Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request: Cab Technology Integration Lab (CTIL) Head-up Display Survey, 18958-18960 [2017-08159]

Download as PDF 18958 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 77 / Monday, April 24, 2017 / Notices conditions tax visual capacity and driver response just as intensely as interstate driving conditions. The veteran drivers in this proceeding have operated CMVs safely under those conditions for at least 3 years, most for much longer. Their experience and driving records lead us to believe that each applicant is capable of operating in interstate commerce as safely as he/she has been performing in intrastate commerce. Consequently, FMCSA finds that exempting these applicants from the vision requirement in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10) is likely to achieve a level of safety equal to that existing without the exemption. For this reason, the Agency is granting the exemptions for the 2-year period allowed by 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315 to the 17 applicants listed in the notice of March 8, 2017 (82 FR 13045). We recognize that the vision of an applicant may change and affect his/her ability to operate a CMV as safely as in the past. As a condition of the exemption, therefore, FMCSA will impose requirements on the 17 individuals consistent with the grandfathering provisions applied to drivers who participated in the Agency’s vision waiver program. Those requirements are found at 49 CFR 391.64(b) and include the following: (1) That each individual be physically examined every year (a) by an ophthalmologist or optometrist who attests that the vision in the better eye continues to meet the requirement in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10) and (b) by a medical examiner who attests that the individual is otherwise physically qualified under 49 CFR 391.41; (2) that each individual provide a copy of the ophthalmologist’s or optometrist’s report to the medical examiner at the time of the annual medical examination; and (3) that each individual provide a copy of the annual medical certification to the employer for retention in the driver’s qualification file, or keep a copy in his/her driver’s qualification file if he/she is selfemployed. The driver must have a copy of the certification when driving, for presentation to a duly authorized Federal, State, or local enforcement official. jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES V. Discussion of Comments FMCSA received no comments in this proceeding. IV. Conclusion Based upon its evaluation of the 17 exemption applications, FMCSA exempts the following drivers from the vision requirement in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10): Chad C. Burnett (IL) VerDate Sep<11>2014 13:48 Apr 21, 2017 Jkt 241001 Lesco R. Chubb (GA) Stephen M. Currie (TX) Thomas C. Fitzpatrick (ME) Robert D. Hattabaugh (AR) Wade R. Higgins (NC) Daniel L. Holman (UT) Don N. Hood (AR) James S. Hummel (PA) Robert R. Martin (VA) James C. Montgomery (TN) Huber N. Pena Ortega (CO) Garry W. Perkins (NH) Charles M. Reese (UT) Wilbur Robinson, Jr. (NJ) Thomas R. Test (VA) Steven L. Tiefenthaler (IA) In accordance with 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315, each exemption will be valid for 2 years unless revoked earlier by FMCSA. The exemption will be revoked if: (1) The person fails to comply with the terms and conditions of the exemption; (2) the exemption has resulted in a lower level of safety than was maintained before it was granted; or (3) continuation of the exemption would not be consistent with the goals and objectives of 49 U.S.C. 31136 and 31315. If the exemption is still effective at the end of the 2-year period, the person may apply to FMCSA for a renewal under procedures in effect at that time. Issued on: April 17, 2017. Larry W. Minor, Associate Administrator for Policy. [FR Doc. 2017–08193 Filed 4–21–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration [Docket No. FRA–2017–0002–N–9] Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request: Cab Technology Integration Lab (CTIL) Head-up Display Survey Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice and comment request. AGENCY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice announces that FRA is forwarding the new 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 November 2, 2016, FRA published a notice providing a 60day period for public comment on the ICR. DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 24, 2017. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Mr. Robert Brogan, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Railroad Safety, Regulatory Analysis Division, RRS–21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590 (Telephone: (202) 493–6292); or Ms. Kim Toone, Information Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Administration, Office of Information Technology, RAD–20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 35, Washington, DC 20590 (Telephone: (202) 493–6132). (These telephone numbers are not toll free.) 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. 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.5, 1320.8(d)(1), and 1320.12. On November 2, 2016, FRA published a 60-day notice in the Federal Register soliciting comment on the ICR for which it is now seeking OMB approval. See 81 FR 76411. FRA received three comments in response to this notice. Comments were received from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), the SMART Transportation Division (SMART–TD), and the Association of American Railroads (AAR). FRA has contacted all three organizations to address any comments and concerns, and will be working with these organizations to help facilitate the research study. All three commenting organizations were open to participation in the design or execution of the study. