66578 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 215 / Monday, November 6, 2000 / Notices

4 17 CFR 200.30–3(a)(12).

the principal office of the NASD. All

submissions should refer to file number

SR–NASD–00–64 and should be

submitted by November 27, 2000.

For the Commission by the Division of

Market Regulation, pursuant to delegated

authority.4

Margaret H. McFarland,

Deputy Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–28386 Filed 11–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

RTCA Special Committee 194; ATM

Data Link Implementation

Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of the

Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub.

L. 92–463, 5 U.S.C., Appendix 2), notice

is hereby given for Special Committee

194 meeting to be held November 28–

30 (and December 1, if needed) 2000,

starting at 9 a.m. The meeting will be

held at RTCA, 1140 Connecticut Ave.,

NW, Suite 1020, Washington, DC 20036.

The agenda will include:

November 28

9 a.m. Plenary Session

(1) Review Agenda

(2) Review/Approve Previous Meeting

Summary

(3) Presentation by the U.S.

Representative to the ICAO Review

of the General Concept of

Separation Panel (RGCSP)

(4) Working Group Reports

(5) Presentation of WG–2’s document,

DO–XXX: ‘‘Implementation

Requirements for Services

Integrating Flight Operations and

Air Traffic Management Using

Addressed Data Link’’

1 p.m.

(6) Working Groups meet:

(a) WG–1, Data Link Ops Concept &

Implementation Plan

(b) WG–2, Flight Operations and ATM

Integration

(c) WG–3, Human Factors

(d) WG–4, Service Provider Interface

November 29

(7) Working Groups 1–4 continue

November 30

9 a.m. Plenary Session

(8) Develop Plenary Consensus approval

of WG–2’s document, DO–XXX:

‘‘Implementation Requirements for

Services Integrating Flight

Operations and Air Traffic

Management Using Addressed Data

Link’’

(9) Working Group Reports:

(e) Includes presentation of WG–4

draft working paper for plenary

review

(10) Other Business

(11) Date and Location of Next Meeting

(12) Closing

Attendance is open to the interested

public but limited to space availability.

With the approval of the chairman,

members of the public may present oral

statements at the meeting. Persons

wishing to present statements or obtain

information should contact the RTCA

Secretariat, 1140 Connecticut Avenue,

NW, Suite 1020, Washington, DC 20036;

(202) 833–9339 (phone); (202) 833–9434

(fax); or http://www.rtca.org (web site).

Members of the public may present a

written statement to the committee at

any time.

Issued in Washington, DC, on October 30,

2000.

Janice L. Peters,

Designated Official.

[FR Doc. 00–28441 Filed 11–3–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA–2000–8194]

Agency Information Collection

Activities; Request for Comments;

Renewed Approval of Seven

Information Collections

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: The FHWA invites public

comments about our intention to request

the Office of Management and Budget’s

(OMB) approval to renew seven

information collections which are

summarized below under

Supplementary Information. We are

required to publish this notice in the

Federal Register by the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Please submit comments by

January 5, 2001.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand

deliver comments to the U.S.

Department of Transportation, Dockets

Management Facility, Room PL–401,

400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington,

DC 20590; telefax comments to 202/

493–2251; or submit electronically at

http://dmses.dot.gov/submit. All

comments should include the docket

number in this notice’s heading as well

as the OMB control number referencing

the specific information collection that

is being addressed. All comments may

be examined and copied at the above

address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

If you desire a receipt you must include

a self-addressed stamped envelope or

postcard or, if you submit your

comments electronically, you may print

the acknowledgment page.

PUBLIC COMMENTS INVITED: You are asked

to comment on any aspect of these

information collections, including: (1)

Whether the proposed collections are

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 these

information collections.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Title: Bid Price Data.

OMB Control Number: 2125–0010

(Expiration Date: March 31, 2001).

