80_FR_45849 80 FR 45702 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for Periodic Information Collection

80 FR 45702 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for Periodic Information Collection

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 147 (July 31, 2015)

Page Range45702-45704
FR Document2015-18795

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 February 19, 2015. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 147 (Friday, July 31, 2015)
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 147 (Friday, July 31, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45702-45704]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18795]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-2015-0007]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments 
for Periodic Information Collection

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 February 19, 2015. We are required to publish this notice 
in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Please submit comments by August 31, 2015.

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-2015-0007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Adella Santos, 202-366-5021, NHTS 
Program Manager, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Policy, 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE., Room E83-426, Washington, DC 20590, Monday 
through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: 2015 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS).
    Type of Request: Renewal request for periodic information 
collection requirement.
    Background: Title 23, United States Code, section 502 authorizes 
the USDOT to carry out advanced research and transportation research to 
measure the performance of the surface transportation systems in the 
US, including the efficiency, energy use, air quality, congestion, and 
safety of the highway and intermodal transportation systems. The USDOT 
is charged with the overall responsibility to obtain current 
information on national patterns of travel, which establishes a data 
base to better understand travel behavior, evaluate the use of 
transportation facilities, and gauge the impact of the USDOT's policies 
and programs.
    The NHTS is the USDOT's authoritative nationally representative 
data source for daily passenger travel. This inventory of travel 
behavior reflects travel mode (e.g., private vehicles, public 
transportation, walk and bike) and trip purpose (e.g., travel to work, 
school, recreation, personal/family trips) by U.S. household residents. 
Survey results are used by federal and state agencies to monitor the 
performance and adequacy of current facilities and infrastructure, and 
to plan for future needs.
    The collection and analysis of national transportation data has 
been of critical importance for nearly half a century. Previous surveys 
were conducted in 1969, 1977, 1983, 1990, 1995, 2001, and 2009. The 
current survey will be the eighth in this series, and allow 
researchers, planners, and officials at the state and federal levels to 
monitor travel trends.
    Data from the NHTS are widely used to support research needs within 
the USDOT, and State and local agencies, in addition to responding to 
queries from Congress, the research community and the media on 
important issues. Current and recent topics of interest include:
     Travel to work patterns by transportation mode for 
infrastructure improvements and congestion reduction,
     Access to public transit, paratransit, and rail services 
by various demographic groups,
     Measures of travel by mode to establish exposure rates for 
risk analyses,
     Support for Federal, State, and local planning activities 
and policy evaluation,
     Active transportation by walk and bike to establish the 
relationship to public health issues,
     Vehicle usage for energy consumption analysis,
     Traffic behavior of specific demographic group such as 
Millennials and the aging population.
    Within the USDOT, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) holds 
responsibility for technical and funding coordination. The National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Federal Transit 
Administration (FTA), and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) 
are also primary data users, and have historically participated in 
project planning and financial support.

Proposed Data Acquisition Methodology

    NHTS data are collected from a stratified random sample of 
households that represent a broad range of geographic and demographic 
characteristics. Letters and a brief household survey are sent to 
selected households requesting some basic demographic and contact 
information and inviting them to participate in the survey. The 
recruitment surveys are returned in business reply envelopes to the 
survey contractor.
    Participating households are subsequently sent a package containing 
travel logs for each member of the household age 5 and older. The 
household is assigned to record their travel on a specific day, and 
asked to note every trip taken during a 24 hour period. Based upon 
their preferences, the travel information is then reported either 
through the use of a survey Web site, or through a telephone interview.

[[Page 45703]]

