2010-33286. Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection

AGENCY:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval of a new information collection. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on September 7, 2010. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Please submit comments by February 4, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

You may send comments within 30 days to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer. You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed collection is necessary for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways for the FHWA 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. All comments should include the Docket number FHWA-2010-0180.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kathleen Bergeron, [phone], Office of Infrastructure, Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: Highways for LIFE Omnibus Survey for Technology Deployment.

Background: The Highways for LIFE program was established by the 109th Congress within Sections 1101 and 1502 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (Pub. L. 109-59). Within that law, under the topic “Technology Transfer and Information Dissemination,” it states that “The Secretary shall conduct a highways for life technology transfer program.” It further states that “The Secretary shall establish a process for stakeholder input and involvement in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Highways for LIFE Pilot Program. The process may include participation by representatives of the State departments of transportation and other interested persons.” Also, it states that, “The Secretary shall monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of any activity carried out under this section.”

A critical element in accomplishing these goals is to ensure that the technologies being deployed by FHWA and implemented by the States actually fill a specific need. Therefore, it is important that FHWA obtain feedback both before and after specific technologies are transferred. If, for example, FHWA determined on its own that a particular innovation was important, yet never actually determined whether States would value such an innovation, much time and money would have been wasted. Or, if there were an innovation that was deployed to States, yet FHWA never followed up to determine if the effort was a success, or how it might be even more successful, lessons could not be learned and put into effect.

In FHWA's Strategic Plan, the first goal listed is “National Leadership.” Under that topic, the first objective is “Advance Innovation: FHWA is recognized as a leader in the development and promotion of innovative solutions that address current and emerging transportation issues.” Item 1.1 is “Systematically identify emerging issues and needs that could impact transportation,” and item 1.2 is “Identify, develop, promote, and rapidly implement new and proven technologies and innovative solutions to improve system performance.” These “innovative solutions” cannot properly identify what might work without discussing the needs for such things with the user groups—the States. Likewise, it cannot promote and implement them without an appropriate understanding of how the user organizations—the States—feel about the particular innovations; and this can only come from a formal survey.

Respondents: There are 260 respondents, including 5 each from 50 State Transportation Departments, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Frequency: Once a year, for three years.

Estimated Average Burden per Response: Each survey will require 15 minutes to respond.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 65 hours.

Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the U.S. DOT's performance, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the U.S. DOT's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (3) ways 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: December 29, 2010.

Cynthia Thornton,

Acting Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.