Discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities Program |
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Topics: Federal Transit Administration
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Peter Rogoff
Federal Register
June 24, 2011
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 122 (Friday, June 24, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37184-37189]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15918]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities Program
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of availability of FTA state of good repair bus and bus
facilities initiative funds: Solicitation of project proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the
availability of discretionary Section 5309 Bus and Bus Facilities grant
funds in support of its ``State of Good Repair'' initiative. The State
of Good Repair (SGR) Bus initiative will be funded with up to $750
million in unallocated Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 discretionary Bus and Bus
Facilities Program funds, authorized by 49 U.S.C. 5309(b) of the Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy
For Users (SAFETEA-LU), Public Law 109-59, August 10, 2005. FTA may use
additional Bus and Bus Facilities program funding that becomes
available in the future to further support this initiative.
The SGR Bus initiative will make funds available to public transit
providers to finance capital projects to replace, rehabilitate, and
purchase buses and related equipment and to construct/rehabilitate bus-
related facilities, including programs of bus and bus-related projects
which may include assistance to subrecipients that are public agencies,
private companies engaged in public transportation, or private non-
profit organizations. This notice includes priorities established by
FTA for these discretionary funds, the criteria FTA will use to
identify meritorious projects for funding, and describes how to apply.
This announcement is available on the FTA Web site at: http://www.fta.dot.gov. FTA will announce final selections on the Web site and
in the Federal Register notice. A synopsis of this announcement will be
posted in the FIND module of the government-wide electronic grants Web
site at http://www.grants.gov. See Appendix B of this notice for
information related to other discretionary program opportunities
available in FY 2011.
DATES: Complete proposals for the SGR Bus initiative must be submitted
by July 29, 2011. All proposals must be submitted electronically
through the GRANTS.GOV APPLY function. In order to apply through
GRANTS.GOV, proposers should initiate the process of registering on the
GRANTS.GOV site immediately to ensure completion of registration before
the deadline for submission.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact the appropriate FTA Regional
Administrator (see Appendix A) for proposal-specific information and
issues. For information on the SGR Bus initiative, contact Kimberly
Sledge, Office of Program Management, (202) 366-2053, email:
kimberly.sledge@dot.gov. A TDD is available at 1-800-877-8339 (TDD/
FIRS).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Funding Opportunity Description
II. Award Information
III. Eligibility Information
IV. Proposal Submission Information
V. Proposal Review, Selection, and Notification
VI. Award Administration
Appendix A: FTA Regional Contacts
Appendix B: FY 2011 Discretionary Programs Schedule
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Authority
The bus and bus facilities program is authorized under 49 U.S.C.
5309(b), as amended by Section 3011 of SAFETEA-LU:
[[Page 37185]]
``The Secretary may make grants under this section to assist
State and local governmental authorities in financing capital
projects * * * to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and
related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities, including
programs of bus and bus-related projects for assistance to
subrecipients that are public agencies, private companies engaged in
public transportation, or private non-profit organizations.''
B. Background
Maintaining the nation's public transportation fleet,
infrastructure, and equipment in a state of good repair is essential to
providing reliable, high-quality, and safe transit services to the tens
of millions of Americans who depend on it daily. Transit not only
provides mobility options for the American public, but contributes to
the livability of our nation's communities and to environmental and
energy sustainability. However, given recent limitations in State and
local resources and the need to meet projected growth in demand for
transit service, many local transit agencies are finding it difficult
to meet their basic re-investment needs. FTA's June 2010 National State
of Good Repair Assessment Study (National SGR Study) estimated a
combined $77.7 billion repair and replacement backlog in our nation's
bus and rail systems.
The state of repair of transit infrastructure is an important issue
for both large and small systems across the country. FTA's National SGR
Study indicates that roughly one-third of the nation's transit assets
are in either marginal or poor condition, implying that these assets
are near or have already exceeded their expected useful life. While
most of the $77.7 billion backlog can be attributed to rail, more than
40 percent of the nation's buses are also in poor to marginal
condition. It also estimates that an annual average of $14.4 billion in
normal replacement expenditures by all levels of government nationwide
would be required to keep the backlog from getting larger.
