
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 162 (Monday, August 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56750-56751]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19947]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary


Port Performance Freight Statistics Working Group

AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), U.S. 
Department of Transportation (USDOT).

ACTION: Port Performance Freight Statistics Working Group: Notice of 
public meetings.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces two upcoming public meetings of the Port 
Performance Freight Statistics Working Group (hereafter, ``Working 
Group''). The Working Group will provide advice and recommendations to 
the BTS Director pursuant to Section 6018 of the Fixing America's 
Surface Transportation (FAST) Act on matters related to port 
performance measures, including: Specifications and data measurements 
to be used in the Port Performance Freight Statistics Program 
established under subsection 6018(a); and a process for the Department 
to collect timely and consistent data, including identifying safeguards 
to protect proprietary information described in subsection 6018(b)(2). 
The Working Group will operate in accordance with the provisions of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the rules and regulations 
issued in implementation of that Act.

DATES: The meetings will be held on September 23, 2016, and October 21, 
2016, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be at the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. Any 
person requiring accessibility accommodations should contact Matthew 
Chambers at (202) 366-1270 or via email at: portstatistics@dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: U.S. Department of Transportation, 
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, Bureau 
of Transportation Statistics, Attn: Port Performance Freight Statistics 
Working Group, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room # E32-342, Washington, 
DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: The Port Performance Freight Statistics Working Group 
has been created in accordance with Section 6018 of the FAST Act (Pub. 
L. 114-94; Dec. 4, 2015; 129 Stat. 1312). The Working Group supports 
the BTS Port Performance Freight Statistics Program, which has the goal 
``to provide nationally consistent measures of performance'' of the 
nation's largest ports, and to report annually to Congress on port 
capacity and throughput.
    The Working Group is established in the FAST Act to provide 
recommendations to the BTS Director on matters related to port 
performance measures; to identify a standard for port data; to specify 
standards for consistent port performance measures; to recommend 
statistics for measuring port capacity and throughput; and to develop a 
process to collect timely and consistent data. The FAST Act also 
identifies the membership of the Working Group, and sets a due date for 
recommendations to the BTS Director of December 4, 2016.
    Agenda: During the meetings, U.S. Department of Transportation 
(hereafter, ``Department'') staff will provide updates of the 
Department's progress in implementing its Port Performance Freight 
Statistics Program and related provisions. The Working Group will 
discuss its development of a list of tasks and subtasks that:
    (a) Identify a generally accepted industry standard for port data 
collection and reporting.
    (b) Specify standards for collecting data and reporting nationally 
consistent port performance measures.

[[Page 56751]]

    (c) Make recommendations for statistics measuring on U.S. port 
capacity and throughput.
    (d) Develop a process for the Department to collect timely and 
consistent data, including identifying safeguards to protect 
proprietary information.
    The final meeting agendas will be posted on the BTS Web site at 
www.bts.gov/port_performance in advance of the meetings.
    Public Participation: The meetings will be open to the public on a 
first-come, first-serve basis, especially because space is limited. 
Members of the public who wish to attend the meetings in-person are 
asked to send RSVPs, including name, affiliation, and contact 
information to portstatistics@dot.gov, in order to request a seat and 
to facilitate entry. RSVPs are requested by September 19, 2016, for the 
September 23, 2016, meeting; and by October 17, 2016, for the October 
21, 2016, meeting. Any person requiring accessibility accommodation, 
such as sign language interpretation, should contact Matthew Chambers 
at (202) 366-1270 or via email at: portstatistics@dot.gov five (5) 
business days before the meeting.
    Written Comments: Persons who wish to submit written comments for 
consideration by the Working Group must send them via email to 
portstatistics@dot.gov or mail to Matthew Chambers, Designated Federal 
Officer, Port Performance Freight Statistics Working Group, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue SE., Room # E32-342, Washington, DC 20590. Please note 
that all written comments will be made available for public inspection. 
Written comments must be received on or before September 19, 2016, for 
the September 23, 2016, meeting; and on or before October 17, 2016, for 
the October 21, 2016, meeting.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 16, 2016.
Rolf R. Schmitt,
Deputy Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
[FR Doc. 2016-19947 Filed 8-19-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P


