77228 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 183 / Friday, September 20, 2024 / Notices 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) and in other documents in the 

FTA environmental project files for the 

project. Interested parties may contact 

either the project sponsor or the relevant 

FTA Regional Office for more 

information. Contact information for 

FTA’s Regional Offices may be found at 

https://www.transit.dot.gov/about/ 

regional-offices/regional-offices. 

This notice applies to all FTA 

decisions on the listed project as of the 

issuance date of this notice and all laws 

under which such actions were taken, 

including, but not limited to, NEPA (42 

U.S.C. 4321–4375), section 4(f) 

requirements (49 U.S.C. 303), section 

106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108), 

Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 

1531), Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1251), 

Rivers and Harbors Act (33 U.S.C. 408), 

the Uniform Relocation and Real 

Property Acquisition Policies Act (42 

U.S.C. 4601), and the Clean Air Act (42 

U.S.C. 7401–7671q). This notice does 

not, however, alter or extend the 

limitation period for challenges of 

project decisions subject to previous 

notices published in the Federal 

Register. The project modifications and 

actions that are the subject of this notice 

follow: 

Project name and location: West 

Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor 

Project (Project), Cities of Los Angeles, 

Vernon, Huntington Park, Bell, Cudahy, 

South Gate, Downey, Paramount, 

Bellflower, Cerritos, and Artesia; County 

of Los Angeles, California. 

Project sponsor: Los Angeles County 

Metropolitan Transportation Authority 

(LACMTA), City of Los Angeles, County 

of Los Angeles, California. 

Project description: The Project would 

construct an approximately 14.5-mile 

light rail transit (LRT) line from the 

northern terminus at the City of Los 

Angeles/Florence-Firestone 

unincorporated area of Los Angeles 

County to a southern terminus in the 

City of Artesia. The Project would be 

primarily within the right-of-way (ROW) 

of the Union Pacific Railroad, Port of 

Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, or 

LACMTA. The Project would also 

include nine LRT stations along the new 

alignment, one infill station on the C 

(Green) Line, and five parking facilities. 

Final agency actions: Section 106 no 

adverse effect determination, dated 

March 12, 2024; section 4(f) de minimis 

impact determination, dated March 29, 

2024; West Santa Ana Branch Corridor 

Project Record of Decision (ROD), dated 

August 23, 2024. 

Supporting documentation: West 

Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor 

Project Final Environmental Impact 

Statement/Final Environmental Impact 

Report (Final EIS/EIR), dated March 29, 

2024. West Santa Ana Branch Transit 

Corridor Project Draft EIS/EIR, dated 

July 30, 2021. The ROD, Final EIS/EIR, 

Draft EIS/EIR and associated documents 

can be viewed and downloaded from: 

https://www.metro.net/projects/ 

southeastgateway/ 

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). 

Megan Blum, 

Deputy Associate Administrator for Planning 

and Environment. 

[FR Doc. 2024–21582 Filed 9–19–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–57–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. NHTSA–2024–0055] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Notice and Request for 

Comment; Reporting of Information 

and Documents About Potential 

Defects 

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration (NHTSA), 

Department of Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments on an extension without 

change of a currently approved 

collection of information. 

SUMMARY: NHTSA invites public 

comments about our intention to request 

approval from the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) for an extension 

without change of a currently approved 

information collection. Before a Federal 

agency can collect certain information 

from the public, it must receive 

approval from OMB. Under procedures 

established by the Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1995, before seeking OMB 

approval, Federal agencies must solicit 

public comment on proposed 

collections of information, including 

extensions and reinstatement of 

previously approved collections. This 

document describes a collection of 

information for which NHTSA intends 

to seek OMB approval on the reporting 

of information and documents about 

potential safety defects. 

DATES: Comments must be submitted on 

or before November 19, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

identified by the Docket No. NHTSA– 

2024–0055 through any of the following 

methods: 

• Electronic Submissions: Go to the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: (202) 493–2251. 

• Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket 

Management, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12– 

140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except on Federal holidays. 

Instructions: All submissions must 

include the agency name and docket 

number for this notice. Note that all 

comments received will be posted 

without change to http://

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information provided. Please 

see the Privacy Act heading below. 

Privacy Act: Anyone can search for 

the electronic form of all comments 

received into any of our dockets 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 (65 FR 

19477–78) or you may visit https://

www.transportation.gov/privacy. 

Docket: For access to the docket to 

read background documents or 

comments received, go to http://

www.regulations.gov or the street 

address listed above. Follow the online 

instructions for accessing the dockets 

via the internet. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

additional information or access to 

background documents, contact Jeff 

Quandt, Trends Analysis Division 

(NEF–108), Room W48–312, National 

Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 

1200 New Jersey Ave., Washington, DC 

20590. Telephone (202) 366–5207. 

Please identify the relevant collection of 

information by referring to its OMB 

Control Number. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), before an agency 

submits a proposed collection of 

information to OMB for approval, it 

must first publish a document in the 

Federal Register providing a 60-day 

comment period and otherwise consult 

with members of the public and affected 

agencies concerning each proposed 

collection of information. The OMB has 

promulgated regulations describing 

what must be included in such a 

document. Under OMB’s regulation (at 

5 CFR 1320.8(d)), an agency must ask 

for public comment on the following: (a) 

whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 183 / Friday, September 20, 2024 / Notices 77229 

of the burden of the proposed collection 

of information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

(c) how to enhance the quality, utility, 

and clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) how to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology, 

e.g. permitting electronic submission of 

responses. In compliance with these 

requirements, NHTSA asks for public 

comments on the following proposed 

collection of information for which the 

agency is seeking approval from OMB. 

Title: Reporting of Information and 

Documents About Potential Defects. 

OMB Control: 2127–0616. 

Type of Request: Extension without 

change of a currently approved 

information collection. 

Type of Review Requested: Regular. 

Requested Expiration Date of 

Approval: 3 years from date of approval. 

Summary of the Collection of 

Information: This notice requests 

comment on NHTSA’s intention to seek 

approval from OMB to extend without 

change a currently approved collection 

of information, OMB No. 2127–0616, 

covering requirements in 49 CFR 579, 

Reporting of Information and 

Communications about Potential 

Defects. Part 579 implements, and 

addresses with more specificity, 

requirements from the Transportation 

Recall Enhancement Accountability and 

Documentation (TREAD) Act (Pub. L. 