Recognizing growing investment needs and the large backlog of
transit assets needing repair or replacement, the FTA proposed a $10.7
billion Bus and Rail State of Good Repair formula program in the
President's FY 2012 budget. In advance of the implementation of this
program, this notice makes available up to $750 million in FY 2011
Section 5309 bus and bus discretionary program resources for a ``State
of Good Repair Bus'' (SGR Bus) grant initiative.
C. Program Purpose
Improving and maintaining America's buses and bus facilities so
that the nation's public transportation systems are in good physical
condition and successfully accomplish their performance objectives is a
key strategic goal of the Department of Transportation (DOT) and FTA.
The SGR Bus initiative is intended to contribute to the improvement of
the condition of transit capital assets by providing financial
assistance for recapitalization of buses and bus facilities. As part of
the program, FTA will prioritize the replacement and rehabilitation of
intermodal facilities that support the connection of bus service with
multiple modes of transportation such as: rail, ferry, intercity bus
and private transportation providers. In order to be eligible for
funding, intermodal facilities must have adjacent connectivity with bus
service. In addition, FTA will prioritize funding for the development
and implementation of new, or improvement of existing, transit asset
management systems. Transportation asset management is a strategic and
systematic process of operating, maintaining, improving, and expanding
physical assets effectively throughout their life cycle. Successful
systems focus on good business and engineering policy, practices and
procedures for resource allocation and utilization with the objective
of better decision-making based upon quality information and well
defined objectives.
II. Award Information
Federal transit funds are available to State or local governmental
authorities as recipients and other public transportation providers as
subrecipients. There is no floor or upper limit for any single grant
under this program; however, FTA intends to fund as many meritorious
projects as possible. In addition, FTA will take into consideration the
geographic diversity of its award decisions.
Consistent with 49 U.S.C. 5309(m)(8), the Secretary shall consider
the age and condition of buses, bus fleets, bus-related facilities and
equipment of applicants in its award of State of Good Repair Bus
grants.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Proposers
Eligible proposers and eventual grant applicants under this
initiative are Direct Recipients under the Section 5307 Urbanized Area
Formula program, States, and Indian Tribes. Proposals for funding
eligible projects in rural (nonurbanized) areas must be submitted as
part of a consolidated State proposal with the exception of
nonurbanized projects to Indian Tribes. Tribes, States, and Direct
Recipients may also submit consolidated proposals for projects in
urbanized areas.
Proposals shall contain projects to be implemented by the Recipient
or its subrecipients. Eligible subrecipients include public agencies,
private non-profit organizations, and private providers engaged in
public transportation.
B. Eligible Expenses
SAFETEA-LU grants authority to the Secretary to make grants to
assist State and local governmental authorities in financing capital
projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related
equipment and to construct or rehabilitate bus-related facilities,
including programs of bus and bus-related projects for assistance to
subrecipients that are public agencies, private companies engaged in
public transportation, or private non-profit organizations.
Projects eligible for funding under the SGR Bus initiative are
capital projects such as: Purchase, replacement, or rehabilitation of,
buses and vans and related equipment (including Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS), fare equipment, communication devices
that are FCC mandatory narrow-banding compliant); replacement or the
modernization of bus maintenance and revenue service (passenger)
facilities; replacement or modernization of intermodal facilities; and
the development and implementation of transit asset management systems,
that address the objectives identified in the Program Purpose
subsection above.
C. Cost Sharing
Costs will be shared at the following ratio: 80 percent FTA/20
percent local contribution. FTA will not approve deferred local share
requests under this program. The Federal share may exceed 80 percent
for certain projects related to the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) and the Clean Air Act (CAA) as follows: ADA--The Federal share is
90 percent for the cost of vehicle-related equipment or facilities
attributable to compliance with the ADA of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et
seq); CAA--The Federal share is 90 percent for the cost of vehicle
related equipment or facilities (including clean-fuel or alternative-
fuel vehicle related equipment or facilities) attributable to
compliance with the CAA (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq). For administrative
simplicity, FTA allows recipients to compute the Federal share
[[Page 37186]]
at 83 percent for eligible ADA and CAA vehicle purchases. The 83
percent Federal share does not apply to facilities. The award recipient
must itemize the cost of specific, discrete, facility-related items
being purchased to be in compliance with the ADA or the CAA. The
Federal share is 90 percent of the cost for these itemized elements.
