[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 214 (Thursday, November 5, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 59837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29617]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-98-4671]


Notice of Request for Clearance of a New Information Collection: 
Local Technical Assistance Program Extent of Coverage

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirement in section 3506(c) (2)(A) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the 
intention of the FHWA to request the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) to approve a new information collection related to the Local 
Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) which provides for training, 
technology transfer and technical assistance to local and tribal 
government transportation providers. This information collection will 
be in the form of a survey that will document the extent of coverage of 
the LTAP and provide a baseline from which to measure the Program's 
progress in expanding that coverage between now and the year 2002.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 4, 1999.

ADDRESSES: All signed, written comments should refer to the docket 
number that appears in the heading of this document and must be 
submitted to the Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, 400 
Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. All comments received 
will be available for examination at the above address between 10:00 
a.m. to 5:00 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. Those desiring notification of receipt of comments must 
include a self-addressed, stamped envelope or postcard.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Anna K. Bennett, LTAP Project 
Manager, (415) 744-2616, Federal Highway Administration, Western 
Resource Center, 201 Mission Street, Suite 2100, San Francisco, CA 
94105. Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., p.t., Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Local Technical Assistance Program Extent of Coverage
    OMB Number:
    Background: The LTAP has established a network of 57 technology 
transfer centers at universities and state highway agencies for the 
purpose of improving the skills and knowledge of local and tribal 
transportation providers through training, technical assistance and 
technology transfer. The LTAP Strategic Plan, adopted in 1997, calls 
for increasing usage of the program to 75 percent of local and tribal 
governments by the year 2002. Information is needed to document the 
extent to which local and tribal transportation agencies recognize, 
utilize, and are satisfied with the services provided by their LTAP 
Centers. The information will establish the baseline from which 
progress towards the goal of increasing coverage to 75 percent of all 
local and tribal transportation agencies will be measured.
    The information will be collected through a mail survey. 
Respondents will be asked to complete a brief, standardized 
questionnaire asking if employees of their agency are aware of the 
existence of their local or tribal LTAP Center, have read its 
newsletter, attended training sessions or utilized other technology 
transfer services provided by the Center within the past year, and 
their satisfaction with those services.
    Information will be collected from a simple random sample of all 
local and tribal governments in the U.S. In order to sample the 
population of local and tribal governments in the United States and 
Puerto Rico with +/-three percent error at 95 percent confidence, 1,100 
surveys need to be completed. Based on responses to an earlier LTAP 
study, a 17 percent response rate to the mail survey is anticipated. 
Therefore, questionnaires will be mailed to 6,500 randomly selected 
employees of local and tribal governments to ensure obtaining 1,100 
completed survey forms.
    The results of the survey will be retained by the Office of 
Technology Applications for comparison with the results of a subsequent 
collection in 2002. The results of the survey will also be presented in 
a report for dissemination to LTAP partners, including national 
associations, state departments of transportation, LTAP centers, and 
local and tribal governments.
    Respondents: Employees of local and tribal government 
transportation providers.
    Estimated average burden per response: 20 minutes to read and 
respond to the mail survey.
    Estimated total annual Burden: 367 hours.
    Frequency: The survey will be conducted once for a baseline 
measurement and again in the year 2002 to measure progress.
    Public comments invited: Interested parties are invited to send 
comments regarding any aspect of this information collection, 
including, but not limited to: (1) the necessity and utility of the 
information collection for the proper performance of the functions of 
the FHWA; (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's 
clearance of this information collection.
    Electronic access: Internet users can access all comments received 
by the U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, by using the universal resource 
locator (URL): http://dms.dot.gov. It is available 24 hours each day, 
365 days each year. Please follow the instructions online for more 
information and help.
    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a modem 
and suitable communications software from the Government Printing 
Office Electronic Bulletin Board Service at telephone number 202-512-
1661. Internet users may reach the Federal Register's home page at 
http://www.nara.gov/fedreg and the Government Printing Office's 
database at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. Section 504.

    Issued on: October 28, 1998
George S. Moore, Jr.,
Associate Administrator for Administration.
[FR Doc. 98-29617 Filed 11-4-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P