Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection, 622-623 [2010-33294]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 5, 2011 / Notices
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590,
Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Highways for LIFE Omnibus
Survey for Technology Deployment.
Background: The Highways for LIFE
program was established by the 109th
Congress within Sections 1101 and 1502
of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible,
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A
Legacy for Users (Pub. L. 109–59).
Within that law, under the topic
‘‘Technology Transfer and Information
Dissemination,’’ it states that ‘‘The
Secretary shall conduct a highways for
life technology transfer program.’’ It
further states that ‘‘The Secretary shall
establish a process for stakeholder input
and involvement in the development,
implementation, and evaluation of the
Highways for LIFE Pilot Program. The
process may include participation by
representatives of the State departments
of transportation and other interested
persons.’’ Also, it states that, ‘‘The
Secretary shall monitor and evaluate the
effectiveness of any activity carried out
under this section.’’
A critical element in accomplishing
these goals is to ensure that the
technologies being deployed by FHWA
and implemented by the States actually
fill a specific need. Therefore, it is
important that FHWA obtain feedback
both before and after specific
technologies are transferred. If, for
example, FHWA determined on its own
that a particular innovation was
important, yet never actually
determined whether States would value
such an innovation, much time and
money would have been wasted. Or, if
there were an innovation that was
deployed to States, yet FHWA never
followed up to determine if the effort
was a success, or how it might be even
more successful, lessons could not be
learned and put into effect.
In FHWA’s Strategic Plan, the first
goal listed is ‘‘National Leadership.’’
Under that topic, the first objective is
‘‘Advance Innovation: FHWA is
recognized as a leader in the
development and promotion of
innovative solutions that address
current and emerging transportation
issues.’’ Item 1.1 is ‘‘Systematically
identify emerging issues and needs that
could impact transportation,’’ and item
1.2 is ‘‘Identify, develop, promote, and
rapidly implement new and proven
technologies and innovative solutions to
improve system performance.’’ These
‘‘innovative solutions’’ cannot properly
identify what might work without
discussing the needs for such things
with the user groups—the States.
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Likewise, it cannot promote and
implement them without an appropriate
understanding of how the user
organizations—the States—feel about
the particular innovations; and this can
only come from a formal survey.
Respondents: There are 260
respondents, including 5 each from 50
State Transportation Departments, the
District of Columbia, and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Frequency: Once a year, for three
years.
Estimated Average Burden per
Response: Each survey will require 15
minutes to respond.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 65 hours.
Public Comments Invited: You are
asked to comment on any aspect of this
information collection, including: (1)
Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the U.S.
DOT’s performance, including whether
the information will have practical
utility; (2) the accuracy of the U.S.
DOT’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed information collection; (3)
ways to enhance the quality, usefulness,
and clarity of the collected information;
and (4) ways that the burden could be
minimized, including the 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: December 29, 2010.
Cynthia Thornton,
Acting Chief, Management Programs and
Analysis Division.
[FR Doc. 2010–33286 Filed 1–4–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA–2010–0177]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Request for Comments for a
New Information Collection
Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
The FHWA has forwarded the
information collection request described
in this notice to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
approval of a new information
SUMMARY:
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collection. We published a Federal
Register Notice with a 60-day public
comment period on this information
collection on September 7, 2010. We are
required to publish this notice in the
Federal Register by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Please submit comments by
February 4, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments
within 30 days to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Office of Management and Budget, 725
17th Street, NW., Washington, DC
20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer. 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
burden; (3) ways for the FHWA to
enhance the quality, usefulness, and
clarity of the collected information; and
(4) ways that the burden could be
minimized, including the use of
electronic technology, without reducing
the quality of the collected information.
All comments should include the
Docket number FHWA–2010–0177.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Karen White, (202) 366–9474, Office of
Innovative Program Delivery. Federal
Highway Administration, Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Experiments on Driving under
Uncertain Congestion Conditions and
the Effects on Traffic Networks from
Congestion Pricing Initiatives.
