81 FR 5819 - Notice of Request for Clearance of a Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection: National Census of Ferry Operators

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 22 (February 3, 2016)

In accordance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the BTS to request the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) approval for an information collection related to the nation's ferry operations. The information collected will be used to produce a descriptive database of existing ferry operations. A summary report of survey findings will also be published by BTS on the BTS Web page.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 3, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5819-5820]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-01831]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2016-0007]


Notice of Request for Clearance of a Revision of a Currently 
Approved Information Collection: National Census of Ferry Operators

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(A) 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the 
intention of the BTS to request the Office of Management and Budget's 
(OMB's) approval for an information collection related to the nation's 
ferry operations. The information collected will be used to produce a 
descriptive database of existing ferry operations. A summary report of 
survey findings will also be published by BTS on the BTS Web page.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before April 4, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 
DOT-OST-2016-0007 to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 
Dockets Management System (DMS). You may submit your comments by mail 
or in person to the Docket Clerk, Docket No., U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., West Building, Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590. Comments should identify the docket number as 
indicated above.
    Paper comments should be submitted in duplicate. The DMS is open 
for examination and copying, at the above address, from 9 a.m. to 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. If you wish to 
receive confirmation of receipt of your written comments, please 
include a self-addressed, stamped postcard with the following 
statement: ``Comments on Docket DOT-OST-2016-0007.''
    The Docket Clerk will date stamp the postcard prior to returning it 
to you via the U.S. mail. Please note that due to delays in the 
delivery of U.S. mail to Federal offices in Washington, DC, we 
recommend that persons consider an alternative method (the Internet, 
fax, or professional delivery service) to submit comments to the docket 
and ensure their timely receipt at U.S. DOT. You may fax your comments 
to the DMS at (202) 493-2251. Comments can also be viewed and/or 
submitted via the Federal Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    Please note that anyone is able to electronically search all 
comments received into our docket management system by the name of the 
individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment if submitted 
on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may 
review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register 
published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; pages 19475-19570) 
or you may review the Privacy Act Statement at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janine L. Bonner, (202) 366-2468, NCFO 
Project Manager, BTS, OST-R, Department of Transportation, 1200 New 
Jersey Ave. SE., Room E34-411, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are 
from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: National Census of Ferry Operators (NCFO).
    Background: The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century 
(TEA-21) (P.L. 105-178), section 1207(c), directed the Secretary of 
Transportation to conduct a study of ferry transportation in the United 
States and its possessions. In 2000, the Federal Highway Administration 
(FHWA) Office of Intermodal and Statewide Planning conducted a survey 
of approximately 250 ferry operators to identify: (1) Existing ferry 
operations including the location and routes served; (2) source and 
amount, if any, of funds derived from Federal, State, or local 
governments supporting ferry construction or operations; (3) potential 
domestic ferry routes in the United States and its possessions; and (4) 
potential for use of high speed ferry services and alternative-fueled 
ferry

[[Page 5820]]

services. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible Efficient Transportation 
Equity Act-A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) Public Law 109-59, Section 
1801(e)) required that the Secretary, acting through the BTS, shall 
establish and maintain a national ferry database containing current 
information regarding routes, vessels, passengers and vehicles carried, 
funding sources and such other information as the Secretary considers 
useful. MAP-21 legislation [Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st 
Century Act (Pub. L. 112-141)], continued the BTS mandate to conduct 
the NCFO and also required that the Federal Highway Administration 
(FHWA) use the NCFO data to set the specific formula for allocating 
federal ferry funds. The funding allocations were based on a percentage 
of the number of passenger boardings, vehicle boardings, and route 
miles served.
    BTS conducted the first Census of Ferry Operators in 2006. The 
Census was conducted again in 2008, 2010, 2014, and will be again in 
spring 2016. These information collections were originally approved by 
OMB under Control Number 2139-0009. The recently enacted FAST Act 
legislation [Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (Pub. L. 114-
94, sec. 1112)] continues the BTS mandate to conduct the NCFO on a 
biennial basis, and extended the requirement that the Federal Highway 
Administration (FHWA) use the NCFO data to set the specific formula for 
allocating federal ferry funds based on a percentage of the number of 
passenger boardings, vehicle boardings, and route miles served. The 
overall length of the revised questionnaire for the 2018 NCFO will 
remain consistent with that of previous years. The survey will be 
administered to the entire population of ferry operators (estimate 260 
or less). The survey will request the respondents to provide 
information such as: the points served; the type of ownership; the 
number of passengers and vehicles carried in the past 12 months; vessel 
descriptions (including type of fuel), federal, state and local funding 
sources, and intermodal connectivity. All data collected in 2018 will 
be added to the existing NCFO database.
    Respondents: The target population for the survey will be all of 
the approximately 260 operators of existing ferry services in the 
United States.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: The burden per respondent is 
estimated to be an average of 30 minutes. This average is based on an 
estimate of 20 minutes to answer new questions and an additional 10 
minutes to review.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: The total annual burden (in the year 
that the survey is conducted) is estimated to be just under 130 hours 
(that is 30 minutes per respondent for 260 respondents equals 7,800 
minutes).
    Frequency: This survey will be updated every other year.
    Public Comments Invited: Interested parties are invited to send 
comments regarding any aspect of this information collection, 
including, but not limited to: (1) The necessity and utility of the 
information collection for the proper performance of the functions of 
the DOT; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, clarity and content of the collected information; 
and (4) ways to minimize the collection burden without reducing the 
quality of the collected information. Comments submitted in response to 
this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB's 
clearance of this information collection.

    Authority: The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, 
(Pub. L. 105-178), section 1207(c), The Safe, Accountable, Flexible 
Efficient Transportation Equity Act-A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) 
Pub. L. 109-59, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act 
(MAP-21) Pub. L. 112-141, 49 CFR 1.46, and Fixing America's Surface 
Transportation Act (Pub. L. 114-94, sec. 1112).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on the 21st of January, 2016.
Patricia Hu,
Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Research and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2016-01831 Filed 2-2-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P