Notice2025-16160
Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request
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
August 22, 2025
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Railroad Administration
Abstract
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and its implementing regulations, this notice announces that FRA is forwarding the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the information collection and its expected burden. On June 20, 2025, FRA published a notice providing a 60-day period for public comment on the ICR. FRA received no comments in response to the notice.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 161 (Friday, August 22, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 161 (Friday, August 22, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41159-41160]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-16160]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
[Docket No. FRA-2025-0006]
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, this notice announces that FRA is forwarding
the Information Collection Request (ICR) summarized below to the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR
describes the information collection and its expected burden. On June
20, 2025, FRA published a notice providing a 60-day period for public
comment on the ICR. FRA received no comments in response to the notice.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
September 22, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed ICR
should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to
<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find the particular ICR by selecting
``Currently under Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the
search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Arlette Mussington, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7b1a09171e0f0f1e55160e080812151c0f14153b1f140f551c140d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2342514f465757460d4e5650504a4d44574c4d63474c570d444c55">[email protected]</span></a> or
telephone: (571) 609-1285 or Ms. Joanne Swafford, Information
Collection Clearance Officer, at email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3953565857575c174a4e585f5f564b5d795d564d175e564f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="117b7e707f7f743f62667077777e637551757e653f767e67">[email protected]</span></a> or
telephone: (757) 897-9908.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501-3520, and its
implementing regulations, 5 CFR part 1320, require Federal agencies to
issue two notices seeking public comment on information collection
activities before OMB may approve paperwork packages. See 44 U.S.C.
3506, 3507; 5 CFR 1320.8 through 1320.12. On June 20, 2025, FRA
published a 60-day notice in the Federal Register soliciting public
comment on the ICR for which it is now seeking OMB approval. See 90 FR
26408. FRA has received no comments related to the proposed collection
of information.
Before OMB decides whether to approve this proposed collection of
information, it must provide 30 days' notice for public comment.
Federal law requires OMB to approve or disapprove paperwork packages
between 30 and 60 days after the 30-day notice is published. 44 U.S.C.
3507(b) and (c); 5 CFR 1320.12(d); see also 60 FR 44978, 44983, Aug.
29, 1995. The 30-day notice informs the regulated community of their
opportunity to file relevant comments and affords the agency adequate
time to consider public comments before it renders a decision. 60 FR
44983, Aug. 29, 1995. Therefore, respondents should submit their
respective comments to OMB within 30 days of publication to best ensure
having their full effect.
Comments are invited on the following ICR regarding: (1) whether
the information collection activities are necessary for FRA to properly
execute its functions, including whether the information 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 to minimize the burden of information
collection activities on the public, including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
The summary below describes the ICR that FRA will submit for OMB
clearance as the PRA requires:
Title: Inquiry into Blocked Highway-Rail Grade Crossings Throughout
the United States.
OMB Control Number: 2130-0630.
Abstract: In 2020, FRA created a dedicated website allowing the
public and law enforcement personnel to use web-based forms to
voluntarily submit information about blocked highway-rail grade
crossings to FRA.\1\ Under the currently approved ICR, users provide
information regarding the location, date, time, duration, and immediate
impacts of highway-rail grade crossings blocked by slow-moving or
stationary trains. FRA uses the data collected to gain a more complete
picture of where, when, and for how long blocked crossings occur, and
what impacts result from those incidents.\2\ In addition, FRA uses the
information to respond to inquiries from members of Congress and their
constituents. FRA also uses the
[[Page 41160]]
information gathered to facilitate meetings, outreach, and other
solutions for stakeholders to reduce or eliminate blocked crossing
concerns.
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\1\ Access to the web-based form used by the public is
unrestricted.
\2\ The data collection is not designed to provide a
representative sample or create generalizable statistics. In
addition, the data gathered from this collection is not suitable for
use in budgetary requests or regulatory proposals.
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Upon accessing these web-based forms, users are notified there are
no Federal laws or regulations that specifically address the length of
time a train may occupy a highway-rail grade crossing. Users are also
notified that information submitted will not be forwarded to a
railroad, State, or local agency, and will only be used for data
collection purposes to determine the locations, times, and impacts of
blocked crossings.
On November 15, 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of
2021 (IIJA), Public Law 117-58, was enacted. In addition to mandating
that FRA establish an online portal and corresponding database to
receive information regarding blocked highway-rail grade crossings, as
enacted, section 22404 of the IIJA ``encourages each complainant to
report the blocked crossing to the relevant railroad.'' Subsequently,
FRA modified the existing web-based forms by adding one question,
``have you contacted the railroad?'' Otherwise, the rest of the
questions on the web-based forms remained the same.\3\
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\3\ The average time per response will remain the same at 3
minutes per response because the modification made pursuant to the
IIJA is de minimis.
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FRA takes the problem of blocked crossings very seriously, due to
their potential impact on safety and on citizens' quality of life.
There are potential safety concerns with crossings that are blocked by
trains. For instance, pedestrians may crawl under or through stationary
trains. Also, emergency response vehicles and first responders may be
delayed when responding to an incident or transporting persons to a
hospital. In addition, drivers may take more risks, such as driving
around lowered gates at a crossing or attempting to beat a train
through a crossing without gates, to avoid a lengthy delay if they are
aware that trains routinely block a crossing for extended periods of
time. There are also potential economic impacts that affect businesses,
such as stores or restaurants not being accessible to their customer
base for an extended amount of time. Finally, highway-rail grade
crossings that are blocked for extended time periods may create
societal nuisances, such as roadway congestion, delayed mail service
and deliveries, disrupted school and work arrival and dismissal, or
missed appointments.
Type of Request: Extension with change of a previously approved
collection.
Affected Public: General public.
Form(s): FRA F 6180.175.
Respondent Universe: General public.
Frequency of Submission: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Responses: 26,723.
Total Estimated Annual Burden: 1,576.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour Dollar Cost Equivalent:
$89,948.37.
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.
Issued in Washington, DC.
Christopher S. Van Nostrand,
Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2025-16160 Filed 8-21-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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