Railroad Grade Crossings; Stopping Required: Exception for Railroad Grade Crossing Equipped With Active Warning Device Not in Activated State

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION <SUBAGY>Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration</SUBAGY> <CFR>49 CFR Part 392</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. FMCSA-2021-0050]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 2126-AC39</RIN> <SUBJECT>Railroad Grade Crossings; Stopping Required: Exception for Railroad Grade Crossing Equipped With Active Warning Device Not in Activated State</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Department of Transportation (DOT). <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> FMCSA proposes to amend the regulations related to driving a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) at railroad grade crossings. Currently, drivers of certain CMVs ( <E T="03">e.g.,</E> buses transporting passengers and CMVs transporting certain hazardous materials) are required to stop before crossing a railroad track unless an exception applies, such as when the crossing is controlled by a functioning highway traffic signal transmitting a green indication. The Agency proposes to add a similar exception for a railroad grade crossing equipped with an active warning device that is not in an activated state ( <E T="03">e.g.,</E> flashing lights or crossing gates down, indicating the arrival of a train). </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> Comments must be received on or before July 29, 2025. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> You may submit comments identified by Docket Number FMCSA-2021-0050 using any of the following methods: • <E T="03">Federal eRulemaking Portal:</E> Go to <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FMCSA-2021-0050/document</E> . Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. • <E T="03">Mail:</E> Dockets Operations, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001. • <E T="03">Hand Delivery or Courier:</E> Dockets Operations, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366-9317 or (202) 366-9826 before visiting Dockets Operations. • <E T="03">Fax:</E> (202) 493-2251. <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> Ms. Melissa Williams, Hazardous Materials Division, Office of Enforcement and Compliance, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001, (202) 366-4163, <E T="03">melissa.williams@dot.gov</E> . If you have questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Dockets Operations at (202) 366-9826. </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> FMCSA organizes this NPRM as follows: <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Public Participation and Request for Comments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Submitting Comments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Viewing Comments and Documents</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Privacy</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Comments on the Information Collection</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Abbreviations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Legal Basis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Discussion of Proposed Rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. International Impacts</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VII. Section-by-Section Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VIII. Regulatory Analyses</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. E.O. 12866 (Regulatory Planning and Review), E.O. 13563 (Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review), and DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. E.O. 14192 (Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Regulatory Flexibility Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Assistance for Small Entities</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Paperwork Reduction Act</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. E.O. 13132 (Federalism)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Privacy</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. E.O. 13175 (Indian Tribal Governments)</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. National Environmental Policy Act of 1969</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">L. Rulemaking Summary</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Public Participation and Request for Comments</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD2">A. Submitting Comments</HD> If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this NPRM (FMCSA-2021 <E T="03">-</E> 0050), indicate the specific section of this document to which your comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and material online or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but please use only one of these means. FMCSA recommends that you include your name and a mailing address, an email address, or a phone number in the body of your document so FMCSA can contact you if there are questions regarding your submission. To submit your comment online, go to <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FMCSA-2021-0050/document,</E> click on this NPRM, click “Comment,” and type your comment into the text box on the following screen. If you submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8 <FR>1/2</FR> by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing. FMCSA will consider all comments and material received during the comment period. <HD SOURCE="HD3">Confidential Business Information (CBI)</HD> CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to the NPRM contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to the NPRM, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission that constitutes CBI as “PROPIN” to indicate it contains proprietary information. FMCSA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the Freedom of Information Act, and they will not be placed in the public docket of the NPRM. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to Brian Dahlin, Chief, Regulatory Evaluation Division, Office of Policy, FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001 or via email at <E T="03">brian.g.dahlin@dot.gov.</E> At this time, you need not send a duplicate hardcopy of your electronic CBI submissions to FMCSA headquarters. Any comments FMCSA receives not specifically designated as CBI will be placed in the public docket for this rulemaking. <HD SOURCE="HD2">B. Viewing Comments and Documents</HD> To view any documents mentioned as being available in the docket, go to <E T="03">https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FMCSA-2021-0050/document</E> and choose the document to review. To view comments, click this NPRM, then click “Browse Comments.” If you do not have access to the internet, you may view the docket online by visiting Dockets Operations on the ground floor of the DOT West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366-9317 or (202) 366-9826 before visiting Dockets Operations. <HD SOURCE="HD2">C. Privacy</HD> In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its regulatory process. DOT posts these comments, including any personal information the commenter provides, to <E T="03">www.regulations.gov</E> as described in the system of records notice DOT/ALL 14 (Federal Docket Management System (FDMS)), which can be reviewed at <E T="03">https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/privacy/privacy-act-system-records-notices</E> . The comments are posted without edits and are searchable by the name of the submitter. <HD SOURCE="HD1">II. Abbreviations</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ANPRM Advanced notice of proposed rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">DOT Department of Transportation</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FHWA Federal Highway Administration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1"> FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FMCSRs Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FR Federal Register</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FRA Federal Railroad Administration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">HM Hazardous material</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ICC Interstate Commerce Commission</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NASS GES National Automotive Sampling System General Estimates System</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NPRM Notice of proposed rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OMB Office of Management and Budget</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PDO Property Damage Only</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PIA Privacy Impact Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PTA Privacy Threshold Assessment</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RFA Regulatory Flexibility Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">UMRA Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">U.S.C. United States Code</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">III. Legal Basis</HD> This NPRM is based on the Motor Carrier Act of 1935 (1935 Act), 49 Stat. 543, as amended, and the Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1984 (1984 Act), Title II of Public Law 98-554, 98 Stat. 2832 (Oct. 30, 1984), as amended. The 1935 Act, as amended, provides that the Secretary of Transportation (the Secretary) may prescribe requirements for—(1) qualifications and maximum hours of service of employees of, and safety of operation and equipment of, a motor carrier; and (2) qualifications and maximum hours of service of employees of, and standards of equ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 35k characters. Full document text is stored and available for version comparison. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━