Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB review, 36690-36691 [05-12530]

Agencies

• Federal Transit Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 121 (Friday, June 24, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36690-36691]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-12530]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

[FTA Docket No. FTA-2005-21667]


Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB review

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 35001 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 extension of the currently 
approved information collection. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-
day comment period soliciting comments was published on March 30, 2005.

DATES: Comments must be submitted before July 25, 2005. 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, (202) 366-6680.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: 49 U.S.C. Section 5335(a) and (b) National Transit Database 
(OMB Number: 2132-0008)
    Abstract: 49 U.S.C. Section 5335(a) and (b) require the Secretary 
of Transportation to maintain a reporting system by uniform categories 
to accumulate mass transportation financial and operating information 
and a uniform system of accounts and records. Twenty years ago, the 
National Transit Database (NTD) was created by Congress to be the 
repository of transit data for the nation. For FTA, the NTD is an 
agency mission critical Information Technology (IT) system. Congress 
created the NTD to provide validated data to determine the allocations 
for FTA's major formula grant programs. Each year transit authorities 
that receive FTA funding submit performance data, via the Internet, to 
the NTD. For the formula funding, they submit data on vehicle miles, 
fixed-guideway miles, ridership, and operating costs. These performance 
data are used in statutory formulae to apportion over $4 billion in 
federal funds back to those agencies across the nation.
    In addition, Congress provides much of the investment in the 
capital infrastructure of transit. The NTD reports to Congress on the 
level of that investment and the condition and performance of the 
capital assets funded by Congress. It reports each bus and railcar, the 
average age of the vehicle fleets, as well as the costs, condition and 
performance of bus and rail systems. All transit safety and security 
data is reported to the NTD. Since the 9/11 tragedy, the Department of 
Homeland Defense receives security incident data from the NTD. The 
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Department of 
Transportation (DOT), and the Government Accounting Office (GAO) use 
NTD safety data. The Department of Justice and DOT use NTD data for 
compliance with bus and paratransit provisions of the Americans with 
Disabilities Act of 1990. The Department of Labor uses NTD employment, 
hours and wage data. In addition, NTD fuel and engine data is used by 
the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. The 
Federal Highway Administration incorporates transit financial and 
highway fixed-guideway (HOV) data in their annual reports. In fact, FTA 
could not fulfill its annual reporting requirements to Congress under 
the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) without NTD data. In 
addition, federal, state, and local governments, transit agencies/
boards, labor unions, manufacturers, researchers, consultants and 
universities use the NTD for making transit related decisions. State 
governments also use the NTD in allocating funds under 49 U.S.C.
    Section 5307 and use NTD data to prepare annual state transit 
summaries. The NTD requires that transit costs be reported by mode, 
such as commuter rail, ferryboat, bus, subway, or light rail. Thus, the 
NTD is the only accurate national source of data on operating costs by 
mode. For example, without the NTD, it would be difficult to compare 
the average operating costs of bus versus light rail. NTD information 
is essential for understanding cost, ridership and other national 
performance trends, including transit's share of urban travel. It would 
be difficult to determine the future structure of FTA programs, to set 
policy, and to make funding and other decisions relating to the 
efficiency and effectiveness of the nation's transit operations without 
the NTD. For many years, OMB has approved the annual information 
collection under the NTD, as required by statute. Prior to 2002, the 
NTD received annual summary reports for safety, security and ridership 
data. In 2002, FTA added the monthly reporting of safety and security 
data and ridership data to the NTD at the direction of Congress.
    New NTD. In the 2000 DOT Appropriations Act, Congress directed FTA 
to develop a new NTD. In January 2002, a completely new NTD was 
launched on the Internet. It was completed on time and within budget. 
The new NTD includes an updated and streamlined version of the annual 
NTD that OMB has reviewed in the past, but it adds some monthly 
reporting that OMB has not reviewed. Congress, the DOT and the NTSB 
wanted monthly reporting of safety and security data. Also, to meet 
annual GPRA reporting requirements, Congress wanted transit ridership 
to be reported monthly. Congress provided FTA with the funds to design 
and program the new NTD. During the two-year development period for 
this system, Congress required that a panel of experts under the 
Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academy of Sciences 
review all NTD data elements. The FTA conducted outreach sessions on 
revisions to the NTD, prepared reports to Congress, and worked with the 
TRB panel to reduce unnecessary reporting and reporting burden. As a 
result, some forms and many data series were eliminated from the annual 
report.
    The new Internet-based system replaced the older diskette system 
and greatly reduced reporting burden. The new Internet system has pre-
submission validation, like Turbo-Tax. Many errors

[[Page 36691]]

were caught prior to submission. The Internet system eliminated the 
time consuming mailing back and forth of submission errors to 
reporters, and re-mailing submission corrections back to FTA. The new 
annual NTD yielded significant timesavings and reduced reporting 
burden. In recent surveys, over 75 percent of reporters like the new 
annual system and find it to be a great improvement and timesavings.
    Much of the reduction in burden hours for the annual NTD reports 
were offset by the increase in time for filing monthly reports in the 
new NTD. Safety, security and ridership data has always been part of 
the purview of the NTD. Congress, the NTSB and DOT wanted FTA to 
generate more detailed, monthly safety data to develop causal factors. 
The Federal Railroad Administration, the National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration report 
safety and security data monthly. Congress, DOT and the NTSB wanted FTA 
to harmonize with her sister agencies and provide monthly reports. 
Monthly reporting has increased reporting time. The net effect of 
monthly safety, security and ridership data reporting is to offset much 
of timesavings that the new NTD was able to produce for the annual 
reports. Total NTD reporting time has dropped only a little.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: 231,954 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.

    Issued: June 20, 2005.
Ann M. Linnertz,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Administration.
[FR Doc. 05-12530 Filed 6-23-05; 8:45 am]
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