Abstract: Information collected on

Form FHWA–45, Bid Price Data, is

needed for the FHWA to monitor

changes in purchasing power of the

Federal-aid construction dollar. FHWA

follows these trends so that changes in

highway construction prices can be

measured and funding level

recommendations to Congress can be

justified. The Federal share of the cost

of certain projects constructed by the

States in advance of regular

apportionments is adjusted based on the

bid price index (Title 23 United States

Code 115). Form FHWA–45 is prepared

for Federal-aid highway construction

contracts greater than $0.5 million in

the 50 States plus Washington, DC, and

Puerto Rico. Data is reported on six

major items of highway construction,

together with the total materials and

labor costs of the project, taken from the

bid tabulation of construction items

submitted by the lowest or winning

bidder to the State Transportation

Department. The State Transportation

Departments furnish copies of the bid

tabulation to the FHWA that uses the

data to produce the national FHWA bid

price index and related statistics.

Respondents: 52 State Transportation

Departments, including the District of

Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Frequency: The data is collected by

the States and submitted to FHWA one

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 215 / Monday, November 6, 2000 / Notices 66579

time, within two weeks after the project

has been awarded.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 975

hours. There are approximately 1,300

annual projects that require about 37 of

the State DOTs to complete the form. It

takes an average of 45 minutes for each

form.

For Further Information Contact: Ms.

Claretta Duren, 202–366–4636,

Department of Transportation, Federal

Highway Administration, Infrastructure

Core Business Unit, 400 Seventh Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office

hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, except Federal

holidays.

2. Title: Highway Safety Improvement

Programs.

OMB Control Number: 2125–0025

(Expiration Date: March 31, 2001).

Abstract: Under Sections 130(g) and

152(g) of Title 23, United States Code,

each State is required to report annually

to the Secretary of Transportation on the

progress being made in implementing

the Highway Safety Improvement

Programs (Highway-Rail Grade

Crossings and Hazard Elimination) and

on the effectiveness of these programs.

This information provides FHWA with

a means for monitoring the effectiveness

of these programs. It will also be used

by the Congress for determining funding

levels for the Highway Safety

Improvement Programs and for

modifying these programs. States are

also required under Sections 130(d) and

152(a) of Title 23 to conduct and

systematically maintain surveys to

determine highway-rail grade crossings

in need of improvements and to identify

hazardous highway locations, sections,

and elements. These surveys are the

basis for establishing priorities for

corrective measures, for scheduling

improvements, and for evaluating the

effectiveness of improvements. The

States collect safety information by

surveying highway-rail grade crossings

and public roads for potential safety

hazards. In addition, motor vehicle

crash data, traffic volume data, and

other highway inventory data are used

by the States to identify hazards and

determine which hazards would be the

most cost-effective to improve.

Respondents: 52 State Transportation

Departments, including the District of

Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Frequency: Annually.

Estimated Total Annual Burden:

10,400 hours. It is estimated that each

State, the District of Columbia and

Puerto Rico spends 200 hours to provide

this information to the FHWA.

For Further Information Contact: Mr.

Kenneth Epstein, 202–366–2157,

Department of Transportation, Federal

Highway Administration, Safety Core

Business Unit, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are

from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

3. Title: Planning and Research

Program Administration.

OMB Control Number: 2125–0039

(Expiration Date: April 30, 2001).

Abstract: Under the provisions of

Title 23, United States Code, Section

505, two percent of Federal-aid highway

funds in certain categories that are

apportioned to the States are set aside

to be used only for State planning and

research (SPR funds). At least 25

percent of the SPR funds apportioned

annually must be used for research,

development, and technology transfer

activities. In accordance with

government-wide grant management

procedures, a grant application must be

submitted for these funds. In addition,

recipients must submit periodic

progress and financial reports. In lieu of

Standard Form 424, Application for

Federal Assistance, the FHWA uses a

work program as the grant application.

This includes a scope of work and

budget for activities to be undertaken

with FHWA planning and research

funds during the next one- or two-year

period. The information contained in

the work program includes task

descriptions, assignments of

responsibility for conducting the work

effort, and estimated costs for the tasks.

This information is necessary to

determine how FHWA planning and

research funds will be utilized by the

State Transportation Departments and if

the proposed work is eligible for Federal

participation. The content and

frequency of submission of progress and

financial reports specified in 23 CFR

part 420 are as specified in OMB

Circular A–102 and the companion

common grant management regulations.

