[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 13 (Friday, January 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3772-3773]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01045]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

[Docket No. FRA-2023-0002-N-1]


Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment 
Request

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), 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 will seek 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 in the ICR.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
March 21, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR 
should be submitted on regulations.gov to the docket, Docket No. FRA-
2023-0002. All comments received will be posted without change to the 
docket, including any personal information provided. Please refer to 
the assigned OMB control number (2130-0534) 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Hodan Wells, Information 
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: [email protected] or 
telephone: (202) 868-9412.

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 1320.8-1320.12. 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 statutes and 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 3773]]

    Title: Grade Crossing Signal System Safety Regulations.
    OMB Control Number: 2130-0534.
    Abstract: FRA believes that highway-rail grade crossing (grade 
crossing) accidents resulting from warning system failures can be 
reduced when railroads take certain actions, as required by FRA's 
regulations, in the event of an activation failure.\1\ These required 
actions are set forth in 49 CFR part 234. An activation failure is 
defined as when a grade crossing warning system fails to indicate the 
approach of a train at least 20 seconds prior to the train's arrival at 
the crossing or to indicate the presence of a train occupying the 
crossing. Specifically, railroads must report to FRA every impact 
between on-track railroad equipment and an automobile, bus, truck, 
motorcycle, bicycle, farm vehicle, or pedestrian at a highway-rail 
grade crossing involving a crossing warning system activation failure. 
Notification must be provided to the National Response Center within 24 
hours of occurrence at the stipulated toll-free telephone number. 
Additionally, railroads must report to FRA within 15 days of each 
activation failure of a highway-rail grade warning system. Form FRA F 
6180.83, ``Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Warning System Activation 
Failure Report,'' must be used for this purpose and completed using the 
instructions printed on the form. With this information, FRA can 
identify the causes of activation failures and investigate them to 
determine whether periodic maintenance, inspection, and testing 
standards are effective.
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    \1\ 59 FR 50086.
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    In this 60-day notice, FRA made no adjustments to the previously 
approved burden hours.
    Type of Request: Extension without change (revised estimates) of a 
currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses (railroads).
    Form(s): FRA F 6180.83.
    Respondent Universe: 784 railroads.
    Frequency of Submission: On occasion/monthly.
    Reporting Burden:

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                                                                                                                                            Total cost
          CFR section                 Respondent universe         Total annual responses        Average time per     Total annual burden   equivalent in
                                                                                                    response                hours           U.S. dollar
                                                               (A).........................  (B)..................  (C = A * B).........        (D = C *
                                                                                                                                             wage rates)
                                                                                                                                                     \2\
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234.7--Accidents involving       784 railroads...............  2 phone calls...............  2 minutes............  .1 hours............              $7
 grade crossing signal failure--
 Telephone notification.
234.9--Grade crossing signal     784 railroads...............  250 reports.................  10 minutes...........  42 hours............           3,030
 system failure reports--Form
 6180.83.
234.105/106/107--Activation      784 railroads...............  30,000 notifications........  5 minutes............  2,500 hours.........         180,350
 failure/partial activation/
 false activation--Notification
 to train crew and law
 enforcement due to credible
 report of warning system
 malfunction.
234.109--Recordkeeping.........  784 railroads...............  30,000 records..............  5 minutes............  2,500 hours.........         180,350
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    Total \3\..................  784 railroads...............  60,252 responses............  N/A..................  5,042 hours.........         363,737
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\2\ The dollar equivalent cost is derived from the 2021 STB Full Year Wage A&B data series using the appropriate employee group hourly wage rate that
  includes a 75-percent overhead charge. For Transportation (Other than Train & Engine) staff, this cost amounts to $72.14 per hour.
\3\ Totals may not add due to rounding.

    Total Estimated Annual Responses: 60,252.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden: 5,042 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent: 
$363,737.
    FRA informs all interested parties that it may not conduct or 
sponsor, and a respondent is not required to respond to, 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. 2023-01045 Filed 1-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P


