Notice2024-15638
Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
July 17, 2024
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Highway Administration
Abstract
The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve a new information collection. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 137 (Wednesday, July 17, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 17, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58241-58242]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-15638]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-2024-0053]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments
for a New Information Collection
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request
described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
to approve a new information collection. We are required to publish
this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995.
DATES: Please submit comments by August 16, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number
0053 by any of the following methods:
Website: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
Mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: U.S. Department of Transportation, West
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie Johnston, (202) 591-5858, Office
of Preconstruction, Construction and Pavements, Federal Highway
Administration, Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue
SE, Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We published a Federal Register Notice with
a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on May 9,
2024, at [89 FR 39679]. The comments and FHWA's responses are below:
The document was published for a 60-day notice in the Federal
Register. The document citation is 89 FR 39679. There were seventeen
(17) comments during this comment period, many of which were identical.
In summary, each comment stated how important the Value Engineering
Program is and the data collection is an important part of
demonstrating good stewardship of public funds. Each comment encouraged
the continuation of the data collection, and that the data shows that
the Value Engineering program is effective.
FHWA acknowledges these comments.
Several commenters encouraged FHWA to collect more data, and to ask
OMB to reinstate all federal agencies reporting associated with OMB
Circular A-131. One commenter stated that they would like to have
access to data reported by other states.
In an effort to reduce the burden on state DOT's, FHWA streamlined
the data collection process to highlight the cost expended, cost
savings and return on investment that comes from Value Engineering. All
state's data is available on FHWA's Value Engineering website for
public review <a href="https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ve/vereport.cfm">https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ve/vereport.cfm</a>. Commenters are
encouraged to reach out to OMB about reinstating OMB Circular A-131.
Two commenters suggested that FHWA develop an electronic database
that allows for the entry of the requested information and allow this
database to be viewable by the public so that they can compare data.
In 2023, FHWA created an electronic form for state DOT's to input
their annual data. This form populates the summary information that is
available to the public on FHWA's Value Engineering website. This
information is sortable by state, fiscal year, costs, and a number of
other factors. Users can also download this information in to a PDF for
their use.
Title: Annual Value Engineering Call for Data.
Background: Value Engineering (VE) is defined as a systematic
process of review and analysis of a project, during the concept and
design phases, by a multidiscipline team of persons not involved in the
project, that is conducted to provide recommendations for providing the
needed functions safely, reliably, efficiently, and at the lowest
overall cost; improving the value and quality of the project; and
reducing the time to complete the project. Applicable projects
requiring a VE analysis include Projects on the National Highway System
(NHS) receiving Federal assistance with an estimated total cost of
$50,000,000 or more; Bridge projects on the NHS receiving Federal
assistance with an estimated total cost of $40,000,000 or more; any
major project, as defined in
[[Page 58242]]
23 U.S.C. 106(h), located on or off the NHS, that utilizes Federal-aid
highway funding in any contract or phase; and other projects as defined
in 23 CFR 627.5. 23 U.S.C. 106(e)(4)(iv) and 23 CFR 627.7(3) require
States to monitor, evaluate, and annually submit a report that
describes the results of the value analyses that are conducted, and the
recommendations implemented on applicable projects. The FHWA annually
submits a National Call for VE Data in order to monitor and assess the
VE Program and meet the requirements of 23 U.S.C. 106(h).
Respondents: 52, including 50 State Transportation Departments, the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Frequency: Annually.
Estimated Average Burden per Response: Approximately 2 hours per
participant over a year.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: Approximately 104 hours per
year.
Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of
this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed
collection is necessary for the FHWA's performance; (2) the accuracy of
the estimated burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality,
usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that
the burden could be minimized, including the use of electronic
technology, without reducing the quality of the collected information.
The agency will summarize and/or include your comments in the request
for OMB's clearance of this information collection.
Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995; 44 U.S.C.
chapter 35, as amended; and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: July 11, 2024.
Jazmyne Lewis,
Information Collection Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-15638 Filed 7-16-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on July 17, 2024.
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