Respondents: 52 State Transportation

Departments, including the District of

Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Estimated Total Annual Burden:

29,120 hours (560 hours per

respondent).

For Further Information Contact: Mr.

Tony Solury, 202–366–5003,

Department of Transportation, Federal

Highway Administration, Planning and

Environment Core Business Unit, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC

20590. Office hours are from 7:30 a.m.

to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,

except Federal holidays.

4. Title: Structure Inventory and

Appraisal Sheet.

OMB Control Number: 2125–0501

(Expiration Date: April 30, 2001).

Abstract: The collection of the bridge

information contained on the Structure

Inventory and Appraisal Sheet (SI&A) is

necessary to satisfy the requirements of

Title 23 United States Code 144 and

151, and the Code of Federal

Regulations, 23 Highways—Part 650,

Subpart C—National Bridge Inspection

Standards and Subpart D—Highway

Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation

Program. The National Bridge

Inspection Standards (NBIS) require

bridge inspection and reporting at

regular intervals for all bridges located

on public roads. The NBIS information

is used as a basis for setting priorities

for the replacement or rehabilitation of

bridges under the Highway Bridge

Replacement and Rehabilitation

Program (HBRRP) and for apportioning

HBRRP funds to the States for bridge

replacement or rehabilitation. In

addition, the information is used for

strategic national defense needs and for

preparing the report to Congress on the

status of the Nation’s highway bridges

and funding under the HBRRP.

Respondents: 52 State Transportation

Departments, including the District of

Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Frequency: Biannual inspections and

annual reporting.

Estimated Total Annual Burden:

540,000 hours. The average burden is

two hours to complete each SI&A sheet

on the approximate 270,000 bridges that

are inspected annually. The total bridge

inventory (rounded to 600,000) requires

biannual inspections; approximately 10

percent, or 30,000 of the 300,000 bridges

that are inspected each year receive an

extended inspection. Some States

voluntarily inspect bridges more

frequently; however, these estimates do

not include this information.

For Further Information Contact: Mr.

Ray McCormick, 202–366–4675,

Department of Transportation, Federal

Highway Administration, Infrastructure

Core Business Unit, 400 Seventh Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office

hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, except Federal

holidays.

5. Title: Emergency Relief Funding

Applications.

OMB Control Number: 2125–0525

(Expiration Date: May 31, 2001).

Abstract: Section 125 of Title 23

United States Code requires States to

submit applications to the FHWA for

emergency relief (ER) funds. The ER

funds are established for the repair or

reconstruction of Federal-aid highways

and Federal roads which have suffered

serious damage by natural disasters over

a wide area or serious damage from

catastrophic failures. The information is

66580 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 215 / Monday, November 6, 2000 / Notices

needed for the FHWA to fulfill its

statutory obligations regarding funding

determinations on emergency work to

repair highway facilities. The

requirements covering the FHWA ER

program are contained in 23 CFR part

668.

Respondents: 52 State Transportation

Departments, including the District of

Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Frequency: As required.

Estimated Total Annual Burden:

5,000 hours. 200 hours per application

for an average of 30 annual applications.

For Further Information Contact: Mr.

Mohan Pillay, 202–366–4655,

Department of Transportation, Federal

Highway Administration, Infrastructure

Core Business Unit, 400 Seventh Street,

SW., Washington, DC 20590. Office

hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, except Federal

holidays.

6. Title: Preparation and Execution of

the Project Agreement and

Modifications

OMB Control Number: 2125–0529

(Expiration Date: May 31, 2001).

