Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
| Published date | 18 February 2021 |
| Record Number | 2021-03203 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Federal Railroad Administration,Transportation Department |
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 31 (Thursday, February 18, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 31 (Thursday, February 18, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10067-10068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-03203]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2020-0027-N-35]
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment
Request
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice
announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Request
(ICR) abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and comment. The ICR describes the information collection and
its expected burden. On December 10, 2020, FRA published a notice
providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICR.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
March 22, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR
should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular ICR by
selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments''
or by using the search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Kim Toone, Information Collection
Clearance Officer at (202) 493-6132 or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to
issue two notices seeking public comment on information collection
activities before OMB may approve paperwork packages. See 44 U.S.C.
3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. On December 10, 2020, FRA
published a 60-day notice in the Federal Register soliciting comment on
the ICR for which it is now seeking OMB approval. See 85 FR 79559. FRA
received no comments in response to this 60-day notice.
Before OMB decides whether to approve the proposed collection of
information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. Federal law
requires OMB to approve or disapprove paperwork packages between 30 and
60 days after the 30-day notice is published. 44 U.S.C. 3507(b)-(c); 5
CFR 1320.12(b); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. OMB
believes the 30-day notice informs the regulated community to file
relevant comments and affords the agency adequate time to digest public
comments before it renders a decision. 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
Therefore, respondents should submit their respective comments to OMB
within 30 days of publication to best ensure having their full effect.
Comments are invited on the following ICR regarding: (1) Whether
the information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly
execute its functions, including whether the information will have
practical utility; (2) the accuracy of FRA's estimates of the burden of
the information collection activities, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used to determine the estimates; (3) ways
for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information
being collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of information
collection activities on the public, including the use of automated
collection techniques
[[Page 10068]]
or other forms of information technology.
The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB
clearance as the PRA requires:
Title: Metrics and Minimum Standards for Intercity Passenger Rail
Service.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0632.\1\
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\1\ The correct OMB control number for this collection is 2130-
0632. The number was mistakenly listed incorrectly as 2130-0623 in
the Federal Register notice published December 10, 2020.
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Abstract: On October 16, 2008, President George W. Bush signed into
law the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, Public
Law 110-432, 122 Stat. 4907 (PRIIA). Section 207 of PRIIA requires FRA
and Amtrak jointly to develop new or improved metrics and minimum
standards for measuring the performance and service quality of
intercity passenger train operations, including cost recovery, on-time
performance and minutes of delay, ridership, on-board services,
stations, facilities, equipment, and other services
Section 207 also calls for consultation with the Surface
Transportation Board, rail carriers over whose rail lines Amtrak trains
operate, States, Amtrak employees, and groups representing Amtrak
passengers, as appropriate.
Section 207 further provides that the metrics, at a minimum, must
include: the percentage of avoidable and fully allocated operating
costs covered by passenger revenues on each route; ridership per train
mile operated; measures of on-time performance and delays incurred by
intercity passenger trains on the rail lines of each rail carrier; and,
for long-distance routes, measures of connectivity with other routes in
all regions currently receiving Amtrak service and the transportation
needs of communities and populations that are not well-served by other
forms of intercity transportation.
Section 207 also provides that the FRA Administrator must collect
the necessary data and publish a quarterly report on the performance
and service quality of intercity passenger train operations, including
Amtrak's cost recovery, ridership, on-time performance and minutes of
delay, causes of delay, on-board services, stations, facilities,
equipment, and other services.
In connection with the Congressional mandate, FRA's Metrics and
Minimum Standards for Intercity Passenger Rail Service final rule (49
CFR part 273) sets forth a number of metrics that must be collected. 85
FR 72971. On November 23, 2020, FRA published a request for emergency
processing of a collection of information because FRA could not
reasonably comply with normal clearance procedures to timely collect
ridership data metrics and certified schedule metrics as required by 49
CFR 273.5(b) and (c). 85 FR 74783. This ICR request covers all metrics
set forth in the final rule, including those covered by the emergency
clearance.
Type of Request: Revision to a currently approved information
collection.
Affected Public: Amtrak.
Form(s): N/A.
Respondent Universe: \2\ 1 (Amtrak).
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\2\ As noted in the 60-day notice, the respondent universe for
the required reporting in 49 CFR 273.5(c)(2) is 24 railroads.
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Frequency of Submission: Varied.
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 117.
Total Estimated Annual Burden: \3\ 507 hours.
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\3\ As also noted in the 60-day notice, the estimates for the
first year include one-time start up burdens and the annual
response, burden and total cost equivalent estimates are expected to
decrease after the first year of this 3-year ICR period.
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Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent:
$66,365.00.
Under 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b) and 1320.8(b)(3)(vi),
FRA informs all interested parties that a respondent is not required to
respond to, conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.
Brett A. Jortland,
Acting Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2021-03203 Filed 2-17-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
