E5-6579. Agency Information Collection Activities; Request for Comments; Renewal of Two Information Collections

AGENCY:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval to renew two information collections, which are 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 January 27, 2006.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by DOT DMS Docket Number FHWA-2005-22844 by any of the following methods:

• Web site: http://dms.dot.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
• Fax: [phone].
• Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, Washington, DC 20590.
• Hand Delivery: Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any time or to Room PL-401 on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Title: A Guide to Reporting Highway Statistics.

OMB Control Number: 2125-0032 (Expiration Date: March 31, 2006).

Abstract: A Guide to Reporting Highway Statistics provides for the collection of information by describing policies and procedures for assembling informational data from the existing files of State agencies. The data includes motor-vehicle registration and fees, motor-fuel use and taxation, driver licensing, and highway taxation and finance. Federal, State, and local governments use the data for transportation policy discussions and decisions. Motor-fuel data are used in attributing receipts to the Highway Trust Fund and subsequently in the apportionment formulae that are used to distribute Federal-Aid Highway Funds. The data are published annually in the FHWA's Highway Statistics. Information from Highway Statistics is used in the joint FHWA and Federal Transit Administration required biennial report to Congress, The Status of the Nation's Highways, Bridges, and Transit: Conditions and Performance Report to Congress, which contrasts present status to future investment needs.

Respondents: State and local governments of the 50 States, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Estimated Average Burden Per Response: The estimated average reporting burden per response for the annual collection and processing of the data is 825 hours for each of the States (including local governments), the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: The estimated total annual burden for all respondents is 42, 900 hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Thomas Howard, [phone], Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Policy, Office of Highway Policy Information, Highway Funding and Motor Fuels Division (HPPI-10), 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

2. Title: Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS).

OMB Control Number: 2125-0028 (Expiration Date: April 30, 2006).

Abstract: The HPMS data that is collected is used for management decisions that affect transportation, including estimates of the Nation's future highway needs and assessments of highway system performance. The information is used by the FHWA to develop and implement legislation and by State and Federal transportation officials to adequately plan, design, and administer effective, safe, and efficient transportation systems. This data is essential to the FHWA and Congress in evaluating the effectiveness of the Federal-aid highway program. The HPMS also provides miles, lane-miles and travel components of the Federal-Aid Highway Fund apportionment formulae. The data that is required by the HPMS is continually reassessed and streamlined by the FHWA.

Respondents: State governments of the 50 States, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Estimated Average Burden per Response: The estimated average burden per response for the annual collection and processing of the HPMS data is 1,440 hours for each State, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: The estimated total annual burden for all respondents is 74,880 hours.

For Further Information Contact: Mr. Robert Rozycki, [phone], Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Systems Performance (HPPI-20), Office of Highway Policy Information, Office of Policy & Governmental Affairs, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Public Comments Invited

You are asked to comment on any aspect of these information collections, including: (1) Whether the proposed collections are necessary for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burdens could be minimized, including 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 these information collections.

Privacy Act

Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). 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 visit http://dms.dot.gov.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.

Issued on: November 21, 2005.

James R. Kabel,

Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.