[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 2, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5370-5371]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2133]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Innovative Technology Administration

[Docket No. RITA-2010-0001]


Notice of Request for Clearance of an Information Collection: 
Omnibus Household Survey Program

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(A) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the 
intention of the BTS to request the Office of Management and Budget's 
(OMB's) approval for an extension of a currently approved information 
collection related to the use of and satisfaction with the nation's 
transportation system.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 5, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 
RITA-2010-0001 to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Dockets 
Management System (DMS). You may submit your comments by mail or in 
person to the Docket Clerk, Docket No. RITA-2010-0001, U.S. Department 
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE., West Building Room W12-
140, Washington, DC 20590. Comments should identify the docket number 
as indicated above. Paper comments should be submitted in duplicate. 
The DMS is open for examination and copying, at the above address, from 
9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. If 
you wish to receive confirmation of receipt of your written comments, 
please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard with the following 
statement: ``Comments on Docket RITA-2010-0001.'' The Docket Clerk will 
date stamp the postcard prior to returning it to you via the U.S. mail. 
Please note that due to delays in the delivery of U.S. mail to Federal 
offices in Washington, DC, we recommend that persons consider an 
alternative method (the Internet, fax, or professional delivery 
service) to submit comments to the docket and ensure their timely 
receipt at U.S. DOT. You may fax your comments to the DMS at (202) 493-
2251. Comments can also be viewed and/or submitted via the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    Please note that anyone is able to electronically search all 
comments received into our docket management system by the name of the 
individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment if submitted 
on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may 
review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register 
published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; pages 19475-19570) 
or you may review the Privacy Act Statement at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Pheny Weidman, (202) 366-2817 OHS 
Program Manager, BTS, RITA, Department of Transportation, 1200 New 
Jersey Ave., SE., Room E32-318, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are 
from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Omnibus Household Survey Program.
    Background: In 2005, Congress passed, and the President signed, the 
Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A 
Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU; Pub. L. 109-59). SAFETEA-LU contained a 
number of legislative mandates including providing data, statistics and 
analyses to transportation decision-makers. The Research and Innovative 
Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (RITA/
BTS) was tasked to accomplish this legislative mandate under 49 U.S.C. 
111(c)(5). RITA/BTS plans to use the Omnibus Household Survey (OHS) to:
     Assess the public's evaluation of the nation's 
transportation system in light of the DOT's strategic goals (safety, 
reduced congestion, global connectivity, environmental stewardship and 
security, preparedness and response),
     provide a vehicle for the operating administrations within 
the DOT as well as other governmental agencies, to survey the public 
about current transportation issues, and
     provide national estimates of transportation mode usage.
    Each version of the OHS will focus on some subset of topics taken 
from the list below. Topics may vary from survey to survey since 
covering all topics in one questionnaire would make the respondent 
burden unacceptable:

Choices and Frequency of Mode Use in the Month and the Week Prior to 
the Survey Data Collection

Commercial air
Privately owned vehicle
Taxi
Rail transit (subway, streetcar, or light rail)
Commuter rail
Transit (local) and intercity (long distance) bus
Intercity rail (Amtrak)
Other modes such as biking and walking

Confidence in the safety of the following modes of transportation

Commercial air
Privately owned vehicle
Taxi
Rail transit (subway, streetcar, or light rail)
Commuter rail
Water transportation (taxis, ferries, ships)
Transit (local) and intercity (long distance) bus
Intercity rail (Amtrak)
Other modes such as biking/walking/ferries

Confidence in the security procedures for the following modes of 
transportation

Commercial air
Charter/general aviation
Rail transit (subway, streetcar, or light rail)
Commuter rail
Water transportation (taxis, ferries, ships)
Transit (local) and intercity (long distance) bus
Intercity rail (Amtrak)

Assessment of/satisfaction with security procedures for the following 
modes of transportation

Commercial air
Charter/general aviation
Rail transit (subway, streetcar, or light rail)
Commuter rail
Water transportation (taxis, ferries, ships)
Transit (local) and intercity (long distance) bus
Intercity rail (Amtrak)

Processing through security at

Commercial airports
Train stations
Waterway entry points for ferries, water taxis, cruises

Knowledge of current check-in procedures at

Commercial airports
Train stations
Waterway entry points for ferries, water taxis, cruises

[[Page 5371]]

Knowledge of/confidence in the Alien Flight Student Program

Experiences with transit delays related to suspicious/unattended 
baggage

Willingness/tolerance of transportation security risk management 
procedures

Information on journey to work

Transportation used (single mode/multiple mode)
Time required for one-way trip
Number of days traveled
Assessment of congestion
Methods for dealing with congestion
Telecommuting information
Commuting costs
Availability of transportation subsidies

Impact of congestion on commute

Impact of on-line shopping on passenger and freight travel

Impact of accessibility of transportation on livability of communities

Assessment of/opinions regarding distracted driving behaviors

    Respondents: The target population for the OHS Program is the non-
institutionalized population, aged 18 and older, who live in the United 
States. A national probability sample of households generated using 
list-assisted random digit dialing (RDD) methodology will be employed 
by the survey. Individual survey respondents within selected households 
will be chosen at random. The survey will include a total sample of 
1,500 respondents, which is increased from a sample size of 1,000 used 
by previous data collections. The increase in sample size is due to the 
inclusion of questions regarding the safety of public transit. In order 
to ensure that there will be enough samples to produce reliable 
estimates for those questions, a total of 500 individuals will be 
oversampled from selected Metropolitan Statistical Areas that provide 
public transit services.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: The burden per respondent is 
estimated to be an average of 25 minutes based on calculations from 
previous data collections. This is a 10 minute increase from that 
stated for previous data collections. The increase is largely due to 
the increase in the length of questionnaire.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: The total annual burden is estimated 
to be 625 hours (that is 25 minutes times 1,500 respondents equals 
37,500 minutes or 625 hours).
    Frequency: This survey is scheduled to be conducted annually.
    Public Comments Invited: Interested parties are invited to send 
comments regarding any aspect of this information collection, 
including, but not limited to: (1) The necessity and utility of the 
information collection for the proper performance of the functions of 
the DOT; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) 
ways to minimize the collection burden without reducing the quality of 
the collected information. Comments submitted in response to this 
notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB's 
clearance of this information collection.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 111(c)(5) and 5601 and 49 CFR 1.46(h).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on the 26th day of January 2010.
Steven D. Dillingham,
Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Research and Innovative 
Technology Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-2133 Filed 2-1-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-HY-P