Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment RequestFRA F 6180.71, U.S. DOT AAR Crossing Inventory Form

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;

Comment Request--FRA F 6180.71, U.S. DOT AAR Crossing Inventory Form

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and its

implementing regulations, this notice invites the general public,

railroads, and other public agencies to comment on the proposed

information collection of FRA F 6180.71, U.S. DOT-AAR Crossing

Inventory Form.

DATES: Comments must be received no later than July 12, 1999.

[[Page 25953]]

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the information

collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly execute its

functions, including whether the activities will have practical

utility; (b) the accuracy of FRA's estimates of the burden of the

information collection activities, including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used to determine the estimates; (c) ways

for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information

being collected; and (d) ways for FRA to minimize the burden of

information collection activities on the public by automated,

electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or

other forms of information technology (e.g., permitting electronic

submission of responses). Comments may be sent to: Mr. Robert Brogan,

Office of Planning and Evaluation Division, RRS-21, Federal Railroad

Administration, 1120 Vermont Ave., NW, Mail Stop 17, Washington, DC

20590, or Ms. Dian Deal, Office of Information Technology and

Productivity Improvement, RAD-20, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120

Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20590. Commenters requesting FRA to

acknowledge receipt of their respective comments must include a self-

addressed stamped postcard stating, ``Comments on OMB control number

2130-0017. Alternatively, comments may be transmitted via facsimile to

(202) 493-6265 or (202) 493-6170, or E-mail to Mr. Brogan at

[email protected], or to Ms. Deal at [email protected].

Please refer to the assigned OMB control number in any correspondence

submitted. All responses to this notice will be included in the request

for OMB's approval. All comments will also become a matter of public

record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or

copies of the information collection form and instruction should be

directed to Mr. Robert Brogan, (202) 493-6292 or Dian Deal, (202) 493-

6292. (These telephone numbers are not toll-free.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA),

Pub. L. No. 104-13, Sec. 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 provide 60-days notice to the public

for comment on information collection activities before seeking

approval for reinstatement or renewal by OMB. 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A);

5 CFR Secs. 1320.8(d)(1), 1320.10(e)(1), 1320.12(a).

Below is a brief summary of the currently approved information

collection activity that FRA will submit for clearance by OMB as

required under the PRA:

Title: U.S. DOT--AAR Crossing Inventory Form.

OMB Control Number: 2130-0017.

Form Number: FRA F 6180.71.

Expiration: March 31, 2000.

Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: Form FRA 6180.71 is a voluntary form and is being revised

to include additional data elements at the request of states and

railroads. The form is also being revised to fulfill National

Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations and to take

advantage of recent advances in information technology. The form is

used by States and railroads to periodically update certain cite

specific highway-rail crossing information which is then transmitted to

FRA for input into the National Inventory File. This information has

been collected on the U.S. DOT-AAR Crossing Inventory Form since 1974

and maintained in the National Inventory File database since 1975. The

primary purpose of the National Inventory is to provide for the

existence of a uniform database which can be merged with accident data

and used to analyze information for planning and implementation of

crossing safety improvement programs by public, private, and

governmental agencies responsible for highway-rail crossing safety.

Following the official establishment of the National Inventory in 1975,

the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) assumed the principal

responsibility as custodian for the maintenance and continued

development of the U.S. DOT/AAR National Highway-Rail Crossing

Inventory Program. The major goal of the Program is to provide federal,

state, and local governments, as well as the railroad industry,

information for the improvement of safety at highway-rail crossings.

Good management practices necessitate maintaining the database with

current information. The data will continue to be useful only if

maintained and updated as inventory changes occur. FRA previously

cleared the reporting and recordkeeping burden for this form under

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance number 2130-0017. OMB

approved the burden in the original form through March 31, 2000. Based

on the most recent information available, FRA estimates 62,000 updates

per year. This is a substantial reduction in updates from the previous

estimate of responses and represents a corresponding reduction of 1,473

hours in the reporting and recordkeeping burden. The reduction in

responses is due to a lower response rate from states and railroads

over the past few years and the expected continuation of this trend.

FRA is requesting a three-year approval from OMB for this information

collection.

Affected Public: Railroads and State governments.

Estimated Total Number of Responses Per Year: 62,000 updates.

Estimated Response Time per Form: .25 hr. (8,000 form updates); .50

hr. per mass update list (337 mass update lists containing 24,000

updates); .03333 hr. per GX computer update (30,000 updates on 36 GX

computer disks).

Total Annual Burden: 3,169 hours

Pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b),

1320.8(b)(3)(vi), FRA informs all interested parties that it may not

conduct or sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, a

collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB

control number.

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

Issued in Washington, D.C. on May 6, 1999.

M. Johnson,

Information Technology Manager, Office of Information Technology and

Support Systems, Federal Railroad Administration.

[FR Doc. 99-12049 Filed 5-12-99; 8:45 am]

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