[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 19, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3001-3002]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-1194]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-2000-6782]


Notice of Request for Clearance of a New Information Collection: 
Adequacy of Truck Parking Facilities

AGENCY:  Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION:  Notice and request for comments.

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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 research 
project ``Adequacy of Truck Parking Facilities.'' This information 
collection will be in the form of a survey to collect information from 
drivers of commercial motor vehicles carrying property.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 20, 2000.

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 between10:00 
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:  Kate Woerheide, Project Manager, 
(202) 366-5884, [email protected], Federal Highway 
Administration, Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, 6300 
Georgetown Pike, McLean, Virginia 22101. Office hours are from 8:30 
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Adequacy of Truck Parking Facilities.
    Background: In 1996 research conducted by the former FHWA Office of 
Motor Carrier Research and Standards and reported in Commercial Driver 
Rest & Parking Requirements; Making Space for Safety (Publication No. 
FHWA-MC-96-0010), considerable gains were made in understanding how 
truck drivers use public rest areas and privately-owned truck stops. 
The research methodology concentrated on analyzing data at public rest 
areas and privately-owned truck stops on the Interstate System by 
inventorying parking capacity and restrictions in the 48 contiguous 
states, direct observation of the actual use of truck parking at 
facilities along a medium-density trucking corridor, and in 
consultation with truck drivers, motor carriers, and truck stop 
operators. Subsequent research in this area has been mandated by 
Congress (Section 4027 of TEA-21) to determine the location and 
quantity of parking spaces at public rest areas and private truck stops 
along the National Highway System. The Congressional mandate specifies 
that current and projected truck parking shortages be assessed. In 
order to accurately assess shortage, it is necessary to go beyond a 
simple count of parking spaces available across the country. Shortages 
must be estimated by measuring the parking supply in light of regional, 
driver-preference, and other influencing factors.
    Whereas truck parking supply, demand, and shortages were assessed 
on the Interstate Highway System in the 1996 Study, there is a need to 
(1) extend this assessment to the National Highway System and (2) 
develop a better understanding of driver-related factors that affect 
truck rest stop demand. To determine where drivers need truck parking, 
a better understanding of drivers' parking-related requirements and 
decision strategies is needed.
    To measure truck driver parking needs and preferences, this study 
will employ a nationwide survey of truck drivers. The survey will help 
to determine: (1) How truck drivers plan

[[Page 3002]]

for and address their parking needs; (2) how truck drivers select when, 
where, and at which facility they park (including public vs. private 
stops); and, (3) what truck drivers think of the adequacy of current 
parking facilities.
    Approach: The survey instrument will be developed with input from 
several commercial vehicle industry segments. The industry segments 
represented during survey development will include safety stakeholders, 
trade associations, and carrier companies. Survey development will 
include a thorough search of related survey efforts, including, but not 
limited to, other commercial vehicle driver surveys. Survey items will 
reflect parking-related factors identified through literature reviews, 
as well as parking-related factors and concerns raised in discussions 
with representatives from the various industry segments. The survey 
will contain primarily fixed-response items. The items will address 
driver demographics, trip-planning, factors influencing parking 
decisions, and drivers' assessment of the adequacy of current 
commercial vehicle parking. Where appropriate, drivers will be asked 
these questions for both current and typical hauls. The demographic 
information will help determine whether different types of drivers have 
different parking needs.
    The survey will be distributed to truck drivers at selected truck 
stops and rest areas across the United States. Randomly sampling 
drivers at parking facilities along U.S. trucking corridors will ensure 
that all drivers who use such parking facilities have an equal chance 
of being included in the study. To increase sample size, mail-out 
surveys may also be used.
    Respondents: There will be 2,000 randomly selected truck drivers 
who will be requested to respond to the planned survey.
    Estimated Burden Hours: The average burden per response is 15 
minutes. This includes the time needed for reviewing the survey 
instructions, completing the appropriate survey instrument, reviewing 
the collection of information, and returning the information to the 
research team. The estimated total annual burden to survey respondents 
is 500 hours. The survey is a one-time survey.

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:  TEA-21, Section 4027; 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued on: January 13, 2000.
Michael J. Vecchietti,
Director, Office of Information and Management Services.
[FR Doc. 00-1194 Filed 1-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P