Notice of Request for Extension of Currently Approved Information Collection: A Guide To Reporting Highway Statistics

AGENCY:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to renew an information collection. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on November 21, 2005. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Please submit comments by March 29, 2006.

ADDRESSES:

You may send comments 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; (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-2005-22844.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Thomas W. Howard, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Policy, Office of Highway Policy Information, Highway Funding and Motor Fuels (HPPI-10), 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: A Guide to Reporting Highway Statistics.

OMB Control Number: 2125-0032 (Expiration Date: March 31, 2006).

Background: A Guide to Reporting Highway Statistics provides for the collection of information by describing policies and procedures for assembling statistical data from the existing files of State agencies. The data includes motor-vehicle registration and fees, motor-fuel use and taxation, driver licensing, and highway taxation and finance. Federal, State, and local governments use the data for transportation policy discussions and decisions. Motor-fuel data are used in attributing receipts to the Highway Trust Fund and subsequently in the apportionment formulas that are used to distribute Federal-Aid Highway Funds. The data are published annually in the FHWA's Highway Statistics and Our Nation's Highways. Information from Highway Statistics is used in the joint FHWA and Federal Transit Administration required biennial report to Congress, The Status of the Nation's Highways, Bridges, and Transit: Conditions and Performance Report to Congress, which contrasts present status to future investment needs.

Respondents: State and local governments of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the four territories (American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas, and Virgin Islands).

Estimated Average Burden Per Response: The estimated average reporting burden per response for the annual collection of the data is 825.6 hours for the States and the District of Columbia; and 20 hours for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and each of the four territories.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: The estimated total annual burden for all respondents is 42,206 hours.

Public Comments Invited: 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 estimated burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that burdens could be minimized, including use of electronic technology, 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.

Electronic Access: Internet users may access all comments received by the U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, by using the universal resource locator (URL): http://dms.dot.gov. It is available 24 hours each day, 365 days each year. Please follow the instructions online for more information and help. Internet users may reach the Federal Register's Home Page http://www.nara.gov/fedreg and the Government Printing Office's database at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.