Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection Publication: Federal Register Agency: Federal Highway Administration Byline: Jazmyne Lewis Date: 17 July 2024 Subjects: American Government , Roads & Highways Topic: Interstate Highway System, United States Numbered Highways

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 17, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58241-58242]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-15638]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-2024-0053]


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 has forwarded the information collection request 
described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
to approve a new information collection. We are required to publish 
this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.

DATES: Please submit comments by August 16, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 
0053 by any of the following methods:
    Website: 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: Julie Johnston, (202) 591-5858, Office 
of Preconstruction, Construction and Pavements, Federal Highway 
Administration, Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 
SE, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We published a Federal Register Notice with 
a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on May 9, 
2024, at [89 FR 39679]. The comments and FHWA's responses are below:
    The document was published for a 60-day notice in the Federal 
Register. The document citation is 89 FR 39679. There were seventeen 
(17) comments during this comment period, many of which were identical. 
In summary, each comment stated how important the Value Engineering 
Program is and the data collection is an important part of 
demonstrating good stewardship of public funds. Each comment encouraged 
the continuation of the data collection, and that the data shows that 
the Value Engineering program is effective.
    FHWA acknowledges these comments.
    Several commenters encouraged FHWA to collect more data, and to ask 
OMB to reinstate all federal agencies reporting associated with OMB 
Circular A-131. One commenter stated that they would like to have 
access to data reported by other states.
    In an effort to reduce the burden on state DOT's, FHWA streamlined 
the data collection process to highlight the cost expended, cost 
savings and return on investment that comes from Value Engineering. All 
state's data is available on FHWA's Value Engineering website for 
public review https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ve/vereport.cfm. Commenters are 
encouraged to reach out to OMB about reinstating OMB Circular A-131.
    Two commenters suggested that FHWA develop an electronic database 
that allows for the entry of the requested information and allow this 
database to be viewable by the public so that they can compare data.
    In 2023, FHWA created an electronic form for state DOT's to input 
their annual data. This form populates the summary information that is 
available to the public on FHWA's Value Engineering website. This 
information is sortable by state, fiscal year, costs, and a number of 
other factors. Users can also download this information in to a PDF for 
their use.
    Title: Annual Value Engineering Call for Data.
    Background: Value Engineering (VE) is defined as a systematic 
process of review and analysis of a project, during the concept and 
design phases, by a multidiscipline team of persons not involved in the 
project, that is conducted to provide recommendations for providing the 
needed functions safely, reliably, efficiently, and at the lowest 
overall cost; improving the value and quality of the project; and 
reducing the time to complete the project. Applicable projects 
requiring a VE analysis include Projects on the National Highway System 
(NHS) receiving Federal assistance with an estimated total cost of 
$50,000,000 or more; Bridge projects on the NHS receiving Federal 
assistance with an estimated total cost of $40,000,000 or more; any 
major project, as defined in

[[Page 58242]]

23 U.S.C. 106(h), located on or off the NHS, that utilizes Federal-aid 
highway funding in any contract or phase; and other projects as defined 
in 23 CFR 627.5. 23 U.S.C. 106(e)(4)(iv) and 23 CFR 627.7(3) require 
States to monitor, evaluate, and annually submit a report that 
describes the results of the value analyses that are conducted, and the 
recommendations implemented on applicable projects. The FHWA annually 
submits a National Call for VE Data in order to monitor and assess the 
VE Program and meet the requirements of 23 U.S.C. 106(h).
    Respondents: 52, including 50 State Transportation Departments, the 
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: Approximately 2 hours per 
participant over a year.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Approximately 104 hours per 
year.
    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: July 11, 2024.
Jazmyne Lewis,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-15638 Filed 7-16-24; 8:45 am]
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