[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 115 (Friday, June 14, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27832-27833]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12572]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2019-0004-N-10]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. 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) and its 
implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before submitting this ICR 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is 
soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities 
identified below.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
August 13, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on these ICR activities by mail to 
either: Mr. Robert Brogan, Information Collection Clearance Officer, 
Office of Railroad Safety, Regulatory Analysis Division, Federal 
Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 
20590; or Ms. Kim Toone, Information Collection Clearance Officer, 
Office of Information Technology, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE, 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-NEW'' (the relevant OMB control number for the ICR is 
listed below) and should also include the title of the ICR. 
Alternatively, comments may be faxed to (202) 493-6216 or (202) 493-
6497, or emailed to Mr. Brogan at [email protected], or 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: Mr. Robert Brogan, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Railroad Safety, Regulatory 
Analysis Division, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6292) or Ms. Kim 
Toone, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Information 
Technology, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
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 
provide 60-days' notice to the public to allow comment on information 
collection activities before seeking OMB approval of the activities. 
See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. Specifically, 
FRA invites interested parties to comment on the following ICRs 
regarding: (1) Whether the information collection activities are 
necessary for FRA to properly execute its functions, including whether 
the activities 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 
for FRA to minimize the burden of information collection activities on 
the public, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology. See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 
CFR 1320.8(d)(1).
    FRA believes that soliciting public comment may reduce the 
administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of 
information that Federal regulations mandate. In summary, FRA reasons 
that comments received will advance three objectives: (1) Reduce 
reporting burdens; (2) organize information collection requirements in 
a ``user-friendly'' format to improve the use of such information; and 
(3) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce 
information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
    The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB 
clearance as the PRA requires:
    Title: Inquiry into Blocked Highway-Rail Grade Crossings throughout 
the United States.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-NEW.
    Abstract: FRA is interested in obtaining more information regarding 
the frequency, location, and impacts of highway-rail grade crossings 
blocked by slow-moving or idling trains. Currently, there are no 
federal laws or regulations that specifically address how long a train 
may occupy a crossing, whether idling or operating at slow speeds. Some 
States and local municipalities have laws that vary in how long trains 
are permitted to occupy crossings.
    There are potential safety concerns with crossings that are blocked 
by trains. For instance, pedestrians may crawl under or through idling 
trains. Also, emergency response vehicles and first responders may be 
significantly delayed from responding to an incident or transporting 
patients to a hospital. In addition, drivers may take more risks, such 
as driving around lowered gates at a crossing or attempting to beat a 
train through a crossing without gates, in order to avoid a lengthy 
delay if they are aware that trains routinely block a crossing for 
extended periods of time. There are also potential economic impacts 
that affect businesses, such as stores or restaurants not being 
accessible to a customer base for an extended period of time. Finally, 
highway-rail grade crossings that are blocked for extended periods of 
time may create societal nuisances, such as roadway congestion, late 
mail service and deliveries, disrupted school and work arrival and 
dismissal, or missed appointments.
    Over a recent two-year period, from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 
2019, FRA's Office of Railroad Safety received 669 email complaints 
about blocked crossings through FRA's ``Contact Us'' website. This web 
page is used by the general public to submit any type of comment/
question to FRA's Office of Railroad Safety, not just reports of 
blocked crossings. FRA proposes to add new dedicated links to its 
existing website and its existing phone application (app) for users to 
report blocked crossings. This would simplify the reporting of blocked 
crossing information and standardize the data received about blocked 
crossings.
    The proposed data collection would be conducted using three 
methods:

    1. A link would be added to FRA's existing website directing a 
user to a web-based form to submit information about a blocked 
crossing to FRA. Access to this web-based form would be unrestricted 
and available to the general public.
    2. A link would be added to the existing FRA phone app ``FRA 
Crossing Locator App'' that will direct users to an app-based form 
to submit information about a blocked crossing to FRA. Access to the 
form on the phone app would be unrestricted and available to the 
general public.
    3. A link would be added to FRA's existing website directing law 
enforcement personnel to submit information about a blocked crossing 
to FRA. Access for law enforcement personnel would be restricted to 
users with a username and password and managed by FRA.

    Upon accessing the form, a user would be notified that there are no

[[Page 27833]]

federal laws or regulations that specifically address the length of 
time a train may occupy a highway-rail grade crossing. The user would 
be notified that the information submitted will not be forwarded to a 
railroad, State, or local agency, and is only being used for data 
collection purposes to determine the locations, times, and impacts of 
blocked crossings. The questions asked on each form will be identical 
for all three methods of collection.
    Type of Request: Approval of a new collection of information.
    Affected Public: Public individuals and law enforcement personnel.
    Form(s): FRA F 6180.XXX.
    Respondent Universe: General public and national law enforcement 
personnel.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion; one-time.
    Reporting Burden:

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                                       Total estimated  annual      Average time per       Total annual burden
                 Form                         responses                 response                  hours
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General Public via the unrestricted    335 responses..........  15 minutes.............  84 hours.
 form on the FRA website.
General Public via the FRA Crossing    50 responses...........  15 minutes.............  13 hours.
 Locator Phone Application.
Law Enforcement Personnel via the      100 responses..........  15 minutes.............  25 hours.
 limited access form on the FRA
 website.
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    Total............................  485 responses..........  15 minutes.............  122 hours.
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    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 485.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 122 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. 2019-12572 Filed 6-13-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P