[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 85 (Thursday, May 2, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25783-25784]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10416]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Innovative Technology Administration

[Docket No. RITA-2013-0003]


Notice of Request for Clearance of a New Information Collection: 
National Census of Ferry Operators

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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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 the 
intention of the BTS to request the Office of Management and Budget's 
(OMB's) approval for an information collection related to the Nation's 
ferry operations. The information collected will be used to produce a 
descriptive database of existing ferry operations. A summary report of 
survey findings will be published by BTS on the BTS Web page.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before July 1, 2013.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 
RITA-2013-0003 and OMB control number 2139-0009 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, 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-2013-0003.'' 
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 Rulemaking 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: Kenneth W. Steve, (202) 366-4108, NCFO 
Project Manager, BTS, RITA, Department of Transportation, 1200 New 
Jersey Ave. SE., Room E34-431, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are 
from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

    Title: National Census of Ferry Operators (NCFO).
    Background: The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century 
(TEA-21) (Pub. L. 105-178), section 1207(c), directed the Secretary of 
Transportation to conduct a study of ferry transportation in the United 
States and its possessions. In 2000, the Federal Highway Administration 
(FHWA) Office of Intermodal and Statewide Planning conducted a survey 
of approximately 250 ferry operators to identify: (1) Existing ferry 
operations including the location and routes served; (2) source and 
amount, if any, of funds derived from Federal, State, or local 
governments supporting ferry construction or operations; (3) potential 
domestic ferry routes in the United States and its possessions and to 
develop information on those routes; and (4) potential for use of high 
speed ferry services and alternative-fueled ferry services. The Safe, 
Accountable, Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for 
Users (SAFETEA-LU) Public Law 109-59, Section 1801(e)) required the 
Secretary, acting

[[Page 25784]]

through the BTS, to establish and maintain a national ferry database 
containing current information regarding routes, vessels, passengers 
and vehicles carried, funding sources and such other information as the 
Secretary considers useful.
    This same legislation also required biennial updating of the 
database. BTS conducted the first Census of Ferry Operators in 2006, 
2008 and again in 2010. Recently enacted MAP-21 legislation [Moving 
Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (Pub. L. 112-141)], 
continues the BTS mandate to conduct the NCFO and requires that the 
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) use the NCFO data to set the 
specific formula for allocating federal ferry funds ($67 million in 
2013 and 2014). The funding allocations are based on a percentage of 
the number of passenger boardings, vehicle boardings, and route miles 
served. The MAP-21 legislation also requires that BTS make additional 
changes to the NCFO questionnaire to ensure that the resulting database 
is consistent with the National Transit Database maintained by the 
Federal Transit Administration (FTA). As a result, BTS has removed 
census questions that were no longer specifically mandated (e.g., peak 
boarding times, etc.) and added more detailed items about the core 
infrastructure of the ferry operations themselves. The overall length 
of the revised questionnaire remains consistent with that of previous 
years.
    The survey will be administered to the entire population of ferry 
operators (estimate 260 or less). The survey will request the 
respondents to provide information such as: The points served; the type 
of ownership; the number of passengers and vehicles carried in the past 
12 months; vessel descriptions (including type of fuel), and intermodal 
connectivity. All data collected in 2013 will be added to the existing 
NCFO database.
    Respondents: The target population for the survey will be all of 
the approximately 260 operators of existing ferry services in the 
United States.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: The burden per respondent is 
estimated to be an average of 30 minutes. This average is based on an 
estimate of 20 minutes to answer new questions and an additional 10 
minutes to review (and revise as needed) previously submitted data.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: The total annual burden (in the year 
that the survey is conducted) is estimated to be approximately 130 
hours (that is 30 minutes per respondent for 260 respondents equals 
7,800 minutes).
    Frequency: This survey will be updated every other year.
    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, clarity and content 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:  The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, 
(Pub. L. 105-178), section 1207(c), The Safe, Accountable, Flexible 
Efficient Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) 
Pub. L. 109-59, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act 
(MAP-21) Pub. L. 112-141 and 49 CFR 1.46.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on the 26th day of April, 2013.
Patricia Hu,
Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Research and Innovative 
Technology Administration.
[FR Doc. 2013-10416 Filed 5-1-13; 8:45 am]
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