Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request, 61472-61473 [2012-24613]

Agencies

• Federal Railroad Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 195 (Tuesday, October 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61472-61473]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-24613]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2012-0006-N-14]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces that the Information Collection Requirements (ICRs) 
abstracted below have been forwarded to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICRs describe the nature of 
the information collections and their expected burdens. The Federal 
Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the 
following collections of information was published on August 6, 2012, 
volume 77, page number 151.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 8, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Janet Wylie, Office of Planning 
and Administration, RPD-3, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New 
Jersey Ave. SE., Mail Stop 20, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 
493-6292), or Ms. Kimberly Toone, Office of Information Technology, 
RAD-20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Mail 
Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: (202) 493-6132). (These 
telephone numbers are not toll-free.).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Public Law 104-13, Section 2, 109 Stat. 163 (1995) (codified as revised 
at 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. 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5, 1320.8(d)(1), 
1320.12. On August 6, 2012, FRA published a 60-day notice in the 
Federal Register soliciting comments on ICR that the agency was seeking 
OMB approval. 77 FR 46800. FRA received one comment after issuing this 
60-day notice. Accordingly, DOT announces that these information 
collection activities have been re-evaluated and certified under 5 CFR 
1320.5(a) and forwarded to OMB for review and approval pursuant to 5 
CFR 1320.12(c).
    Before OMB decides whether to approve these proposed collections of 
information, it must provide 30 days for public comment. 44 U.S.C. 
3507(b); 5 CFR 1320.12(d). 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(d); see also 
60 FR 44978, 44983, August 29, 1995. OMB believes that 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, August 29, 1995. Therefore, 
respondents should submit their respective comments to OMB within 30 
days of publication to best ensure having their full effect. 5 CFR 
1320.12(c); see also 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
    The summaries below describe the nature of the information 
collection requirements (ICRs) and the expected burden. The revised 
requirements are being submitted for clearance by OMB as required by 
the PRA.
    Title: Solicitation of Applications and Notice of Funds 
Availability for High-Speed Rail Corridors and Intercity Passenger Rail 
Service-Capital Assistance and Planning Grants Program.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0584.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: States and local governments, government sponsored 
authorities and corporations, railroads.
    Abstract: After 60 years and more than 1.8 trillion investment 
dollars, the United States has developed the world's most advanced 
highway and aviation systems. During this time, the nation has made a 
relatively modest investment in passenger rail systems. As congestion 
on highways and in the air continues to grow and environmental costs 
mount, there is a growing need for diverse transportation options.
    In 2009, President Obama announced a new vision to address the 
nation's transportation challenges. He called for a collaborative 
effort among the Federal government, States, railroads, and other 
stakeholders to help transform America's transportation system. The 
President's vision seeks to create an efficient high-speed passenger 
rail system to connect inner-city communities across America.
    Developing a comprehensive high-speed intercity passenger rail 
network requires a long-term commitment at both the Federal and State 
levels. The President has jump-started the process with $2 billion 
provided by the Department of Transportation (DOT) Appropriations Act 
of 2010 (FY10 Appropriations), $8 billion provided by the American 
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), $90 million provided by the DOT 
Appropriations Act of 2009 (FY09 Appropriations), and approximately 
$1.8 million remaining funds from the Transportation, Housing and Urban 
Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 (FY08 
Appropriations). Additional or