106–414), which was enacted on 

November 1, 2000, and is codified at 49 

U.S.C. 30166. 

The purpose of part 579 is to enhance 

motor vehicle safety by specifying 

information and documents that 

manufacturers of motor vehicles and 

motor vehicle equipment must provide 

to NHTSA concerning possible safetyrelated defects and non-compliances in 

their products, including the reporting 

of safety recalls and other safety 

campaigns the manufacturers conduct 

outside the United States. Under part 

579, there are three categories of 

reporting requirements: (1) 

Requirements at § 579.5 to submit 

notices, bulletins, customer satisfaction 

campaigns, consumer advisories, and 

other communications (found in subpart 

A of part 579); (2) requirements at 

§ 579.11 to submit information related 

to safety recalls and other safety 

campaigns in the foreign countries 

(found in subpart B of part 579); and (3) 

requirements at §§ 579.21–28 to submit 

Early Warning Information (found in 

subpart C of part 579). The Early 

Warning Reporting (EWR) requirements 

(U.S.C. 30166(m); 49 CFR part 579, 

subpart C) specify that manufacturers of 

motor vehicles and motor vehicle 

equipment must submit to NHTSA 

information periodically or upon 

NHTSA’s request, that includes claims 

or notices for incidents involving death 

or injury; numbers of property damage 

claims, consumer complaints, warranty 

claims, and field reports; copies of field 

reports; and other information that may 

assist NHTSA in identifying potential 

safety-related defects. The intent of this 

information collection is to provide 

early warning of such potential safetyrelated defects to NHTSA. 

Description of the Need for the 

Information and Proposed Use of the 

Information: The information required 

under 49 U.S.C. 30166 and 49 CFR part 

579 is used by NHTSA to promptly 

identify potential safety-related defects 

in motor vehicles and motor vehicle 

equipment in the United States. When 

a trend in incidents arising from a 

potentially safety-related defect is 

discovered, NHTSA relies on this 

information, along with other agency 

data, to determine whether to open a 

defect investigation. 

Affected Public: Manufacturers of 

motor vehicles and motor vehicle 

equipment. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

NHTSA receives part 579 submissions 

from approximately 297 manufacturers 

per year. We estimate that there will be 

a total of 297 respondents per year to 

this extension of the OMB No. 2127– 

0616, instead of the previously 

estimated 337 respondents per year. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: When this approved information 

collection was last renewed in April 

2022, NHTSA estimated the annual 

burden associated with this collection to 

be 53,810 burden hours. NHTSA is 

updating these estimates to better align 

with the current volume of submissions. 

NHTSA now estimates the annual 

burden hours associated with this 

collection to be 54,088 hours based on 

analysis of EWR reporting data from the 

2021 through 2023 reporting years. 

NHTSA estimated the burdens 

associated with this collection by 

calculating the burden associated with 

submitting information under each 

subpart of part 579. In addition to these 

burdens, NHTSA also estimates that 

manufacturers will incur computer 

maintenance burden hours, which are 

estimated on a per manufacturer basis. 

Requirements Under Part 579, Subpart 

A 

The first component of this collection 

request covers the requirements found 

in part 579 subpart A, § 579.5, Notices, 

bulletins, customer satisfaction 

campaigns, consumer advisories, and 

other communications. Section 579.5 

requires manufacturers to furnish (1) a 

copy of all notices, bulletins, and other 

communications sent to more than one 

manufacturer, distributor, dealer, lessor, 

lessee, owner, or purchaser, in the 

United States, regarding any defect in its 

vehicles or items of equipment 

(including any failure of malfunction 

beyond normal deterioration in use, or 

any failure of performance, or any flaw 

or unintended deviation from design 

specifications), whether or not such 

defect is safety-related and (2) a copy of 

each communication relating to a 

customer satisfaction campaign, 

consumer advisory, recall, or other 

safety activity involving the repair or 

replacement of motor vehicles or 

equipment, that the manufacturer issued 

to, or made available to, more than one 

dealer, distributor, lessor, lessee, other 

manufacturer, owner, or purchaser, in 

the United States. Manufacturers are 

required to submit these documents 

monthly. Section 579.5 does not require 

manufacturers to create these 

documents. Instead, only copies of these 

documents must be submitted to 

NHTSA, and manufacturers must index 

these communications and email them 

to NHTSA within 5 working days after 

the end of the month in which they 

were issued. Therefore, the burden 

hours are only those associated with 

collecting the documents and 

submitting copies to NHTSA. 

NHTSA estimates that it receives 

approximately 17,615 notices a year. We 

estimate that it takes about 5 minutes to 

collect, index, and submit each notice to 

NHTSA. Therefore, we estimate that it 

takes 1,468 hours for manufacturers to 

submit notices as required under 

Section 579.5 (17,615 notices × 5 

minutes = 88,075 minutes or 1,468 

hours). 

To calculate the labor cost associated 

with submitting Section 579.5 notices, 

bulletins, customer satisfaction 

campaigns, consumer advisories and 

other communications that are sent to 

more than one dealer or owner, NHTSA 

looked at wage estimates for the type of 

personnel submitting the documents. 

While some manufacturers employ 

clerical staff to collect and submit the 

documents, others use technical 

computer support staff to complete the 

task. Because we do not know what 

percent of the work is completed by 

clerical or technical computer support 

staff, NHTSA estimates the total labor 

costs associated with these burden 

hours by looking at the average wage for 

the higher-paid technical computer 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
77230 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 183 / Friday, September 20, 2024 / Notices 

1May 2023 National Industry-Specific Wage 

Estimates—Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, U.S. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Computer Support 

Analyst (Code 15–1230), $37.62, https://

www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/naics4_336100.htm#15- 

0000, divided by 70.4 percent for total employer 

costs for employee compensation, https://

www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ecec_

03132024.pdf. Last Accessed August 12, 2024. 