Background: The traditional way of
financing the transportation system in
the U.S. is currently being challenged
and new revenue schemes are being
evaluated for possible implementation.
In addition, the growth in traffic volume
overwhelms the ability to finance
additional road capacity. Congestion
pricing is gaining support across the
world as a way to solve the congestion
problem and thereby ease the
congestion cost to the public and at the
same time generate revenues that can be
used to fund additional transportation
capacity. While congestion pricing
strategies have been implemented in
several parts of the world, the
implementation is still relatively limited
in this country.
This study will assess the responses
to several congestion pricing schemes
by asking volunteer participants to make
driving choices under these schemes in
an experiment. The study will present
participants with a number of choice
E:\FR\FM\05JAN1.SGM
05JAN1
jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 3 / Wednesday, January 5, 2011 / Notices
situations involving routes that vary in
road pricing and travel time. Three basic
types of experiments will be conducted:
A field experiment using Global
Positioning System (GPS) trackers; a
multi-driver traffic simulation
experiment; and a single driver
simulator experiment. In addition to
these experiments, participants will
answer short demographic
questionnaires and short surveys of
their driving habits.
The initial phase will consist of
recruiting participants by sending out
invitation letters to potential
participants who are drivers on select
routes in the Miami, Florida; Orlando,
Florida; and Atlanta, Georgia
metropolitan areas. Local toll road
agencies have agreed to collaborate with
the researchers in this phase. The
invitation will ask those who are
interested to complete a survey online.
This survey is used to filter respondents
based on how frequently they drive on
the selected routes. A typical
respondent will complete this survey in
30 minutes. Respondents who express
interest in being part of the experiments
will be asked to attend four face-to-face
sessions. There will be a choice of times
and locations for these sessions so as to
make it convenient for the participant.
In these sessions participants will be
presented with lottery choices, betting
tasks, and simulator driving tasks, in
addition to a short questionnaire about
their demographics and driving habits.
These tasks are intended to observe
characteristics in drivers that are
important to their driving choices when
roads are congested. The choice tasks,
questionnaires and simulator driving
tasks will require 41⁄2 hours of the
participant’s time, spread over the four
sessions. In addition, all participants’
cars will be outfitted with a GPS device
that can receive but not send signals,
allowing us to collect information on
driving habits. The installation is simple
and will only take a couple of minutes.
All driving data will be downloaded
directly from the device to a computer.
Sensitive data, such as the home and
work locations of the drivers, will not be
downloaded. Approximately two weeks
will pass between each session; a time
frame that is determined by the capacity
of the GPS device’s ability to store data
of subjects’ travel log. The total time
required for instructing participants in
the field driving task, installing the
device, and downloading all the data
will be one hour, spread out over the
four sessions. All of the 1,200
participants will have their car
equipped with a GPS while
participating in the study. However,
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16:26 Jan 04, 2011
Jkt 223001
since we partition the study into three
parts there will be a maximum of 400
cars that have GPS installed at any time
in the field experiment.
During the first two sessions
participants will be given driving
simulator tasks, lottery and betting
tasks, and questionnaires. Participants
will receive money for driving on the
routes studied but tolls that vary across
routes and departure times will be
subtracted from this money. If a toll
from the study is applied to a route that
already has a toll, the existing toll is
subtracted from the toll charge in the
study. If the existing toll is higher than
the toll charge in the study, the
participant will be paid the difference
from the study. Some routes will have
no toll charge. Participants will also
receive money in a similar manner for
driving in the simulators, and for the
non-simulator choice tasks. There will
also be a fixed compensation for
attending each of the four sessions, and
for completing the entire study.
A total of 1,200 persons will
participate, divided across the three
regions. 10 weeks will be needed to
complete the 4 sessions for each group
of participants. 100 of these participants
will be expected to volunteer for an
additional 10 week field driving period
for additional monetary compensation.
The sessions will be timed very
carefully since the student research
assistants helping the participants will
not be available during final exam
periods and certain breaks.
Respondents: 1200 participants are
expected to participate throughout all
tasks.