    Reminders are sent periodically to households who do not respond 
within the expected timeframe. Monetary incentives are included in each 
recruitment package, and are provided in increasing amounts for all 
households that complete the survey.
    The survey will collect data during an entire 12 month period so 
that all 365 days of the year including weekends and holidays are 
accounted for. A total of 26,000 households will comprise the national 
sample for the 2015 survey. As described below, changes in the 
establishment of the sampling frame, the promotion of participation, 
and in data retrieval techniques are planned, as compared to previous 
surveys, to improve statistical precision, enhance response rates, and 
increase survey efficiency.
    Issues Related to Sampling. In previous years, the household sample 
was identified using random digit dialing techniques. Today, only 59 
percent \1\ have a landline telephone in the home (down from 75% during 
the 2009 NHTS) while over 80 percent of U.S. households have access to 
the Internet.\2\ This survey will leverage this shift in technology, in 
particular the move away from home telephone usage, to structure a 
research design that uses web, mail, and telephone data collection 
modes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Blumberg, S.J., and Luke, J.V. (2014).Wireless substitution: 
Early release of estimates from the National Health Interview 
Survey, July-December 2013. National Center for Health Statistics. 
Available from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm.
    \2\ Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 
Select Years, Internet Release date: January 2014.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The revised methodological approach starts with a national address-
based sample (ABS), a change from the telephone-based random digit 
dialing (RDD) sample design used in recent NHTS efforts, while also 
incorporating core data elements that have been part of the NHTS since 
1969.
    The survey sample will be drawn from the ABS frame maintained by 
Marketing Systems Group (MSG). It originates from the U.S. Postal 
Service (USPS) Computerized Delivery Sequence file (CDS), and is 
updated on a monthly basis. MSG also provides the ability to match some 
auxiliary variables (e.g., race/ethnicity, education, household income) 
to a set of sampled addresses. MSG geocodes their entire ABS frame, so 
block-, block group-, and tract-level characteristics from the 
Decennial Census and the American Community Survey (ACS) may be 
appended to addresses and used for sampling and/or data collection 
purposes.
    Sample Size. A sample size of 26,000 households will be included in 
the national sample. Assuming response rates of 30 percent for the 
recruitment stage, 65 percent for the retrieval stage, and a residency 
rate of 89 percent for sampled addresses, a total of 149,813 sampled 
addresses will be required to attain the targeted 26,000 responding 
households.
    Stratification. This survey produces state-level estimates as well 
as national estimates. Assuming equal costs and population variances 
across states, the most efficient design for national estimates is one 
in which the sample is allocated to the states in proportion to the 
size of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population in each state, 
and the most efficient design for state-level estimates is one in which 
equal sample sizes are allocated to all states. Various allocation 
options for the national sample are being considered in order to arrive 
at a final allocation for the NHTS national sample.
    With the ABS approach, identifying targeted areas (e.g., states) 
that correspond to those for which estimates can be developed from the 
NHTS data are straightforward. Addresses are definitively linked to 
states, so state-level estimation is routine. Geocoding and GIS 
processing can be used to link addresses to counties in a highly 
reliable fashion. There can be some ambiguity for addresses that are 
P.O. boxes or are listed as rural route addresses. These can be handled 
in a routine manner with a set of well-defined rules as such addresses 
will represent only a small proportion of a state's population. Thus, 
no important issues arise in the definition of areas with an ABS sample 
design that relies on mail for data collection, as is the case with the 
proposed approach.
    Assignments for recording travel data by sampled households will be 
equally distributed across all days to ensure a balanced day of week 
distribution. The sample (of recruitment letters to households) will be 
released periodically through a process that will control the balance 
of travel days by month.

Data Collection Methods

    An updated approach to enhancing survey response has been 
developed. This includes providing progressive monetary incentives, and 
using a mail-out/mail-back recruitment survey. This recruitment survey 
is designed to be relevant, aesthetically pleasing, and elicit 
participation by including topics of importance to the respondent. Upon 
returning the completed recruitment survey, each household member will 
be provided with personalized travel logs by mail, and offered the 
option of completing the retrieval survey by Web using a unique 
personal identification number (PIN) or telephone interview.

Information Proposed for Collection

    Recruitment. The survey will begin with mailing the sampled 
households a short recruitment survey designed to collect key household 
information (e.g. enumeration of household members), additional contact 
information (e.g. email address and telephone number). This recruitment 
survey includes some engaging travel-related opinion or experience 
questions considered to be highly relevant to the survey and 
interesting to respondents. The initial survey will be accompanied by a 
letter from the USDOT, and a Business Reply Envelope.
    In the first mail contact, each sampled address will receive a $2 
cash incentive. The second mail contact will include the travel log 
package sent to each recruited household and a $5 cash incentive and a 
promise of an additional $20 for successfully submitting their travel 
logs. The incentives paid will be tracked at each of the three levels 
offered.
    To support the mail recruitment approach, the survey contractor 
will provide a toll-free number on survey materials and will assist the 
recruited participant to provide the required information by telephone 
if requested to do so by the participant. A survey Web site will be 
established for potential respondents who want to check on the 
authenticity of the survey or find out more information. This Web site 
will also serve as the portal to the survey.
    All returned recruitment surveys will be processed using commercial 
off-the-shelf software (COTS) technology. All data collected in the 
recruitment survey will be used to populate the household record in the 
survey database. As part of the non-response protocol, non-responding 
households may also be provided the opportunity to recruit by Web. If 
respondents call the help desk or use the Web to complete, their 
responses are collected in the same survey database.
    The mail back recruitment approach described here has been tested 
and found to be successful in several surveys funded by the Federal 
Government (e.g., the National Crime Victimization Survey); these 
surveys have proven this method can be implemented with large sample 
sizes covering vast geographic regions. This approach has been 
developed in response to declining recruitment rates in recent studies.

