[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47366-47367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18206]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

[FTA Docket No. FTA 2021-0007]


Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces that the Information Collection Requirements (ICRs) 
abstracted below have been forwarded to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The

[[Page 47367]]

ICR describe the nature of the information collection and their 
expected burdens.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before September 23, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular 
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
    Comments are Invited On: Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Department, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; the accuracy of the Department's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including 
the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology. A comment to OMB is best assured of having its 
full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication of this 
notice in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tia Swain, Office of Administration, 
Management Planning Division, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Mail Stop TAD-
10, Washington, DC 20590, (202) 366-0354 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Public Law 104-13, Section 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 issue two notices seeking public 
comment on information collection activities before OMB may approve 
paperwork packages. 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5, 1320.8(d)(1), 
1320.12. On May 28, 2021 FTA published a 60-day notice (86 FR 16442) in 
the Federal Register soliciting comments on the ICR that the agency was 
seeking OMB approval. FTA received no comments after issuing this 60-
day notice. Accordingly, DOT announces that these information 
collection activities have been re-evaluated and certified under 5 CFR 
1320.5(a) and forwarded to OMB for review and approval pursuant to 5 
CFR 1320.12(c).
    Before OMB decides whether to approve these proposed collections of 
information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. 44 U.S.C. 
3507(b); 5 CFR 1320.12(d). 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 1320.12(d); see also 
60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. OMB believes that 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. 5 CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 
FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
    The summaries below describe the nature of the information 
collection requirements (ICRs) and the expected burden. The 
requirements are being submitted for clearance by OMB as required by 
the PRA.
    Title: Survey of FTA Stakeholders.
    OMB Control Number: 2132-0564.
    Type of Request: Renewal with revisions of a previously approved 
information collection.
    Abstract: Executive Order 12862, ``Streamlining Service Delivery 
and Improving Customer Service,'' requires FTA to identify its 
stakeholders and address how the agency will provide services in a 
manner that seeks to streamline service delivery and improve the 
experience of its customers. FTA is seeking a three-year approval for 
an existing information collection with revisions. Changes in 
methodology will improve the quality of stakeholder feedback, and non-
substantive changes to the survey instrument will more accurately 
assess the data collected from from transit agencies, states and 
metropolitan planning organizations. FTA will utilize the survey to 
assess how its services are perceived by its customers, learn about 
opportunities for improvement and establish goals to measure results. 
The data captured from the survey will provide this information and 
enable FTA to make improvements where necessary. The survey will be 
limited to data collections that solicit voluntary opinions and will 
not involve information that is required by regulations. The estimated 
number of respondents is 6,454, an increase of 5,266 respondents from 
the previous request of 1,188 respondents. There is an increase in the 
number of respondents due to FTA's efforts to expand outreach to a 
broader cross-section of FTA stakeholders. Respondents are split into 
two groups. Group A includes Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and other 
executive leaders of transit agencies, state DOTs, and other FTA 
stakeholders. Group B includes unit supervisors and professional staff 
such as engineers, urban planners and budget analysts from the same 
organizations. The previous IC only targeted respondents in Group A. 
The current IC targets respondents in both Group A and Group B. To 
further expand stakeholder outreach, FTA accessed an additional 
database, and allowed multiple respondents to submit responses from a 
single organization. Previously, since only CEOs or other top executive 
leader of an organization responded, there could be only one response 
per organization because there is only one top executive leader per 
organization.
    However, the expansion of the target population to other labor 
categories allows multiple people from the same organization to respond 
to the survey (CEO, engineer, urban planner, etc.). There is a decrease 
in the estimated annual total burden hours, despite the increase in 
number of respondents, in large part because FTA found that respondents 
spent less time interacting with the previous survey than estimated. In 
addition to stakeholder outreach outlined in #8 above, in 2019, FTA 
utilized survey analytics to appropriately determine the amount of time 
spent filling out the survey.
    Respondents: Transit agencies, States, and Metropolitan Planning 
Organizations.
    Estimated Annual Burden on Respondents: 6,454.
    Estimated Annual Number of Responses: 6,454.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 807.
    Frequency: Biennial.

Nadine Pembleton,
Director, Office of Management Planning.
[FR Doc. 2021-18206 Filed 8-23-21; 8:45 am]
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