Bus Compartment Redesign and Bus of the Future Initiatives; Meeting Publication: Federal Register Agency: Federal Transit Administration Byline: Nuria I. Fernandez Date: 16 June 2023 Subjects: American Government , Buses, Safety

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 116 (Friday, June 16, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39507-39508]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-12976]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

[Docket No. FTA-2023-0013]


Bus Compartment Redesign and Bus of the Future Initiatives; 
Meeting

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will hold a virtual 
listening session concerning FTA's Bus Compartment Redesign and Bus of 
the Future initiatives. This meeting will be a forum for stakeholders 
to give feedback on key issues, including operator safety, passenger 
safety, accessibility, bus component safety, reduction of bus 
customization, and emerging technologies related to transit vehicles. 
This online meeting is open to the public.

DATES: The webinar will be held on June 22, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 
12:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Comments must be submitted by 
July 24, 2023. Late comments will be considered to the extent 
practicable.

ADDRESSES: The session will be held virtually. Interested parties 
should register in advance at https://usdot.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_ZPYvheyuQMizlgL2Vs7kvg.
    Members of the public may submit written comments on the questions 
provided by FTA on its website prior to the meeting, which also will be 
provided during the meeting, no later than July 24, 2023, using any of 
the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments to Docket Number FTA-2023-0013.
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590.
     Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Room W12-140, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., E.T. Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Each submission must include the Agency name and Docket Number FTA 
2023-0013. Note that DOT posts all comments received without change to 
https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
included in a comment.
    Docket: For access to the docket, visit https://www.regulations.gov 
at any time or visit Room W12-140 on the ground level of the West 
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 
5 p.m., EDT, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The on-
line Federal document management system is available 24 hours each day, 
365 days each year.
    Privacy Act: Anyone may view the electronic docket. The docket may 
include the name of the individual submitting the comment (or of the 
person signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's Privacy Act 
Statement for the Federal Docket Management System published in the 
Federal Register (73 FR 3316) or visit https://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-785.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Roell, Transportation Program 
Analyst, Office of Research, Demonstration, and Innovation (TRI) via 
email: maria.roell@dot.gov, or phone (202) 366-9214. Individuals with 
disabilities requesting reasonable accommodations or special assistance 
to participate in the virtual meeting should contact Maria Roell no 
later than June 21, 2023.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    In October 2020, the FTA awarded two Bus Operator Compartment (BCP)

[[Page 39508]]

Program grants totaling $1,600,000 to the International Transportation 
Learning Center (ITLC) and the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority 
(NORTA) to redesign a transit bus compartment to improve safety for 
operators. As the initial piece of this program comes to a close, FTA 
is interested in hearing from stakeholders on the outcomes of that 
research and both the short-term and long-term strategies for designing 
buses of the future.

II. Meeting Participation

    This meeting is open to the public. However, FTA particularly 
invites participation from:
     Labor Unions;
     Disability Community;
     Academia and Researchers;
     Transit Vehicle Manufacturers and Component Manufacturers;
     Standard Development Organizations;
     Professional Associations; and
     Recipients of FTA Funding
    Read-ahead materials, including questions for consideration, are 
available at https://www.transit.dot.gov/research-innovation/redesign-transit-bus-operator-compartment-improve-safety-operational-efficiency. 
Although FTA will engage with virtual attendees during the meeting, FTA 
recommends that stakeholders submit comments to the docket for 
consideration. The meeting will be live-captioned and recorded and made 
available after the webinar on the web page noted above.
    This listening session will help FTA gather broad stakeholder input 
on key issues, including operator safety, passenger safety, 
accessibility, bus component safety, reduction of bus customization, 
and emerging technologies related to transit vehicles.

III. Docket Information

    FTA requests that anyone who cannot participate in this online 
listening session submit written comments to the docket as soon as 
practicable. In addition, FTA will place any written materials it 
receives during the meeting in the docket.
    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 5312.

Nuria I. Fernandez,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2023-12976 Filed 6-15-23; 8:45 am]
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