Request for Information on Transit Safety Concerns

Special Collection:  COVID-19

Gail Lyssy
Federal Transit Administration
23 August 2021

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 160 (Monday, August 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47200-47201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18066]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

[FTA Docket No. FTA 2021-0011]


Request for Information on Transit Safety Concerns

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, United States Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is extending the 
comment period for the request for information (RFI) regarding FTA's 
Public Transportation Safety Program (Safety Program), which was 
published on July 15, 2021, with the original comment period closing on 
August 16, 2021.

DATES: Comments are requested by September 22, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may file comments identified by docket number FTA-2021-
0011 by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room 
W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    Instructions: For detailed instructions on submitting comments, see 
the Public Participation heading of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section of this document. Note that all comments received will be 
posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any 
personal information provided.
    Privacy Act: Except as provided below, all comments received into 
the docket will be made public in their entirety. The comments will be 
searchable by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or 
signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). You should not include information in 
your comment that you do not want to be made public. You may review 
DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published 
on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-78) or at https://www.transportation.gov/privacy.

[[Page 47201]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ray Biggs, Office of Transit Safety 
and Oversight--Safety Risk Management and Assurance Division, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Mail Stop TSO-10, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-
7460 or Ray.Biggs@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a letter submitted to the docket dated 
August 11, 2021, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), 
on behalf of more than 1,300 member organizations, requested a 60-day 
extension of the comment period seeking input on public transit safety 
concerns published in the Federal Register on July 15, 2021 (86 FR 
37400). As justification for this extension, APTA cited increased grant 
activity, the recent passage of an infrastructure bill, and ongoing 
responses to the COVID-19 pandemic as pulling transit systems in many 
directions. APTA believes an extension of time would facilitate its 
members' ability to formulate thoughtful and proactive information 
responsive to FTA's request for information.
    Given the importance of public transportation safety and the need 
for a more fulsome dialogue on upcoming safety needs and priorities, 
FTA believes an extension of time is justified. Although APTA requested 
FTA extend the comment period for 60 additional days, commenters have 
already had 30 days in which to review and consider the questions posed 
in the RFI, and FTA believes an additional 30 days in which to submit 
comments is adequate, given FTA's desire to move forward expeditiously 
with this important safety initiative.
    FTA is not republishing the Questions to the Public in this 
document. Instead, please refer to the July 15, 2021 RFI (86 FR 37400) 
to view the original questions regarding safety concerns and issues 
recommended for additional assessment and potential action at the 
Federal level.

Public Participation

How do I prepare and submit comments?

    To ensure that your comments are filed correctly, please include 
the docket number provided [FTA-2021-0011] in your comments.
    Please submit your comments, including any attachments, to the 
docket following the instructions given above under ADDRESSES. Please 
note, if you are submitting comments electronically as a PDF (Adobe) 
file, these documents must be scanned using an Optical Character 
Recognition process, thus allowing the Agency to search and copy 
certain portions of submissions. If submitting via mail, hand delivery, 
or courier, please provide two printed copies.

How can comments submitted by other people be read?

    Comments received may be read at the Docket Management Facility, 
U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001. The 
hours of the docket are indicated above in the same location. Comments 
may also be viewed on the internet, identified by the docket number at 
the heading of this notice, at http://www.regulations.gov.
    Please note, the RFI will serve as a planning document. The RFI 
should not be construed as policy, a solicitation for applications, or 
an obligation on the part of the Government.

Gail Lyssy,
Acting Associate Administrator for Safety.
[FR Doc. 2021-18066 Filed 8-20-21; 8:45 am]
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