[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 58 (Monday, March 27, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15814-15816]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7509]
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FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION
National High-Speed Ground Transportation; Policy Outreach
Meetings
Agency: Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Railroad
Development.
Action: Notice of Public Meetings.
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Summary: The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will hold regional
public outreach meetings around the United States to invite public
input for developing the National High Speed Ground Transportation
(HSGT) Policy, as mandated by the Intermodal Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act. The public is invited to attend and/or submit written
comments.
Dates: Written comments are invited at any time until May 30, 1995.
Comments should be submitted by mail to the address below and will be
accepted in person at each meeting. Comments received by April 7, 1995
will be considered in setting the agenda for the outreach meetings.
The sessions will take place as follows:
Dates: April 20, 1995.
Place: Knickerbocker Hotel, Grand Ballroom, 163 E. Walton Place,
Chicago, Illinois 60611, (312) 751-8100.
Time: 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Local Contact: Merrill Travis, IDOT, (217) 782-2835.
Date: May 2, 1995.
Place: Shaker Ridge Club, 802 Albany Shaker Road, Loudonville,
New York 12211, (518) 869-0246.
Time: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Local Contact: Don Baker, New York DOT, (518) 457-5521.
Date: May 4, 1995.
Place: Virginia DOT, Main Auditorium, 1221 East Broad Street,
Richmond, Virginia 23219.
Time: 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Local Contact: Leo Bevon, Virginia DOT, (804) 786-8410.
Date: May 15, 1995
Place: BPA Federal Office Building, Auditorium, 911 N.E. 11th
Avenue (at Holladay St.) (Auditorium entrance on 9th St. side),
Portland, Oregon 97232, (503) 326-2107.
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Local Contact: Donald Forbes, Oregon DOT, (503) 378-3373.
Date: May 17, 1995.
Place: Grand Hall, 1215 J Street, Sacramento, California 95814.
Time: 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Local Contact: Steve Zimrick, California DOT, (916) 227-9409.
Date: May 25, 1995
Place: Marriott Hotel, 7499 Augusta National Drive, Orlando,
Florida 32822, (407) 851-9000.
Time: 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Local Contact: Charlie Smith, Florida DOT, (904) 487-4261.
Registration: Attendees are asked to arrive 30 minutes prior to
the beginning of the meeting for registration.
In addition to the above sessions, there will be a special session
in Boston, Massachusetts, during the annual convention of the High
Speed Rail/Maglev Association. This is scheduled for Monday, May 8 from
5:00 to 6:30 PM at the Westin Hotel, Copley Place, Boston, MA. The
public is also invited to this special session.
The addresses of the various sessions are above.
Background
These meetings will comprise a key part of the Department of
Transportation's overall efforts to develop policy in support of the
implementation of high-speed ground transportation as an element of an
intermodal transportation system. The Department is currently working
to lay the groundwork for the implementation of HSGT through state and
local planning and investment and through a federal partnership for
technology development.
The development of a HSGT policy is particularly relevant at this
time because of the Secretary's proposal to consolidate current
transportation funding programs and increase significantly the
flexibility available to State and local governments to finance
different types of projects with a unified allocation of funds. In
addition, the Secretary has proposed developing State Infrastructure
Banks, capitalized in part with Federal seed money, to leverage further
investment from private capital and other sources. He has also proposed
that some discretionary funding would be available for investments of
regional or national significance. How HSGT investment would be treated
in this context is a topic of special importance for HSGT policy.
The HSGT policy development will also consider ongoing changes at
Amtrak. Since the future of HSGT, particularly options to operate at up
to 150 m.p.h. on existing rights-of-way (Accelerail), is linked to the
future of conventional Amtrak service in corridor markets, the recently
announced restructuring of Amtrak presents new challenges as well as
new opportunities, for state participation. In particular, that
restructuring is designed to reduce Amtrak's cost structure by
delivering service more efficiently and to improve customer service,
and hence increase revenues, by reorganizing the corporation and
empowering employees and managers. These changes should position Amtrak
as a competitive organization to deliver HSGT services sponsored by
State governments.
The HSGT policy development will consider ongoing technology
development and corridor planning by states and their partners. These
activities are currently authorized by the Swift Rail Development Act
of 1994. The Swift Act, which was signed into law by the President in
November 1994, authorizes matching grants up to a total of $184 million
over three years, to assist HSGT technology development, including
projects such as positive train control, non-electric high-speed
locomotive development, and corridor planning, including engineering
plans, commercial feasibility and environmental impact studies, and the
acquisition of right-of-way for upgrading to HSGT. In FY 1995, $25
million [[Page 15815]] dollars was appropriated for the Next Generation
High Speed Rail Program which included five million for corridor
planning. For FY 1996, the Administration requested $68 million for the
Next Generation High Speed Rail Program and the High Speed Ground
Transportation Research and Development.
Finally, the HSGT policy development will consider the results of a
study of the potential performance and commercial feasibility of HSGT.
The report, to be transmitted to Congress in 1995, will identify types
of HSGT systems that would be most beneficial in various markets. It
will also identify the challenges that will need to be addressed in
order to implement HSGT in the U.S.
Both the High Speed Ground Transportation Commercial Feasibility
Study Report to Congress (Report) and the National HSGT Policy are
required by Section 1036 of the Intermodal Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act (ISTEA) [49 U.S.C. 309(d) and (e)].