Frequency: In phase 1, a survey will
be completed via the internet, followed
by four face-to-face sessions and three
two-week periods of driving with a GPS
devise for most participants and twice
that for a few selected participants. The
face-to-face sessions will take place
within a 10-week period. For those who
are selected to double their participation
there will be a break before starting the
second period.
Estimated Average Burden per
Response: The online questionnaire will
require 30 minutes for a typical
respondent. Two of the face-to-face
sessions will last two hours each, the
third session will last one hour, and the
final session will be completed in thirty
minutes. This time covers the 41⁄2 hours
for the simulator tasks, the other choice
tasks, and questionnaires, and the one
hour for installing the GPS device,
instructing participants in the field
driving task plus downloading the GPS
data to a computer. The average time
allocation per participant is therefore
expected to be 6 hours. For those who
PO 00000
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623
choose to double their participation
there will be a need for an additional
two hours spread across four sessions.
Estimated Total Burden Hours:
Approximately 7,600 hours.
6 hours × 1200 participants = 7200
2 hours × 200 participants = 400
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended;
and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: December 29, 2010.
Cynthia Thornton,
Acting Chief, Management Programs and
Analysis Division.
[FR Doc. 2010–33294 Filed 1–4–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS
[OMB Control No. 2900–0455]
Proposed Information Collection
(Equal Opportunity Compliance
Review Report) Activity: Comment
Request
Veterans Benefits
Administration, Department of Veterans
Affairs.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Veterans Benefits
Administration (VBA), Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an
opportunity for public comment on the
proposed collection of certain
information by the agency. Under the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995, Federal agencies are required to
publish notice in the Federal Register
concerning each proposed collection of
information, including each proposed
extension of a currently approved
collection, and allow 60 days for public
comment in response to the notice. This
notice solicits comments for information
needed to determine whether
proprietary education institutions
receiving Federal financial assistance
comply with the applicable civil rights
law and regulations.
DATES: Written comments and
recommendations on the proposed
collection of information should be
received on or before March 7, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments
on the collection of information through
Federal Docket Management System
(FDMS) at https://www.Regulations.gov
or to Nancy J. Kessinger, Veterans
Benefits Administration (20M35),
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810
Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC
20420 or e-mail to
nancy.kessinger@va.gov. Please refer to
‘‘OMB Control No. 2900–0455’’ in any
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\05JAN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 5, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 622-623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-33294]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-2010-0177]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments
for a New Information Collection
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request
described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for approval of a new information collection. We published a Federal
Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information
collection on September 7, 2010. We are required to publish this notice
in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Please submit comments by February 4, 2011.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments within 30 days to the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,
725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer.
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 burden; (3) ways
for the FHWA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the
collected information; and (4) ways that the burden could be minimized,
including the use of electronic technology, without reducing the
quality of the collected information. All comments should include the
Docket number FHWA-2010-0177.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen White, (202) 366-9474, Office of
Innovative Program Delivery. Federal Highway Administration, Department
of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.
Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Experiments on Driving under Uncertain Congestion Conditions
and the Effects on Traffic Networks from Congestion Pricing
Initiatives.
Background: The traditional way of financing the transportation
system in the U.S. is currently being challenged and new revenue
schemes are being evaluated for possible implementation. In addition,
the growth in traffic volume overwhelms the ability to finance
additional road capacity. Congestion pricing is gaining support across
the world as a way to solve the congestion problem and thereby ease the
congestion cost to the public and at the same time generate revenues
that can be used to fund additional transportation capacity. While
congestion pricing strategies have been implemented in several parts of
the world, the implementation is still relatively limited in this
country.
This study will assess the responses to several congestion pricing
schemes by asking volunteer participants to make driving choices under
these schemes in an experiment. The study will present participants
with a number of choice
[[Page 623]]
situations involving routes that vary in road pricing and travel time.
