Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping Requirements; Agency Information

Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act 1995 (44 U.S.C.

Chapter 35), this notice announces that the Information Collection

Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) to reinstate the information collection

entitled Highway Safety and Improvement Program and Priorities. The ICR

describes the nature of the information collection and its expected

burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period

soliciting comments on the following collection of information was

published in 62 FR 58767, October 30, 1997.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 2, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: All signed, written comments should

refer to the docket number that appears below in this document and must

be submitted to the Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. All comments received

will be available for examination at the above address from 10:00 a.m.

to 5:00 p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Kenneth Epstein, Office of

Highway Safety, (202) 366-2157, 400 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC

20590. Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., e.t., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Those desiring notification of receipt of comments must include a

self-addressed, stamped postcard/envelope.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

[FHWA Docket No. 2983]

Type of Request: Reinstatement, without change, of a previously

approved collection for which approval has expired.

Affected Public: The overall annual reporting burden is shared by

the 50 States and the District of Columbia.

Title: Highway Safety and Improvement Program and Priorities.

OMB No: 2125-0025.

Abstract: Each year all States and Territories are required to

report to the Secretary of Transportation on the progress being made in

implementing the Highway Safety Improvement Programs (Rail-Highway

Crossings and Hazard Elimination) and the effectiveness of these

programs. The Secretary is required to report annually to the Congress

on the progress of the safety programs based upon the information

reported by the States. The FHWA receives the program information from

the States. Numerical data are processed and stored in the computerized

Highway Safety Evaluation System. A report is then prepared for

Congress providing the required information on the effectiveness of

highway safety improvement projects. Congress uses the contents of this

report when determining the level of funding for the Highway Safety

Improvement Programs and when modifying these programs.

The information collected by the States in the survey of all public

roads includes motor vehicle accident data, traffic volume data, and

highway inventory data. This information is used by the States to

identify hazards and to determine what safety improvements would be

cost-effective when mitigating those hazards. Without this process

fewer lives would be saved and fewer injuries averted by the Highway

Safety Improvement Programs administered by the FHWA.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: The annual reporting burden is

estimated to be 11,220 hours.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725-17th Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20503, Attention FHWA Desk Officer.

Your comments to OMB are best assured of having its full impact if

OMB receives them within 30 days of publication. This does not affect

the deadline for the public to comment on DOT proposed regulations.

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 in Washington, DC, on January 6, 1998.

Phillip A. Leach,

Clearance Officer, United States Department of Transportation.

[FR Doc. 98-2301 Filed 1-29-98; 8:45 am]

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