SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This notice announces the Secretary's reestablishment of TRACS as a Federal advisory committee in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 5 U.S.C. ch. 10) to provide information, advice, and recommendations to the Secretary and the FTA Administrator on matters relating to the safety of public transportation systems.

The DOT and FTA are committed to ensuring the safety of the Nation's public transportation systems and reducing safety risks to both riders and transit workers. Accordingly, the Secretary has determined that reestablishing TRACS is necessary and in the public interest. The Public Interest Determination is available below.

TRACS will be tasked with providing advice and recommendations on improvements and innovations in transit safety. TRACS will review current challenges and innovations in public transportation and provide recommendations that FTA can implement in support of safety in the public transportation sector.

This notice is provided in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Please see the TRACS website for additional information at www.transit.dot.gov/​regulations-and-guidance/​safety/​transit-advisory-committee-safety-tracs and the General Services Administration's FACA database at www.facadatabase.gov.

Public Interest Determination

Pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 102-3.60(a), in order to establish, renew, reestablish, or merge a discretionary (agency discretion) advisory committee, an agency must first consult with the General Services Administration's Committee Management Secretariat (the Secretariat) and, as part of the consultation, provide a written public interest determination approved by the head of the agency to the Secretariat with a copy to the Office of Management and Budget. In addition, pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 102-3.35, an agency shall follow the same consultation process and document in writing the same determination of need before creating a subcommittee under a discretionary committee that is not made up entirely of members of a parent advisory committee.

Information on the following factors for the committee is provided to the Secretariat to demonstrate that renewing the committee is in the public interest:

1. Annual Budget

Estimated that the annual operating cost is approximately $315,000

a. Federal personnel on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis.

$110,000

b. Other Federal internal costs.

$205,000

c. Proposed payments to members.

$0

d. Proposed number of members.

25 members

e. Reimbursable costs.

$0

2. If Applicable, the Total Dollar Value of Grants Expected To Be Recommended During the Fiscal Year

N/A

3. Criteria for Selecting Members To Ensure the Committee Has the Necessary Expertise and Fairly Balanced Membership

To select members, FTA will evaluate potential members based on the following criteria:

—Knowledge of trends and issues related to rail transit and/or bus transit safety

—Experience in the rail transit and/or bus transit

—Leadership and organizational skills

—Region of the country represented

—Overall balance of industry representation

Members will provide a broad representation of points of view of the transit industry, including academia, large and small rail and bus agencies, state departments of transportation and state safety oversight agencies, labor organizations, and other key industry stakeholders.

4. List of All Other Federal Advisory Committees of the Agency

Working Group on Covered Resources

Unmanned and Autonomous Flight Advisory Committee

United States Merchant Marine Academy Board of Visitors

U.S. Maritime Transportation System National Advisory Committee

U.S. Department of Transportation Advisory Board

The Beautifying Transportation Infrastructure Council

Technical Pipeline Safety Standards Committee

Technical Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Standards Committee

Research, Engineering, and Development Advisory Committee

Railroad Safety Advisory Committee

Passenger Experience Advisory Committee

National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council

National Airspace System Advisory Committee

National Advisory Committee on Travel and Tourism Infrastructure

Motorcyclist Advisory Council

Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee

Medical Review Board Advisory Committee

Intelligent Transportation Systems Program Advisory Committee

Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Advisory Board

DOT Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking

Bessie Coleman Women in Aviation Advisory Committee

Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee ( printed page 63383)

Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee

Arctic Shipping Federal Advisory Committee

Aircraft Noise Advisory Committee

Air Carrier Access Act Advisory Committee

5. Justification That the Information or Advice Provided by the Federal Advisory Committee or Subcommittee Is Not Available From Another Federal Advisory Committee, Another Federal Government Source, or Any Other More Cost-Effective and Less Burdensome Source

TRACS, established by the Secretary in 2009 as a Federal Advisory Committee in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), provides information, advice, and recommendations to the Secretary and the FTA Administrator on matters relating to the safety of public transportation systems and reducing the safety risk to both riders and transit workers. The Committee is FTA's only Federal advisory committee and its recommendations and advice are critical to FTA's work on public transportation safety and cannot be obtained through another federal advisory committee or Federal Government source. Its work is unique, the most cost effective and least burdensome source.

6. If the Consultation is a Committee Renewal, a Summary of the Previous Accomplishments of the Committee and the Reasons It Needs To Continue

Since its inception, TRACS has submitted 16 reports to FTA with recommendations and advice on safety-related matters critical to the public transportation industry. The Committee works cooperatively and collaboratively to address transit safety and other issues by identifying the best solutions based on agreed upon facts and identifying proposed regulatory provisions to implement those solutions. The Committee has provided more than 100 recommendations covering broad topics such as improving safety culture and implementation of Safety Management Systems, and highly specialized topics such as effective employee reporting systems, fitness for duty programs, and fatigue management safety issues. To date, FTA has implemented more than 30 TRACS recommendations. TRACS is the most essential source for the transit industry's perspective related to public transportation safety and security; and its work is critical to the Federal Transit Administration's work on safety and security.

7. Explanation of Why the Committee/Subcommittee Is Essential to the Conduct of Agency Business

TRACS is essential to the conduct of FTA's business related to safety. It exists at the discretion of the Secretary, the Administrator, or their designees and TRACS can undertake information-gathering activities as necessary to carry out its taskings, to define issues for consideration by the Committee, to develop positions on those issues, and to present the Committee's positions to the Administrator and the Secretary. Additionally, TRACS is essential to FTA business due to its ability to provide information, advice, and recommendations related to taskings from the Administrator. More importantly, TRACS is essential for its ability to independently evaluate economic, technological, and institutional developments related to transit safety and then submit its recommendations to the Administrator on innovative ideas and approaches for Federal policies and programs. The Administrator and the Secretary can select and implement from among the numerous recommendations made by TRACS.

In conclusion, this public interest determination documents that renewing the committee is in the public interest, essential to the conduct of agency business, and that the information to be obtained is not already available through another advisory committee or source within the Federal Government.

(Authority: 49 U.S.C. 5329; 49 CFR 1.91)

91 FR 63382