[Federal Register: June 27, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 123)]
[Notices]
[Page 35300-35301]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27jn07-117]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
[FTA Docket No. FTA-2007-28563]
Notice of Request for the Revision of Currently Approved
Information Collection
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 35001 et seq.), this notice announces the intention of the
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to request the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the revision of the currently
approved information collection: 49 U.S.C. 5335(a) and (b) National
Transit Database NTD). FTA would like to add the collection of rural
transit data under the NTD to this collection, as mandated by the Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy
for Users (SAFETEA-LU), enacted August 10, 2005.
[[Page 35301]]
DATES: Comments must be submitted before August 27, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand-deliver comments to the U.S. Department
of Transportation, Dockets Management Facility, Room PL-401, 400
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Comments may also be faxed
to (202) 493-2251; or submitted electronically at http://dms.dot.gov.
All comments should include the docket number in this notice's heading.
All comments may be examined and copied at the above address from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. If you
desire a receipt, you must include a self-addressed, stamped envelope
or postcard or, if you submit your comments electronically, you may
print the acknowledgement page.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John D. Giorgis, National Transit
Database Contracting Officer's Technical Representative, Office of
Budget and Policy, FTA, phone: 202-366-5430, fax: 202-366-7989, or e-
mail: john.giorgis@dot.gov or you may contact Shauna J. Coleman, Office
of Chief Counsel, FTA, phone: 202-366-4063, fax: 202-366-3809, or e-
mail: shauna.coleman@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested parties are invited to send
comments regarding any aspect of this information collection,
including: (1) The necessity and utility of the information collection
for the proper performance of the functions of the FTA; (2) the
accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways to
minimize the collection burden without reducing the quality of the
collected information. Comments submitted in response to this notice
will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of
this information collection.
Title: 49 U.S.C. 5335(a) and (b) National Transit Database.
(OMB Number: 2132-0008).
Background: Title 49 U.S.C. 5335(a) and (b) requires the Secretary
of Transportation to maintain a reporting system by uniform categories
to accumulate mass transportation financial and operating information
using a uniform system of accounts and records. Congress created the
NTD to be the repository of transit data for the nation, on which to
base public transportation service planning. Section 3033 of SAFETEA-LU
amended 49 U.S.C. 5335 to require recipients of 49 U.S.C. 5311 grants
to submit an annual report containing total annual revenue; sources of
revenue; total annual operating costs; total annual capital costs;
fleet size and type; and related facilities: Revenue vehicle miles and
ridership. The addition of this requirement for recipients of 49 U.S.C.
5311 does not affect the existing NTD data collection from urbanized
area agencies, including the mandatory NTD reporting requirement for
recipients of 49 U.S.C. 5307 grants (Urbanized Area Formula grants).
FTA will not require these smaller rural agencies to submit the
same level of detail to the NTD as a system in an urbanized area. FTA
will only require the State Department of Transportation (DOT) to
submit a one-page form for each rural agency in the State that is the
recipient or beneficiary of grants under 49 U.S.C. 5311. Most State
DOTs already produce reports for their State legislatures with this
summary data. Additionally, FTA will require each State DOT to report
the number of counties in the State that are served by recipients of
grants under 49 U.S.C. 5311. For purposes of this data collection,
Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands will report as States (by 49 U.S.C. 5307(1). The U.S.
Virgin Islands is an urbanized area for purposes of FTA grantmaking and
does not receive grants under 49 U.S.C. 5311. Additionally, FTA will
require this report from federally-recognized Native American tribes
that are direct recipients of grants under 49 U.S.C. Section 5311 and
whose information is not included in a report of a State DOT. The
reporting requirements for this program have been developed after years
of consultation with State DOTs and rural transit agencies.
On November 30, 2005, FTA published in the Federal Register (70 FR
71950, November 30, 2005) the procedures and start dates for mandatory
annual reporting that State DOTs must follow when submitting rural
transit data to FTA. The rural transit data reporting procedures are
specified in the Rural NTD Module Reporting Manual which contains
detailed reporting instructions for this data collection. It can be
reviewed on the NTD Web site at http://www.ntdprogram.gov. and will be
submitted for notice and comment in a future Federal Register
announcement. For 2006, many States have reported data to the NTD for
approximately 1,600 rural systems under a voluntary pilot program. The
majority of States reported all of their data without any formal
training.
FTA is requesting a revision of the currently approved NTD
information collection (OMB Control Number 2132-008) to include the
addition of rural reporting.
Rural Respondents: State DOTs and some tribal governments.
Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: Approximately one hour is
required to complete the one-page form for each of the 1,600 recipients
of grants under 49 U.S.C. 5311. The average for each State DOT that
files on behalf of the grant recipients is less than 31 hours each
year.
Estimated Total Annual Rural Burden: 1,600 hours.
Frequency: Annual reports.
Urban reporting is currently included in the approved NTD
information collection.
Urban Respondents: The respondents are primarily public transit
authorities that are agencies of State and local governments. Reporters
also include entities under contract to public transit agencies, such
as, business or other for-profit institutions, non-profit institutions,
and small business organizations.
Estimated Annual Urban Burden on Urban Respondents: There are 660
total potential respondents, of which 80 very small systems seek
exemptions from filing. Annually, about 580 entities file detailed
reports. The annual burden on each of the 580 respondents is 395 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Urban Burden: 229,100 hours.
Frequency: Primarily annual, with monthly safety, security and
ridership reports.
Total Estimated Annual Burden for Rural and Urban Respondents:
230,700 hours.
Issued: June 20, 2007.
Ann M. Linnertz,
Associate Administrator for Administration.
[FR Doc. E7-12361 Filed 6-26-07; 8:45 am]
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