2March 2024 News Release—Employer Costs for 

Employee Compensation—December 2023, U.S. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics. Last Accessed August 12, 

2024. 

support staff. The Bureau of Labor 

Statistics (BLS) estimates that the 

average hourly wage for Computer 

Support Specialists (BLS Occupation 

code 15–1230) in the Motor Vehicle 

Manufacturing Industry is $37.62.1 The 

Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that 

private industry workers’ wages 

represented 70.4 percent of employer 

costs for employee compensation in 

December 2023 (ECEC adjustment).2

Based on the BLS average hourly wage 

and ECEC adjustment factor, NHTSA 

estimates the hourly labor costs to be 

$53.44 for Computer Support Specialists 

($37.62 ÷ 0.704 = $53.44). The 

incremental labor cost per submission is 

estimated to be $4.45 ($53.44 per hour 

× 5 minutes). NHTSA estimates the total 

labor cost associated with the 1,468 

burden hours for § 579.5 submissions to 

be $78,387 ($4.45 × 17,615 

submissions). Table 1 provides a 

summary of the burden estimates using 

the average annual submission count for 

monthly reports submitted pursuant to 

§ 579.5 and the estimated burden hours 

and labor costs associated with those 

submissions. The average number of 

annual submissions under § 579.5 

decreased by approximately 29 percent 

from the currently approved 

information collection, dropping from 

24,884 to 17,615 manufacturer 

communication submissions. The 

incremental cost per submission rose 

from $3.73 to $4.45, a 19 percent 

increase. The annual burden hours 

dropped from 2,074 to 1,468, matching 

the 29 percent drop in submissions. The 

annual labor costs dropped from 

$92,817 to $78,387, a 16 percent 

decrease with the reduction in 

submissions partially offset by the 

increased labor cost per submission. 

TABLE 1—BURDEN ESTIMATE FOR § 579.5 SUBMISSIONS

Average annual § 579.5 submissions 

Estimated burden 

per submission 

(minutes) 

Average hourly 

labor cost 

Labor cost per 

submission 

Total burden 

hours Total labor costs 

17,615 ............................................... 5 $53.44 $4.45 1,468 $78,386.75 or $78,387. 

Requirements Under Part 579, Subpart 

B (Foreign Reporting) 

The second component of this 

information collection request covers 

the requirements found in part 579 

subpart B, ‘‘Reporting of Safety Recalls 

and Other Safety Campaigns in Foreign 

Countries.’’ Pursuant to § 579.11, 

whenever a manufacturer determines to 

conduct a safety recall or other safety 

campaign in a foreign country, or 

whenever a foreign government has 

determined that a safety recall or other 

safety campaign must be conducted, 

covering a motor vehicle, item of motor 

vehicle equipment, or tire that is 

identical or substantially similar to a 

vehicle, item of equipment, or tire sold 

or offered for sale in the United States, 

the manufacturer must report to NHTSA 

not later than 5 working days after the 

manufacturer makes such determination 

or receives written notification of the 

foreign government’s determination. 

Section 579.11(e) also requires each 

manufacturer of motor vehicles to 

submit, not later than November 1 of 

each year, a document that identifies 

foreign products and their domestic 

counterparts. 

To provide the information required 

for foreign safety campaigns, 

manufacturers must (1) determine 

whether vehicles or equipment that are 

covered by a foreign safety recall or 

other safety campaign are identical or 

substantially similar to vehicles or 

equipment sold in the United States, (2) 

prepare and submit reports of these 

campaigns to the agency, and (3) where 

a determination or notice has been made 

in a language other than English, 

translate the determination or notice 

into English before transmitting it to the 

agency. 

NHTSA estimates that there is no 

burden associated with determining 

whether an individual safety recall 

covers a foreign motor vehicle or item 

of motor vehicle equipment that is 

identical or substantially similar to 

those sold in the United States because 

manufacturers can simply consult the 

list that they are required to submit each 

year. Therefore, the only burden 

associated with determining whether a 

foreign safety recall or other safety 

campaign is required to be reported to 

NHTSA is the burden associated with 

creating the annual list. NHTSA 

continues to estimate that it takes 

approximately 9 hours per manufacturer 

to develop and submit the list. The 9 

hours are comprised of 8 attorney hours 

and 1 hour for IT work. NHTSA receives 

these lists from 99 manufacturers, on 

average, resulting in 891 burden hours 

(99 vehicle manufacturers × 8 hours for 

attorney support = 792 hours) + (99 

vehicle manufacturers × 1 hour for IT 

support = 99 hours). 

NHTSA estimates that preparing and 

submitting each foreign defect report 

(foreign recall campaign) requires 1 

hour of clerical staff and that translation 

of determinations into English requires 

2 hours of technical staff (note: This 

assumes that all foreign campaign 

reports require translation, which is 

unlikely). Between 2021 and 2023 

NHTSA received a yearly average of 262 

foreign campaign reports. NHTSA 

estimates that in each of the next three 

years, NHTSA will receive, on average, 

262 foreign recall reports. NHTSA 

estimates that each report will take 3 

hours (1 hour to prepare by a clerical 

employee and 2 hours for translation). 

Therefore, NHTSA estimates that the 

burden hours associated with 

submitting these reports will be 786 

hours (3 hours per report × 262 reports). 

Therefore, NHTSA estimates the total 

annual burden hours for reporting 

foreign campaigns and substantially 

similar vehicles is 1,677 hours (891 

hours for submitting annual lists + 786 

hours for submitting foreign recall and 

safety campaign reports). This is an 

increase of 87 burden hours from our 

previous estimate (1,677 hours for the 

current estimate—1,590 hours for the 

previous estimate). Table 2 provides a 

summary of the estimated burden hours 

for Part 579 Subpart B submissions. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 183 / Friday, September 20, 2024 / Notices 77231 

3May 2023 National Industry-Specific Wage 

Estimates,—Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, U.S. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lawyers (Code 23–1011), 

$112.21, https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/naics4_

336100.htm#23-0000, divided by 70.4 percent for 

total employer costs for employee compensation, 

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ecec_

03132024.pdf. Last Accessed August 12, 2024. 

4May 2023 National Industry-Specific Wage 

Estimates—Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, U.S. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office Clerks (Code 43– 

9061), $26.65, https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/ 

naics4_336100.htm#43-0000, divided by 70.4 

percent for total employer costs for employee 

compensation, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ 

archives/ecec_03132024.pdf. Last Accessed August 

12, 2024. 

5May 2023 National Occupational Employment 

and Wage Estimates United States, U.S. Bureau of 

Labor Statistics, Interpreters and Translators (Code 

27–3091), $30.33, https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/ 

may/oes273091.htm, divided by 70.4 percent for 

total employer costs for employee compensation, 

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ecec_

03132024.pdf. Last Accessed August 12, 2024. 

