# 2026-19636: DOT Updates National Ferry Operators Census for Fresh Data 2026-19636, Notice of Request for Clearance of a Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection: National Census of Ferry Operators, is a Federal Register notice from Transportation Department, Transportation Statistics Bureau published 2026-09-25, effective 2026-10-26; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-02). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19636 - As of: 2026-10-02 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Document number: 2026-19636 - Title: Notice of Request for Clearance of a Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection: National Census of Ferry Operators - Type: Notice - Agencies: Transportation Department; Transportation Statistics Bureau - Citation: 91 FR 61021 - Published: 2026-09-25 - Effective: 2026-10-26 - Comments close: 2026-10-26 - Significant: no - Touches household money: yes - Regulation identifier numbers: none - Last updated: 2026-10-02 ## In one line DOT Updates National Ferry Operators Census for Fresh Data ## Summary The Department of Transportation is updating its National Census of Ferry Operators, which surveys about 260 ferry companies across the U.S. This update will help keep ferry data fresh and useful, with a new report coming soon. Ferry operators should note that comments on the changes are due by October 26, 2026, and the process won’t cost them extra money. ## Abstract 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 new iterations of an on-going biennial information collection related to the nation's ferry operations. The information collected from each census will be used to produce a descriptive database of existing ferry operations. A summary report of census findings will also be published by BTS on the BTS web page: www.bts.gov/ncfo. ## Effects PRIA read - Biennial Ferry Census Requires Responses: cost, low. About 260 ferry operators nationwide are included in a biennial National Census of Ferry Operators (NCFO). For the 2026 NCFO BTS estimates an average burden of 30 minutes per respondent (20 minutes to answer year-specific questions plus 10 minutes to review pre-populated data), which equals an esti… - NCFO Data Drives Federal Ferry Funding: mixed, high. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ NCFO data is used by the Federal Highway Administration to set the formula for allocating federal ferry funds. The funding allocations were based on percentages of passenger boardings, vehicle boardings, and route miles served, per MAP-21 and continued under… - Confidential Business Data: Protected but Shared: mixed, medium. The NCFO may collect confidential business information. BTS will protect confidentiality under 49 CFR 7.29, publish only statistical and non-sensitive business information, but may share business-sensitive information with the Federal Highway Administration to support FAST Act funding allocations. - Prefill and Streamlining to Reduce Burden: benefit, low. BTS will prefill certain fields (40 pre-filled data fields) using prior responses and is working to streamline the questionnaire to promote responses; they plan up to 9 cognitive interviews to test instrument changes and aim to update the 2028 NCFO to reduce respondent burden. BTS is also consideri… ## Related documents - [2026-17776](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-17776): 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Information Collection Request (ICR) for the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant (DIIG)…, 2026-09-01 - [2026-13855](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-13855): Notice of Request for Clearance of a Revision to a Currently Approved Information Collection: National Census of Ferry Operators, 2026-07-09 - [2026-12829](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12829): Agency Information Collection Activities; Renewal of a Previously Approved Information Collection: Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FL…, 2026-06-25 - [2026-10436](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-10436): Data Security Requirements for Accessing Confidential Data; Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request, 2026-05-26 - [2026-09195](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-09195): Agency Information Collection: Activity Under OMB Review; Report of Traffic and Capacity Statistics-The T-100 System, 2026-05-08 - [2026-08116](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-08116): Agency Information Collection Activities; Renewal of a Previously Approved Information Collection: Barrier Failure Reporting in Oil and Gas…, 2026-04-27 ## Sources - [2026-19636 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/25/2026-19636/notice-of-request-for-clearance-of-a-revision-of-a-currently-approved-information-collection) - [2026-19636 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-09-25/pdf/2026-19636.pdf) ## Related - [Previous: 2026-19635, Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE American LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediat…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19635) - [Next: 2026-19637, Notice of Lodging of Proposed Modification to Consent Decree Under the Comprehe…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19637) - [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19636 (as of 2026-10-02).