[[Page 45704]]

    Retrieval. The NHTS data will be collected from respondents either 
from self-reporting via the web, or from professionally trained 
interviewers using a computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) 
system. Either approach will be based upon a single database that 
allows for sophisticated branching and skip patterns to enhance data 
retrieval by asking only those questions that are necessary and 
appropriate for the individual participant. Look-up tables are included 
to assist with information such as vehicle makes and models. The Google 
map UI is used to assist in identifying specific place names and 
locations. The location data for the participant's home, workplace, or 
school are stored and automatically inserted in the dataset for trips 
after the first report. Household rostering is a list of all vehicles 
and persons in the household that allows a trip to be reported from one 
household member and can include another household member who travel 
together to be inserted into the record for the second person. This 
automatic insert of information reduces the burden of the second 
respondent to be queried about a trip already reported by the initial 
respondent.
    Data range, consistency and edit checks are automatically 
programmed to reduce reporting error, survey length, and maintain the 
flow of information processing. Data cross checks also help reduce the 
burden by ensuring that the reporting is consistent within each trip.
    Data retrieval is based upon materials provided to participants as 
shown below.

Travel Log Materials

    Travel Log Packet. The travel log packet will include a letter, an 
exemplar log, and personalized travel logs for each age eligible person 
in the household, and will be sent using first class postage in a 6'' x 
9'' envelope. The envelopes will be branded to match the letterhead 
used for the invitation letter. The second respondent incentive will be 
included with the travel logs. This $5 cash incentive is expected to 
serve as a ``good faith'' incentive to encourage completion of the 
retrieval survey.
    Travel Log Letter. A household letter will be included in the 
travel log packet. The letter will further familiarize the participants 
with the travel recording stage, identify the households' travel date 
and provide details about when and how to complete the retrieval 
survey. The letter will also remind participants about the final $20 
household incentive. Like the invitation letter, the travel log letter 
will be branded.
    Travel Logs. A personalized travel log will be provided for each 
household member (ages 5 and older). The logs are intended to be a 
memory jogger to guide accurate data collection and aid in the 
reporting of each place visited on the travel day.
    Exemplar Log. Participants will be provided with an exemplar log 
with the instructions for recording the details about the places 
visited on the travel day.
    All Web and computer assisted telephone interview (CATI) 
instruments will be reviewed for section 508 compliance using the rules 
specified in sections 1194.22--`Web-based intranet and internet 
information and applications' and 1194.23--`Telecommunications 
products.' All materials will be available in both English and Spanish 
language forms. Spanish translations will be developed using industry 
standards and will apply reverse-translation protocols.

Estimated Burden Hours for Information Collection

    Frequency: This collection will be conducted every 5-7 years.
    Respondents. A stratified random sample of 26,000 households across 
the 50 states and the District of Columbia will be included in the 
survey. Household will include an average of 2.5 members for a total of 
65,000 individual respondents to the main survey.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response. It will take approximately 5 
minutes per household member to complete the recruitment data form, and 
20 minutes to complete the retrieval survey. This results in a total of 
25 minutes per household member.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours. It is estimated that a total 
of 65,000 persons will be included in the survey. This would result in 
approximately 27,083 hours of support for this data collection effort.