TABLE 2—BURDEN HOUR ESTIMATES FOR FOREIGN REPORTING

Submission type 

Annual 

number of 

submissions 

Burden hours per report Total burden 

hours 

Foreign Campaign Report ............................................ 262 1 hour clerical + 2 hours translation = 3 hours ............ 786 

Annual List .................................................................... 99 8 hours attorney + 1 hour IT = 9 hours ....................... 891 

Total ....................................................................... ........................ ....................................................................................... 1,677 

To calculate the labor cost associated 

with Part 579 foreign reporting 

submissions, NHTSA looked at wage 

estimates for the type of personnel 

submitting the documents. As stated 

above, NHTSA estimates that submitting 

annual lists under § 579.11(e) will 

involve 8 hours of attorney time and 1 

hour of IT work. The average hourly 

wage for Lawyers (BLS Occupation code 

23–1000) in the Motor Vehicle 

Manufacturing Industry is $112.21.3

After applying the 70.4 percent ECEC 

adjustment, NHTSA estimates the 

hourly labor costs for manufacturers to 

be $159.39 for Lawyers. The ECEC 

adjusted hourly cost for Computer 

Support Specialists (BLS Occupation 

code 15–1230) in the Motor Vehicle 

Manufacturing Industry is $53.44 as 

reviewed in the discussion of Table 1 

data in the Subpart A reporting burden 

analysis. NHTSA estimates the 

incremental labor cost associated with 

submitting each annual list to be 

$1,328.56 or $1,329 ($159.39 per hour × 

8 attorney hours + $53.44 per hour × 1 

IT hour), resulting in an estimated 

annual labor cost of $131,527 for 

submitting all 99 annual lists each year. 

NHTSA estimates that submitting 

each foreign recall or safety campaign 

report involves 1 hour of clerical work 

and 2 hours of translation work. The 

average hourly wage for Office Clerks 

(BLS Occupation code 43–9061) in the 

Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Industry 

is $26.65 4 and the average hourly wage 

for Interpreters and Translators (BLS 

Occupation code 27–3091) is $30.33.5

Therefore, NHTSA estimates the ECEC 

adjusted hourly labor costs to be $37.86 

for Office Clerks and $43.08 for 

Interpreters and Translators. NHTSA 

estimates the total labor cost associated 

with submitting one foreign recall or 

safety campaign report to be $124.02 or 

$124 ($37.86 per hour × 1 Clerical hour 

+ $43.08 per hour × 2 Translator hours) 

and $32,493.24 or $32,493 for all 262 

foreign recall or safety campaign reports 

NHTSA estimates will be submitted 

annually. 

Table 3 provides a summary of the 

labor costs associated with the foreign 

reporting requirements in part 579, 

subpart B. NHTSA estimates that the 

total labor costs associated with the 

annual list requirement and the 

requirement to report foreign recalls and 

safety campaigns is $164,020.68 or 

$164,021 ($131,527.44 + $32,493.24). 

TABLE 3—ANNUAL LABOR COST ESTIMATES FOR FOREIGN REPORTING

Submission type and labor category Hours per 

submission 

Hourly labor 

cost 

Labor cost per 

submission 

Number of 

submissions 

Total labor 

cost 

Annual List-Lawyer .............................................................. 8 $159.39 $1,275.12 99 $126,236.88 

Annual List-Computer Specialist .......................................... 1 53.44 53.44 99 5,290.56 

Totals for Annual List .................................................... 9 ........................ 1,328.56 ........................ 131,527.44 

Foreign Campaign Report-Clerical ...................................... 1 37.86 37.86 262 9,919.32 

Foreign Campaign Report-Translator .................................. 2 43.08 86.16 262 22,573.92 

Totals for Foreign Campaign Report ............................ 3 ........................ 124.02 ........................ 32,493.24 

Total Labor Costs for Part 579 Subpart B Requirements ......................................................... ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ 164,020.68 

or 164,021 

Requirements Under Part 579, Subpart 

C, Reporting of Early Warning 

Information 

The third component of this 

information collection covers the 

requirements found in part 579 subpart 

C, ‘‘Reporting of Early Warning 

Information.’’ Besides production 

information, there are five major 

categories requiring reporting of 

incidents or claims in Subpart C, with 

the specific requirements and 

applicability of those categories varying 

by vehicle and equipment type and, in 

some circumstances, manufacturer 

volume. Sections 579.21–27 require 

manufacturers to submit the following: 

(1) Production information; (2) reports 

on incidents involving death or injury 

in the United States that are identified 

in claims or notices alleging that the 

death or injury was caused by a possible 

defect; (3) reports on incidents 

identified in a claim against a 

manufacturer that involve one or more 

deaths in a foreign country and involve 


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77232 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 183 / Friday, September 20, 2024 / Notices 

6Low volume and equipment manufacturers are 

not required to submit production information. 

7Reporting requirements for low volume vehicle 

and equipment manufacturers are limited to 

reporting fatal incidents in the United States and 

foreign countries and responding to inquiries about 

those incidents, see § 579.27 and § 579.28(l). Table 

4 manufacturer counts are calculated by dividing 

the number of total manufacturer reporting quarters 

(1 manufacturer reporting in 1 quarter = 1 

manufacturer reporting quarter) by 4 quarters to 

show the number of equivalent full manufacturer 

reporting years (4 manufacturer reporting quarters). 

a vehicle or item of equipment that is 

identical or substantially similar to a 

vehicle or item of equipment that is 

offered for sale in the United States; (4) 

separate reports on the number of 

property damage claims, consumer 

complaints, warranty claims, and field 

reports that involve a specified system 

or event; (5) copies of field reports; and, 

for manufacturers of tires, (6) a list of 

common green tires (applicable to only 

tire manufacturers). Section 579.28(l) 

allows NHTSA to request additional 

information to help identify a defect 

related to motor vehicle safety. The 

regulation specifies the time frame for 

reporting for each category. Foreign 

recalls of substantially similar vehicles 

and manufacturer communications are 

required to be submitted monthly, 

substantially similar vehicle listings are 

required annually, and all other report 

types are required to be submitted every 

quarter. 

Quarterly Reporting 

Manufacturers are required to report 

specific information to NHTSA every 

quarter. Manufacturers are required to 

submit production information,6 nondealer field reports, aggregate 

submissions, and death and injury 

submissions every quarter. Estimates of 

the burden hours and reporting costs are 

based on: 

• The number of manufacturers 

reporting; 

• The frequency of required reports; 

• The number of hours required per 

report; and 

• The cost of personnel to report. 

