
full relief from some parts of the regulations (e.g., 49 CFR parts 217, 
219, 221, 229, 238, and 239) as well.
    A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications 
concerning the petition, is available for review online at 
www.regulations.gov and in person at the U.S. Department of 
Transportation's (DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE, W12-140, Washington, DC 20590. The Docket Operations 
Facility is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal Holidays.
    Interested parties are invited to participate in these proceedings 
by submitting written views, 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 parties 
desire an opportunity for oral comment and a public hearing, 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 and may be submitted by any of the following 
methods:
     Website: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Operations Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, W12-140, Washington, DC 
20590.
     Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal Holidays.
    Communications received by July 9, 2018 will be considered by FRA 
before

[[Page 24157]]

final action is taken. Comments received after that date will be 
considered if practicable.
    Anyone can search the electronic form of any written communications 
and comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the 
individual submitting the comment (or signing the document, if 
submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). 
Under 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better 
inform its processes. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including 
any personal information the commenter provides, to 
www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/
ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at https://www.transportation.gov/privacy. See also https://www.regulations.gov/privacyNotice for the 
privacy notice of regulations.gov.

Robert C. Lauby,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety, Chief Safety Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-11079 Filed 5-23-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-06-P