Document ID: FRA-2020-0027-0024
Agency: fra
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals
Posted Date: 2020-10-05T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 193 (Monday, October 5, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62797-62798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-21887]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-20200027-N-26]

Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its 
implementing regulations, FRA seeks approval of the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below. Before submitting this ICR 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval, FRA is 
soliciting public comment on specific aspects of the activities 
identified below.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
December 4, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the ICR activities to Ms. Qiana 
Swayne, Office of Railroad Policy and Development, Federal Railroad 
Administration at email: Qiana.Swayne@dot.gov or telephone: (202) 493-
6216. Please refer to the assigned OMB control number in any 
correspondence submitted. FRA will summarize comments received in 
response to this notice in a subsequent notice and include them in its 
information collection submission to OMB for approval.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its implementing regulations, 5 
CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to provide 60-days' notice to 
the public to allow comment on information collection activities before 
seeking OMB approval of the activities. See 44 U.S.C. 3506, 3507; 5 CFR 
1320.8 through 1320.12. Specifically, FRA invites interested parties to 
comment on the following ICR regarding: (1) Whether the information 
collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly execute its 
functions, including whether the activities will have practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of FRA's estimates of the burden of the 
information collection activities, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used to determine the estimates; (3) ways 
for FRA to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
being collected; and (4) ways for FRA to minimize the burden of 
information collection activities on the public, including the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology. See 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A); 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1).
    FRA believes that soliciting public comment may reduce the 
administrative and paperwork burdens associated with the collection of 
information that Federal regulations mandate. In summary, FRA reasons 
that comments received will advance three objectives: (1) reduce 
reporting burdens; (2) organize information collection requirements in 
a ``user-friendly'' format to improve the use of such information; and 
(3) accurately assess the resources expended to retrieve and produce 
information requested. See 44 U.S.C. 3501.
    The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB 
clearance as the PRA requires:

[[Page 62798]]

    Title: Design and Evaluation of a Robust Manual Locomotive 
Operating Mode.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0623.
    Abstract: The purpose of this study is to design and evaluate a 
prototype locomotive operating mode that allows an engineer to 
``manually'' control a train by providing a desired speed target while 
the control system determines the throttle notch changes required. This 
research addresses DOT's safety strategic goal. Information collected 
from this research will be used by researchers and equipment designers 
to evaluate the merit of a prototype display and control configuration 
maximizing the use of both automation and human capabilities. The 
information will also assist the Federal government in recommending 
display design standards to the rail industry for future displays and 
the results may help design future displays and controls for 
locomotives. This ICR, which was previously approved by OMB, will be 
extended as the study was not completed by the anticipated completion 
date.
    Type of Request: Extension without change of a current information 
collection.
    Affected Public: Railroad Engineers, College Student Volunteers.
    Respondent Universe: 20 Engineers/10 Volunteers.
    Frequency of Submission: Once.
    Reporting Burden:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                   Total annual
                                                     Number of     Average time    Total annual     dollar cost
                                                    respondents                    burden hours    equivalent *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Simulator Familiarity and Training--Engineers...              20               3              60       $1,935.60
Simulator Familiarity and Training--College                   10               3              30          360.00
 Students.......................................
Experimental Sessions in Simulator--Engineers...              20               6             120        3,871.20
Experimental Sessions in Simulator--College                   10               6              60          720.00
 Students.......................................
NASA-Task Load Index Questionnaire Completions--              20             0.1             1.3           43.23
 Engineers......................................
NASA-Task Load Index Questionnaire Completions--              10             0.1             0.7            8.04
 College Students...............................
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................              90            18.2             272        6,938.07
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* Per the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019, (53-4011) Locomotive
  Engineers, the median hourly wage is $32.26 per hour. The minimum wage, as of September 2020, for
  Massachusetts is $12.00 per hour. Therefore, the cost would be $32.26 x 181.34 hours = $5,850.03 and $12.00 x
  90.67 hours = 1,088.04 for a total of $6,938.07. This is an estimated cost. The actual cost will vary based
  upon current locomotive engineer wages.

    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 90.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 272.
    Under 44 U.S.C. 3507(a) and 5 CFR 1320.5(b) and 1320.8(b)(3)(vi), 
FRA informs all interested parties that a respondent is not required to 
respond to, conduct, or sponsor a collection of information that does 
not display a currently valid OMB control number.

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520.

Brett A. Jortland,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2020-21887 Filed 10-2-20; 8:45 am]
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