The number of hours for reporting 

ranges from 1 hour for trailer, child 

restraint, low volume vehicle, and 

equipment manufacturers to 8 hours for 

light vehicle manufacturers (Table 4). 

Quarterly reporting burden hours are 

calculated by multiplying hours used to 

report for a given category by the 

number of manufacturers for the 

category and by the four times per year 

quarterly reporting. Using these 

methods and the average number of 

manufacturers who report annually, we 

estimate the annual burden hours for 

quarterly reporting of production 

information at 4,176 hours as detailed 

below in Table 4. 

NHTSA assumes that the hourly wage 

rate for each quarterly report is split 

evenly between technical and clerical 

personnel and a weighted hourly rate is 

developed from this assumption. 

Therefore, using the BLS total hourly 

compensation rates discussed above of 

$53.44 for a Computer Support 

Specialist and $37.86 for an Office 

Clerk, the weighted hourly rate is $45.65 

(Technical Mean Hourly Wage of $53.44 

× 0.5 + Clerical Mean Hourly Wage of 

$37.86 × 0.5). The estimated reporting 

costs are calculated as follows: 

(M × Tp × $45.65) = Quarterly cost of 

reporting × 4 = Annual cost of reporting * 

* M = Manufacturers reporting data in the 

category; Tp = Reporting time for the 

category; $45.65 = Reporting labor cost 

compensation rate; 4 = Quarterly reports 

per year 

For example, the estimated reporting 

cost for light vehicles is $59,892.80 (41 

manufacturers × 8 hours × $45.65 

compensation rate × 4 quarters), and the 

total annual labor costs associated with 

quarterly reporting are estimated to be 

$190,634. Table 4 includes the 

estimated burden hours and reporting 

costs for production information, nondealer field reports, aggregate 

submissions, and death and injury 

submissions, as well as the quarterly 

and annual labor costs associated with 

reporting. 

TABLE 4—ESTIMATED MANUFACTURER ANNUAL BURDEN HOURS AND LABOR COSTS FOR QUARTERLY REPORTING

Vehicle/equipment category 

Average 

number of 

manufacturers 

Quarterly 

hours to 

report per 

manufacturer 

Blended hourly 

comp. rate 

Quarterly labor 

costs per 

manufacturer 

Annual burden 

hours for 

reporting 

Annual labor 

costs 

Light Vehicles ......................................... 41 8 $45.65 $365.20 1,312 $59,892.80 

Medium-Heavy Vehicles ........................ 41 5 45.65 228.25 820 37,433.00 

Buses ..................................................... 30 5 45.65 228.25 600 27,390.00 

Emergency Vehicles .............................. 9 5 45.65 228.25 180 8,217.00 

Motorcycles ............................................ 16 2 45.65 91.30 128 5,843.20 

Trailers ................................................... 91 1 45.65 45.65 364 16,616.60 

Child Restraints ...................................... 35 1 45.65 45.65 140 6,391.00 

Tires ....................................................... 31 5 45.65 228.25 620 28,303.00 

Low Volume & Equipment 7 ................... 3 1 45.65 45.65 12 1,095.60 

Totals .............................................. 297 ........................ ........................ ........................ 4,176 190,634.40 

or 190,634 

Early Warning Reporting Field Data 

Submissions 

Table 5 provides an average annual 

submission count for each category 

submitted per the requirements of 49 

CFR part 579, subpart C: reports on 

incidents identified in claims or notices 

involving death or injury in the United 

States; reports on incidents involving 

one or more deaths in a foreign country 

identified in claims involving a vehicle 

or item of equipment that is identical or 

substantially similar to a vehicle or item 

of equipment that is offered for sale in 

the United States; separate reports on 

the number of property damage claims, 

consumer complaints, warranty claims, 

and field reports that involve a specified 

system or event; copies of field reports; 

and, for manufacturers of tires; a list of 

common green tires; and additional 

follow-up information per 579.28(l) 

related to injury and fatality claims. 

Each reporting category has specific 

requirements and types of reports that 

need to be submitted and we state ‘‘N/ 

A’’ where there is no requirement for 

that reporting category. 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 183 / Friday, September 20, 2024 / Notices 77233 

8Manufacturer field reports rose from 78 percent 

of EWR submissions in the currently approved 

information collection to 86 percent of submissions 

in the current information collection request. 

9Table 7 references Computer Support Specialists 

as ‘‘Technical’’ and Office Clerks as ‘‘Clerical’’. 

TABLE 5—ANNUAL AVERAGE OF EWR SUBMISSIONS BY MANUFACTURERS

[2021–2023] 

Category of claims Light vehicles 

§ 579.21 

Bus, 

emergency, 

heavy, & 

medium 

vehicles 

§ 579.22 

Motorcycles 

§ 579.23 

Trailers 

§ 579.24 

Child 

restraints 

§ 579.25 

Tires § 579.26 

Low volume 

vehicles & 

equipment 

§ 579.27 

Totals 

Incidents Involving Injury or Fatality in U.S ............................ 6,338 223 109 44 133 35 11 6,893 

Incidents Involving Fatality in 

Foreign Country ..................... 38 0 2 1 0 0 0 41 

Reports on Number of Claims 

Involving Specific System or 

Event ...................................... 7,985 831 23 55 NA 298 NA 9,192 

Mfr. Field Reports ..................... 83,360 18,650 1,456 81 2,859 NA NA 106,406 

Common Green Tire Reporting NA NA NA NA NA 99 NA 99 

Average Number of Follow-Up 

Sequences per 579.28(l) ....... 1,425 91 67 14 64 44 13 1,718 

Totals ................................. 99,146 19.795 1,657 195 3,056 476 24 124,349 

The submission totals summarized in 

Table 5 represent a 10 percent increase 

from the currently approved 

information collection with two 

reporting categories responsible for all 

of the increase. Submission totals 

increased for manufacturer field reports 

and follow-up sequence inquiries 

conducted per § 579.28(l) but saw a net 

decrease of 34 percent for the other four 

categories combined. Average annual 

injury and fatality claims in the United 

States dropped from 11,887 to 6,893 

claims per year, a 42 percent decrease; 

foreign death claims dropped from 330 

to 41 per year, an 88 percent decrease; 

claims involving specific systems or 

events dropped from 12,212 to 9,192, a 

25 percent decrease; and common green 

tire reports dropped from 112 to 99 per 

year, a 12 percent decrease. 

