Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection

Michael Howell
Federal Highway Administration
December 10, 2013

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 10, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74218-74220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-29428]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-2013-0057]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments 
for a New Information Collection

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), this notice announces that FHWA will submit the 
collection of information described below to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The Federal Register Notice 
with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following 
collection of information was published on June 25, 2013. The PRA 
submission describes the nature of the information collection and its 
expected cost and burden.

DATES: Please submit comments by January 9, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID 2013-
0057 by any of the following methods:
    Web site: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of Transportation, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Kearney, 518-431-8890, Office of 
Freight Management & Operations (HOFM-1), Office of Operations, Federal 
Highway Administration, Department of Transportation, Leo O'Brien 
Federal Building, Room 715, Albany, NY 12207. Office hours are from 
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Survey and Comparative Assessment of Truck Parking 
Facilities.
    Background: Section 1401(c) of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 
21st Century Act (MAP-21) requires the U.S.

[[Page 74219]]

Department of Transportation (USDOT) to complete a survey and 
comparative assessment of truck parking facilities in each State. 
Specifically, the study is required to: (1) Evaluate the capability of 
the State to provide adequate parking and rest facilities for 
commercial motor vehicles engaged in interstate transportation; (2) 
assess the volume of commercial motor vehicle traffic in the State; and 
(3) develop a system of metrics to measure the adequacy of commercial 
motor vehicle parking facilities in the State. It also requires the 
results of the survey to be made available to the public on a USDOT 
accessible Web site.
    Respondents: The respondents to the survey include State 
transportation and enforcement officials, private sector facility 
owners or operators, State trucking association representatives, and 
truck drivers. The target groups of respondents are individuals who are 
responsible for providing or overseeing the operation of truck parking 
facilities and the stakeholders who depend on truck parking facilities 
to safely conduct their business. The target group identified in the 
legislation is ``State commercial vehicle safety personnel.'' The 
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has interpreted that term to 
include the State Department of Transportation (DOT) personnel involved 
in commercial vehicle safety programs and activities, State enforcement 
personnel directly involved in enforcing highway safety laws and 
regulations, and personnel involved in highway incident and accident 
response. FHWA believes the survey should not be limited to publicly 
owned facilities and seeks input from private sector facility owners or 
operators. In addition, FHWA also believes that input from trucking 
company representatives involved in logistics, driver scheduling, and 
truck drivers themselves, are key stakeholders most likely to know 
where more truck parking is needed.
    Section 1401(c)(1)(C) of MAP-21 requires the development of a 
system of metrics to measure the adequacy of commercial vehicle parking 
facilities. Therefore, FHWA intends to invite key stakeholders to 
participate in a focus group, which will assist in the identification 
and development of those metrics. The key stakeholders that will be 
invited to serve on the focus group will include representatives of the 
national stakeholder organizations listed above.
    Types of Survey Questions: FHWA intends to survey State DOT 
personnel about the location, number of spaces, availability of those 
spaces, and demand for truck parking in their State. Truck parking 
spaces found at rest facilities will be included in the survey. FHWA 
seeks to identify impediments to adequate truck parking capacity 
including, but not limited to: Legislative, regulatory, or financial 
issues; zoning; public and private impacts, approval, and 
participation; availability of land; insurance requirements; and other 
issues. In addition, FHWA intends to survey private truck stop 
operators in each state about the location, number of truck parking 
spaces, availability of those spaces, and demand for the spaces at 
their facilities. Public safety officials in each state will be 
surveyed about their records and observations concerning truck parking 
use and patterns, including the location and frequency of trucks parked 
adjacent to roadways, and on exit and entrance ramps to roadway 
facilities. FHWA intends to survey trucking companies and truck drivers 
about: The location of parking facilities; the frequency that an 
insufficient amount of truck parking is encountered; capacity at rest 
facilities; future truck parking needs and locations; availability of 
information on truck parking capacity; and other impediments to truck 
parking. Other questions may be included based on input from the focus 
groups, stakeholder outreach, FHWA's discretion, or as follow-up to the 
survey.
    Estimate:
    State Departments of Transportation = 50 (1 hour each) + [up to 10 
individuals x up to 5 hours of meeting and travel] = up to 100 hours;
    State Enforcement Personnel = 50 (1 hour each) + [up to 10 
individuals x up to 5 hours of meeting and travel] = up to 100 hours;
    Private Facility Owners/Operators = 229 (30 minutes each) + [up to 
10 individuals x up to 5 hours of meeting and travel] = up to 165 
hours;
    Trucking Association Representatives = 50 (1 hour each) + [up to 10 
individuals x up to 5 hours of meeting and travel] = up to 100 hours;
    Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers = 400 (30 minutes each) + [up to 
10 individuals x up to 5 hours of meeting and travel] = up to 250 
hours;
    Total number of respondents = 779 for the survey, and up to an 
additional 50 for focus groups (there is potential for overlap of 
individuals responding to the survey and participating on a voluntary 
basis in the focus group).
    Total burden hours = at least 629 hours and no more than 929 hours 
(as allocated above).
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: This survey will be updated 
periodically; the estimated total burden for each survey cycle for all 
respondents is no less than 629 hours.
    Public Comment: Between June 25 and August 26, 2013, FHWA invited 
comments on the approach proposed for conducting the Survey, the 
contents of the Survey Instrument, and the burden that would occur in 
the operation of the Survey [see Docket No. FHWA-2013-0017]. Five 
comments were received during this time period:

 A message supporting the proposed data collection process was 
received from Missouri DOT.
 A comment from the Texas DOT recommending that the survey 
include an inquiry about expenditures made by the States on ``upkeep 
and maintenance of truck parking facilities including damage caused by 
truckers.'' This question has been incorporated into the Survey 
instrument.
 The Virginia DOT submitted comments including an offer to 
coordinate with them on the Statewide Truck Parking Survey they are 
embarking on. A preliminary discussion has been conducted with VA DOT 
to share the steps, goals and objectives of this effort, the status and 
goals of the VA DOT Study, and the identification of areas where the 
efforts could be synchronized. The Virginia DOT also pointed out the 
benefits of aerial mapping tools in identifying truck parking 
locations. FHWA intends to employ a mapping effort under this project.
 Comments were received from the National Association of Truck 
Stop Operators (NATSO) laying out several points for FHWA's 
consideration:
    [cir] Data collection recommendations on number of spaces, 
sensitivity to time of day and day of week in determining demand 
(demand is dynamic temporally), enumerating the number of trucks parked 
in less than ideal locations (highway shoulders, access and egress ramp 
shoulders, etc.) are all included in the scope of FHWA's Survey;
    [cir] NATSO pointed out that FMCSA's new ``Hours-of-Service'' 
regulations will affect truck parking demand and it must be considered 
in the Survey. This consideration is included in the operation of the 
Survey FHWA intends to conduct;
    [cir] Reminder that developing ``Truck VMT by State'' will include 
trucks that don't have parking needs. FHWA is aware and sensitive to 
this situation and intends to address this consideration in the

[[Page 74220]]

project;
    [cir] Reminder that changes in the trucking industry ``business 
model'' are underway where the ``hub-spoke'' model that the industry is 
transitioning to requires less parking opportunities being required. 
FHWA will address this factor under the project;
    [cir] Request that the question of ``why'' is considered when areas 
that suffer a shortage in truck parking opportunities are identified. 
FHWA will address this point in the operation of the project;
 The Owner-Operator, Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) 
submitted a number of comments for FHWA's consideration:
    [cir] The number of drivers that FHWA suggested would be surveyed 
(150 in the Federal Register Notice) was seen as inadequate. FHWA 
reached out to OOIDA for information on the appropriate number of 
drivers to be surveyed, the number of 400 drivers was offered by OOIDA 
and the outreach to drivers by FHWA will now include 400 drivers;
    [cir] OOIDA reminded FHWA that the survey of privately owned and 
operated facilities should not solely include national, multi-state 
enterprises. OOIDA pointed out those smaller scale facility owners 
should be included in the Survey. USDOT intends, working with NATSO, to 
include small, medium and large scale facility owners and operators in 
the Survey;
    [cir] OOIDA expressed interest in participating in the Metrics 
Workshop that will be conducted under this project. FHWA intends to 
include OOIDA representatives as invitees to this event.

    FHWA appreciates the comments that were submitted and has, overall, 
incorporated the suggestions offered into the Survey and other work 
activities being developed under this Project.

    Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. 
Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued On: December 4, 2013.
Michael Howell,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-29428 Filed 12-9-13; 8:45 am]
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