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 USDOT's performance, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (2) the data acquisition 
methods; (3) the accuracy of the USDOT's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed information collection; (4) the types of data being acquired; 
(5) ways to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the 
collected information; and (6) ways that the burden could be minimized 
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: July 28, 2015.
Michael Howell,
Information Collection Officer, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2015-18795 Filed 7-30-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-22-P



                                                    45702                            Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 147 / Friday, July 31, 2015 / Notices

                                                    an Environmental Impact Statement                        Information and Regulatory Affairs,                   survey will be the eighth in this series,
                                                    (EIS) to study a bypass route around the                 Office of Management and Budget, 725                  and allow researchers, planners, and
                                                    City of Blair with a Notice of Intent on                 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503,                officials at the state and federal levels to
                                                    June 2, 2004. The project studied the                    Attention DOT Desk Officer. You are                   monitor travel trends.
                                                    causes of traffic congestion, delays, and                asked to comment on any aspect of this                   Data from the NHTS are widely used
                                                    accidents where State Highway 91 and                     information collection, including: (1)                to support research needs within the
                                                    U.S. Highways 30 and 75 share the same                   Whether the proposed collection is                    USDOT, and State and local agencies, in
                                                    alignment within Blair on Washington                     necessary for the FHWA’s performance;                 addition to responding to queries from
                                                    Street from 19th Street to 13th Street.                  (2) the accuracy of the estimated                     Congress, the research community and
                                                    Traffic studies indicated that a bypass                  burden; (3) ways for the FHWA to                      the media on important issues. Current
                                                    route around the south, east, and north                  enhance the quality, usefulness, and                  and recent topics of interest include:
                                                    parts of Blair could reduce truck traffic                clarity of the collected information; and                • Travel to work patterns by
                                                    through downtown Blair.                                  (4) ways that the burden could be                     transportation mode for infrastructure
                                                       The NOI for the previous study is                     minimized, including the use of                       improvements and congestion
                                                    being rescinded due to funding                           electronic technology, without reducing               reduction,
                                                    constraints that have led to a reduced                   the quality of the collected information.                • Access to public transit, paratransit,
                                                    scope of study. The decision to rescind                  All comments should include the                       and rail services by various
                                                    the NOI and to reduce the scope of the                   Docket number FHWA–2015–0007.                         demographic groups,
                                                    study was a joint decision by FHWA,                                                                               • Measures of travel by mode to
                                                                                                             FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
                                                    the City of Blair, and NDOR. The new                                                                           establish exposure rates for risk
                                                                                                             Adella Santos, 202–366–5021, NHTS
                                                    study will focus on alleviating traffic                                                                        analyses,
                                                                                                             Program Manager, Federal Highway
                                                    congestion within downtown Blair, but                                                                             • Support for Federal, State, and local
                                                                                                             Administration, Office of Policy, 1200
                                                    will refine the needs to be addressed                                                                          planning activities and policy
                                                                                                             New Jersey Avenue SE., Room E83–426,
                                                    and the methods for assessing                                                                                  evaluation,
                                                                                                             Washington, DC 20590, Monday                             • Active transportation by walk and
                                                    alternatives. Given the reduction in                     through Friday, except Federal holidays.
                                                    scope, FHWA intends to proceed with                                                                            bike to establish the relationship to
                                                                                                             SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                            public health issues,
                                                    an Environmental Assessment for the
                                                    new study. If potentially significant
                                                                                                                Title: 2015 National Household Travel                 • Vehicle usage for energy
                                                                                                             Survey (NHTS).                                        consumption analysis,
                                                    impacts are identified during the new
                                                    study, a new NOI to prepare an EIS will
                                                                                                                Type of Request: Renewal request for                  • Traffic behavior of specific
                                                                                                             periodic information collection                       demographic group such as Millennials
