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

Michael Howell
Federal Highway Administration
January 9, 2013

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 9, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1917-1918]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-00240]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-2013-0001]


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: FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request 
the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a new 
information collection, which is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day 
public comment period on this information collection on June 28, 2012. 
We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Please submit comments by February 8, 2013.

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 2013-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James A. Cheatham, 
james.cheatham@dot.gov, 202-366-6221, Office of Planning, Environment, 
and Realty, Federal Highway Administration, Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. 
Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Assessment of Transportation Planning Agency Needs, 
Capabilities, and Capacity.
    Background: FHWA will collect information on the current state of 
the practice, data, methods, and systems used by state, metropolitan, 
regional, local, and tribal transportation planning entities to support 
their required planning process in accordance with Title 23 United 
States Code 134 and 135. This includes, but is not limited to, 
information to support transportation research, capacity building, data 
collection, planning, travel modeling, and performance management. This 
also includes information about how data is shared between planning 
agencies and how it is processed and used in the planning context. 
Questionnaires will be sent to State DOT headquarters and districts, 
Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Regional Planning Organizations, 
and Tribal Governments. FHWA anticipates that one representative from 
each agency will take approximately 30 minutes to complete up to 4 
questionnaires each

[[Page 1918]]

year. The questionnaires will be administered via the Internet and 
invitations to participate in the questionnaire will be distributed via 
email.
    This information, once compiled, will allow the FHWA to better 
understand the existing capabilities that agencies across the country 
have in support of the planning process and the readiness they possess 
to handle new and ongoing challenges. As a result of the collected 
information, FHWA will focus its efforts and resources on providing 
targeted and meaningful support for planning and readiness nationwide. 
Additionally, FHWA will ensure that excellent planning practices are 
identified will be shared broadly across the country.
    Respondents: Respondents are representatives of State DOT 
headquarters and districts, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, 
Regional Planning Organizations, and Tribal Governments.
    Respondents: 950 respondents annually.
    Frequency: 4 per year for 3 years.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: Approximately 30 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Up to 1,900 hours annually.
    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 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 computer 
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: January 4, 2013.
Michael Howell,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2013-00240 Filed 1-8-13; 8:45 am]
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