[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 5, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51003-51004]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17461]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

[FTA Docket No. 2007-29111]


Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration invites public comments 
about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's 
(OMB) approval to renew the following information collection: 49 U.S.C. 
5335(a) and (b) National Transit Database. The information to be 
collected will be used to accumulate mass transportation financial and 
operating information using a uniform system of accounts and records. 
The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting 
comments was published on June 27, 2007.

DATES: Comments must be submitted before October 5, 2007. A comment to 
OMB is most effective if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sylvia L. Marion, Office of 
Administration, Office of Management Planning, (202) 366-6680.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: 49 U.S.C. 5335(a) and (b) National 
Transit Database (OMB Number: 2132-0008).
    Abstract: Title 49 U.S.C. 5335(a) and (b) requires the Secretary of 
Transportation to maintain a reporting system by uniform categories to 
accumulate mass transportation financial and operating information 
using a uniform system of accounts and records. Congress created the 
NTD to be the repository of transit data for the nation, on which to 
base public transportation service planning. Section 3033 of SAFETEA-LU 
amended 49 U.S.C. 5335 to require recipients of 49 U.S.C. 5311 grants 
to submit an annual report containing total annual revenue; sources of 
revenue; total annual operating costs; total annual capital costs; 
fleet size and type; and related facilities: revenue vehicle miles and 
ridership. The addition of this requirement for recipients of 49 U.S.C. 
section 5311 does not affect the existing NTD data collection from 
urbanized area agencies, including the mandatory NTD reporting 
requirement for recipients of 49 U.S.C. section 5307 grants (Urbanized 
Area Formula grants).
    FTA will not require these smaller rural agencies to submit the 
same level of detail to the NTD as a system in an urbanized area. FTA 
will only require the State Department of Transportation (DOT) to 
submit a one-page form for each rural agency in the State that is the 
recipient or beneficiary of grants under 49 U.S.C. 5311. Most State 
DOTs already produce reports for their State legislatures with this 
summary data. Additionally, FTA will require each State DOT to report 
the number of counties in the State that are served by recipients of 
grants under 49 U.S.C. 5311. For purposes of this data collection, 
Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands will report as States (by 49 U.S.C. 5307(1)). The U.S. 
Virgin Islands is an urbanized area for purposes of FTA grantmaking and 
does not receive grants under 49 U.S.C. section 5311. Additionally, FTA 
will require this report from federally-recognized Native American 
tribes that are direct recipients of grants under 49 U.S.C. 5311 and 
whose information is not included in a report of a State DOT. The 
reporting requirements for this program have been developed after years 
of consultation with State DOTs and rural transit agencies.
    On November 30, 2005, FTA published in the Federal Register (70 FR 
71950, November 30, 2005) the procedures and start dates for mandatory 
annual reporting that State DOTs must follow when submitting

[[Page 51004]]

rural transit data to FTA. The rural transit data reporting procedures 
are specified in the Rural NTD Module Reporting Manual which contains 
detailed reporting instructions for this data collection. It can be 
reviewed on the NTD Web site at http://www.ntdprogram.gov and will be 
submitted for notice and comment in a future Federal Register 
announcement. For 2006, many States have reported data to the NTD for 
approximately 1,600 rural systems under a voluntary pilot program. The 
majority of States reported all of their data without any formal 
training.
    FTA is requesting a revision of the currently approved NTD 
information collection (OMB Control Number 2132-0008) to include the 
addition of rural reporting.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 230,700 hours.

ADDRESSES: All written comments must refer to the docket number that 
appears at the top of this document and be submitted to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: FTA Desk 
Officer.
    Comments Are Invited On: 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.

    Issued: August 29, 2007.
Ann M. Linnertz,
Associate Administrator for Administration.
[FR Doc. E7-17461 Filed 9-4-07; 8:45 am]
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