[[Page 61473]]

future funding for high-speed intercity passenger rail may come from a 
variety of sources, including annual appropriations, one-time 
appropriations, redistribution of previously allocated or obligated 
funds, or distribution of residual funding from previous sources.
    The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) allocates funds to 
applicants with plans or programs that align with the President's key 
strategic transportation goals: creating safe and efficient 
transportation choices, building a foundation for economic 
competitiveness, promoting energy efficiency and environmental quality, 
and supporting interconnected livable communities. Grants are being 
administered for the following types of projects:
     Service Development Programs--Aimed at new high-speed rail 
corridor services or substantial upgrades to existing corridor 
services. Grants are intended to fund a set of inter-related projects 
that constitute a phase (or geographic section) of a long-range 
corridor plan.
     Individual Projects--Aimed at discrete capital projects 
that will result in service benefits or other tangible improvements on 
a corridor. These projects include completion of preliminary 
engineering (PE), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
documentation, final design (FD), and construction, which can include 
equipment procurements to provide improved service and modernized 
fleets throughout the country.
     Planning Projects--Aimed at helping to establish a 
pipeline of future construction projects and corridor development 
programs by completing Service Development Plans and service-level 
environmental analysis for corridors that are at an earlier stage of 
the development process, as well as State Rail Plans.

As the President outlined in his March 20, 2009 memorandum, ``Ensuring 
Responsible Spending of Recovery Act Funds,'' implementing agencies are 
to ``develop transparent, merit-based selection criteria that will 
guide their available discretion in committing, obligating, or 
expending funds under the Recovery Act.'' In order to achieve this 
goal, FRA created an application process that contains clear selection 
criteria and evaluation procedures.

The Application Process

    In essence, the application process is grounded on three key 
principles: (1) Promoting collaboration and shared responsibility among 
the Federal Government and States, groups of States within corridor 
regions, and governments, railroads and other private entities; (2) 
managing, rather than eliminating, risk through program management 
structure, controls and procedures that permit prudent but effective 
investments; and (3) ensuring early success while building a 
sustainable program to meet near-term economic recovery goals while 
developing public consensus for a long-term program. FRA has issued 
interim program guidance as well as detailed instructions to clearly 
explain the application process.
    The applications include the standard items, such as the SF 424, 
all ARRA-relevant forms, and other necessary and relevant technical 
documents that are project-specific and voluntary.
    In order to determine eligibility for funds, FRA must solicit 
applications and collect information from parties interested in 
obtaining and utilizing these funds for eligible projects.
    Following allocation of funds to applicants, FRA must collect 
information from recipients in the form of various required reports in 
order to effectively monitor and track the progress of all funded 
projects. This process consists of:

 Tracking project activities and progress against the approved 
milestones in the Statement of Work through quarterly submission of the 
FRA Quarterly Progress Report
 Comparing the rate of a project's actual expenditures to the 
planned amounts in the approved project budget through the quarterly 
submission of the Federal Financial Report (SF-425)
 Tracking cumulative funds and job creation through the 
quarterly submission of the ARRA 1512(c) Report for ARRA recipients
 Capturing the cumulative activities and achievements of the 
project, with respect to objectives and milestones, through the one-
time submission of the Final Performance Report

    This collection of information is necessary in order to comply with 
the funding agreements outlined in the Notice of Grant Agreement and, 
for ARRA recipients, satisfy legal obligations identified in Section 
1501(c).
    Form Number(s): FRA F 6180.132, FRA F 6180.133, FRA F 6180.134, FRA 
F 6180.135, FRA F 6180.138, FRA F 6180.139, SF-425.
    Annual Estimated Burden Hours: 20,384.
    Addressee: Send comments regarding these information collections to 
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management 
and Budget, 725 Seventeenth Street NW., Washington, DC, 20503, 
Attention: FRA Desk Officer. Alternatively, comments may be sent via 
email to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), 
Office of Management and Budget, at the following address: oira_submissions@omb.eop.gov
    Comments are invited on the following: Whether the proposed 
collections of information are 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 estimates of 
the burden of the proposed information collections; ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 
ways to minimize the burden of the collections of information on 
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    A comment to OMB is best assured of having its full effect if OMB 
receives it within 30 days of publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register.

    Authority:  44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

    Issued in Washington, DC on October 1, 2012.
Michael Logue,
Associate Administrator for Administration, Federal Railroad 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-24613 Filed 10-5-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P