[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 222 (Tuesday, November 17, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73350-73352]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-25275]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Bureau of Transportation Statistics

[Docket Number RITA-2008-0002]


Agency Information Collection Activity; Notice To Continue To 
Collect: Confidential Close Call Transit Data for the Washington 
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

[[Page 73351]]

(OST-R), U.S. Department of Transportation.

ACTION: Notice to continue to collect confidential close call transit 
data.

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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 Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) to request 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to reinstate previously 
approved OMB Number 2139-0010 for the following information collection: 
Confidential Close Call Transit Data for the Washington Metropolitan 
Area Transit Authority (WMATA or the Authority), which includes but is 
not limited to the collection of data from Rail, Bus, Information 
Technology, and Command Center personnel. This data collection effort 
supports a multi-year program focused on improving the Authority, in 
its entirety by collecting and analyzing data and information on close 
calls and other unsafe occurrences within WMATA. The program is co-
sponsored by WMATA and labor leadership including: The President/
Business Agent of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689, the 
International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 922 and Office & 
Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 2. The Close 
Call program is designed to identify safety issues and propose 
preventive actions based on voluntary reports of a close call submitted 
confidentially to BTS, an Agency within the U.S. Department of 
Transportation. This information collection is necessary for 
systematically analyzing data to identify root causes of potentially 
unsafe events.

DATES: Written comments should be submitted by January 15, 2021.

ADDRESSES: To ensure that your comments are not entered more than once 
into the docket, submit comments by only one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your 
comments electronically. Docket Number: DOT-OST-2017-0043.
     Mail: Docket Services, U.S. Department of Transportation, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: Deliver to mail address above between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
     Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    Identify all transmissions with ``Docket Number RITA-2008-0002'' at 
the beginning of each page of the document.
    Instructions: All comments must include the agency name and docket 
number for this notice. Paper comments should be submitted in 
duplicate. The Docket Management Facility is open for examination and 
copying, at the above address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, 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 
Number RITA-2008-0002.'' The Docket Clerk will date stamp the postcard 
prior to returning it to you via the U.S. mail. Please note that all 
comments received, including any personal information, will be posted 
and will be publicly viewable, without change, at www.regulations.gov. 
You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal 
Register published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; pages 
19477-78) or you may review the Privacy Act Statement at 
www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Demetra V. Collia, Bureau of 
Transportation Statistics, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of 
Safety Data and Analysis, RTS-31, E36-302, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001; Phone No. (202) 366-1610; Fax No. (202) 366-
3383; email: [email protected]. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 
5 p.m., EST, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Data Confidentiality Provisions: Under this data collection, the 
confidentiality of the information submitted to BTS is protected under 
the BTS confidentiality statute (49 U.S.C. 6307) and the Confidential 
Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) of 2018 
(Pub. L: 115-435 Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 
2018, Title III). In accordance with these confidentiality statutes, 
only statistical (aggregated) and non-identifying data will be made 
publicly available by BTS through its reports. BTS will not release to 
WMATA or any other public or private entity any information that might 
reveal the identity of individuals who have submitted a report.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. The Data Collection

