[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 203 (Thursday, October 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65049-65051]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-26488]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Innovative Technology Administration


Agency Information Collection; Activity Under OMB Review; Omnibus 
Household Survey Program

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of section 3506(c) (2) (A) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 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 an 
extension of a currently approved information collection related to the 
use of and satisfaction with the nation's transportation system. 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

[[Page 65050]]

the following collection of information was published on February 2, 
2010 (75 FR 5370) and the comment period ended on April 5, 2010. The 
60-day notice produced no comments.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by November 22, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Pheny Weidman, 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. 
Telephone (202) 366-2817, Fax (202) 493-0568 or e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Omnibus Household Survey (OHS) Program.
    Type of Request: Approval of an extension of a currently approved 
information collection.
    OMB Control Number: 2139-0012.
    Affected Public: 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.
    Number of Respondents: 1,500.
    Number of Responses: 1,500.
    Total Annual Burden: 625 hours (Based on previous data collections, 
we estimate the average time to complete the survey is 25 minutes. 25 
minutes x 1,500 respondents = 37,500 minutes/60 minutes = 625 hours). 
The estimated average time to complete the survey has increased from 
the 10 minutes stated for previous data collections to 25 minutes. The 
increase is largely due to the increase in the length of questionnaire. 
The survey sample size also will increase from the 1,000 respondents 
used by previous data collections to 1,500. 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.
    Abstract: 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) (1). 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;
Privately owned vehicle;
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.

    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.
    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. Send comments to the Office of

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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 14th day of October, 2010.
Steven K. Smith,
Acting Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Research and 
Innovative Technology Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-26488 Filed 10-20-10; 8:45 am]
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