[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 26 (Thursday, February 7, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2661-2662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-01337]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2018-0008-N-13]
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment
Request
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice
announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Request
(ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and comment. The ICR describes the information collection and
its expected burden. On September 17, 2018, FRA published a notice
providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICR.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
March 11, 2019.
[[Page 2662]]
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the ICR to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,
725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20503, Attention: FRA Desk Officer.
Comments may also be sent via email to OMB at the following address:
[email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Brogan, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Railroad Safety, Regulatory
Analysis Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE, Room W33-497, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202)
493-6292); or Ms. Kim Toone, Information Collection Clearance Officer,
Office of Administration, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20,
Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W34-
212, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6132).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to
issue two notices seeking public comment on information collection
activities before OMB may approve paperwork packages. See 44 U.S.C.
3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. On September 17, 2018, FRA
published a 60-day notice in the Federal Register soliciting comment on
the ICR for which it is now seeking OMB approval. See 83 FR 47000. FRA
received no comments in response to this notice.
Before OMB decides whether to approve this proposed collection of
information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. Federal law
requires OMB to approve or disapprove paperwork packages between 30 and
60 days after the 30-day notice is published. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b)-(c); 5
CFR 1320.10(b); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. OMB
believes the 30-day notice informs the regulated community to file
relevant comments and affords the agency adequate time to digest public
comments before it renders a decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
Therefore, respondents should submit their respective comments to OMB
within 30 days of publication to best ensure having their full effect.
Comments are invited on the following ICR regarding: (1) Whether
the information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly
execute its functions, including whether the information will have
practical utility; (2) 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; (3) ways
for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information
being collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of information
collection activities on the public, including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB
clearance as the PRA requires:
Title: Driver Awareness of Emergency Notification System (ENS)
Signage at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings.
OMB Control Number: 2130-NEW.
Abstract: FRA is interested in knowing more about drivers'
awareness and understanding of the ENS signs posted at highway-rail
grade crossings. ENS signs are placed at crossings so that if a driver
encounters a malfunctioning crossing or an unsafe condition at a
crossing the driver can call the number on the sign and use the posted
crossing identification number to report the issue. If a driver were to
become stuck on the tracks, the driver can also call the phone number
displayed on the ENS sign to notify the railroad. This would help the
railroad slow or stop any oncoming train and dispatch individuals who
could help safely remove the stuck vehicle. Drivers may also choose to
call the ENS number if they believe the crossing signage is damaged or
obstructed. The study will help shed light on how drivers react when
crossing infrastructure appears to be malfunctioning or when they
become stuck on or near the crossing. This study will pay particular
attention to whether drivers look for or attempt to make use of the
information on the ENS sign.
The proposed study will use the FRA Driving Simulator, housed at
the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, to study driver
behavior, including drivers' potential interaction with the ENS
signage, at a variety of gate types and ENS sign orientations.
Participants will be asked to drive through a variety of scenarios
to understand their behaviors under certain circumstances. The data
collected in this portion will include information on the vehicle
driver's:
a. Behavior to determine what a driver does and where the driver
looks when at a crossing equipped with a functioning warning system;
b. behavior to determine how a driver responds to a malfunctioning
crossing gate (e.g., violated safety signals, turned around and found
another route);
c. eye fixation locations to determine whether the driver notices
an ENS sign or if the driver's eye fixates long enough to read it, when
crossing warning systems are functioning properly or malfunctioning;
d. response to an ENS sign to determine whether the driver would
use the information on the sign to address the issue; and
e. response to an ENS sign to determine whether the driver would
use the information on the sign if the driver becomes stuck on the
tracks.
This study will evaluate each participant's awareness of the ENS
sign and the purpose it serves as well as the participant's response to
various functioning and malfunctioning highway-rail grade crossing
warning systems.
Type of Request: Approval of a new collection of information.
Affected Public: Individuals.
Form(s): N/A.
Respondent Universe: 100 individual volunteer drivers.
Frequency of Submission: One-time.
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 100.
Total Estimated Annual Burden: 100 hours.
Under 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b) and 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.
Brett A. Jortland,
Acting Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2019-01337 Filed 2-6-19; 8:45 am]
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