Federal Register: November 3, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 211)
DOCID: fr03no09-100 FR Doc E9-26371
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Docket ID: [Docket No. FHWA-2009-0111]
NOTICE: NOTICES
DOCID: fr03no09-100
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for Extension of Currently Approved Information Collection
DATES: Please submit comments by January 4, 2010.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
The FHWA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval for the renewal of a currently approved information collection that is summarized below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
SUMMARY:
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Title: Highway Safety Improvement Program.
OMB Control No: 21250025.
Background: The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEALU) amended
Section 148 of Title 23 U.S.C. to establish a new ``core'' Highway
Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) that provides funds to State
Departments of Transportation (DOTs) to improve conditions at hazardous
highway locations and hazardous railwayhighway grade crossings on all
public roads, including those maintained by Federal, State and local
agencies. The existing provisions of Title 23 U.S.C. Sections 130,
RailwayHighway Crossings Program, and 152, Hazard Elimination Program,
as well as implementing regulations in 23 CFR 924, remain in effect.
Included in these combined provisions are requirements for State DOTs
to annually produce and submit to FHWA by August 31 three reports
related to the conduct and effectiveness of their HSIPs, that are to
include information on: (a) Progress being made to implement HSIP
projects and the effectiveness of these projects in reducing traffic
crashes, injuries and fatalities [Sections 148(g) and 152(g)]; (b)
progress being made to implement the RailwayHighway Crossings Program
and the effectiveness of the projects in that program [Sections 130(g)
and 148(g)], which will be used by FHWA to produce and submit biennial
reports to Congress required on April 1, beginning April 1, 2006; and
(c) description of at least 5 percent of the State's highway locations
exhibiting the most severe safety needs, including an estimate of the potential remedies, their costs, and impediments to their
implementation other than cost for each of the locations listed (i.e.,
the ``5 percent report'') [Section 148(c)(1)(D)]. To be able to produce
these reports, State DOTs must have crash data and analysis systems
capable of identifying and determining the relative severity of
hazardous highway locations on all public roads, and determining the
``before'' and ``after'' crash experiences at HSIP project locations.
This information provides FHWA with a means for monitoring the
effectiveness of these programs and may be used by Congress for
determining the future HSIP program structure and funding levels. Per
SAFETEALU, State DOTs have much flexibility in the methodology they
use to rank the relative severity of their public road locations in
terms of fatalities and serious injuries. The list of 5 percent of
these locations exhibiting the most severe safety needs will result
from the ranking methodology used, and may include roadway segments
and/or intersections. For example, a State may compare its roadway
locations against statewide average rates of fatalities and serious
injuries per 100 million vehicle miles traveled for similar type
facilities and determine that those segments whose rates exceed the
statewide rates are the locations with the ``most severe'' safety
needs, and then at least 5 percent of those locations would be included in the required annual report.
Respondents: 51 State Transportation Departments, including the District of Columbia.
Frequency: Annually.
Estimated Average Burden per Response: 500 hours (This is an increase of 300 burden hours from the current OMB approved 200 burden hours. The new report will take an additional 300 hours plus the 200 hours for the existing two reports).
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 25,500 hours (51 responses at an average of 500 hours each).
Public Comments Invited: 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 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 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: October 28, 2009.
Tina Campbell,
Acting Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.
[FR Doc. E926371 Filed 11209; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 491022P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Mr. Kenneth Epstein, 202-366-2157, Office of Safety, Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.