The Report will examine several illustrative corridors to obtain an
understanding of the potential for HSGT around the nation. It will
consider several types of HSGT technology systems, including
Accelerail; new high speed rail (new, electric, dedicated high-speed
only rail lines, 200 miles per hour); and Maglev (magnetic levitation
vehicles on new lines, 300 mph). The Report is not a replacement for
the more detailed analyses of individual corridors by state and local
governments. It will, rather, be an assessment of HSGT potential in the
U.S. as a whole, to guide national policy makers in HSGT-related
decisions.
Section 1036 calls for the Policy to include ``provisions to
promote the design, construction, and operation of high-speed ground
transportation systems in the United States.''
The public will be invited to participate fully in discussions at
these regional outreach meetings. The public is also invited to submit
written comments on any subject relevant to the Policy before, after,
or during the meetings, but public input on certain questions is of
special interest to FRA. The principal questions are listed below, and
FRA encourages the public to comment on these questions on the basis of
each region's specific experience with transportation and HSGT issues.
Among the topics to be considered in the Policy, and at the
regional outreach meetings, are:
(1) The Role of HSGT in the National Transportation System
Commenters on this topic are invited to consider:
(a) Can HSGT fill transportation needs in a cost effective manner
not met by your region's current transportation system?
(b) What HSGT technologies are being considered, for what kinds of
markets [short-term and long-term] in your region?
(c) How extensive a system makes good economic or financial sense
in your region?
(d) How would your regional HSGT system be connected to the rest of
the transportation system?
(2) Planning for HSGT
Commenters on this topic are invited to consider:
(a) Is your region using existing conventional rail service to
prepare a market for HSGT? How?
(b) Does the presence of conventional rail service, including
commuter rail, offer benefits to the regional HSGT system?
(c) To what extent and how are corridors suitable for future HSGT
being preserved in your region?
(d) To what extent is there planning for joint public use
transportation corridors in the region (e.g., highway and HSGT)? What
are the obstacles and potential solutions?
(e) How will intermodal connections, such as transit lines to
existing stations and right-of-way acquisitions near airports be
planned for your HSGT system?
(f) What factors are key to the planning and implementation of
interstate HSGT projects?
(g) What should be the roles of the Federal, state, and local
governments, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and the private
sector in HSGT planning, construction, and operation in this region?
(3) Funding HSGT
Commenters on this topic are invited to consider:
(a) What non-Federal funds (local, State, private) are being used
and considered for implementation in your region?
(b) What other sources of non-Federal funds (current or future)
would you recommend to support HSGT for your region? (i.e., fuel tax,
user fees, state/local government grants or loans, impact fees, private
efforts and debt.)
(c) Federal law currently allows the issuance of tax-free bonds to
finance HSGT projects for 150 miles per hour operation and above. If
this were to include HSGT projects below 150 m.p.h., would this type of
financing be utilized for HSGT in this region?
(d) What are the obstacles or impediments to the funding of HSGT
projects under the current ISTEA legislation?
(e) How extensively would the Secretary's proposed unified
allocation of funds for transportation investment be used for HSGT in
your state or region?
(f) How could the Secretary's proposed program provide additional
leverage for private capital to participate in funding HSGT projects?
(g) How could the new program structure be used most effectively to
foster the kind of HSGT investment envisioned in your region?
(4) Implementing HSGT
Commenters on this topic are invited to consider:
(a) How should the issue of liability for host railroads be dealt
with? Should insurance be purchased for HSGT operations? Should total
liability or punitive damages be capped by statute? Should this be
accomplished at the Federal or State level?
(b) Does the mechanism now embodied in Section 403(b) of the Rail
Passenger Service Act (State-assisted service) provide an appropriate
way to upgrade current corridor services to higher speeds?
(c) What should be the role of Amtrak in HSGT? Should State HSGT
sponsors have the option of choosing another provider of the service
and, if so, should the other provider have the same rights vis-a-vis
the owning railroad that Amtrak now has?
(d) Are special arrangements needed with the private railroads to
insure the future availability of excess rights-of-way and capacity for
HSGT in this region?
(e) What sorts of labor issues are raised by HSGT projects, and do
Federal laws related to rail labor need to be changed for HSGT service?
(f) What types of new technologies are important to the development
of HSGT in this region?
(g) What should be the nature of Federal HSGT technology
development and demonstration activities? What should be the State role
in this region?
(h) What other actions should be taken to promote a U.S. HSGT
industry? The possibilities include defense conversion projects, Buy
American requirements, and tax policies.
(i) How should policies to promote a U.S. HSGT industry be gauged
against the efficiency of using currently available foreign
technologies? [[Page 15816]]
(j) What specific constitutional or other legal provisions in your
state currently adversely affect implementation of HSGT? What changes
would you suggest to overcome these barriers?
FRA invites respondents who plan to attend outreach sessions to
send preliminary comments in advance of the session, identifying which
session they plan to attend. Additional comments from participants
following the sessions will also be welcome.
For further information contact: John F. Cikota, (202) 366-9332
Issued in Washington, D.C. on March 21, 1995
Jolene M. Molitoris,
Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration.
[FR Doc. 95-7509 Filed 3-24-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P