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: BLET’s Summary of Recommendations/ Concerns • BLET is supportive of FRA’s efforts to study distraction, and suggests getting feedback from locomotive engineers as a method to gauge the degree of distraction that exists within the locomotive cab; • BLET is concerned the FRA study is limited to the craft of locomotive engineer; and • BLET is also concerned the FRA study is not addressing other sources of distraction, such as Trip Optimizer or Leader. BLET encourages FRA to follow up with a study that captures Trip Optimizer or Leader experiences in conjunction with the other potential distractors. FRA Responses • FRA will seek feedback from multiple locomotive engineers E:\FR\FM\24APN1.SGM 24APN1 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 77 / Monday, April 24, 2017 / Notices throughout the course of the study, including but not limited to: The design of the study; execution of the study; and the analysis of the results; • FRA will consider conducting a follow-on study related to cab distraction and its impact on crewinteraction; and • FRA acknowledges this study will not address any potentially distracting effects from Trip Optimizer or Leader. FRA has conducted prior studies of Trip Optimizer and continues to investigate Trip Optimizer and Leader systems’ safety-related issues as they are brought to FRA’s attention. SMART TD’s Summary of Recommendations/Concerns • SMART–TD is concerned the HeadUp Display (HUD) will be another electronic device that takes crew members’ eyes off the tracks; and • SMART–TD recommends the following alternative ways to deal with in-cab distractions: Issuing train crew size rules; limiting access by others to radio channels trains use; limiting use of defect detectors; investigating distractive effects of Leader and Trip Optimizer; and increasing implementation of positive train control (PTC). jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES FRA Responses • FRA will consider initiating future studies into other potential in-cab issues. In the meantime, FRA is reviewing SMART–TD’s concerns and is working with the railroads to review their locomotive engineer certification programs to ensure the programs include training on Leader and Trip Optimizer systems or other new technology, if utilized. Each railroad’s certification program must address how the railroad responds to changes such as the introduction of new technology, new operating rule books, or significant changes in operations—including alteration of the territory over which engineers are authorized to operate. FRA has done, and will do further, onboard observation inspections regarding Leader and Trip Optimizer interaction. AAR’s Summary of Recommendations/ Concerns • AAR recommends their member railroads be included as active participants in the design and execution of the study. FRA Response • FRA communicated with AAR after receiving its written response to the 60day Federal Register notice. FRA welcomes the participation of the AAR’s VerDate Sep<11>2014 13:48 Apr 21, 2017 Jkt 241001 member railroads and believes such participation will contribute to the validity of the study results. FRA is currently working with AAR to arrange participation throughout the study to address any concerns and answer any questions. Before OMB decides whether to approve the proposed collection 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, 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. 5 CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995. The summary below describes the ICR and its expected burden. FRA is submitting the new request for clearance by OMB as the PRA requires. Title: Cab Technology Integration Lab (CTIL) Head-up Display Survey. OMB Control Number: 2130—New. Abstract: FRA is proposing a study which will focus on locomotive engineers. Distraction is a common problem in locomotive cabs and preliminary research suggests the dispatch radio may have significant effects on train crew workload and performance. There are generally two categories of dispatcher-engineer communications. Some require immediate action and should be provided in the usual manner (over the radio). However, others do not require immediate action and could be provided as a written message. FRA seeks to understand how the dispatch radio could potentially lead to human-performance degradation for a locomotive engineer, and if a HUD would be an alternative and superior technology to communicating information usually conveyed over the dispatch radio. HUDs have been incorporated and researched extensively in aviation and motor vehicle applications because of their relative advantage over head-down displays (HDD). Research in the CTIL, FRA’s locomotive simulator at Volpe, The National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, MA, has shown that in-cab displays, such as moving maps, can lead to prolonged heads- PO 00000 Frm 00071 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 18959 down time (Young, et al., 2015). Additionally, research done in the field in naturalistic studies using passenger vehicles has also shown that looking inside a vehicle for interface control features increases the risk of an accident/incident (Liang, Lee, & Yekhsatyan, 2012). Thus, a HUD has real advantages over a HDD. FRA believes investigating alternative technologies that increase forward-track viewing time is worth pursuing. To test the hypothesis that display communications on a HUD can reduce workload and distractions while increasing the time locomotive engineers keep their eyes on the forward track, an experiment will be run in the CTIL with four different conditions: HUD presence (present or absent) will be crossed with radio communications (present or absent). Forty locomotive engineers will participate in the simulator study and survey data collection. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology will develop and install the HUD. FRA will use a subjective measure of workload, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA–TLX), in this study and provide it to the locomotive engineers after the simulator experiment. In addition, locomotive engineers will rate the usability of the system with a usability scale. Analysis of the simulator data, workload data, and usability survey data will allow FRA to assess whether a HUD has a relative advantage over a HDD in rail, and if it could mitigate any radiodistraction related performance declines. Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection. Affected Public: Railroad Workers. Form(s): FRA F 6180.168. Total Estimated Annual Responses: 40. Total Estimated Annual Burden: 260 hours. Addressee: Send comments regarding the information collection to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: FRA Desk Officer. Comments may also be sent via email to OMB at the following address: oira_ submissions@omb.eop.gov. Comments are invited on the following: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for DOT to properly perform its functions, including whether the information will have practical utility; the accuracy of DOT’s estimates of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, E:\FR\FM\24APN1.SGM 24APN1 18960 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 77 / Monday, April 24, 2017 / Notices 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. 