Removing Barriers to Transit Bus Automation |
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K. Jane Williams
Federal Transit Administration
16 January 2018
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 16, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2323-2324]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00617]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[Docket No. FTA-2017-0025]
Removing Barriers to Transit Bus Automation
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) seeks public comment
regarding current or potential regulatory or other policy barriers to
the development, demonstration, deployment, and evaluation of automated
transit buses and related technologies for Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE) automation levels 3 through 5. For purposes of this
notice, ``bus'' is defined broadly to consider a range of sizes,
vehicle platforms and configurations, and passenger capacities, and
could include both traditional and novel vehicle designs (e.g., full-
size city buses, articulated buses, small shuttles, etc.). ``Bus''
includes bus rapid transit.
DATES: Comments must be submitted by March 2, 2018. FTA will consider
late-filed comments to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Please submit your comments by only one of the following
methods, identifying your submission by docket number FTA-2017-0025.
All electronic submissions must be made to the U.S. Government
electronic site at http://www.regulations.gov.
(1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov
and follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
(2) Mail: Docket Management Facility: U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor,
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
(3) Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-
140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern time,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
(4) Fax: 202-493-2251.
Instructions: You must include the agency name (Federal Transit
Administration) and Docket number (FTA-2017-0025) for this notice at
the beginning of your comments. Submit two copies of your comments if
you submit them by mail. For confirmation that FTA received your
comments, include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Note that all
comments received will be posted without change to www.regulations.gov
including any personal information provided and will be available to
internet users. You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement
published in the Federal Register on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477).
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents and
comments received, go to www.regulations.gov at any time or to the U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Docket
Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington,
DC 20590 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions, contact Steve
Mortensen, Office of Research, Demonstration and Innovation, Federal
Transit Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Room E43-422,
Washington, DC 20590, phone: (202) 493-0459, fax: (202) 366-3765, or
email, Steven.Mortensen@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Overview
Transportation currently is undergoing a transformation. As
traveler preferences and needs recently have evolved and continue to
change, so have the capabilities of emerging transportation
technologies and, more importantly, the operational concepts defining
how those technologies will be deployed in our communities.
Motor vehicle automation (both as a technology platform and service
model) has become the most talked about development for surface
transportation in recent times. Many industry stakeholders and
observers anticipate and expect that public transportation will have a
significant role in this new space, as garnered from transit
stakeholders during FTA preliminary research on the subject. Certain
operational applications such as circulator or first mile/last mile
service are clear instances where the use of automated motor vehicles
could play a very effective role, based on transit stakeholder input
and preliminary benefit-cost information on these service types.
Circulator service is regular service within a closed loop, typically
on a fixed route, and may be found in business parks, retirement
communities, college campuses, downtowns, etc. First mile/last mile
service provides service between high-capacity fixed-route service,
such as rail transit and bus rapid transit, and a traveler's origin
and/or destination, usually within a radius of three miles and often in
an area of low-density development.
Preliminary findings from FTA research are supported by a National
Highway Cooperative Research Program study on automated transit
(Gettman, Douglas, et al. 2017. NCHRP Project 20-102 (02), Project
Report Document 239, Impacts of Laws and Regulations on CV and AV
Technology Introduction in Transit Operations.) (see also https://www.nap.edu/download/24922#) which suggest that non-technical issues
may present challenges or barriers to the development, demonstration,
deployment, and evaluation of automation technologies in transit bus
applications. For example, existing National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration Federal safety requirements and vehicle test procedures
generally do not anticipate a fully driverless vehicle, and FTA
procurement and other requirements could limit product availability for
automated transit buses, particularly for automation levels 3 through
5.
FTA seeks comments from stakeholders, including the disability
community, to better understand regulatory and policy barriers and
challenges to development, demonstration, deployment, and evaluation of
automation systems in the transit industry. Information from this RFC
will help inform FTA's approach to automated transit buses, including
determining whether to pursue potential modifications of FTA
regulations, guidance, and internal practices, and may also help inform
any future legislation.
This notice is a request for comments and information only. It is
not a solicitation for project proposals. Submission of any information
in response to this notice is voluntary. The
[[Page 2324]]
Government will not pay for any effort expended in responding to this
notice.
II. Scope and Submission of Comments
The goal of this notice is to better inform FTA regarding current
or potential regulatory and other policy areas, and procedures or
actions that may slow or prevent the development, demonstration,
deployment, and evaluation of automated transit buses and related
technologies. For purposes of this notice, ``bus'' is defined broadly
to consider a range of sizes, vehicle platforms and configurations, and
passenger capacities, and could include both traditional and novel
vehicle designs (e.g., full-size city buses, articulated buses, small
shuttles, etc.). ``Bus'' also includes bus rapid transit.
FTA requests comments from stakeholders, including the disability
community, concerning technologies spanning automation levels 3 through
5 as defined in the SAE standard J3016_201609 (see http://standards.sae.org/j3016_201609/) and as used in the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration Automated Driving Systems (ADS): A Vision
for Safety 2.0 guidance.
In particular, FTA seeks comments with respect to the following
areas of interest:
A. Are there existing FTA statutes, regulations, or policies that
may present a challenge or barrier to the development, demonstration,
deployment, or evaluation of automated transit buses? If so, please
specify or describe these challenges, and provide proposed resolution,
if possible.
B. Are there other Federal statutes, regulations, or policies
(e.g., Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, etc.) that may present a
challenge or barrier to the development, demonstration, deployment, or
evaluation of automated transit buses? If so, please specify or
describe these challenges, and provide proposed resolution, if
possible.
C. Are there any specific regulatory barriers related to small
business that DOT/FTA should consider, specifically those that may help
facilitate small business participation in this emerging technology?
D. Are there other regulatory, policy, or legislative challenges or
barriers not otherwise specified above, which may impede development,
demonstration, deployment, or evaluation of automated transit buses? If
so, please specify or describe these challenges, and provide proposed
resolution, if possible.
Where applicable, indicate the level(s) of automation impacted by
the statute, regulation, or policy. Please note FTA is not seeking
comments pertaining to systems without an automated driving aspect
(e.g., driver warnings and alerts), unless the system is evolving to
include automation levels 3 through 5 in the foreseeable future. Please
also note that this notice is not seeking comments related to rail
fixed guideway systems or personal rapid transit systems. Interested
parties are requested to respond to this notice in writing as soon as
possible but not later than March 2, 2018.
For information about the Federal Transit Administration, please
refer to the FTA website at https://www.transit.dot.gov/.
Issued in Washington, DC, on January 10, 2018 under authority
delegated in 49 CFR part 1.91.
K. Jane Williams,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2018-00617 Filed 1-12-18; 8:45 am]
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