Board Extends Comment Period for Update of Rail Vehicle Guidelines

In February, the Board initiated rulemaking through an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to update requirements in its ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Transportation Vehicles that apply to rail cars, including those used in rapid, light, commuter, and intercity rail systems. This notice was available for public comment for three months. The Board has extended the comment period another two months to allow additional time for interested parties to submit feedback, as indicated in a published notice.

The Board plans to update the ADA vehicles guidelines according to recommendations from an advisory panel it chartered, the Rail Vehicles Access Advisory Committee. The advance notice seeks comment on the committee recommendations to enhance provisions that cover vehicle communications, boarding and alighting, on-board circulation, seating, and rooms and spaces. It also poses a number of questions on specific topics.

Comments are now due July 14, 2020 (instead of May 14). The advance notice, which includes instructions for submitting comments, is posted on regulations.gov (Docket ATBCB-2020-0002). For more information, contact Juliet Shoultz at (202)272-0045 or shoultz@access-board.gov for technical questions or Wendy Marshall at (202)272-0043 or marshall@access-board.gov for legal questions.