04-23873. Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY:

Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION:

Notice of request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments was published on July 6, 2004.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted before November 26, 2004. A comment to OMB is most effective if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sylvia L. Marion, Office of Administration, Office of Management Planning, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: United We Ride State Coordination Grants (OMB Number: 2132-0562).

Abstract: The U.S. Departments of Transportation (DOT), Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor (DOL) and Education (DoED), have launched United We Ride (UWR), a five part initiative to enhance the coordination on human service transportation. UWR intends to break down the barriers between programs and set the stage for local and State partnerships that generate common sense solutions and deliver A-plus performance for those individuals who depend on transportation services to participate fully in community life. The UWR five initiatives include: (1) The Framework for Action, (2) A National Leadership Forum on Human Service Transportation Coordination, (3) State Leadership Awards, (4) State Coordination Grants, and (5) Help Along the Way.

The Congress and the Executive Branch are interested in ensuring that various human service transportation activities funded by various Federal programs are better coordinated. The General Accounting Office (GAO) issued a report on “Transportation Disadvantaged Populations” (June 2003) that identified 62 different Federal programs across eight Federal agencies that provide funding that may be used to support community transportation services.

The report points out that there are multiple public and private agencies that provide human service transportation in any one community, and services vary greatly in terms of eligibility requirements, hours or scope of operation, specific destinations and quality.

Given the multiplicity of programs and the significant dollar amounts spent, more effective coordination is needed to ensure better service to more people. This is especially true when Federal, State, and local budgets for human service activities are under extreme financial pressure.

As also indicated by GAO, many objectives have been achieved; however, the fragmentation and lack of coordination within supporting agencies continues to be a challenge. On February 24, 2004, President Bush signed an Executive Order Number 13330 on Human Service Transportation Coordination establishing the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility and requiring attention to the obstacles outlined by GAO.

The President's Executive Order requires agencies to identify and implement strategies for enhancing coordinated services within a one-year period. The United We Ride initiative includes a State Coordination Grant that provides support to help States address the issues outlined both by GAO and by the President in the Executive Order.

FTA requested an emergency approval from OMB for the United We Ride State Coordination Grant Initiative in a Federal Register notice dated May 21, 2004. OMB approved the request on June 22, 2004. This approval expires on December 31, 2004.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 500 hours.

ADDRESSES:

All written comments must refer to the docket number that appears at the top of this document and be submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: FTA Desk Officer.

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.

Dated: October 19, 2004.

Ann M. Linnertz,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Administration.