Manufacturer field reports, which 

accounted for the majority of 

submissions in both the current and 

prior approved information collection 

requests, rose from 88,409 to 106,406 

per year, a 20 percent increase.8 Death 

and injury follow-up sequence inquiries 

conducted per § 579.28(l) saw a much 

larger change, rising from 190 to 1,718 

average incident inquiries per year, an 

increase of 804 percent. The net effect 

of these changes was an increase from 

113,140 to 124,349 submissions per year 

on average. 

The agency estimates that an average 

of 5 minutes is required for a 

manufacturer to process each report, 

except for foreign death claims and 

follow-up responses. We estimate 

foreign death claims and follow-up 

responses per § 579.28(l) require an 

average of 15 minutes to process. 

Multiplying the total average number of 

minutes by the number of submissions 

NHTSA receives in each reporting 

category yields the burden hour 

estimates found below in Table 6. Our 

previous estimates of EWR associated 

submission burden hours totaled 9,515 

hours, and we now update that total to 

10,655 burden hours, a 12 percent 

increase, associated with the above 

noted claim categories. 

TABLE 6—ANNUAL MANUFACTURER BURDEN HOUR ESTIMATES FOR EWR SUBMISSIONS

Category of claims 

Annual 

average of 

EWR 

submissions 

Average time 

to process 

each report 

Estimated 

annual 

burden hours 

Incidents Involving Injury or Fatality in U.S ................................................................................. 6,893 5 574 

Incidents Involving Fatality in Foreign Country ........................................................................... 41 15 10 

Reports on Number of Claims Involving Specific System or Event ............................................ 9,192 5 766 

Mfr. Field Reports ........................................................................................................................ 106,406 5 8,867 

Common Green Tire Reporting ................................................................................................... 99 5 8 

Average Number of Follow-Up Sequences per 579.28(l) ........................................................... 1,718 15 430 

Totals .................................................................................................................................... 124,349 ........................ 10,655 

We have also calculated hourly labor 

costs for each claim type with an 

incremental reporting burden based on 

time to process and labor costs for 

employee positions required for 

processing each submission. Table 7 

shows the employee positions required 

for processing submissions for each 

claim type, the time required for each 

position to process each submission, 

and the weighted hourly rates for each 

claim type. The employee positions 

analyzed in Table 7 include three that 

have been introduced in prior sections 

of this information collection request: 

Lawyers (BLS Occupation code 23– 

1000), Computer Support Specialists 

(BLS Occupation code 15–1230), and 

Office Clerks (BLS Occupation code 43– 

9061).9 Cost analysis for Computer 

Support Specialists was provided in the 

discussion of Table 1 data for Subpart 

A labor costs analysis and analyses for 

Lawyers and Office Clerks were 

provided in the discussion of Table 3 

data for Subpart B labor cost burden 

analysis. Labor cost analysis for 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
77234 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 183 / Friday, September 20, 2024 / Notices 

10May 2023 National Industry-Specific Wage 

Estimates—Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, U.S. 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Engineers (Code 17– 

2000), $52.56, https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/ 

naics4_336100.htm#17-0000, divided by 70.4 

percent for total employer costs for employee 

compensation, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ 

archives/ecec_03132024.pdf. Last Accessed August 

12, 2024. 

Engineers (BLS Occupation code 17– 

2000) is introduced in Table 7. The 

average hourly wage for Engineers in the 

Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Industry 

is $52.56.10 After applying the 70.4 

percent ECEC adjustment, NHTSA 

estimates the hourly labor costs for 

manufacturers to be $74.66 for 

Engineers. Table 7 shows the weighted 

hourly rates for each submission claim 

type. 

TABLE 7—ESTIMATED MANUFACTURER TIME ALLOCATION BY CLAIM TYPE AND WEIGHTED HOURLY RATE

Claim type 

Estimated time (in minutes) to review a claim 

Weighted 

Lawyer hourly rate 

(rate: $159.39) 

Engineer 

(rate: $74.66) 

Technical 

(rate: $53.44) 

Clerical 

(rate: $37.86) Total time 

Incidents Involving Injury or Fatality in U.S .............................. 3 0 0 2 5 $110.78 

Incidents Involving Fatality in Foreign Country ......................... 3 10 0 2 15 86.70 

Reports on Number of Claims Involving Specific System or 

Event ...................................................................................... 0 0 3 2 5 47.21 

Mfr. Field Reports ..................................................................... 0 0 3 2 5 47.21 

Common Green Tire Reporting ................................................ 0 0 0 5 5 37.86 

Average Number of Follow-Up Sequences per 579.28(l) ........ 3 10 0 2 15 86.70 

These rates are calculated by 

summing the weighted employer costs 

for each employee position required to 

review each submission claim type 

using the formula: 

The annual labor costs for 

submissions of claims data are shown in 

Table 8. Labor Cost per Submission is 

the product of the Average Time to 

Process Each Report and the Weight 

Hourly Rate calculated in Table 7. 

Annual labor cost is the product of the 

labor cost per submission and the 

average annual submissions. 

TABLE 8—ESTIMATED EWR ANNUAL LABOR COSTS BY CATEGORY

Category of claims 

Annual 

average of 

EWR 

submissions 

Average time 

to process 

each report 

Weighted 

hourly rate 

Estimated 

labor cost 

per 

submission 

Estimated 

annual labor 

cost 

Incidents Involving Injury or Fatality in U.S ......................... 6,893 5 $110.78 $9.23 $63,633.88 

Incidents Involving Fatality in Foreign Country ................... 41 15 86.70 21.68 888.68 

Reports on Number of Claims Involving Specific System 

or Event ............................................................................ 9,192 5 47.21 3.93 36,162.86 

Mfr. Field Reports ................................................................ 106,406 5 47.21 3.93 418,618.94 

Common Green Tire Reporting ........................................... 99 5 37.86 3.16 312.35 

Average Number of Follow-Up Sequences per 579.28(l) ... 1,718 15 86.70 21.68 37,237.65 

Totals ............................................................................ 124,349 ........................ ........................ ........................ 556,854.35 

or 556,854 

The total annual manufacturer burden 

hours for subpart C reporting of EWR 

data (Sections 579.21–28) is calculated 

by summing the burden hour estimates 

for quarterly reporting in Table 4 (4,176 

hours) and submission reporting in 

Table 6 (10,655 hours). This produces 

an EWR annual burden hour estimate of 

14,831 hours. The total annual labor 

cost for subpart C reporting is calculated 

by summing the labor cost estimates in 

Table 4 ($190,634.40) and Table 8 

($556,854.35), producing a total annual 

labor cost estimate for Subpart C 

reporting of $747,488.75 or $747,489. 

