[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 83 (Thursday, April 30, 1998)] [Notices] [Pages 23822-23823] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 98-11523] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration Truck Size and Weight Impact Methodology Review Conference AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The FHWA is announcing an informational meeting concerning the analytical procedures used to estimate the impact of potential changes to the Nation's truck size and weight (TS&W) limits on: 1. Freight diversion and mode share; 2. Safety and traffic operations; 3. Highway agency costs (pavement, bridge and roadway geometry); 4. Shipper costs and rail industry profitability; 5. Roadway geometry requirements; 6. Traffic operations; and 7. Environmental quality and energy consumption. An understanding of these procedures is required to evaluate the illustrative TS&W scenarios which will be presented in the U.S. Department of Transportation's (U.S. DOT's) 1998 Comprehensive Truck Size & Weight (CTS&W) Study. DATES: The meeting will be held on July 7, 1998, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on July 8, 1998, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. [[Page 23823]] ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Willard Inter-Continental Hotel, 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Regina McElroy, Office of Policy Development, HPP-10, (202) 366-9216, for substantive information regarding the conference; Megan Naranjo, HPP-10, (202) 366-0281, for conference registration material; or Mr. Charles E. Medalen, Office of the Chief Counsel, HCC-20, (202) 366-1354, Federal Highway Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, D.C. 20590. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Electronic Access An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a modem and suitable communications software from the Federal Register Electronic Bulletin Board Service at (202) 512-1661. Internet users may reach the Federal Register's home page at: http://www.nara.gov/nara/ fedreg and the Government Printing Office's database at: http:// www.access.gpo.gov/su__docs. Background The U.S. DOT currently has underway a CTS&W Study. The Study was initiated in 1994 by Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater, who was then the Federal Highway Administrator. The Study is intended to provide decisionmakers with fact-based information regarding the highly controversial and multifaceted TS&W issue. The Department anticipates that the final TS&W Study report will be transmitted to Congress by the end of 1998. It will include four volumes: Volume I--Executive Summary, Volume II--Issues and Background, Volume III--Scenario Analysis, and Volume IV--Guide to Documentation. A draft version of Volume II was distributed for external review in June 1997. Many valuable comments were received and, as a result, the final version will be markedly improved. Work on Volume III, Scenario Analysis, is now in progress. The Department expects that a draft version will be available for review and comment this summer. A number of illustrative size and weight scenarios have been identified for analysis, and each scenario will be evaluated in terms of its likely impact on freight diversion, safety, infrastructure (pavement, bridge and roadway geometry), shipper costs, rail industry viability, traffic operations, energy consumption and environmental quality. The scenarios, as well as the impact areas, were selected based on comments received through the Study's extensive outreach process. As part of the overall outreach activity, the FHWA, on behalf of the Department, is sponsoring a TS&W Impact Methodology Review Conference. This event is being organized to facilitate review of the Volume III draft. At the conference, subject matter experts will present the analytical approach employed, for each of the impact areas identified above, to evaluate the illustrative scenarios. The presentations will focus on technical methods used in the scenario analysis. Study results will not be discussed. For individuals unable to attend the meeting, copies of the briefing material may be obtained, free of charge, by contacting Ms. Megan Naranjo at the address and telephone number listed at the beginning of this Notice. In addition, we will publish a summary of the conference following the event. The summary may also be obtained by contacting Ms. Naranjo. Meeting Information Guest rooms at the Willard Hotel, for confirmed participants, are available at a discounted rate. Room reservations should be made directly with the hotel at (202) 628-9100. An agenda, registration form, and supporting conference materials may be obtained from the FHWA. The point of contact is Ms. Megan Naranjo at the address and telephone number at the beginning of this Notice. In order to provide ample opportunity for dialogue, we are limiting the meeting to 100 participants. All participants must be registered in advance. Should demand significantly exceed this limit, we will consider holding another similar event. A fee is being charged to partially cover the cost of the conference. The fee includes a continental breakfast on the first and second days and lunch on the first day. The early registration fee (received on or before June 6, 1998) is $55.00. After June 6, 1998, a late registration fee of $65.00 is payable at the conference. Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48. Gary E. Maring, Acting Associate Administrator for Policy. [FR Doc. 98-11523 Filed 4-29-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-22-P