Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection |
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Cynthia Thornton
Federal Highway Administration
January 5, 2011
[Federal Register: January 5, 2011 (Volume 76, Number 3)]
[Notices]
[Page 621-622]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05ja11-108]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-2010-0180]
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)
for approval of a new information collection. We published a Federal
Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information
collection on September 7, 2010. We are required to publish this notice
in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Please submit comments by February 4, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments within 30 days to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,
725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer.
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 burden; (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. All comments should include the
Docket number FHWA-2010-0180.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen Bergeron, (202) 366-5508,
Office of Infrastructure, Federal Highway Administration, Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
[[Page 622]]
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Highways for LIFE Omnibus Survey for Technology Deployment.
Background: The Highways for LIFE program was established by the
109th Congress within Sections 1101 and 1502 of the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (Pub.
L. 109-59). Within that law, under the topic ``Technology Transfer and
Information Dissemination,'' it states that ``The Secretary shall
conduct a highways for life technology transfer program.'' It further
states that ``The Secretary shall establish a process for stakeholder
input and involvement in the development, implementation, and
evaluation of the Highways for LIFE Pilot Program. The process may
include participation by representatives of the State departments of
transportation and other interested persons.'' Also, it states that,
``The Secretary shall monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of any
activity carried out under this section.''
A critical element in accomplishing these goals is to ensure that
the technologies being deployed by FHWA and implemented by the States
actually fill a specific need. Therefore, it is important that FHWA
obtain feedback both before and after specific technologies are
transferred. If, for example, FHWA determined on its own that a
particular innovation was important, yet never actually determined
whether States would value such an innovation, much time and money
would have been wasted. Or, if there were an innovation that was
deployed to States, yet FHWA never followed up to determine if the
effort was a success, or how it might be even more successful, lessons
could not be learned and put into effect.
In FHWA's Strategic Plan, the first goal listed is ``National
Leadership.'' Under that topic, the first objective is ``Advance
Innovation: FHWA is recognized as a leader in the development and
promotion of innovative solutions that address current and emerging
transportation issues.'' Item 1.1 is ``Systematically identify emerging
issues and needs that could impact transportation,'' and item 1.2 is
``Identify, develop, promote, and rapidly implement new and proven
technologies and innovative solutions to improve system performance.''
These ``innovative solutions'' cannot properly identify what might work
without discussing the needs for such things with the user groups--the
States. Likewise, it cannot promote and implement them without an
appropriate understanding of how the user organizations--the States--
feel about the particular innovations; and this can only come from a
formal survey.
Respondents: There are 260 respondents, including 5 each from 50
State Transportation Departments, the District of Columbia, and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Frequency: Once a year, for three years.
Estimated Average Burden per Response: Each survey will require 15
minutes to respond.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 65 hours.
Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of
this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary for the U.S. DOT's performance,
including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the
accuracy of the U.S. DOT's estimate of the burden of the proposed
information collection; (3) ways 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: December 29, 2010.
Cynthia Thornton,
Acting Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.
[FR Doc. 2010-33286 Filed 1-4-11; 8:45 am]
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