The Supporting Statement
Dynamic Highway Message Signs
Emergency Approval Request
Part A. Justification.
1. Circumstances that make collection of information necessary:
Senate Report 114-243 (accompanying the FY 2017 Department of Transportation Appropriations Act) dated May 5, 2017, contained requirements for a new FHWA Report to Congress about Dynamic Highway Message Signs. This report is to include the number of motorists exposed to dynamic highway message signs on a daily basis, the extent to which States use such signs to support safety activities, possible impediment to using such signs for traffic safety, and plans for broader deployment of such signs. In order to ensure that all requirements are met, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has developed a set of questions that will be distributed to the 51 State Departments of Transportation. This information is already gather by the SDOT’s.
2. How, by whom, and for what purpose is the information used:
A set of questionnaires will be distributed to 51 State of Department of transportation by Federal Highway of Administration. This data will be necessary to complete the Senate’s request for a Dynamic Highway Message Signs Report within 120 days.
3. Extent of automated information collection:
Because of the highly specialized nature of the required work, and because of the Senate Report 114-243 dated May 5, 2017, contained requirements for a new FHWA Report to Congress about Dynamic Highway Message Signs. There is no effort to include automated, electronic, mechanical and any other technological techniques that will be used to collect information. The data can only be collected through questionnaires from the State agencies
4. Efforts to identify duplication:
Data are not currently collected by any of FHWA.
5. Efforts to minimize the burden on small businesses:
No small businesses will be involved in this questionnaire
6. Impact of less frequent collection of information:
This is a one-time information request to fulfill Senate Report 114-243 requirements to conduct a study and prepare a report for Congress.
7. Special circumstances:
The data is necessary since Senate Report 114-243 requires the Federal Highway Administration to complete the Senate’s request for a Dynamic Highway Message Signs Report within 120 days
8. Compliance with 5 CFR 1320.8:
Emergency Approval Request for a New Information Collection was published on May 30, 2017. Federal Register Volume 82, Number 102, Page 24774.
9. Payments or gifts to respondents:
No payments or gifts to respondents.
10. Assurance of confidentiality:
The information to be collected is not considered confidential or sensitive. FHWA will not provide assurance of confidentiality.
11. Justification for collection of sensitive information:
Only traffic data will be collected. No sensitive information will be collected.
12. Estimate of burden hours for information requested:
A one-time Questionnaire with 4 questions (see below) will be sent to 51 State of Department of Transportation. We estimate it will require 14 hours from each respondent to gather the data. 714 Total Burden Hours.
We estimate a Traffic Manager Center worker will be able to handle the work. The average hourly wage rate is about $25. Therefore, the total cost for this effort per respondent is about $350.
Dynamic Message Sign Use Questionnaire
What is the daily volume of traffic exposed to your dynamic message signs (DMS)?
8 hours
How often (days per year) do you display safety-campaign-related messages (such as “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over”, “Click It or Ticket”) on your DMS?
2 hours
Have you encountered any problems in displaying the safety-related messages on DMS?
2 hours
What plans, if any, do you have for expanding the deployment of DMS?
2 hours
13. Estimate of total annual costs to respondents:
This is a one-time questionnaire. The will be no annual costs to respondents.
14. Estimate of cost to the Federal government:
We estimate that it may take 40 hours for the Federal government to collect the data received from the respondents. The estimate cost for this effort is about $2,400.
15. Explanation of program changes or adjustments:
This is a new IC.
16. Publication of results of data collection:
The data collection will be used to generate a report to Congress. It should be completed by September 5, 2017.
17. Approval for not displaying the expiration date of OMB approval:
Not applicable. FHWA is not seeking approval to not display the expiration date.
18. Exceptions to certification statement:
Not applicable. FHWA does not have any exceptions to the certification statement.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | The Supporting Statement |
| Author | FHWA |
| Last Modified By | Howell, Michael (FHWA) |
| File Modified | 2017-05-30 |
| File Created | 2017-05-24 |