Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection |
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Michael Howell
Federal Highway Administration
June 25, 2013
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 25, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38094-38095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-15140]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-2013-0017]
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: The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to
request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a
new information collection, which is summarized below under
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in
the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Please submit comments by August 26, 2013.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID 2013-
0017 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: USDOT Survey and Comparative Assessment of Truck Parking
Facilities.
Background: US Department of Transportation (USDOT) is directed to
complete a survey and comparative assessment of truck parking
facilities in each State as required by Section 1401(c) of Moving Ahead
for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21). MAP-21 Section 1401(c)
requires the conduct of a survey in order to evaluate the capability of
the States to provide adequate parking and rest facilities for
commercial motor vehicles engaged in interstate transportation. Other
work activities required under this section of MAP-21 are: An
assessment of the volume of commercial motor vehicle traffic in each
State and the development of a system of metrics designed to measure
the adequacy of commercial motor vehicle truck parking facilities in
each state. The results of this survey shall be made available on a
publicly accessible Department of Transportation Web site.
Respondents: State Transportation and Enforcement Officials,
Private Sector Facility Owners/Operators, Trucking Company owners or
their designee, and Truck Drivers. The target groups of respondents are
individuals who are responsible for providing or overseeing the
operation of truck parking facilities and stakeholders that depend on
such 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
this term to include the Department of Transportation personnel in each
State involved in commercial vehicle safety program activities and
State enforcement agency personnel directly involved in enforcing
highway safety laws and regulations and in highway incident and
accident response. In addition, FHWA finds that the survey on the
adequacy of truck parking opportunities is not limited to publicly
owned facilities; input from private sector facility owners/operators
must be obtained to adequately complete the required work provided in
the federal legislation. FHWA also finds that input obtained from
trucking company representatives (owners or their designees, especially
those in logistics or who schedule drivers) and truck drivers, key
stakeholders for truck parking facilities who are most likely to know
where truck parking is needed, will be necessary to complete the survey
requirements.
In addition to the survey instrument, FHWA intends to convene
expert focus groups representing the stakeholder organizations listed
above, as well as address this topic at existing meetings of the
stakeholders as necessary and feasible to gather input in the delivery
and content of the survey instrument and the assessment tool newly
required in the law, as well as the system of metrics designed to
measure truck
[[Page 38095]]
parking adequacy. It is estimated that the focus groups would comprise
no more than three groups of 20 stakeholder participants for a total of
three meetings--one meeting per group.
Types of Survey Questions: FHWA intends to survey Department of
Transportation personnel in each State on the location, number of
spaces, availability and demand for truck parking in their State,
including at rest facilities, as well as any impediments to providing
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). FHWA intends to survey
private truck stop operators in each State on the location, number of
truck parking spaces, availability and demand they observe at their
facilities. FHWA intends to survey public safety officials in each
State on their records and observations of 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
regarding the location and frequency of insufficient truck parking and
capacity at rest facilities, future truck parking needs and locations,
availability of information on truck parking capacity, and other
impediments to identification, access and use of truck parking. Other
questions may be included as needed as a result of input from the focus
groups, stakeholder outreach or at FHWA's discretion, or as follow-up
to the survey.
Estimate
State Departments of Transportation = 50 (4 hours each) + [up to 15
individuals x up to 5 hours of meeting and travel] = up to 275 hours;
State Enforcement Personnel = 50 (1 hour each) + [up to 15
individuals x up to 5 hours of meeting and travel] = up to 125 hours;
Private Facility Owners/Operators = 229 (1 hour each) + [up to 15
individuals x up to 5 hours of meeting and travel] = up to 304 hours,
and
Trucking Company Representatives and Drivers = 150 (1 hour each) +
[up to 15 individuals x up to 5 hours of meeting and travel] = up to
225 hours;
Total number of respondents = 479 for the survey, and up to an
additional 60 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 Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of
this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed
collection is necessary for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of
the estimated burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality,
usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that
the burden could be minimized, including the use of electronic
technology, without reducing the quality of the collected information.
The agency will summarize and/or include your comments in the request
for OMB's clearance of this information collection.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: June 20, 2013.
Michael Howell,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-15140 Filed 6-24-13; 8:45 am]
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