[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 154 (Friday, August 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54708-54709]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17276]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-2023-0025]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments 
for a New Information Collection

AGENCY: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The DOT invites public comments about our intention to request 
the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for a new 
information collection, which is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal 
Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Please submit comments by September 11, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 
2023-0025 by any of the following methods:
    Website: For access to the docket to read background documents or

[[Page 54709]]

comments received go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
    Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
    Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of Transportation, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Govind Vadakpat Ph.D., 202-366-5004, 
Smart Infrastructure Program Manager, Intelligent Transportation 
Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO), Department of Transportation, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 
8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: U.S. DOT Intersection Safety Challenge--System Assessment 
and Virtual Testing Competition.
    Background: Improving the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists, and 
other vulnerable road users is of critical importance to achieving the 
objectives of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) National 
Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) and DOT's vision of zero fatalities and 
serious injuries across our transportation system. According to data 
from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 
2020 there were 10,626 traffic fatalities in the United States at 
roadway intersections, including 1,674 pedestrian and 355 bicyclist 
fatalities. These fatalities at intersections represent 27% of the 
total of 38,824 road traffic deaths recorded in 2020.
    In response to these growing concerns and as part of the NRSS Call 
to Action, the DOT Intersection Safety Challenge (hereafter, ``the 
Challenge'') incentivizes the development of new, cost-effective, real-
time roadway Intersection Safety System (ISS) concepts that apply 
emerging technologies to identify and mitigate unsafe roadway 
intersection conditions involving vehicles and vulnerable road users. 
Innovative ISS concepts may utilize emerging technologies, e.g., 
machine sensing and perception, data fusion, artificial intelligence 
(AI) and machine learning (ML), trajectory and path prediction, 
vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, and real-time decision-
making to generate anticipatory warning systems and other safety-
countermeasures.
    In the U.S. DOT Intersection Safety Challenge--System Assessment 
and Virtual Testing Competition, participants will develop and improve 
algorithms for the detection, localization, and classification of 
vulnerable road users and vehicles using government-supplied sensor 
data. These government-supplied data include contemporaneous feeds from 
diverse sensor technology deployed at the roadside in a controlled test 
intersection. Participants will use these data and their resulting 
algorithms to predict future intersection conditions and identify 
potentially unsafe conditions (current or predicted). The accuracy of 
these predictions will be measured against observed ground truth 
conditions as part of a broader set of judging criteria. To be eligible 
for a prize, submissions must include a structured description of 
identified and predicted intersection conditions as well as the 
executable computer programming code required to support independent 
validation. Participants may submit an optional Concept Paper 
describing their ISS concept and the potential of this concept to 
address the vision and objectives of the Challenge. The government 
anticipates awarding multiple prizes. Detailed rules and judging 
criteria will be provided when the prize competition is formally 
announced.
    Respondents: Approximately 40 participants (or participant teams) 
are expected to respond to the prize competition.
    Frequency: Participants may submit the structured description and 
supporting computer programming code (for validation) up to three times 
during the duration of the U.S. DOT Intersection Safety Challenge--
System Assessment and Virtual Testing Competition. Participants may 
submit an optional Concept Paper at any time prior to the close of the 
prize competition.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: Approximately 2,000 total 
staff-hours is estimated for a participant to complete up to 3 
submissions with all required elements for the U.S. DOT Intersection 
Safety Challenge--System Assessment and Virtual Testing Competition. 
Further, the completion of the optional Concept Paper is estimated at 
170 staff-hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 40 respondents x 2,170 hours = 
86,800 hours.
    Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of 
this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed 
collection is necessary for DOT's performance; (2) the accuracy of the 
estimated burdens; (3) ways for DOT to enhance the quality, usefulness, 
and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burden 
could be minimized, including the use of electronic technology, without 
reducing the quality of the collected information. The agency will 
summarize and/or include your comments in the request for OMB's 
clearance of this information collection.
    Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. chapter 
35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.

     Issued on: August 8, 2023.
Michael Howell,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-17276 Filed 8-10-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P