[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 138 (Wednesday, July 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41814-41815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14232]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistics


Request for OMB Clearance of an Information Collection; Customer 
Satisfaction Surveys Program

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Research and 
Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), Department of 
Transportation, (DOT).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public 
Law 104-13, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics invites the general 
public, industry and other governmental parties to comment to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on continuing need for and 
usefulness of BTS' Customer Satisfaction Surveys. This collection 
request has been published in the Federal Register March 31, 2004 on 
page 17031 with a 60 day comment period ending May 30, 2004. The 60 day 
notice produced no comments. This collection is now being submitted to 
OMB for approval.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by August 19, 2005.

ADDRESSES: You may submit a comment (identified by OMB Number 2139-
0007) to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of 
Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, 
Attention: BTS Desk Officer.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Lori Putman, Office of Survey 
Programs, K-23, Room 4432, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 
Research and Innovative Technology Administration, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001, (202) 366-5336.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OMB Approval No. 2139-0007.

    Title: Customer Satisfaction Surveys.
    Form No.: None.
    Type of Review: Revision to a currently approved collection.
    Respondents: U.S. households.
    Number of Respondents: 22,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 5-17 minutes.
    Total Annual Burden: 8700 hours (estimate).
    Needs and Uses: In 1993, Executive Order 12862 was 
implemented by the President to insure the highest quality service 
possible to the American people. Federal agencies are required to 
establish and implement customer service standards to guide the 
operations of the agency, to judge the performance of the agency, and 
to make appropriate resource allocations. To fulfill the requirements 
of this mandate, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) 
immediately implemented plans and requirements for measuring customer 
satisfaction with BTS and Department of Transportation programs and 
services. As the statistical agency of the Department of 
Transportation, BTS is charged with fulfilling a wide variety of user 
needs. BTS has implemented a wide range of customer satisfaction 
surveys. The approaches include the Omnibus Survey Programs and the BTS 
Customer Satisfaction Survey, all of which are covered by this 
clearance request. Consistent with the requirements of Executive Order 
12862, BTS plans to continue data collections at several 
levels to better assess and evaluate customer satisfaction within 
products, services, and overall performance of the agency over the next 
three years.
    Description of Survey Topics: The Omnibus Surveys Program is 
comprised of several different surveys--A Household Survey and periodic 
targeted surveys. The primary purpose of the Omnibus Household Survey 
are: (1) To determine the public's level of satisfaction with the 
nation's transportation system in light of the Department's strategic 
objectives, (2) to determine the public's satisfaction with the 
Department of Transportation products and services; and (3) to be a 
vehicle for the Operation Administrations within the Department of 
Transportation and other government agencies to survey the public about 
Administration-specific topics.
    The Omnibus targeted surveys are designed on an ``as needed'' basis 
to address specific, emerging transportation issues. Although there is 
no schedule for such surveys, this

[[Page 41815]]

submission requests clearance for a maximum of 8 targeted surveys per 
year. In the past, BTS has conducted such targeted surveys as the 
Mariner's Survey (which collects data about the Merchant Marines to be 
used in the event of a national emergency), the Highway User Survey 
(which collects data on highway usage) and the Bicycle/Pedestrian 
Survey (which collects data on bicycle usage and on walking as 
transportation). Data collection for targeted surveys may be one time 
only or recurring.
    The BTS Customer Satisfaction Survey was implemented in 1998. The 
resulting data identified customers who are served by the Bureau of 
Transportation Statistics; determined the kind of quality of services 
they want; and measured their level of satisfaction with existing 
services. The surveys covered by this request do not duplicate 
information currently being collected by any other agency or component 
within the Department of Transportation. The information to be 
collected by these surveys is not currently available in any other 
format or from any other source or combination of sources.
    Burden Statement: The total annual respondent burden estimate is 
8,700 hours. The number of respondents and average burden hour per 
response will vary with each survey.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on July 13, 2005.
Michael P. Cohen,
Assistant Director, Survey Programs, Research and Innovative Technology 
Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
[FR Doc. 05-14232 Filed 7-19-05; 8:45 am]
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