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. Sarah L. Inderbitzin, Acting Chief Counsel. [FR Doc. 2017–08159 Filed 4–21–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–06–P Table of Contents DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration [Docket No. FTA–2016–0030] Transit Asset Management: Final Guidebooks Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of availability of final guidebooks. AGENCY: FTA has placed in the docket and on its Web site guidance in the form of two guidebooks to assist grantees in complying with FTA’s Transit Asset Management program. The purpose of the guidebooks is to inform the transit community of calculation methodologies for state of good repair (SGR) performance measures for infrastructure and facilities. DATES: Reporting the performance measures discussed in these guidebooks will be optional in NTD report year 2017 with full implementation required in report year 2018. ADDRESSES: For access to DOT Docket Number FTA–2016–0030 to read background documents and comments received, go to www.regulations.gov at any time or to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Docket Operations, M–30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For program matters, contact John Giorgis, FTA Office of Budget and Policy, at (202) 366–5430, or john.giorgis@dot.gov. For legal matters, contact Bruce Walker, FTA Attorney-Advisor, Office of Chief Counsel, at (202) 366–9109 or bruce.walker@dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: jstallworth on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 13:48 Apr 21, 2017 Availability of Final Guidebooks This notice provides a summary of the final changes to the ‘‘TAM Infrastructure Performance Measure Reporting Guidebook: Performance Restriction (Slow Zone) Calculation’’ and the ‘‘TAM Facility Performance Measure Reporting Guidebook: Condition Assessment Calculation.’’ FTA requested comments on both proposed guidebooks in a Federal Register notice published July 26, 2016 (81 FR 48974). The guidebooks are available on the following FTA Web site: www.transit.dot.gov/TAM. Jkt 241001 I. Background II. Summary of Comments and FTA Responses A. Facility Condition Assessment Guidebook B. Guideway Performance Restriction Calculation Guidebook I. Background The guidebooks discussed in this notice incorporate changes to FTA’s programs due to the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP– 21); the publication of the final rule for FTA’s National Transit Asset Management (TAM) System and amendments to the National Transit Database (NTD) regulations; and changes in terminology used in the 2012 Asset Management Guide. FTA issued its final rule for the National Transit Asset Management (TAM) System and the final notice for the National Transit Database Asset Inventory Module in the Federal Register on July 26, 2016 (81 FR 48971). The final rule includes four (4) state of good repair (SGR) performance measures for capital assets: (1) Equipment: (non-revenue) service vehicles. The performance measure for non-revenue, support-service and maintenance vehicles equipment is the percentage of those vehicles that have met or exceeded their useful life benchmark (ULB); (2) Rolling stock. The performance measure for rolling stock is the percentage of revenue vehicles within a particular asset class that have either met or exceeded their ULB; (3) Infrastructure: rail fixed-guideway, track, signals, and systems. The performance measure for rail fixedguideway, track, signals, and systems is the percentage of track segments with performance restrictions; and (4) Facilities. The performance measure for facilities is the percentage of facilities within an asset class, rated below condition three (3) on the Transit Economic Requirements Model (TERM) scale. PO 00000 Frm 00072 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 The final rule includes performance measures for infrastructure and facilities categories; however, it was silent with regard to calculation methodologies. To that end, FTA proposed guidebooks that provided both standard terminology and calculation options for transit providers to conform to the proposed SGR performance measures for infrastructure and facilities. The proposed guidebooks specifically describe how to measure and report the infrastructure and facility performance measures to the NTD and were published in the Federal Register for public comment on July 26, 2016. This notice responds to comments received and announces the availability of the revised final guidebooks: The ‘‘TAM Infrastructure Performance Measure Reporting Guidebook: Performance Restriction (Slow Zone) Calculation’’ and the ‘‘TAM Facility Performance Measure Reporting Guidebook: Condition Assessment Calculation.’’ The final guidebooks are not included in this notice; instead, electronic versions are available on FTA’s Web site, at www.transit.dot.gov/TAM, and are also available on the docket, at www.regulations.gov. Paper copies of the proposed guidebooks may be obtained by contacting FTA’s Administrative Services Help Desk at (202) 366–4865. II. Summary of Comments and FTA Responses FTA proposed guidebooks are intended to aid compliance with the Transit Asset Management Subpart D Performance Management requirements of 49 CFR part 625 1 and the National Transit Database (NTD) Asset Inventory reporting requirements of 49 CFR part 630. Thirteen commenters responded to the request for public comment. Based on comments received, FTA has clarified and revised sections of both guidebooks to provide better flow and clarity. The comments and FTA responses are organized as follows (1) facility condition assessments, and (2) guideway performance restriction calculations. A. Facility Condition Assessments Comments: Many commenters requested clarification regarding terms and definitions used and the procedures proposed in the guidebook. A number of the commenters indicated issues regarding Chapter 3.0 Condition Assessment Procedures of the 1 See Federal Register, notice of availability at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-07-26/pdf/ 2016-17076.pdf. E:\FR\FM\24APN1.SGM 24APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 77 (Monday, April 24, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18958-18960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-08159]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2017-0002-N-9]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request: Cab Technology Integration Lab (CTIL) Head-up Display Survey