                                                    be published.
                                                    Comments or questions concerning the                     requirement.                                          and the aging population.
                                                                                                                Background: Title 23, United States                   Within the USDOT, the Federal
                                                    rescission of this proposed action and
                                                                                                             Code, section 502 authorizes the                      Highway Administration (FHWA) holds
                                                    the EIS should be directed to the FHWA
                                                                                                             USDOT to carry out advanced research                  responsibility for technical and funding
                                                    at the address provided above.
                                                                                                             and transportation research to measure                coordination. The National Highway
                                                       Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48                 the performance of the surface                        Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA),
                                                      Dated: June 30, 2015.                                  transportation systems in the US,                     Federal Transit Administration (FTA),
                                                    Joseph A. Werning,                                       including the efficiency, energy use, air             and the Bureau of Transportation
                                                    Division Administrator, Nebraska.                        quality, congestion, and safety of the                Statistics (BTS) are also primary data
                                                    [FR Doc. 2015–18815 Filed 7–30–15; 8:45 am]              highway and intermodal transportation                 users, and have historically participated
                                                    BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
                                                                                                             systems. The USDOT is charged with                    in project planning and financial
                                                                                                             the overall responsibility to obtain                  support.
                                                                                                             current information on national patterns
                                                                                                             of travel, which establishes a data base              Proposed Data Acquisition
                                                    DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
                                                                                                             to better understand travel behavior,                 Methodology
                                                    Federal Highway Administration                           evaluate the use of transportation                       NHTS data are collected from a
                                                    [Docket No. FHWA–2015–0007]
                                                                                                             facilities, and gauge the impact of the               stratified random sample of households
                                                                                                             USDOT’s policies and programs.                        that represent a broad range of
                                                    Agency Information Collection                               The NHTS is the USDOT’s                            geographic and demographic
                                                    Activities: Request for Comments for                     authoritative nationally representative               characteristics. Letters and a brief
                                                    Periodic Information Collection                          data source for daily passenger travel.               household survey are sent to selected
                                                                                                             This inventory of travel behavior                     households requesting some basic
                                                    SUMMARY:   The FHWA has forwarded the                    reflects travel mode (e.g., private                   demographic and contact information
                                                    information collection request described                 vehicles, public transportation, walk                 and inviting them to participate in the
                                                    in this notice to the Office of                          and bike) and trip purpose (e.g., travel              survey. The recruitment surveys are
                                                    Management and Budget (OMB) for                          to work, school, recreation, personal/                returned in business reply envelopes to
                                                    approval of a new information                            family trips) by U.S. household                       the survey contractor.
                                                    collection. We published a Federal                       residents. Survey results are used by                    Participating households are
                                                    Register Notice with a 60-day public                     federal and state agencies to monitor the             subsequently sent a package containing
                                                    comment period on this information                       performance and adequacy of current                   travel logs for each member of the
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                                                    collection on February 19, 2015. We are                  facilities and infrastructure, and to plan            household age 5 and older. The
                                                    required to publish this notice in the                   for future needs.                                     household is assigned to record their
                                                    Federal Register by the Paperwork                           The collection and analysis of                     travel on a specific day, and asked to
                                                    Reduction Act of 1995.                                   national transportation data has been of              note every trip taken during a 24 hour
                                                    DATES: Please submit comments by                         critical importance for nearly half a                 period. Based upon their preferences,
                                                    August 31, 2015.                                         century. Previous surveys were                        the travel information is then reported
                                                    ADDRESSES: You may send comments                         conducted in 1969, 1977, 1983, 1990,                  either through the use of a survey Web
                                                    within 30 days to the Office of                          1995, 2001, and 2009. The current                     site, or through a telephone interview.