A Federal share of 90 percent may also be applied to projects to
provide access for bicycles to public transportation facilities, to
provide shelters and parking facilities for bicycles in or around
public transportation facilities, or to install equipment for
transporting bicycles on public transportation vehicles.
The FY 2011 Appropriations Act allows a 90 percent Federal share
for the total cost of a biodiesel bus. The Act also allows a 90 percent
Federal share for the net capital cost of factory installed or
retrofitted hybrid electric propulsion systems and any equipment
related to such a system. For administrative simplicity, FTA allows
recipients to compute the Federal share at 83 percent for eligible
vehicle purchases.
IV. Proposal Submission Information
A. Proposal Submission Process
Project proposals must be submitted electronically through http://www.grants.gov. Mail and fax submissions will not be accepted except
for supplemental information that cannot be sent electronically.
B. Proposal Content
1. Proposal Information
Proposals should provide basic sponsor identifying information,
including:
a. Proposer's name and FTA recipient ID number.
b. Contact information for notification of project selection
(including contact name, title, address, congressional district, email,
fax and phone number).
c. A general description of services provided by the agency
including ridership, fleet size, areas served, etc.
d. A description of the agency's technical, legal, and financial
capacity to implement the proposed project. Some of this information is
included in Standard Form 424 when applying through GRANTS.GOV.
2. Project Information
Every proposal must:
a. Describe concisely, but completely, the project scope to be
funded. As FTA may elect to only partially fund some project proposals
(see below), the scope should be ``scalable'' with specific components
of independent utility clearly identified.
b. Address each of the evaluation criteria separately,
demonstrating how the project responds to each criterion.
c. Provide a line-item budget for the total project, with enough
detail to describe the various key components of the project. As FTA
may elect to only partially fund some project proposals, the budget
should provide for the minimum amount necessary to fund specific
project components of independent utility.
d. Provide the Federal amount requested.
e. Document the matching funds, including amount and source of the
match, demonstrating strong local or private sector financial
participation in the project.
f. Provide support documentation, including financial statements,
bond-ratings, and documents supporting the commitment of non-federal
funding to the project, or a timeframe upon which those commitments
would be made.
g. Provide a project time-line, including significant milestones
such as the date anticipated to issue a request for proposals for
vehicles, or contract for purchase of vehicle(s), and actual or
expected delivery date of vehicles, or notice of request for proposal
and notice to proceed for capital construction/rehabilitation projects.
C. Submission Dates and Times
Complete proposals for the State of Good Repair initiative must be
submitted electronically through the GRANTS.GOV Web site by July 29,
2011. Applicants are encouraged to begin the process of registration on
the GRANTS.GOV site well in advance of the submission deadline.
Registration is a multi-step process, which may take several weeks to
complete before an application can be submitted. In addition to the
Mandatory SF424 Form that will be downloaded from GRANTS.GOV, FTA
requires applicants to complete the Supplemental FTA Form (Applicant
and Proposal Profile) for this initiative. The supplemental form
provides guidance and a consistent format for applicants to respond to
the criteria outlined in this NOFA and described in detail on the FTA
Web site at the program Web site; http://www.fta.dot.gov/bus.
Applicants must use this Supplemental Form and attach it to their
submission in GRANTS.GOV to successfully complete the application
process. Within 24-48 hours after submitting an electronic application,
the applicant should receive an e-mail validation message from
GRANTS.GOV. The validation will state whether GRANTS.GOV found any
issues with the submitted application. As an additional notification,
FTA's system will notify the applicant if there are any problems with
the submitted Supplemental FTA Form. If making a resubmission for any
reason, include all original attachments regardless of which
attachments were updated. Complete instructions on the application
process can be found http://www.fta.dot.gov/bus. Important: FTA urges
applicants to submit their applications at least 72 hours prior to the
due date to allow time to receive the validation message and to correct
any problems that may have caused a rejection notification. Submissions
after July 29, 2011 will not be accepted.
D. Funding Restrictions
Only proposals from eligible recipients for eligible activities
will be considered for funding (see Section III). Due to funding
limitations, proposers that are selected for funding may receive less
than the amount originally requested.