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

ACTION: Notice and comment request.

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

SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), this notice 
announces that FRA is forwarding the new 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 November 2, 2016, FRA published a notice 
providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICR.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before May 24, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Brogan, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, Office of Railroad Safety, Regulatory 
Analysis Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 25, Washington, DC 20590 (Telephone: (202) 
493-6292); or Ms. Kim Toone, Information Collection Clearance Officer, 
Office of Administration, Office of Information Technology, RAD-20, 
Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 
35, Washington, DC 20590 (Telephone: (202) 493-6132). (These telephone 
numbers are not toll free.)

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. 44 U.S.C. 3506, 
3507; 5 CFR 1320.5, 1320.8(d)(1), and 1320.12. On November 2, 2016, FRA 
published a 60-day notice in the Federal Register soliciting comment on 
the ICR for which it is now seeking OMB approval. See 81 FR 76411. FRA 
received three comments in response to this notice.
    Comments were received from the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers 
and Trainmen (BLET), the SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD), and 
the Association of American Railroads (AAR). FRA has contacted all 
three organizations to address any comments and concerns, and will be 
working with these organizations to help facilitate the research study. 
All three commenting organizations were open to participation in the 
design or execution of the study.

BLET's Summary of Recommendations/Concerns

     BLET is supportive of FRA's efforts to study distraction, 
and suggests getting feedback from locomotive engineers as a method to 
gauge the degree of distraction that exists within the locomotive cab;
     BLET is concerned the FRA study is limited to the craft of 
locomotive engineer; and
     BLET is also concerned the FRA study is not addressing 
other sources of distraction, such as Trip Optimizer or Leader. BLET 
encourages FRA to follow up with a study that captures Trip Optimizer 
or Leader experiences in conjunction with the other potential 
distractors.

FRA Responses

     FRA will seek feedback from multiple locomotive engineers

[[Page 18959]]

throughout the course of the study, including but not limited to: The 
design of the study; execution of the study; and the analysis of the 
results;
     FRA will consider conducting a follow-on study related to 
cab distraction and its impact on crew-interaction; and
     FRA acknowledges this study will not address any 
potentially distracting effects from Trip Optimizer or Leader. FRA has 
conducted prior studies of Trip Optimizer and continues to investigate 
Trip Optimizer and Leader systems' safety-related issues as they are 
brought to FRA's attention.

SMART TD's Summary of Recommendations/Concerns

     SMART-TD is concerned the Head-Up Display (HUD) will be 
another electronic device that takes crew members' eyes off the tracks; 
and
     SMART-TD recommends the following alternative ways to deal 
with in-cab distractions: Issuing train crew size rules; limiting 
access by others to radio channels trains use; limiting use of defect 
detectors; investigating distractive effects of Leader and Trip 
Optimizer; and increasing implementation of positive train control 
(PTC).