                                               VerDate Sep<11>2014   17:44 Jul 30, 2015   Jkt 235001   PO 00000   Frm 00064   Fmt 4703   Sfmt 4703   E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM   31JYN1


                                                                                     Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 147 / Friday, July 31, 2015 / Notices                                           45703

                                                       Reminders are sent periodically to                       Sample Size. A sample size of 26,000               provided with personalized travel logs
                                                    households who do not respond within                     households will be included in the                    by mail, and offered the option of
                                                    the expected timeframe. Monetary                         national sample. Assuming response                    completing the retrieval survey by Web
                                                    incentives are included in each                          rates of 30 percent for the recruitment               using a unique personal identification
                                                    recruitment package, and are provided                    stage, 65 percent for the retrieval stage,            number (PIN) or telephone interview.
                                                    in increasing amounts for all                            and a residency rate of 89 percent for
                                                                                                                                                                   Information Proposed for Collection
                                                    households that complete the survey.                     sampled addresses, a total of 149,813
                                                       The survey will collect data during an                sampled addresses will be required to                    Recruitment. The survey will begin
                                                    entire 12 month period so that all 365                   attain the targeted 26,000 responding                 with mailing the sampled households a
                                                    days of the year including weekends                      households.                                           short recruitment survey designed to
                                                    and holidays are accounted for. A total                     Stratification. This survey produces               collect key household information (e.g.
                                                    of 26,000 households will comprise the                   state-level estimates as well as national             enumeration of household members),
                                                    national sample for the 2015 survey. As                  estimates. Assuming equal costs and                   additional contact information (e.g.
                                                    described below, changes in the                          population variances across states, the               email address and telephone number).
                                                    establishment of the sampling frame, the                 most efficient design for national                    This recruitment survey includes some
                                                    promotion of participation, and in data                  estimates is one in which the sample is               engaging travel-related opinion or
                                                    retrieval techniques are planned, as                     allocated to the states in proportion to              experience questions considered to be
                                                    compared to previous surveys, to                         the size of the civilian,                             highly relevant to the survey and
                                                    improve statistical precision, enhance                   noninstitutionalized population in each               interesting to respondents. The initial
                                                    response rates, and increase survey                      state, and the most efficient design for              survey will be accompanied by a letter
                                                    efficiency.                                              state-level estimates is one in which                 from the USDOT, and a Business Reply
                                                       Issues Related to Sampling. In                        equal sample sizes are allocated to all               Envelope.
                                                    previous years, the household sample                     states. Various allocation options for the               In the first mail contact, each sampled
                                                    was identified using random digit                        national sample are being considered in               address will receive a $2 cash incentive.
                                                    dialing techniques. Today, only 59                       order to arrive at a final allocation for             The second mail contact will include
                                                    percent 1 have a landline telephone in                   the NHTS national sample.                             the travel log package sent to each
                                                    the home (down from 75% during the                          With the ABS approach, identifying                 recruited household and a $5 cash
                                                    2009 NHTS) while over 80 percent of                      targeted areas (e.g., states) that                    incentive and a promise of an additional
                                                    U.S. households have access to the                       correspond to those for which estimates               $20 for successfully submitting their
                                                    Internet.2 This survey will leverage this                can be developed from the NHTS data                   travel logs. The incentives paid will be
                                                    shift in technology, in particular the                   are straightforward. Addresses are                    tracked at each of the three levels
                                                    move away from home telephone usage,                     definitively linked to states, so state-              offered.
                                                    to structure a research design that uses                 level estimation is routine. Geocoding                   To support the mail recruitment
                                                    web, mail, and telephone data collection                 and GIS processing can be used to link                approach, the survey contractor will