Computer Maintenance Burden 

In addition to the burden associated 

with submitting documents under each 

subpart of Part 579, NHTSA also 

estimates that manufacturers will incur 

computer maintenance burden hours 

associated with the information 

collection requirements. The estimated 

manufacturer burden hours associated 

with aggregate data submissions for 

consumer complaints, warranty claims, 

and dealer field reports are included in 

reporting and computer maintenance 

hours. The burden hours for computer 

maintenance are calculated by 

multiplying the hours of computer use 

(for a given category) by the number of 

manufacturers reporting in a category. 

NHTSA estimates that light vehicle 

manufacturers will spend 

approximately 347 hours per year on 

computer maintenance and that other 

vehicle manufacturers will spend about 

22 percent as much time as light vehicle 

manufacturers on computer 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1EN20SE24.010</GPH>

rr=l Ci X c;;) = Weighted Hourly Rate CW) for each claim type* 

*C; = Employer cost for position i; T; = Claim type review time for position i; T t = Total review 

time for the claim type; n = 4 (number of employee positions in Table 7) 
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 183 / Friday, September 20, 2024 / Notices 77235 

maintenance. Therefore, NHTSA 

estimates that medium-heavy truck, 

trailer, motorcycle manufacturers, 

emergency vehicle, and bus 

manufacturers will each spend 

approximately 86.5 hours on computer 

maintenance each year. NHTSA 

estimates that tire manufacturers and 

child restraint manufacturers will also 

spend 86.5 hours on computer 

maintenance per year. Therefore, 

NHTSA estimates the total burden for 

computer maintenance to be 36,112 

hours per year (based on there being an 

estimated 41 light vehicle 

manufacturers, 41 medium-heavy 

vehicle manufacturers, 91 trailer 

manufacturers, 16 motorcycle 

manufacturers, 9 emergency vehicle 

manufacturers, 30 bus manufacturers, 

31 tire manufacturers, and 35 child 

restraint manufactures). 

To calculate the labor cost associated 

with computer maintenance hours, 

NHTSA looked at wage estimates for the 

type of personnel submitting the 

documents. The ECEC adjusted average 

hourly wage for Computer Support 

Specialists (BLS Occupation code 15– 

1230) in the Motor Vehicle 

Manufacturing Industry is $53.44 as 

reviewed in the discussion of Table 1 

data in the Subpart A reporting burden 

analysis. For the estimated total of 

36,112 annual computer maintenance 

burden hours, NHTSA estimates the 

associated labor costs will be 

approximately $1,929,799. Table 9 

shows the annual estimated burden 

hours for computer maintenance by 

vehicle/equipment category and the 

estimated labor costs associated with 

those burden hours. 

TABLE 9—ESTIMATED MANUFACTURER ANNUAL BURDEN HOURS FOR COMPUTER MAINTENANCE FOR REPORTING

Vehicle/equipment category 

Average 

number of 

manufacturers 

Hours for 

computer 

maintenance 

per 

manufacturer 

Average 

hourly labor 

cost 

Annual labor 

cost per 

manufacturer 

Total annual 

burden hours 

Total annual 

labor costs 

Light vehicles ......................................... 41 347 $53.44 $18,543.68 14,227 $760,290.88 

Medium-Heavy Vehicles ........................ 41 86.5 53.44 4,622.56 3,547 189,524.96 

Buses ..................................................... 30 86.5 53.44 4,622.56 2,595 138,676.80 

Emergency Vehicles .............................. 9 86.5 53.44 4,622.56 779 41,603.04 

Motorcycles ............................................ 16 86.5 53.44 4,622.56 1,384 73,960.96 

Trailers ................................................... 91 86.5 53.44 4,622.56 7,872 420,652.96 

Child Restraints ...................................... 35 86.5 53.44 4,622.56 3,028 161,789.60 

Tires ....................................................... 31 86.5 53.44 4,622.56 2,682 143,299.36 

Totals .............................................. .......................... ........................ ........................ ........................ 36,112 $1,929,798.56 

or $1,929,799 

Based on the foregoing, we estimate 

the burden hours for industry to comply 

with the current part 579 reporting 

requirements (EWR requirements, 

foreign campaign requirements and part 

579.5 requirements) to be 54,088 hours 

per year. The total annual burden hours, 

labor costs, and changes from for this 

information collection consisting of 

manufacturer communications under 

section 579.5 (subpart A), foreign 

reporting (subpart B), EWR submissions 

and reporting (subpart C), and computer 

maintenance are outlined in Table 10 

below. 

TABLE 10—TOTAL MANUFACTURER BURDEN HOURS AND LABOR COSTS

Reporting type 

Currently approved part 579 

information collection request 

Pending part 579 information 

collection request 

Changes in burden hours and 

labor costs 

Annual burden 

hours 

Annual labor 

costs 

Annual burden 

hours 

Annual labor 

costs 

Annual burden 

hours 

Annual labor 

costs 

Subpart A: Manufacturer Communications § 579.5 (Table 1) ......................... 2,074 $92,817 1,468 $78,387 * (606) * ($14,430) 

Subpart B: Foreign Reporting (Tables 2 

& 3) ....................................................... 1,590 139,464 1,677 164,021 87 24,557 

Subpart C: EWR Submissions and Quarterly Reporting (Tables 4 & 6/8) ........... 14,731 621,260 14,831 747,489 100 126,229 

Computer Maintenance (Table 9) ............ 35,415 1,585,861 36,112 1,929,799 697 343,938 

Total .................................................. 53,810 2,439,402 54,088 2,919,696 278 480,294 

* Reduction from currently approved ICR. 

The burden estimates show overall 

increases in annual burden hours of 278 

hours and annual labor costs of 

$480,294 from the Part 579 information 

collection request approved in April 

2022. These represent increases of 0.5 

percent in burden hours and 19.7 

percent in labor costs. The changes in 

annual burden hours are due to changes 

in the number of submissions in Tables 

1, 2, and 6 and changes in the number 

of manufacturers reporting in each 

category in Tables 4 and 9. The changes 

in annual labor costs are attributed to 

changes in burden hours as well as 

changes in labor costs for the 

manufacturer employee positions 

required for reporting Part 579 

information. The wage estimates have 

been adjusted to reflect the latest 

available rates from the Bureau of Labor 

Statistics. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden Cost: 

NHTSA estimates the collection 

requires no additional costs to the 

respondents beyond the labor costs 

associated with the burden hours to 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
77236 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 183 / Friday, September 20, 2024 / Notices 

collect and submit the reports to 

NHTSA and the labor hours and 

associated labor costs for computer 

maintenance. 

