PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
Subject of Possible Rule Making: Update system safety program standard for municipal rail fixed guideway systems that are not regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration, chapter 468-550 WAC.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: Section 7, chapter 202, Laws of 1999.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Update existing rules to comply with recently enacted law, and add rules to address imposing sanctions for not complying with these rules.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Federal Transit Administration: Submit annual and incident reports.
Process for Developing New Rule: Negotiated rule making; and informal municipal review of preliminary drafts of the rule.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Paul Gamble, Public Transportation and Rail Division, P.O. Box 47387, Olympia, WA 98504-7387, phone (360) 705-7912, e-mail gamblep@wsdot.wa.gov, fax (360) 705-6820. There will be at least one meeting, probably in Seattle, to exchange ideas about what needs to be updated and at what levels sanctions need to be applied.
May 13, 1999
Gerald E. Smith
Deputy Secretary, Operations