                                                    modes.                                                   addresses to counties in a highly                     provide a toll-free number on survey
                                                       The revised methodological approach                   reliable fashion. There can be some                   materials and will assist the recruited
                                                    starts with a national address-based                     ambiguity for addresses that are P.O.                 participant to provide the required
                                                    sample (ABS), a change from the                          boxes or are listed as rural route                    information by telephone if requested to
                                                    telephone-based random digit dialing                     addresses. These can be handled in a                  do so by the participant. A survey Web
                                                    (RDD) sample design used in recent                       routine manner with a set of well-                    site will be established for potential
                                                    NHTS efforts, while also incorporating                   defined rules as such addresses will                  respondents who want to check on the
                                                    core data elements that have been part                   represent only a small proportion of a                authenticity of the survey or find out
                                                    of the NHTS since 1969.                                  state’s population. Thus, no important                more information. This Web site will
                                                       The survey sample will be drawn                       issues arise in the definition of areas               also serve as the portal to the survey.
                                                    from the ABS frame maintained by                         with an ABS sample design that relies                    All returned recruitment surveys will
                                                    Marketing Systems Group (MSG). It                        on mail for data collection, as is the case           be processed using commercial off-the-
                                                    originates from the U.S. Postal Service                  with the proposed approach.                           shelf software (COTS) technology. All
                                                    (USPS) Computerized Delivery                                Assignments for recording travel data              data collected in the recruitment survey
                                                    Sequence file (CDS), and is updated on                   by sampled households will be equally                 will be used to populate the household
                                                    a monthly basis. MSG also provides the                   distributed across all days to ensure a               record in the survey database. As part of
                                                    ability to match some auxiliary variables                balanced day of week distribution. The                the non-response protocol, non-
                                                    (e.g., race/ethnicity, education,                        sample (of recruitment letters to                     responding households may also be
                                                    household income) to a set of sampled                    households) will be released                          provided the opportunity to recruit by
                                                    addresses. MSG geocodes their entire                     periodically through a process that will              Web. If respondents call the help desk
                                                    ABS frame, so block-, block group-, and                  control the balance of travel days by                 or use the Web to complete, their
                                                    tract-level characteristics from the                     month.                                                responses are collected in the same
                                                    Decennial Census and the American                                                                              survey database.
                                                                                                             Data Collection Methods                                  The mail back recruitment approach
                                                    Community Survey (ACS) may be
                                                    appended to addresses and used for                          An updated approach to enhancing                   described here has been tested and
                                                    sampling and/or data collection                          survey response has been developed.                   found to be successful in several
                                                                                                             This includes providing progressive                   surveys funded by the Federal
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                                                    purposes.
                                                                                                             monetary incentives, and using a mail-                Government (e.g., the National Crime
                                                      1 Blumberg, S.J., and Luke, J.V. (2014).Wireless       out/mail-back recruitment survey. This                Victimization Survey); these surveys
                                                    substitution: Early release of estimates from the        recruitment survey is designed to be                  have proven this method can be
                                                    National Health Interview Survey, July–December          relevant, aesthetically pleasing, and                 implemented with large sample sizes
                                                    2013. National Center for Health Statistics.             elicit participation by including topics              covering vast geographic regions. This
                                                    Available from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm.
                                                      2 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population       of importance to the respondent. Upon                 approach has been developed in
                                                    Survey, Select Years, Internet Release date: January     returning the completed recruitment                   response to declining recruitment rates
                                                    2014.                                                    survey, each household member will be                 in recent studies.