Public Comments Invited: You are 

asked to comment on any aspects of this 

information collection, including (a) 

whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

Department, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the Department’s 

estimate of the burden of the proposed 

information collection; (c) ways to 

enhance the quality, utility and clarity 

of the information to be collected; and 

(d) ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on 

respondents, including the use of 

automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, as 

amended; 49 CFR 1.49; and DOT Order 

1351.29A. 

Eileen Sullivan, 

Associate Administrator, Enforcement. 

[FR Doc. 2024–21509 Filed 9–19–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

[Docket No. DOT–OST–2024–0104] 

Advanced Research Projects Agency— 

Infrastructure; Request for Information 

AGENCY: Department of Transportation 

(DOT). 

ACTION: Notice; request for information 

(RFI). 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) Advanced 

Research Projects Agency— 

Infrastructure (ARPA–I) is seeking 

statements of qualifications from 

eligible entities, defined by the 

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 

as ‘‘an accredited university of higher 

education in the northeast United States 

that has experience leading a regional 

university transportation center [defined 

as a current or past U.S. DOT-funded 

Regional University Transportation 

Center (UTC) grantee] and a proven 

record of developing, patenting, 

deploying, and commercializing 

innovative composite materials and 

technologies for bridge and other 

transportation applications, as well as 

conducting research and developing 

prototypes using very large-scale 

polymer-based additive manufacturing’’. 

The purpose of this Request for 

Information (RFI) is for the U.S. DOT to 

determine the eligibility of entities 

seeking to perform research, 

development, and demonstration tasks 

on durability, resiliency, and 

sustainability of bridges and other 

infrastructure to be funded by ARPA–I 

as stated in the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2024. This request 

for information is not a request for 

proposals or a notice of funding 

opportunity. Subsequent to this RFI, 

ARPA–I intends to develop a 

Cooperative Agreement with a single 

institution of higher education if only 

one respondent is found to be eligible, 

or to issue a subsequent Request for 

Proposals to the multiple eligible 

institutions of higher education 

identified. Respondents are required to 

meet the legislative requirements 

detailed in the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2024. 

DATES: Written submissions must be 

received by October 21, 2024. 

Submission Instructions: Responses 

should be submitted electronically as a 

Microsoft Word document, not to 

exceed 15 single-sided pages in length, 

and 15 MB in file size. Recommended 

format for responses includes Times 

New Roman 12-point font and 1 inch 

page margins. Responses should be 

emailed to ARPA-I@dot.gov (with the 

Subject Line of ‘‘ARPA–I RFI Response 

<Institution Name>’’. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

questions about this RFI, please email 

ARPA-I@dot.gov. You may also contact 

Mr. Timothy A. Klein, Director, 

Technology Policy and Outreach, Office 

of the Assistant Secretary for Research 

and Technology (202–366–0075), U.S. 

DOT or by email at timothy.klein@

dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This RFI 

seeks information that will assist 

ARPA–I in carrying out its research and 

development funding responsibilities as 

set forth in the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2024 (Pub. L. 118– 

42; Division F, Title I; March 9, 2024) 

and authorized under 49 U.S.C. 119, 

‘‘Advanced Research Projects Agency— 

Infrastructure’’. 

About ARPA–I 

The Advanced Research Projects 

Agency—Infrastructure (ARPA–I) is an 

agency within U.S. DOT (see https://

www.transportation.gov/arpa-i) that 

Congress established ‘‘to support the 

development of science and technology 

solutions that overcomes long-term 

challenges and advances the state of the 

art for United States transportation 

infrastructure.’’ (49 U.S.C. 119(b)). 

ARPA–I is modeled after the Defense 

Advanced Research Projects Agency 

(DARPA) within the U.S. Department of 

Defense and the Advanced Research 

Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA–E) 

within the U.S. Department of Energy. 

ARPA–I offers a once-in-a-generation 

opportunity to improve our nation’s 

transportation infrastructure, both 

physical and digital, and supports 

DOT’s strategic goals of Safety, 

Economic Strength and Global 

Competitiveness, Equity, Climate and 

Sustainability, and Transformation. 

ARPA–I focuses on developing and 

implementing technologies, rather than 

developing policies and processes or 

providing regulatory support. ARPA–I 

has a single overarching goal and focus: 

to fund external innovative advanced 

research and development (R&D) 

programs that develop innovative 

technologies, systems, and capabilities 

to improve transportation infrastructure 

in the United States. 

The aims of ARPA–I include 

‘‘lowering the long-term costs of 

infrastructure development, including 

costs of planning, construction, and 

maintenance; reducing the lifecycle 

impacts of transportation infrastructure 

on the environment, including through 

the reduction of greenhouse gas 

emissions; contributing significantly to 

improving the safe, secure, and efficient 

movement of goods and people; 

promoting the resilience of 

infrastructure from physical and cyber 

threats; and ensuring that the United 

States is a global leader in developing 

and deploying advanced transportation 

infrastructure technologies and 

materials.’’ (49 U.S.C. 119(c)(1)). 

Funding the development and use of 

advanced infrastructure technologies to 

address these challenges is expected to 

be a key future activity of ARPA–I. 

ARPA–I FY 2024 Budget and Activities 

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

2024 (Pub. L. 118–42; Division F, Title 

I; March 9, 2024) directed that 

‘‘$10,000,000 shall be for necessary 

expenses of the Advanced Research 

Projects Agency—Infrastructure (ARPA– 

I) as authorized by section 119 of title 

49, United States Code: provided 

further, that within the funds made 

available under the preceding proviso, 

not less than $8,000,000 shall be 

available for research on durability, 

resiliency, and sustainability of bridges 

and other infrastructure and shall be 

directed to an accredited university of 

higher education in the northeast 

United States that has experience 

leading a regional university 

transportation center [defined as a 

current or past U.S. DOT-funded 

Regional University Transportation 

Center (UTC) grantee selected under 49 

U.S.C. 5505] and a proven record of 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1