Abstract: Formal agreements between

State transportation departments and

the FHWA are required for Federal-aid

highway projects. These agreements,

referred to as ‘‘project agreements’’ are

written contracts between the State and

the Federal government that define the

extent of work to be undertaken and

commitments made concerning a

highway project. In a notice of proposed

rulemaking (NPRM), published on

August 31, 2000 (65 FR 52962), the

FHWA proposed actions that would

update and modify existing

requirements to reflect statutory changes

to the project agreement process

mandated by section 1305 of the

Transportation Equity Act for the 21st

Century (TEA–21) (Public Law 105–178,

112 Stat. 107). This FHWA proposal

would combine the authorization of

work and execution of the project

agreement for a Federal-aid project into

a single action. We do not expect the

basic requirement for a project

agreement to change, nor do we expect

changes to the current information

collection burden estimates as a result

of this proposal. Nonetheless, the

FHWA will consider any comments

received to the NPRM regarding these

information collections before issuance

of a final rule in this matter. A final rule

would reflect any necessary changes to

23 CFR 630, subpart A. Thus, the

FHWA’s current submission to OMB

seeking approval to renew this

information collection will not reflect

any revised estimates in burdens. The

estimates set forth below are based on

current regulations.

Respondents: 50 State Transportation

Departments, the District of Columbia,

the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands, and the Territories of Guam, the

Virgin Islands and American Samoa

Estimated Total Annual Burden:

12,040 hours. There are an average of

215 annual agreements per respondent.

Each agreement requires approximately

one hour to complete.

For Further Information Contact: Mr.

Jack Wasley, 202–366–4658, Department

of Transportation, Federal Highway

Administration, Infrastructure Core

Business Unit, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,

Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are

from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

7. Title: Nationwide Survey of ‘‘Public

Roads’’ Readers

OMB Control Number: 2125–0562

(Expiration Date: May 31, 2001)

Abstract: ‘‘Public Roads’’ is a

bimonthly magazine published by the

FHWA. The FHWA conducts periodic

surveys of its readers to improve the

quality and content of the magazine.

Executive Order 12862 requires all

agencies to identify their customers,

survey their satisfaction with current

services, set standards for service and

measure results against them. A

nationwide census of readers was

conducted in 1995 to establish

benchmarks to gauge overall reader

satisfaction and to measure, in

particular, satisfaction with significant

changes that had been made in the

magazine’s design and content, subject

scope, and audience. The results of

ongoing surveys will form the basis of

a major, direct-mail campaign to

increase the number of paid subscribers.

Respondents: Approximately 1,500

paid and complementary subscribers to

‘‘Public Roads’’ magazine.

Frequency: Biennially.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 375

hours. The average burden per response

is 15 minutes.

For Further Information Contact: Ms.

Martha Soneira, 202–493–3468,

Department of Transportation, Federal

Highway Administration, Research,

Development and Technology Service

Business Unit, Turner-Fairbank

Highway Research Center, 6300

Georgetown Pike, McLean, VA 22101.

Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30

p.m., Monday through Friday, except

Federal holidays.

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. An

electronic copy of this document may be

downloaded using a modem and

suitable communications software from

the Government Printing Office

Electronic Bulletin Board Service at

telephone number 202–512–1661.

Internet users may reach the Federal

Register’s home page at 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.

Issued on: October 31, 2000.

James R. Kabel,

Chief, Management Programs and Analysis

Division.

[FR Doc. 00–28345 Filed 11–03–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 65–60–50–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

Petition for Waiver of Compliance

In accordance with Part 211 of Title

49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),

notice is hereby given that the Federal

Railroad Administration (FRA) received

a request for a waiver of compliance

with certain requirements of its safety

standards. The individual petition is

described below, including the party

seeking relief, the regulatory provisions

involved, the nature of the relief being

requested, and the petitioner’s

arguments in favor of relief.

Blue Ridge Scenic Railway Company

[Docket Number FRA–2000–8132]

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway

Company of Blue Ridge, Georgia, has

petitioned for a permanent waiver of

compliance for one passenger coach

from the requirements of the Safety

Glazing Standards, 49 CFR Part 223,

which requires certified glazing in all

windows and a minimum of four

emergency windows. The railroad

indicates that the car is used in tourist

service over 13 miles of track between

Blue Ridge and McCaysville, Georgia, at

a speed not to exceed 15 mph. The

railroad indicates that there is no freight

operated over this line, which is in a

rural area along the Toccoa River.

Interested parties are invited to

participate in these proceedings by

submitting written views, data, or

comments. FRA does not anticipate

scheduling a public hearing in

connection with these proceedings since

the facts do not appear to warrant a

hearing. If any interested party desires