Next Generation Supporting Statement for Paperwork Reduction Act (10-2010 by hc)

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Next Generation Transportation Travel Study

This is to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved clearance for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT), to conduct a Next Generation of Travel Focus Groups.

Part A. Justification

1. Circumstances that make collection of information necessary:

This is the first time the FHWA will be conducting a policy study on this topic. The awareness and use of new technologies, communication and travel options, as well as social norms will influence transportation needs of the future. Changes in travel by US households will be influenced by various economic, demographic, and geographic factors along with changes in social norms. This study is supported under Title 23 U.S.C.; Section 502, Surface Transportation, Research. The DOT is charged with the overall responsibility to obtain current information on national travel patterns and to evaluate the use of facilities to gauge the impact of the Department’s policies and programs.

FHWA is conducting this research to better evaluate future planning and policy options. The Next Generation of Travel study will be studying existing and future travel patterns, and how new vehicle and transportation-related technologies affect the future of travel demand in the United States.

The transportation behaviors, perspectives and needs of the younger travel cohort are a topic of study the Agency is pursuing. The work completed under this project provides for a qualitative evaluation of current and emerging travel demand shifts across generations of Americans. The project objective is to forecast possible shifts in travel behavior and to better understand future needs and attitudes about traveling. This collection supports DOTs Strategic Goal for mobility.

2. How, by whom, and for what purpose is the information used:

The study is designed primarily to provide qualitative information on the travel, perceptions, preferences, and needs of the next generation of travelers (18-30) to support scenario development and travel demand forecasts for FHWA. This information and the resulting forecasts will allow for FHWA, DOT, and other transportation agencies to evaluate new and existing programs and policies relating to household travel.

FHWA will be conducting ten focus groups to gain additional understanding into the travel activities, choices and views of transportation by the traveling public. The focus groups will provide qualitative information about current travel preferences, perceptions and needs of the next generation of travelers.

The qualitative information collected in the focus groups will also be used to identify new and emerging travel behavior, perspectives and social norms to be further examined in secondary analysis. The results of all the analyses and the developed profiles of the next generation of travelers will be considered in the forecasting of future travel trends and travel scenario development. The results are intended to be used as a guide in the development of current and future transportation policy.

Overall, the study is designed to address the following questions:

How will current younger generations of Americans travel differently in the future? How and why do their ways of travel differ from other generations presently and in comparison to the same group of past generations?

What are the major predictors of travel demand and mode choice in the 21^st century? Are they the same or different from significant historical predictors of travel including personal income, worker status, and vehicle ownership?

What are the possible future travel demand scenarios as younger generations move through the travel cycle (e.g. workforce, family, and aging). How will travel characteristics (mode choice, tri purpose distribution, travel miles) differ in the next 25-50 years? Where will they choose to live and why? How will housing and workplace location affect their travel? What kind of vehicles will they drive?

What are the technological trends in the US that may impact future travelers use, views, and needs with regards to transportation? How will younger generations choose to communicate in the future? Will social networking affect how often they will be willing to travel? Will they be more apt to telework rather than travel to work? How will younger generations interface with transportation technologies of the future? Will they react differently to GIS Systems? To being monitored? To paying for transportation system use (e.g. tolls)? And to safety features of both the vehicle and the roadway?

The Federal Highway Administration, FHWA, will review information and obtain data needed to provide input into mobility and transportation travel planning and provide information to better evaluate future planning and policy options related to transportation.

3. Extent of automated information collection:

The focus group participants will be recruited locally over the telephone. The focus groups will be conducted in person at a formal focus group facility. The session will be voice recorded for accuracy in information capture. Summary results and dictation will be analyzed using statistical software. No other aspects of the information collection will be automated.

4. Efforts to identify duplication:

This is the first time that the FHWA, US DOT has undertaken a generational study using focus groups to identify changes in the future of personal travel, in respect to the awareness and use of new technologies, communication preferences and travel options. Changes in travel behavior, perspectives and social norms, including immigration and shifts in population, will impact the transportation and mobility needs of the future.

FHWA has conducted an extensive literature research scan prior to planning for focus group conduct, and has reviewed content of existing data sources for duplication, including NHTS, ACS and CPS. FHWA is analyzing the NHTS data to be used in conjunction with the focus group results. FHWA has also coordinated with other offices of policy to ensure no duplication.

5. Efforts to minimize the burden on small businesses:

Not applicable. Small businesses are not being recruited to participate in this study. No information will be collected from small businesses.

6. Consequences if the data not being collected or less frequent data collection:

The FHWA is a national leader in transportation, transportation planning and policy. America’s generational public input provides vital information for future planning, development of transportation policy that will be utilized to the fullest by citizens throughout the Nation.

7. Special circumstances:

Not applicable. There are no special circumstances.

8. Compliance with 5 CFR 1320.8: (contact Mike Howell)

Federal Register Volume 76, Number 60 (August 19, 2010). There were no comments received.

9. Payments of gifts to respondents:

Incentives of fifty dollars per person will be provided to each person upon completing participation in focus groups.

10 Assurance of confidentiality:

The FHWA will follow Federal guidelines for handling confidential and sensitive information, but we do not provide assurance of confidentiality (DOT Order 1351.20 CIOP 20 U.S. Department of Transportation Rules Of Conduct And Consequences Policy Relative To Safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information).

Summary information and dictated responses will be entered into a database for analysis. The database will not contain names, addresses, or telephone numbers of any of the participants. No comments during the focus groups will be linked to specific individuals. Confidentiality procedures will also be applied rigidly to all electronic files. Password systems will be maintained to ensure that only authorized staff members can access the files. Furthermore, physical access to the computer equipment will be restricted to authorized personnel.

The contractor will apprise staff members of legislation and guidelines concerning protection of human subjects and their right to privacy. All contractor personnel associated with the focus groups, including recruiters and focus group moderators, and professional staff, will be required to sign a statement pledging to maintain the confidentiality of all survey data.

Informed consent procedures will be implemented for FHWA. The contractor will inform each survey respondent of the following: the enabling legislation for the study, the principal purposes for which the information is needed, the routine uses that will be made of the data collected, that their participation is voluntary and there is no penalty for non-participation. A statement to this effect will be included in the introduction to the FHWA focus group sessions.

11. Justification for collection of sensitive information:

Not applicable. There are no questions of sensitive nature included in the information.

12. Estimate of burden hours for information requested:

200 focus group participants will participate in a total of 10 focus groups held in five locations around the United States. Each focus group will accommodate 20 participants from various cohort groups. At least half of the focus groups will be made up of participants 18-30 years of age. No respondent will participate more than once. The estimated total average burden per participant is 60 minutes. The total estimated burden hours for the study are 200 hours.

13. Estimate of total annual costs to respondents:

There are no costs beyond burden.

14. Estimate of cost to the Federal government:

For statistical analysis, in depth-review, focus group conduct and compilation of information, the funding is projected to $338,979.

15. Explanation of program changes or adjustments:

Not applicable. This is a new collection

16. Publication of results of data collection:

A summary report of this study, to include a secondary analysis, literature review and focus group results will be provided in a final study report, posted on the FHWA website. No specific information regarding the focus group participants will be included. The report will be 508 compliant and made available to the public.

17. Approval for not displaying the expiration date of OMB approval:

Not applicable. FHWA is not requesting approval to not display the expiration date.

18. Exceptions to certification statement:

Not applicable. FHWA is not requesting exemption of the certification statement.