[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 19, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21009-21010]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-9707]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


60 Day Notice of Intention To Request Clearance of Collection of 
Information; Opportunity for Public Comment

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Golden Gate 
National Recreation Area.

ACTION:  Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) is a national 
park which comprises over 76,000 acres of coastal lands spanning three 
California counties: Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo. GGNRA is 
proposing to conduct survey interview in peak, shoulder and off-peak 
season of calendar year 2000, and possibly through Spring 2001, to 
identify the market viability and specific visitor flow information for 
operationlizing recreational ferry services to sites within the GGNRA 
on San Francisco Bay such as Ft. Baker, Crissy Field (Presidio) and Ft. 
Mason. The results of these surveys will be used to develop alternative 
plans for a possible ferry service and to forecast potential demand for 
water shuttle access to GGNRA's sites, as well as land-based transit 
connections. Intercept interviews will be conducted at 5 park sites and 
at least 2 non-park sites. Telephone surveys will be conducted in 3-4 
counties surrounding the park to determine latent demand for ferry 
service, and under what conditions such service might be used.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                Estimated number of
                                         -------------------------------
                                             Responses     Burden hours
------------------------------------------------------------------------
GGNRA Water Shuttle Access Plan:........            1400             240
    Telephone Interviews
GGNRA Water Shuttle Access Plan:........            8400             700
                                         -------------------------------
    Intercept Surveys
        Total...........................            9800             940
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Under provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 5 CFR 
Part 1320, Reporting and Record Keeping Requirements, the National Park 
Service (NPS) is soliciting comments on: (a) Whether the collection of 
information is necessary for such a reliable and valid market analyses 
and to support the proper performance of the functions of the GGNRA in 
evaluating the best alternative operations in the interest of the 
government and the general public, including whether the information 
will have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the NPS estimate of 
the burden of the collection of information, including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used; (c) 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, 
while maintaining an unbiased sample, including the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other forms of information 
technology.

DATES: Public comments will be accepted on or before June 19, 2000.

SEND COMMENTS TO: GGNRA, Attn. Mike Savidge, Bay and Franklin St., 
Bldg., 201, Ft. Mason, San Francisco, CA 94123.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Savidge at (415) 561-4725.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Scope of Work for Water Shuttle 
Access Plan.
    Bureau Form Number: None.
    OMB Number: To be requested.
    Expiration Date of Approval: To be requested.
    Type of Request: Request for new clearance.
    Description of Need: The Metropolitan Transportation Commission 
(MTC) of the San Francisco Bay Area has identified updated data 
collection and surveys of this nature as critical to the foundation of 
improving alternative transportation access to GGNRA, and particularly 
to the feasibility of developing a potential water shuttle service to 
park sites. GGNRA has also been identified as one of five national park 
demonstration sites to improve alternative transportation access 
through a coordinated program with the U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT) because of its over 15 million visitors per year. 
To support these efforts, GGNRA needs information to better develop 
ridership potential to alternate park sites, and to determine the 
specific market feasibility and operational plans for alternative modes 
of access to GGNRA sites, particularly by ferry service. Such a need 
was identified in a GGNRA Travel Study completed in 1977 and remains 
today. GGNRA seeks to acquire this information in order to plan for 
increasing alternative access modes to the park and to decongest the 
critical roadway corridors to park sites such as the Golden Gate Bridge 
and Rt. 101 which result in both extensive traffic delays for visitors 
and other residents.
    Automated Data Collection: At the present time, there is no 
automated way to gather this information, since the information 
gathering process involves asking visitors and/or the general public to 
identify characteristics, use patterns, expectations, preferences and 
perceptions that are relevant to a study of ferry service. Computerized 
responses could not be controlled for bias as intercept and random 
digit dialing surveys can be.
    Description of respondents: Intercept interviews will be conducted 
with a random sample of individuals who visit GGNRA sites to include 
Alcatraz, Muir Woods, Presidio, Ft. Mason and the Marin Headlands. 
Intercept interviews will also be conducted at non-park sites in San 
Francisco and the East Bay with a random sample of individuals who are 
not visiting GGNRA. Telephone surveys will be conducted with a random 
sample of residents of the Counties of San Francisco, Alameda and one 
or two other counties surrounding the Bay as yet unselected.
    Estimated average number of respondents: 1400 (completed telephone 
interviews); 8400 (completed intercept interviews).
    Estimated average number of responses: Each respondent will respond 
only one time, so the number of responses will be the same as the 
number of respondents.
    Estimated average burden hours per response: 10 minutes (telephone

[[Page 21010]]

interviews); 5 minutes (intercept surveys).
    Frequency of Response: 1 time per respondent.
    Estimated annual reporting burden: 940 hours.

    Dated: April 13, 2000.
Betsy Chittenden,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, WASO Administrative Program 
Center, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 00-9707 Filed 4-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-M