FRA Responses

     FRA will consider initiating future studies into other 
potential in-cab issues. In the meantime, FRA is reviewing SMART-TD's 
concerns and is working with the railroads to review their locomotive 
engineer certification programs to ensure the programs include training 
on Leader and Trip Optimizer systems or other new technology, if 
utilized. Each railroad's certification program must address how the 
railroad responds to changes such as the introduction of new 
technology, new operating rule books, or significant changes in 
operations--including alteration of the territory over which engineers 
are authorized to operate. FRA has done, and will do further, onboard 
observation inspections regarding Leader and Trip Optimizer 
interaction.

AAR's Summary of Recommendations/Concerns

     AAR recommends their member railroads be included as 
active participants in the design and execution of the study.

FRA Response

     FRA communicated with AAR after receiving its written 
response to the 60-day Federal Register notice. FRA welcomes the 
participation of the AAR's member railroads and believes such 
participation will contribute to the validity of the study results. FRA 
is currently working with AAR to arrange participation throughout the 
study to address any concerns and answer any questions.
    Before OMB decides whether to approve the proposed collection 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, 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. 5 CFR 1320.12(c); see also 60 
FR 44983, Aug. 29, 1995.
    The summary below describes the ICR and its expected burden. FRA is 
submitting the new request for clearance by OMB as the PRA requires.
    Title: Cab Technology Integration Lab (CTIL) Head-up Display 
Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 2130--New.
    Abstract: FRA is proposing a study which will focus on locomotive 
engineers. Distraction is a common problem in locomotive cabs and 
preliminary research suggests the dispatch radio may have significant 
effects on train crew workload and performance. There are generally two 
categories of dispatcher-engineer communications. Some require 
immediate action and should be provided in the usual manner (over the 
radio). However, others do not require immediate action and could be 
provided as a written message.
    FRA seeks to understand how the dispatch radio could potentially 
lead to human-performance degradation for a locomotive engineer, and if 
a HUD would be an alternative and superior technology to communicating 
information usually conveyed over the dispatch radio.
    HUDs have been incorporated and researched extensively in aviation 
and motor vehicle applications because of their relative advantage over 
head-down displays (HDD). Research in the CTIL, FRA's locomotive 
simulator at Volpe, The National Transportation Systems Center in 
Cambridge, MA, has shown that in-cab displays, such as moving maps, can 
lead to prolonged heads-down time (Young, et al., 2015). Additionally, 
research done in the field in naturalistic studies using passenger 
vehicles has also shown that looking inside a vehicle for interface 
control features increases the risk of an accident/incident (Liang, 
Lee, & Yekhsatyan, 2012). Thus, a HUD has real advantages over a HDD. 
FRA believes investigating alternative technologies that increase 
forward-track viewing time is worth pursuing.
    To test the hypothesis that display communications on a HUD can 
reduce workload and distractions while increasing the time locomotive 
engineers keep their eyes on the forward track, an experiment will be 
run in the CTIL with four different conditions: HUD presence (present 
or absent) will be crossed with radio communications (present or 
absent). Forty locomotive engineers will participate in the simulator 
study and survey data collection. The Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology will develop and install the HUD.
    FRA will use a subjective measure of workload, such as the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), in 
this study and provide it to the locomotive engineers after the 
simulator experiment. In addition, locomotive engineers will rate the 
usability of the system with a usability scale. Analysis of the 
simulator data, workload data, and usability survey data will allow FRA 
to assess whether a HUD has a relative advantage over a HDD in rail, 
and if it could mitigate any radio-distraction related performance 
declines.
    Type of Request: Approval of a new information collection.
    Affected Public: Railroad Workers.
    Form(s): FRA F 6180.168.
    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 40.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 260 hours.
    Addressee: Send comments regarding the information collection to 
the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management 
and Budget, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention: FRA 
Desk Officer. Comments may also be sent via email to OMB at the 
following address: oira_submissions@omb.eop.gov.
    Comments are invited on the following: Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for DOT to properly perform its 
functions, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; the accuracy of DOT's estimates of the burden of the proposed 
information collection; ways to enhance the quality,

[[Page 18960]]

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.
    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.

Sarah L. Inderbitzin,
Acting Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2017-08159 Filed 4-21-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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