98-29617. Notice of Request for Clearance of a New Information Collection: Local Technical Assistance Program Extent of Coverage  

  • [Federal Register Volume 63, Number 214 (Thursday, November 5, 1998)]
    [Notices]
    [Page 59837]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 98-29617]
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
    
    Federal Highway Administration
    [Docket No. FHWA-98-4671]
    
    
    Notice of Request for Clearance of a New Information Collection: 
    Local Technical Assistance Program Extent of Coverage
    
    AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
    
    ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
    
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    SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirement in section 3506(c) (2)(A) 
    of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the 
    intention of the FHWA to request the Office of Management and Budget 
    (OMB) to approve a new information collection related to the Local 
    Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) which provides for training, 
    technology transfer and technical assistance to local and tribal 
    government transportation providers. This information collection will 
    be in the form of a survey that will document the extent of coverage of 
    the LTAP and provide a baseline from which to measure the Program's 
    progress in expanding that coverage between now and the year 2002.
    
    DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 4, 1999.
    
    ADDRESSES: All signed, written comments should refer to the docket 
    number that appears in the heading of this document and must be 
    submitted to the Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, 400 
    Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. All comments received 
    will be available for examination at the above address between 10:00 
    a.m. to 5:00 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
    holidays. Those desiring notification of receipt of comments must 
    include a self-addressed, stamped envelope or postcard.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Anna K. Bennett, LTAP Project 
    Manager, (415) 744-2616, Federal Highway Administration, Western 
    Resource Center, 201 Mission Street, Suite 2100, San Francisco, CA 
    94105. Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., p.t., Monday 
    through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
        Title: Local Technical Assistance Program Extent of Coverage
        OMB Number:
        Background: The LTAP has established a network of 57 technology 
    transfer centers at universities and state highway agencies for the 
    purpose of improving the skills and knowledge of local and tribal 
    transportation providers through training, technical assistance and 
    technology transfer. The LTAP Strategic Plan, adopted in 1997, calls 
    for increasing usage of the program to 75 percent of local and tribal 
    governments by the year 2002. Information is needed to document the 
    extent to which local and tribal transportation agencies recognize, 
    utilize, and are satisfied with the services provided by their LTAP 
    Centers. The information will establish the baseline from which 
    progress towards the goal of increasing coverage to 75 percent of all 
    local and tribal transportation agencies will be measured.
        The information will be collected through a mail survey. 
    Respondents will be asked to complete a brief, standardized 
    questionnaire asking if employees of their agency are aware of the 
    existence of their local or tribal LTAP Center, have read its 
    newsletter, attended training sessions or utilized other technology 
    transfer services provided by the Center within the past year, and 
    their satisfaction with those services.
        Information will be collected from a simple random sample of all 
    local and tribal governments in the U.S. In order to sample the 
    population of local and tribal governments in the United States and 
    Puerto Rico with +/-three percent error at 95 percent confidence, 1,100 
    surveys need to be completed. Based on responses to an earlier LTAP 
    study, a 17 percent response rate to the mail survey is anticipated. 
    Therefore, questionnaires will be mailed to 6,500 randomly selected 
    employees of local and tribal governments to ensure obtaining 1,100 
    completed survey forms.
        The results of the survey will be retained by the Office of 
    Technology Applications for comparison with the results of a subsequent 
    collection in 2002. The results of the survey will also be presented in 
    a report for dissemination to LTAP partners, including national 
    associations, state departments of transportation, LTAP centers, and 
    local and tribal governments.
        Respondents: Employees of local and tribal government 
    transportation providers.
        Estimated average burden per response: 20 minutes to read and 
    respond to the mail survey.
        Estimated total annual Burden: 367 hours.
        Frequency: The survey will be conducted once for a baseline 
    measurement and again in the year 2002 to measure progress.
        Public comments invited: Interested parties are invited to send 
    comments regarding any aspect of this information collection, 
    including, but not limited to: (1) the necessity and utility of the 
    information collection for the proper performance of the functions of 
    the FHWA; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance 
    the quality, utility, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) 
    ways to minimize the collection burden without reducing the quality of 
    the collected information. Comments submitted in response to this 
    notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB's 
    clearance of this information collection.
        Electronic access: Internet users can access all comments received 
    by the U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, by using the universal resource 
    locator (URL): http://dms.dot.gov. It is available 24 hours each day, 
    365 days each year. Please follow the instructions online for more 
    information and help.
        An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a modem 
    and suitable communications software from the Government Printing 
    Office Electronic Bulletin Board Service at telephone number 202-512-
    1661. Internet users may reach the Federal Register's home page at 
    http://www.nara.gov/fedreg and the Government Printing Office's 
    database at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.
    
        Authority: 23 U.S.C. Section 504.
    
        Issued on: October 28, 1998
    George S. Moore, Jr.,
    Associate Administrator for Administration.
    [FR Doc. 98-29617 Filed 11-4-98; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
11/05/1998
Department:
Federal Highway Administration
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice and request for comments.
Document Number:
98-29617
Dates:
Comments must be submitted on or before January 4, 1999.
Pages:
59837-59837 (1 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No. FHWA-98-4671
PDF File:
98-29617.pdf