[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 134 (Thursday, July 13, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 39700]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-11035]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Innovative Technology Administration


Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; 
Collection of Data for Program Evaluation

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

ACTION: Notice.

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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 Request (ICR) described below is being forwarded to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval for a new 
information collection related to the evaluation of a five-year 
demonstration/research program on voluntary reporting of close calls 
and near misses in the rail environment. 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 May 10, 2006 (71 
FR 27313) and the comment period ended on July 9, 2006. The 60-day 
notice produced no comments.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by August 14, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Demetra V. Collia, Room 3430, 
RITA, BTS, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590-0001. Telephone (202) 366-1610, Fax (202) 493-0568 
or e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Collection of Data for Program Evaluation.
    Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
    OMB Control Number: New.
    Affected Public: Workers in the railroad industry.
    Number of Respondents: 1200.
    Number of Responses: 1200.
    Total Annual Burden: 600 hours (Average estimate of 30 minutes to 
complete the survey resulting in a total of 600 hours).
    Abstract: Collecting data on the nation's transportation system is 
an important component of BTS' responsibility to the transportation 
community and is authorized in BTS statutory authority (49 U.S.C. 
111(c)(1) and (2) and 49 U.S.C. 111(c)(5)(j)). Further, BTS and FRA 
share a common interest in promoting rail safety based on better data. 
In recognition of the need for new approaches to improving safety, the 
FRA has initiated a research program called the Confidential Close Call 
Reporting System (C\3\RS). The C\3\RS is designed to identify safety 
issues and propose corrective actions based on voluntary reports of 
close calls submitted to BTS. BTS will collect reports on close calls 
and near misses submitted by railroad employees, develop an analytical 
database containing the reported data and other pertinent information, 
and protect the confidentiality of these data through its own statute 
(49 U.S.C. 111(i)) and the Confidential Information Protection and 
Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA). BTS is seeking a separate 
OMB approval for the collection of close call reports (71 FR 24913, 
April 27, 2006) which does not involve the evaluation of the reporting 
system.
    While C\3\RS is being implemented with the participation of the 
FRA, railroad labor, and railroad management, there are legitimate 
questions about whether it is being implemented in the most effective 
way, and whether it will have its intended effect. Further, even if 
C\3\RS is successful, it will be necessary to know if it is successful 
enough to implement on a wide scale. To address these important 
questions, the FRA is implementing a formative evaluation to guide 
program development, a summative evaluation to assess impact, and a 
sustainability evaluation to determine how C\3\RS can continue after 
the test period is over. BTS will collect, process, and analyze the 
survey data for the evaluation of C\3\RS.
    Employees of selected railroad sites (pilot sites) will be asked to 
fill out a questionnaire which will be made available to them at town 
hall meetings and mail back to BTS. Data will be collected from the 
entire population of affected workers (estimate 1200 or less). The 
survey will ask respondents to provide information on: (a) Beliefs 
about rail safety; (b) issues and personal concerns related to 
implementation of safety programs in their work environment; (c) 
knowledge and views on voluntary reporting of unsafe events; and (d) 
opinions and observations about the operation of C\3\RS at their work 
site. It is estimated that the survey will take no more than 30 minutes 
to complete for a maximum total burden of 600 hours (1200 
respondents*30 minutes/60 = 600 hours).

ADDRESSES: The agency seeks public comments on its proposed information 
collection. Comments should address whether the information will have 
practical utility; the accuracy of the agency'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. Send comments to the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: BTS Desk Officer.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on this 6th day of July, 2006.
William Bannister,
Acting Deputy Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Research 
and Advanced Technology Administration, U.S. Department of 
Transportation.
[FR Doc. E6-11035 Filed 7-12-06; 8:45 am]
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