[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 151 (Monday, August 6, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46800-46802]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19177]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA 2012-0006-N-8]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration, Department of Transportation 
(DOT).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its 
implementing regulations, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 
hereby announces that it is seeking renewal of the following currently 
approved information collection activities. Before submitting these 
information collection requirements for clearance by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB), FRA is soliciting public comment on 
specific aspects of the activities identified below.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than October 5, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on any or all of the following 
proposed activities by mail to either: Ms. Janet Wylie, Office Planning 
and Administration, RPD-3, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New 
Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 20, Washington, DC 20590, or Ms. Kimberly 
Toone, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, Federal Railroad 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 
20590. Commenters requesting FRA to acknowledge receipt of their 
respective comments must include a self-addressed stamped postcard 
stating, ``Comments on OMB control number 2130-0584. Alternatively, 
comments may be transmitted via facsimile to (202) 493-6170, or via 
email to Ms. Wylie at [email protected], or to Ms. Toone at 
[email protected]. Please refer to the assigned OMB control number in 
any correspondence submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in 
response to this notice in a subsequent notice and include them in its 
information collection submission to OMB for approval.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Janet Wylie, Office of Planning 
and Administration, RPD-3, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New 
Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 20 Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 
493-6353) or Ms. Kimberly Toone, Office of Information Technology, RAD-
20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail 
Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6132). (These 
telephone numbers are not toll-free.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Public Law 104-13, Sec.  2, 109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised 
at 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), and its implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 
1320, require Federal agencies to provide 60-days notice to the public 
for comment on information collection activities before seeking 
approval for reinstatement or renewal by OMB. 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 
5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), 1320.10(e)(1), 1320.12(a). Specifically, FRA 
invites interested respondents to comment on the following summary of 
proposed information collection activities regarding (i) whether the 
information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly 
execute its functions, including whether the activities will have 
practical utility; (ii) the accuracy of FRA's estimates of the burden 
of the information collection activities, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used to determine the estimates; (iii) ways 
for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
being collected; and (iv) ways for FRA to minimize the burden of 
information collection activities on the public by automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology (e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses). See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)(I)-(iv); 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)(1)(I)-(iv). FRA believes that

[[Page 46801]]

soliciting public comment will promote its efforts to reduce the 
administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of 
information mandated by Federal regulations. In summary, FRA reasons 
that comments received will advance three objectives: (i) Reduce 
reporting burdens; (ii) ensure that it organizes information collection 
requirements in a ``user friendly'' format to improve the use of such 
information; and (iii) accurately assess the resources expended to 
retrieve and produce information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
    Below is a brief summary of the information collection activities 
that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as required under the PRA:
    Title: Solicitation of Applications and Notice of Funds 
Availability for High-Speed Rail Corridors and Intercity Passenger Rail 
Service-Capital Assistance and Planning Grants Program.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0584.
    Status: Regular Review.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: After 60 years and more than 1.8 trillion investment 
dollars, the United States has developed the world's most advanced 
highway and aviation systems. During this time, the nation has made a 
relatively modest investment in passenger rail systems. As congestion 
on highways and in the air continues to grow and environmental costs 
mount, there is a growing need for diverse transportation options.
    In 2009, President Obama announced a new vision to address the 
nation's transportation challenges. He called for a collaborative 
effort among the Federal government, States, railroads, and other 
stakeholders to help transform America's transportation system. The 
President's vision seeks to create an efficient high-speed passenger 
rail system to connect inner-city communities across America.
    Developing a comprehensive high-speed intercity passenger rail 
network requires a long-term commitment at both the Federal and State 
levels. The President has jump-started the process with $2 billion 
provided by the Department of Transportation (DOT) Appropriations Act 
of 2010 (FY10 Appropriations), $8 billion provided by the American 
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), $90 million provided by the DOT 
Appropriations Act of 2009 (FY09 Appropriations), and approximately 
$1.8 million remaining funds from the Transportation, Housing and Urban 
Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 (FY08 
Appropriations). Additional or future funding for high-speed intercity 
passenger rail may come from a variety of sources, including annual 
appropriations, one-time appropriations, redistribution of previously 
allocated or obligated funds, or distribution of residual funding from 
previous sources.
    The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) allocates funds to 
applicants with plans or programs that align with the President's key 
strategic transportation goals: creating safe and efficient 
transportation choices, building a foundation for economic 
competitiveness, promoting energy efficiency and environmental quality, 
and supporting interconnected livable communities. Grants are being 
administered for the following types of projects:
     Service Development Programs--Aimed at new high-speed rail 
corridor services or substantial upgrades to existing corridor 
services. Grants are intended to fund a set of inter-related projects 
that constitute a phase (or geographic section) of a long-range 
corridor plan.
     Individual Projects--Aimed at discrete capital projects 
that will result in service benefits or other tangible improvements on 
a corridor. These projects include completion of preliminary 
engineering (PE), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
documentation, final design (FD), and construction, which can include 
equipment procurements to provide improved service and modernized 
fleets throughout the country
     Planning Projects--Aimed at helping to establish a 
pipeline of future construction projects and corridor development 
programs by completing Service Development Plans and service-level 
environmental analysis for corridors that are at an earlier stage of 
the development process, as well as State Rail Plans.
    As the President outlined in his March 20, 2009 memorandum, 
``Ensuring Responsible Spending of Recovery Act Funds,'' implementing 
agencies are to ``develop transparent, merit-based selection criteria 
that will guide their available discretion in committing, obligating, 
or expending funds under the Recovery Act.'' In order to achieve this 
goal, FRA created an application process that contains clear selection 
criteria and evaluation procedures.

