[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 59 (Thursday, March 27, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15038-15039]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7296]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION


Notice and Request for Comments

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information 
Collection Requirement (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR 
describes the nature of the information collection and its expected 
burden. The Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period 
soliciting comments on the following collection of information was 
published on January 14, 2003 (68 FR 61884).

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 28, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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 (telephone: (202) 493-6292), 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 (telephone: (202) 493-6139). (These telephone 
numbers are not toll-free.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Pub. L. 104-13, section 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 issue two notices seeking public 
comment on information collection activities before OMB may approve 
paperwork packages. 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5, 1320.8(d)(1), 
1320.12. On January 14, 2003, FRA published a 60-day notice in the 
Federal Register soliciting comment on ICRs that the agency was seeking 
OMB approval. See 68 FR 1884. FRA received no comments after issuing 
the 60-day notice referenced earlier. Accordingly, DOT announces that 
these information collection activities have been re-evaluated and 
certified under 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and forwarded to OMB for review and 
approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12(c).
    Before OMB decides whether to approve these proposed collections of 
information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. 44 U.S.C. 
3507(b); 5 CFR 1320.12(d). Federal law requires OMB to approve or 
disapprove paperwork packages between 30 and 60 days after the 30 day 
notice is published. 44 U.S.C. 3507 (b)-(c); 5 CFR 1320.12(d); see also 
60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that the 30 day notice 
informs the regulated community to file relevant comments and affords 
the agency adequate time to digest public comments before it renders a 
decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should 
submit their respective comments to OMB within 30 days of publication 
to best ensure having their full effect. 5 CFR 1320.12(c); See also 60 
FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
    The summaries below describe the nature of the information 
collection requirements (ICRs) and the expected burden. The revised 
requirements are being submitted for clearance by OMB as required by 
the PRA.
    Title: U.S. DOT Crossing Inventory Form.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0017.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Railroads.
    Abstract: Form FRA F 6180.71 is a voluntary form and is used by 
States and railroads to periodically update certain site 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 (previous 
designation of this form) since 1974 and maintained in the National 
Inventory File database since 1975. The primary purpose of the National 
Inventory File is to provide for the existence of a uniform database 
which can be merged with accidents data and used to analyze information 
for planning and implementation of crossing safety 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. FRA is 
requesting a new three year approval from OMB for this information 
collection.
    Annual Estimated Burden Hours: FRA estimates that the revised 
burden for these ICRs is 1,487 hours. The total recordkeeping and 
reporting burden for this information collection will actually decline 
by 1,617 hours from the previous total of 3,104 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.
    Addressee: Send comments regarding this information collection to 
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management 
and Budget, 725 Seventeenth Street, NW., Washington, DC, 20503, 
Attention: FRA Desk Officer.
    Comments are invited on the following: Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Department, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of 
the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    A comment to OMB is best assured of having its full effect if OMB 
receives it within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register.

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



[[Page 15039]]


    Issued in Washington, DC on March 21, 2003.
Kathy A. Weiner,
Director, Office of Information Technology and Support Systems, Federal 
Railroad Administration.
[FR Doc. 03-7296 Filed 3-26-03; 8:45 am]
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