Attachment VII: 60- Day Federal Register Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 22 / Wednesday, February 3, 2016 / Notices

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• Description of trips that were
eliminated due to APC data that failed
diagnostic tests,
• Comparison of distances between
stops used by the two methods,
• Passenger count comparison (%
difference),
• Passenger miles comparison (%
difference), and
• Calculation of unbalanced error
over all trips (sum of magnitude of
differences in on and off counts at each
stop as a percentage of the sum of
manually counted on and offs).
FTA would certify APC systems
where the passenger count comparison,
passenger mile comparison, and
unbalanced error over all benchmark
trips are each less than five percent
(5%). Reporters that file a reduced
report (formerly called a small systems
waiver) do not need to meet the
standards for passenger miles or
unbalanced error.
We propose to eliminate the
maintenance plan requirement and
replace it with a repetition of the
benchmarking test in every fiscal year
that is evenly divisible by three. APC
systems already approved for NTD
reporting would need to be retested in
the next fiscal year that is evenly
divisible by three.
Transit agencies that collect this
ridership data on all (>98 percent) of
their vehicle trips may correct for
missing trips using average values.
However, if the vehicle trips with
missing data exceed two percent (2%) of
all trips, agencies would need to have a
qualified statistician approve the
correction (or expansion) method. This
is consistent with our treatment of
manual counting methods and does not
represent a change in policy. Thus an
agency that does not have a fleet that is
fully-equipped with APCs could use
APC data in any NTD-approved
sampling plan.
IV. Additional Comment Request
Additionally, FTA considered
requiring transit systems to report their
police force expense as a separate nonadd item in the F–30 Operating
Expenses form in addition to reporting
it in the appropriate operating expense
object classes (e.g., Salaries and Wages
and Fringe Benefits). This change would
have enabled a transit system with its
own independent police force to
subtract the police force expense from
total operating expenses in order to
perform a fair peer evaluation against
another entity without its own police
force. However, FTA decided against
this change, as there are other types of
police or security force arrangements
that are not included in this

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consideration (e.g., municipal police
force). Additionally, employing an
independent police force is an
operational decision and the related
expenses are justifiable operating cost.
FTA suggests that data users consider
security arrangements when selecting
peer groups for comparison in order to
control for differences in operating cost.
FTA seeks comment from transit
systems on this decision.
FTA thanks our stakeholders in
advance for providing comment on the
above proposed changes to the NTD
reporting requirement.
Therese W. McMillan,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2016–01941 Filed 2–2–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[Docket No. DOT–OST–2016–0007]

Notice of Request for Clearance of a
Revision of a Currently Approved
Information Collection: National
Census of Ferry Operators
Bureau of Transportation
Statistics (BTS), Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Research and Technology
(OST–R), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:

In accordance with the
requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(A) 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 an information collection
related to the nation’s ferry operations.
The information collected will be used
to produce a descriptive database of
existing ferry operations. A summary
report of survey findings will also be
published by BTS on the BTS Web page.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on
or before April 4, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
identified by DOT Docket ID Number
DOT–OST–2016–0007 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.
SUMMARY:

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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–2016–0007.’’
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
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:
Janine L. Bonner, (202) 366–2468, NCFO
Project Manager, BTS, OST–R,
Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Ave. SE., Room E34–411,
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) (P.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 (4)
potential for use of high speed ferry
services and alternative-fueled ferry

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5820

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 22 / Wednesday, February 3, 2016 / Notices

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. The Census
was conducted again in 2008, 2010,
2014, and will be again in spring 2016.
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 2018 NCFO will
remain consistent with that of previous
years. The survey will be administered
to the entire population of ferry
operators (estimate 260 or less). The
survey 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 2018 will be added to the
existing NCFO database.
Respondents: The target population
for the survey will be all of the
approximately 260 operators of existing
ferry services 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

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questions and an additional 10 minutes
to review.
Estimated Total Annual Burden: The
total annual burden (in the year that the
survey is conducted) is estimated to be
just under 130 hours (that is 30 minutes
per respondent for 260 respondents
equals 7,800 minutes).
Frequency: This survey 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 (Pub. L. 114–94, sec.
1112).
Issued in Washington, DC, on the 21st of
January, 2016.
Patricia Hu,
Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics,
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research
and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2016–01831 Filed 2–2–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Open Meeting of the Advisory
Committee on Risk-Sharing
Mechanisms
Departmental Offices, U.S.
Department of the Treasury.
ACTION: Notice of open meeting.
AGENCY:

This notice announces that
the Department of the Treasury’s
Advisory Committee on Risk-Sharing
Mechanisms (‘‘Committee’’) will
convene a meeting on Tuesday,
February 16, 2016, in Room 4121, 1500
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington,
DC 20220, from 1–4:30 p.m. Eastern
Time. The meeting is open to the public,
and the site is accessible to individuals
with disabilities.

SUMMARY:

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The meeting will be held on
Tuesday, February 16, 2016, from 1–
4:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
ADDRESSES: The Advisory Committee on
Risk-Sharing Mechanisms meeting will
be held in Room 4121, Department of
the Treasury, 1500 Pennsylvania
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20220.
The meeting will be open to the public.
Because the meeting will be held in a
secured facility, members of the public
who plan to attend the meeting must
either:
1. Register online. Attendees may visit
http://www.cvent.com/d/vfq8ms?
ct=6128d144-9ad5-45f5-910c-c7b44560
aae0&RefID=TRIA+General+
Registration and fill out a secure online
registration form. A valid email address
will be required to complete online
registration.
DATES:

(Note: Online registration will close at 5
p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, February 11,
2016.)

2. Contact the Federal Insurance
Office (FIO), at (202) 622–5892, by 5
p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday,
February 11, 2016, and provide
registration information.
Requests for reasonable
accommodations under Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act should be
directed to Marcia Wilson, Office of
Civil Rights and Diversity, Department
of the Treasury at (202) 622–8177, or
[email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brett D. Hewitt, Policy Advisor, FIO,
Room 1410, Department of the Treasury,
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20220, at (202) 622–
5892 (this is not a toll-free number).
Persons who have difficulty hearing or
speaking may access this number via
TTY by calling the toll-free Federal
Relay Service at (800) 877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of
this meeting is provided in accordance
with the Federal Advisory Committee
Act, 5 U.S.C. App. II 10(a)(2), through
implementing regulations at 41 CFR
102–3.150.
Public Comment: Members of the
public wishing to comment on the
business of the Advisory Committee on
Risk-Sharing Mechanisms are invited to
submit written statements by any of the
following methods:
Electronic Statements
• Send electronic comments to
[email protected].
Paper Statements
• Send paper statements in triplicate
to the Advisory Committee on RiskSharing Mechanisms, Room 1410,
Department of the Treasury, 1500

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