The Application Process

    In essence, the application process is grounded on three key 
principles: (1) promoting collaboration and shared responsibility among 
the Federal Government and States, groups of States within corridor 
regions, and governments, railroads and other private entities; (2) 
managing, rather than eliminating, risk through program management 
structure, controls and procedures that permit prudent but effective 
investments; and (3) ensuring early success while building a 
sustainable program to meet near-term economic recovery goals while 
developing public consensus for a long-term program. FRA has issued 
interim program guidance as well as detailed instructions to clearly 
explain the application process.
    The applications include the standard items, such as the SF 424, 
all ARRA-relevant forms, and other necessary and relevant technical 
documents that are project-specific and voluntary.
    In order to determine eligibility for funds, FRA must solicit 
applications and collect information from parties interested in 
obtaining and utilizing these funds for eligible projects.
    Following allocation of funds to applicants, FRA must collect 
information from recipients in the form of various required reports in 
order to effectively monitor and track the progress of all funded 
projects. This process consists of:
     Tracking project activities and progress against the 
approved milestones in the Statement of Work through quarterly 
submission of the FRA Quarterly Progress Report.
     Comparing the rate of a project's actual expenditures to 
the planned amounts in the approved project budget through the 
quarterly submission of the Federal Financial Report (SF-425).
     Tracking cumulative funds and job creation through the 
quarterly submission of the ARRA 1512(c) Report for ARRA recipients.
     Capturing the cumulative activities and achievements of 
the project, with respect to objectives and milestones, through the 
one-time submission of the Final Performance Report.
    This collection of information is necessary in order to comply with 
the funding agreements outlined in the Notice of Grant Agreement and, 
for ARRA recipients, satisfy legal obligations identified in Section 
1501(c).
    Form Number(s): FRA F 6180.132, FRA F 6180.133, FRA F 6180.134, FRA 
F 6180.135, FRA F 6180.138, FRA F 6180.139, SF-425.
    Affected Public: States and local governments, government sponsored 
authorities and corporations, railroads.

[[Page 46802]]



                            Reporting Burden
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                        Total No. of       Total burden
     Burden time per response             response             hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------
32 hours--Service Development       80--Applications....           2,560
 Programs.
32 hours--PE/NEPA Projects........  122--Applications...           3,904
32 hours--FD/Construction Projects  211--Applications...           6,752
32 hours--Planning Projects.......  70--Applications....           2,240
32 hours--Multi-State Planning      4--Applications.....             128
 Projects.
2--Financial Report (SF-425)......  150--Grants.........           1,200
1--Quarterly Progress Report......  150--Grants.........             600
20--Final Performance Report......  150--Grants.........           3,000
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    Total Estimated Responses: 937.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 20,384 hours.
    Pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b), 
1320.8(b)(3)(vi), FRA informs all interested parties that it may not 
conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, a 
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB 
control number.

    Authority:  44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 1, 2012.
Michael Logue,
Associate Administrator for Administration, Federal Railroad 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-19177 Filed 8-3-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P