[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 169 (Thursday, September 1, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53827-53828]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-18937]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2022-0095]


Notice of Request for Clearance of a Revision to a Currently 
Approved Information Collection: National Census of Ferry Operators

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

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the BTS to request 
the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) approval for new 
iterations of an on-going biennial information collection related to 
the nation's ferry operations. The information collected from each 
Census will be used to produce a descriptive database of existing ferry 
operations. A summary report of census findings will also be published 
by BTS on the BTS web page: www.bts.gov/ncfo.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 31, 2022.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number 
DOT-OST-2022-0095 to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 
Dockets Management System (DMS). You may submit your comments by mail 
or in person to the Docket Clerk, Docket No., U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, West Building Room W12-140, 
Washington, DC 20590. Comments should identify the docket number as 
indicated above. Paper comments should be submitted in duplicate. The 
DMS is open for examination and copying, at the above address, from 9 
a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. If you 
wish to receive confirmation of receipt of your written comments, 
please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard with the following 
statement: ``Comments on Docket DOT-OST-2022-0095.'' The Docket Clerk 
will date stamp the postcard prior to returning it to you via the U.S. 
mail. Please note that due to delays in the delivery of U.S. mail to 
Federal offices in Washington, DC, we recommend that persons consider 
an alternative method (the internet, fax, or professional delivery 
service) to submit comments to the docket and ensure their timely 
receipt at U.S. DOT. You may fax your comments to the DMS at (202) 493-
2251. Comments can also be viewed and/or submitted via the Federal

[[Page 53828]]

Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    Please note that anyone is able to electronically search all 
comments received into our docket management system 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 (Volume 65, Number 70; pages 19475-19570) 
or you may review the Privacy Act Statement at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Clara Reschovsky, (202) 768-4994, NCFO 
Program Manager, BTS, OST-R, Department of Transportation, 1200 New 
Jersey Ave. SE, Room E36-324, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are 
from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., E.T., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: National Census of Ferry Operators (NCFO).
    Background: The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century 
(TEA-21) (Pub. L. 105-178), section 1207(c), directed the Secretary of 
Transportation to conduct a study of ferry transportation in the United 
States and its possessions. In 2000, the Federal Highway Administration 
(FHWA) Office of Intermodal and Statewide Planning conducted a survey 
of approximately 250 ferry operators to identify: (1) existing ferry 
operations including the location and routes served; (2) source and 
amount, if any, of funds derived from Federal, State, or local 
governments supporting ferry construction or operations; (3) potential 
domestic ferry routes in the United States and its possessions and to 
develop information on those routes; and (4) potential for use of high 
speed ferry services and alternative-fueled ferry services. The Safe, 
Accountable, Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for 
Users (SAFETEA-LU) Public Law 109-59, section 1801(e)) required that 
the Secretary, acting through the BTS, shall establish and maintain a 
national ferry database containing current information regarding 
routes, vessels, passengers and vehicles carried, funding sources and 
such other information as the Secretary considers useful. MAP-21 
legislation [Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (Pub. L. 
112-141),] continued the BTS mandate to conduct the NCFO and also 
required that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) use the NCFO 
data to set the specific formula for allocating federal ferry funds. 
The funding allocations were based on a percentage of the number of 
passenger boardings, vehicle boardings, and route miles served.
    BTS conducted the first Census of Ferry Operators in 2006, and 
again in 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and plans are underway for 
the conduct of the next NCFO in the Spring of 2023. The 2022 NCFO was 
delayed by one year since ferry operations were disrupted by the 
pandemic and the census data should collect typical data. These 
information collections were originally approved by OMB under Control 
Number 2139-0009.
    The recently enacted FAST Act legislation [Fixing America's Surface 
Transportation Act (Pub. L. 114-94, sec. 1112)] continues the BTS 
mandate to conduct the NCFO on a biennial basis, and extended the 
requirement that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) use the NCFO 
data to set the specific formula for allocating federal ferry funds 
based on a percentage of the number of passenger boardings, vehicle 
boardings, and route miles served. The overall length of the revised 
questionnaire for the 2022 NCFO will remain consistent with that of 
previous years.
    The census will be administered to the entire population of ferry 
operators (estimate of 250 or less). The census will request the 
respondents to provide information such as: the points served; the type 
of ownership; the number of passengers and vehicles carried in the past 
12 months; vessel descriptions (including type of fuel), federal, state 
and local funding sources, and intermodal connectivity. All data 
collected in 2022 will be added to the existing NCFO database.
    Respondents: The target population for the census will be all of 
the approximately 250 ferry operators existing in the United States.
    Estimated Average Burden per Response: The burden per respondent is 
estimated to be an average of 30 minutes. This average is based on an 
estimate of 20 minutes to answer new questions and an additional 10 
minutes to review (and revise as needed) previously submitted data that 
will be pre-populated for each ferry operation.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden: The total annual burden (in the year 
that the census is conducted) is estimated to be just under 125 hours 
(that is 30 minutes per respondent for 250 respondents equals 7,500 
minutes).
    Frequency: This census will be updated every other year.
    Public Comments Invited: Interested parties are invited to send 
comments regarding any aspect of this information collection, 
including, but not limited to: (1) the necessity and utility of the 
information collection for the proper performance of the functions of 
the DOT; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, clarity and content of the collected information; 
and (4) ways to minimize the collection burden without reducing the 
quality of the collected information. Comments submitted in response to 
this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB's 
clearance of this information collection.
    Authority: The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, Pub. 
L. 105-178, section 1207(c), The Safe, Accountable, Flexible Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Pub. L. 
109-59, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), 
Pub. L. 112-141, 49 CFR 1.46, and Fixing America's Surface 
Transportation Act (FAST Act), Pub. L. 114-94, sec. 1112.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on the 29th of August 2022.
Cha-Chi Fan,
Director, Office of Data Development and Standards, Bureau of 
Transportation Statistics, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Research and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2022-18937 Filed 8-31-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P