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                                                    45704                            Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 147 / Friday, July 31, 2015 / Notices

                                                       Retrieval. The NHTS data will be                         Travel Logs. A personalized travel log             will summarize and/or include your
                                                    collected from respondents either from                   will be provided for each household                   comments in the request for OMB’s
                                                    self-reporting via the web, or from                      member (ages 5 and older). The logs are               clearance of this information collection.
                                                    professionally trained interviewers                      intended to be a memory jogger to guide                 Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act
                                                    using a computer-assisted telephone                      accurate data collection and aid in the               of 1995; 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, as amended;
                                                    interviewing (CATI) system. Either                       reporting of each place visited on the                and 49 CFR 1.48.
                                                    approach will be based upon a single                     travel day.                                             Issued on: July 28, 2015.
                                                    database that allows for sophisticated                      Exemplar Log. Participants will be
                                                                                                                                                                   Michael Howell,
                                                    branching and skip patterns to enhance                   provided with an exemplar log with the
                                                    data retrieval by asking only those                      instructions for recording the details                Information Collection Officer, Federal
                                                                                                                                                                   Highway Administration.
                                                    questions that are necessary and                         about the places visited on the travel
                                                    appropriate for the individual                           day.                                                  [FR Doc. 2015–18795 Filed 7–30–15; 8:45 am]
                                                    participant. Look-up tables are included                    All Web and computer assisted                      BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
                                                    to assist with information such as                       telephone interview (CATI) instruments
                                                    vehicle makes and models. The Google                     will be reviewed for section 508
                                                    map UI is used to assist in identifying                  compliance using the rules specified in               DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
                                                    specific place names and locations. The                  sections 1194.22—‘Web-based intranet
                                                                                                                                                                   Federal Highway Administration
                                                    location data for the participant’s home,                and internet information and
                                                    workplace, or school are stored and                      applications’ and 1194.23—                            Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions
                                                    automatically inserted in the dataset for                ‘Telecommunications products.’ All                    on US 281, From Loop 1604 to
                                                    trips after the first report. Household                  materials will be available in both                   Borgfeld Drive in Bexar County, Texas
                                                    rostering is a list of all vehicles and                  English and Spanish language forms.
                                                    persons in the household that allows a                   Spanish translations will be developed                AGENCY:  Federal Highway
                                                    trip to be reported from one household                   using industry standards and will apply               Administration (FHWA), U.S. DOT.
                                                    member and can include another                           reverse-translation protocols.                        ACTION: Notice of limitation on claims
                                                    household member who travel together                                                                           for judicial review of actions by TxDOT
                                                    to be inserted into the record for the                   Estimated Burden Hours for
                                                                                                             Information Collection                                and Federal agencies.
                                                    second person. This automatic insert of
                                                    information reduces the burden of the                      Frequency: This collection will be                  SUMMARY:    This notice announces actions
                                                    second respondent to be queried about                    conducted every 5–7 years.                            taken by Texas Department of
                                                    a trip already reported by the initial                     Respondents. A stratified random                    Transportation (TxDOT) and Federal
                                                    respondent.                                              sample of 26,000 households across the                agencies that are final within the
                                                       Data range, consistency and edit                      50 states and the District of Columbia                meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The
                                                    checks are automatically programmed to                   will be included in the survey.                       actions relate to a proposed highway
                                                    reduce reporting error, survey length,                   Household will include an average of                  project, US 281, from Loop 1604 to
                                                    and maintain the flow of information                     2.5 members for a total of 65,000                     Borgfeld Drive in Bexar County in the
                                                    processing. Data cross checks also help                  individual respondents to the main                    State of Texas. Those actions grant
                                                    reduce the burden by ensuring that the                   survey.                                               licenses, permits, and approvals for the
                                                    reporting is consistent within each trip.                  Estimated Average Burden per                        project.
                                                       Data retrieval is based upon materials                Response. It will take approximately 5                DATES: By this notice, TxDOT is
                                                    provided to participants as shown                        minutes per household member to                       advising the public of final agency
                                                    below.                                                   complete the recruitment data form, and               actions subject to 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). A
                                                                                                             20 minutes to complete the retrieval                  claim seeking judicial review of the
                                                    Travel Log Materials
                                                                                                             survey. This results in a total of 25                 Federal agency actions on the highway
                                                       Travel Log Packet. The travel log                     minutes per household member.                         project will be barred unless the claim
                                                    packet will include a letter, an exemplar                  Estimated Total Annual Burden                       is filed on or before December 28, 2015.
                                                    log, and personalized travel logs for                    Hours. It is estimated that a total of                If the Federal law that authorizes
                                                    each age eligible person in the                          65,000 persons will be included in the                judicial review of a claim provides a
                                                    household, and will be sent using first                  survey. This would result in                          time period of less than 150 days for
                                                    class postage in a 6″ x 9″ envelope. The                 approximately 27,083 hours of support                 filing such claim, then that shorter time
                                                    envelopes will be branded to match the                   for this data collection effort.                      period still applies.
                                                    letterhead used for the invitation letter.
                                                    The second respondent incentive will                     Public Comments Invited                               FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
                                                    be included with the travel logs. This $5                  You are asked to comment on any                     Carlos Swonke, P.G., Environmental
                                                    cash incentive is expected to serve as a                 aspect of this information collection,                Affairs Division, Texas Department of
                                                    ‘‘good faith’’ incentive to encourage                    including: (1) Whether the proposed                   Transportation, 125 East 11th Street,
                                                    completion of the retrieval survey.                      collection of information is necessary                Austin, Texas 78701; telephone: (512)
                                                       Travel Log Letter. A household letter                 for the USDOT’s performance, including                416–2734; email: carlos.swonke@
                                                    will be included in the travel log packet.               whether the information will have                     txdot.gov. TxDOT’s normal business
                                                    The letter will further familiarize the                  practical utility; (2) the data acquisition           hours are 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (central
                                                    participants with the travel recording                   methods; (3) the accuracy of the                      time), Monday through Friday.
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                                                    stage, identify the households’ travel                   USDOT’s estimate of the burden of the                 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is
                                                    date and provide details about when                      proposed information collection; (4) the              hereby given that TxDOT and Federal
                                                    and how to complete the retrieval                        types of data being acquired; (5) ways to             agencies have taken final agency actions
                                                    survey. The letter will also remind                      enhance the quality, usefulness, and                  by issuing licenses, permits, and
                                                    participants about the final $20                         clarity of the collected information; and             approvals for the following highway
                                                    household incentive. Like the invitation                 (6) ways that the burden could be                     project in the State of Texas: US 281,
                                                    letter, the travel log letter will be                    minimized without reducing the quality                from Loop 1604 to Borgfeld Drive. The
                                                    branded.                                                 of the collected information. The agency              project will expand the US 281 to a six-


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Document Created: 2015-12-15 12:59:08
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 12:59:08
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
DatesPlease submit comments by August 31, 2015.
ContactAdella Santos, 202-366-5021, NHTS Program Manager, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Policy, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room E83-426, Washington, DC 20590, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
FR Citation80 FR 45702 

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