    The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35; as 
amended) and 5 CFR part 1320 require each Federal agency to obtain OMB 
approval to initiate an information collection activity. BTS is seeking 
OMB approval to continue the following BTS information collection 
activity:
    Title: Confidential Close Call Transit Data.
    OMB Control Number: TBD.
    Type of Review: Continue to Collect.
    Respondents: WMATA employees.
    Number of Potential Responses:150 (per annum).
    Estimated Time per Response: 60 minutes.
    Frequency: Intermittent for 3 years. Reports are submitted when 
there is a qualifying event.
    Total Annual Burden:150 hours.
    Abstract: Collecting safety data on the nation's transportation 
system is an important component of BTS's mission and responsibility to 
the transportation community and is authorized in BTS statute (49 
U.S.C. Sec. 6302). BTS and WMATA share a common interest in promoting 
safety based on accurate information. To that end, WMATA and the 
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689, the International 
Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 922 and Office & Professional 
Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 2 have supported the 
Confidential Close Call Program at WMATA as a means of fostering an 
environment of ongoing advancements in their safety culture.
    A close call is a situation or circumstance that had the potential 
for safety consequences, but did not result in an adverse safety event. 
Knowledge of a close call presents an opportunity to address unsafe 
work conditions and encourage a culture of safety in the workplace. It 
is estimated that the time to complete a close call report and 
participate in a brief confidential interview will be no than 60 
minutes for a maximum total burden of 150 hours (150 reports*60 
minutes/60 = 150 hours). Reports are submitted when there is a 
qualifying event, i.e., when a close call occurs within any office of 
the Authority.

II. Background

    WMATA deployed the Close Call program in April 2013, and in May 
2016 the program expanded to include bus employees. The Confidential 
Close Call Program is a Cooperative Agreement between BTS and WMATA 
management, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689, the 
International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 922 and Office & 
Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 2. This 
program provides a confidential platform to facilitate the voluntary 
reporting of

[[Page 73352]]

close call events without fear of discipline. Collecting data on the 
nation's transportation system is an important component of BTS' 
mission and responsibility to the transportation community as stated in 
its authorizing statute (49 U.S.C. Sec. 6302). BTS and WMATA/ATU, IBT 
Local 922 and OPEIU Local 2, share a common interest in promoting rail 
transit and bus safety using timely, accurate, and relevant data. 
WMATA/ATU, IBT Local 922 and OPEIU Local 2, is sponsoring the 
Confidential Close Call Program for Transit Rail and Bus System to 
improve transit rail and bus safety by studying the effectiveness of 
its own systems through the data and information collected from 
reported close call events.
    Any situation or circumstance that has the potential for safety 
consequences, but did not result in an adverse safety event is defined 
as a close call. Knowledge about a close call presents an opportunity 
to address unsafe work conditions and practices, prevent accidents, 
contribute to policy making decisions and improve overall safety in the 
workplace.
    BTS collects close call reports submitted by WMATA employees, 
conducts employee interviews, develops and maintains an analytical 
database containing reported data and other pertinent information, 
provides statistical analysis to WMATA, and protects the 
confidentiality of these data through its own statute (49 U.S.C. Sec. 
6302) and CIPSEA. Only statistical and non-sensitive information will 
be made available through publications and reports.
    Voluntary reporting of close calls to a confidential system 
provides a tool to identify and correct weaknesses within WMATA and 
prevents accidents. Close Call reporting fosters a voluntary, 
cooperative, non-punitive environment to communicate safety concerns 
for the greater good. Through the analysis of the data that is 
reported, WMATA receives information about factors that contribute to 
unsafe events, which becomes the catalyst to develop new training 
programs and identify root causes of adverse events. The database also 
provides researchers with valuable information regarding precursors to 
safety risks and contributes to research and development of 
intervention programs aimed at averting accidents and fatalities.
    Employees involved in reporting a close call incident are asked to 
fill out a report and participate in a brief, confidential interview. 
Employees submit the report electronically to BTS. Participants will be 
asked to provide information such as: (1) Name and contact information; 
(2) time and location of the event; (3) a short description of the 
event; (4) contributing factors to the close call; and (5) any other 
information that might be useful in determining a root cause of such 
event.

III. Request for Public Comment

    BTS requests comments on any aspects of this information collection 
request, including: (1) The accuracy of the estimated burden of 150 
hours detailed in Section I; (2) ways to enhance the quality, 
usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (3) ways to 
minimize the collection burden without reducing the quality of the 
information collected, including additional use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.

Demetra V. Collia,
Office of Safety Data and Analysis, Office of the Assistant Secretary 
for Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 2020-25275 Filed 11-16-20; 8:45 am]
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