Three basic types of experiments will be conducted: A field experiment
using Global Positioning System (GPS) trackers; a multi-driver traffic
simulation experiment; and a single driver simulator experiment. In
addition to these experiments, participants will answer short
demographic questionnaires and short surveys of their driving habits.
The initial phase will consist of recruiting participants by
sending out invitation letters to potential participants who are
drivers on select routes in the Miami, Florida; Orlando, Florida; and
Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan areas. Local toll road agencies have
agreed to collaborate with the researchers in this phase. The
invitation will ask those who are interested to complete a survey
online. This survey is used to filter respondents based on how
frequently they drive on the selected routes. A typical respondent will
complete this survey in 30 minutes. Respondents who express interest in
being part of the experiments will be asked to attend four face-to-face
sessions. There will be a choice of times and locations for these
sessions so as to make it convenient for the participant. In these
sessions participants will be presented with lottery choices, betting
tasks, and simulator driving tasks, in addition to a short
questionnaire about their demographics and driving habits. These tasks
are intended to observe characteristics in drivers that are important
to their driving choices when roads are congested. The choice tasks,
questionnaires and simulator driving tasks will require 4\1/2\ hours of
the participant's time, spread over the four sessions. In addition, all
participants' cars will be outfitted with a GPS device that can receive
but not send signals, allowing us to collect information on driving
habits. The installation is simple and will only take a couple of
minutes. All driving data will be downloaded directly from the device
to a computer. Sensitive data, such as the home and work locations of
the drivers, will not be downloaded. Approximately two weeks will pass
between each session; a time frame that is determined by the capacity
of the GPS device's ability to store data of subjects' travel log. The
total time required for instructing participants in the field driving
task, installing the device, and downloading all the data will be one
hour, spread out over the four sessions. All of the 1,200 participants
will have their car equipped with a GPS while participating in the
study. However, since we partition the study into three parts there
will be a maximum of 400 cars that have GPS installed at any time in
the field experiment.
During the first two sessions participants will be given driving
simulator tasks, lottery and betting tasks, and questionnaires.
Participants will receive money for driving on the routes studied but
tolls that vary across routes and departure times will be subtracted
from this money. If a toll from the study is applied to a route that
already has a toll, the existing toll is subtracted from the toll
charge in the study. If the existing toll is higher than the toll
charge in the study, the participant will be paid the difference from
the study. Some routes will have no toll charge. Participants will also
receive money in a similar manner for driving in the simulators, and
for the non-simulator choice tasks. There will also be a fixed
compensation for attending each of the four sessions, and for
completing the entire study.
A total of 1,200 persons will participate, divided across the three
regions. 10 weeks will be needed to complete the 4 sessions for each
group of participants. 100 of these participants will be expected to
volunteer for an additional 10 week field driving period for additional
monetary compensation. The sessions will be timed very carefully since
the student research assistants helping the participants will not be
available during final exam periods and certain breaks.
Respondents: 1200 participants are expected to participate
throughout all tasks.
Frequency: In phase 1, a survey will be completed via the internet,
followed by four face-to-face sessions and three two-week periods of
driving with a GPS devise for most participants and twice that for a
few selected participants. The face-to-face sessions will take place
within a 10-week period. For those who are selected to double their
participation there will be a break before starting the second period.
Estimated Average Burden per Response: The online questionnaire
will require 30 minutes for a typical respondent. Two of the face-to-
face sessions will last two hours each, the third session will last one
hour, and the final session will be completed in thirty minutes. This
time covers the 4\1/2\ hours for the simulator tasks, the other choice
tasks, and questionnaires, and the one hour for installing the GPS
device, instructing participants in the field driving task plus
downloading the GPS data to a computer. The average time allocation per
participant is therefore expected to be 6 hours. For those who choose
to double their participation there will be a need for an additional
two hours spread across four sessions.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: Approximately 7,600 hours.
6 hours x 1200 participants = 7200
2 hours x 200 participants = 400
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C.
Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: December 29, 2010.
Cynthia Thornton,
Acting Chief, Management Programs and Analysis Division.
[FR Doc. 2010-33294 Filed 1-4-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
