[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 14, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1884-1885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-686]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--FRA F 6180.71, U.S. DOT AAR Crossing Inventory Form

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its 
implementing regulations, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 
hereby announces that it is seeking renewal of the following currently 
approved information collection activities. Before submitting these 
information collection requirements (ICRs) for clearance by the Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting public comment on 
specific aspects of the activities identified below.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than March 17, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the following proposed activities 
by mail to either: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of Safety, Planning and 
Evaluation Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 
Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 20590, or Ms. Debra 
Steward, Office of Information Technology and Productivity Improvement, 
RAD-20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW., Mail 
Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590. Commenters requesting FRA to acknowledge 
receipt of their respective comments must include a self-addressed 
stamped postcard stating, ``Comments on OMB control number 2130-0017.'' 
Alternatively, comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493-
6265 or (202) 493-6170, or e-mail to Mr. Brogan at 
[email protected], or to Ms. Debra Steward at 
[email protected]. Please refer to the assigned OMB control 
number in any correspondence submitted. FRA will summarize comments 
received in response to this notice in a subsequent notice and include 
them in its information collection submission to OMB for approval.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Brogan, Office of Planning 
and Evaluation Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 
Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 
493-6292) or Debra Steward, Office of Information Technology and 
Productivity Improvement, RAD-20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 
Vermont Ave., NW., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 
493-6139). (These telephone numbers are not toll-free.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Public Law 104-13, sec. 2, 109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised at 
44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), and its implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 
1320, require Federal agencies to provide 60-days notice to the public 
for comment on information collection activities before seeking 
approval for reinstatement or renewal by OMB. 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 
5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), 1320.10(e)(1), 1320.12(a). Specifically,

[[Page 1885]]

FRA invites interested respondents to comment on the following summary 
of proposed information collection activities regarding (i) whether the 
information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly 
execute its functions, including whether the activities will have 
practical utility; (ii) the accuracy of FRA's estimates of the burden 
of the information collection activities, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used to determine the estimates; (iii) ways 
for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
being collected; and (iv) ways for FRA to minimize the burden of 
information collection activities on the public by automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology (e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses). See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)(I)-(iv); 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)(1)(I)-(iv). FRA believes that soliciting public comment will 
promote its efforts to reduce the administrative and paperwork burdens 
associated with the collection of information mandated by Federal 
regulations. In summary, FRA reasons that comments received will 
advance three objectives: (i) Reduce reporting burdens; (ii) ensure 
that it organizes information collection requirements in a ``user 
friendly'' format to improve the use of such information; and (iii) 
accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce 
information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
    Below is a brief summary of the currently approved information 
collection activity that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as 
required under the PRA:
    Title: U.S. DOT-AAR Crossing Inventory Form.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0017.
    Form Number: FRA F 6180.71.
    Expiration: March 31, 2003.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: Form FRA 6180.71 is a voluntary form and is used by 
States and railroads to periodically update certain cite specific 
highway-rail crossing information which is then transmitted to FRA for 
input into the National Inventory File. This information has been 
collected on the U.S. DOT-AAR Crossing Inventory Form since 1974 and 
maintained in the National Inventory File database since 1975. The 
primary purpose of the National Inventory is to provide for the 
existence of a uniform database which can be merged with accident data 
and used to analyze information for planning and implementation of 
crossing safety improvement programs by public, private, and 
governmental agencies responsible for highway-rail crossing safety. 
Following the official establishment of the National Inventory in 1975, 
the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) assumed the principal 
responsibility as custodian for the maintenance and continued 
development of the U.S. DOT/AAR National Highway-Rail Crossing 
Inventory Program. The major goal of the Program is to provide federal, 
state, and local governments, as well as the railroad industry, 
information for the improvement of safety at highway-rail crossings. 
Good management practices necessitate maintaining the database with 
current information. The data will continue to be useful only if 
maintained and updated as inventory changes occur. FRA previously 
cleared the reporting and recordkeeping burden for this form under 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance number 2130-0017. OMB 
approved the burden for this form through March 31, 2003. Based on the 
most recent information available, FRA estimates approximately 96,000 
updates per year. Although this represents a substantial increase in 
the number of updates from the previous estimate of responses, the 
total recordkeeping and reporting burden for this information 
collection will actually decline by 1,716 hours. The reduction in 
burden is due to a large increase in the estimated number of electronic 
records which will be kept over the next three years. FRA is requesting 
a new three-year approval from OMB for this information collection.
    Affected Public: Railroads and State governments.
    Estimated Total Number of Responses Per Year: 95,969 updates.
    Estimated Response Time per Form: .25 hr. (2,056 form updates); .50 
hr. per mass update list (300 mass update lists containing 5,433 
updates); .50 hr. per electronic foreign file (700 electronic foreign 
files containing 77,158 updates); and .03333 hr. per GX computer update 
(11,322 updates on 36 GX computer disks).
    Total Annual Burden: 1,388 hours.
    Pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b), 
1320.8(b)(3)(vi), FRA informs all interested parties that it may not 
conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, a 
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

    Issued in Washington, DC on January 9, 2003.
Kathy A. Weiner,
Director, Office of Information Technology and Support Systems, Federal 
Railroad Administration.
[FR Doc. 03-686 Filed 1-13-03; 8:45 am]
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