E. Other Submission Requirements
Proposers should submit three (3) copies of any supplemental
information that cannot be submitted electronically to the appropriate
regional office. Supplemental information submitted in hardcopy must be
postmarked by July 29, 2011.
V. Proposal Review, Selection, and Notification
A. Project Evaluation Criteria
Projects will be evaluated by FTA based on the proposals submitted
according to the following criteria. Each proposer is encouraged to
demonstrate the responsiveness of a project to all of the selection
criteria with the most relevant information that the proposer can
provide, regardless of whether such information has been specifically
requested, or identified, in this notice. FTA will assess the extent to
which a project addresses the following criteria.
1. Planning and prioritization at the local/regional level:
a. Project is consistent with the transit priorities identified in
the long range plan and/or contingency/illustrative projects. Proposer
should note if project could not be included in the financially
constrained Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)/Statewide
Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) due to lack of funding (if
selected, project must be in TIP before grant award).
b. Local support is demonstrated by availability of local match and
letters of support for project.
[[Page 37187]]
c. In an area with more than one transit operator, the proposal
demonstrates coordination with, and support of, other transit
operators, or other related projects within the proposer's Metropolitan
Planning Organization (MPO) or the geographic region within which the
proposed project will operate.
2. The project is ready to implement:
a. Project is a Categorical Exclusion (CE) or required
environmental work has been initiated or completed for construction
projects requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS).
b. Project implementation plans are complete, including initial
design of facilities projects.
c. TIP/STIP can be amended (evidenced by MPO/State endorsement).
d. Project funds can be obligated and the project implemented
quickly, if selected.
3. Technical, legal, and financial capacity to implement the
particular project proposed:
a. The proposer has the technical capacity to administer the
project.
b. There are no outstanding legal, technical, or financial issues
with the grantee that would make this a high-risk project to implement
quickly.
c. The proposer has adequate financial systems in place and has
identified the source of local match if selected (no deferred local
share will be allowed).
In addition, for each of the project types below, the following
criteria will apply:
1. For bus projects:
a. The age of the asset to be replaced or rehabilitated by the
proposed project, relative to its useful life.
b. The degree to which the proposed project addresses a
demonstrated and verifiable backlog of deferred maintenance.
c. Consistency with the proposer's bus fleet management plan.
d. Condition and performance of the asset to be replaced by the
proposed project, as ascertained through field inspections or
otherwise, if available.
e. The project conforms to FTA's spare ratio guidelines.
2. For bus facility and equipment projects:
a. The age of the asset to be rehabilitated or replaced relative to
its useful life.
b. The degree to which proposed project addresses a demonstrated
and verifiable backlog of deferred maintenance.
c. Supports emerging or advanced technologies for transit
facilities and equipment.
3. For transit asset management system projects:
If asset management system development or upgrades are proposed,
the proposal shall describe, as applicable, the system element(s) the
proposer is seeking to improve; including:
a. How asset management plans/systems will be developed or
upgraded.
b. How asset inventories will be maintained physically and
fiscally.
c. How assets initial condition will be assessed.
d. How assets will be inspected and monitored, and at what
frequency.
e. How logistical decision support tools (including options and
tradeoff analysis) will be used in the proposer's day-to-day
operations.
f. Demonstrated long-term financial and management commitment of
the proposer to using the asset management system.
B. Review and Selection Process
Proposals will be evaluated by a technical evaluation committee.
The FTA Administrator will determine the final selection and amount of
funding for each project. Selected projects will be announced in
September or October 2011. FTA will publish the list of all selected
projects and funding levels in the Federal Register and notify
successful applicants.
VI. Award Administration
A. Award Notices
FTA will award grants for the selected projects to the proposer
through the FTA electronic grants management and award system, TEAM,
after receipt of a complete application in TEAM. These grants will be
administered and managed by the FTA regional offices in accordance with
the Federal requirements of the Section 5309 Bus program. At the time
the project selections are announced, FTA will extend pre-award
authority for the selected projects. There is no blanket pre-award
authority for these projects before announcement.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
1. Grant Requirements
If selected, applicants will apply for a grant through TEAM and
adhere to the customary FTA grant requirements of the Section 5309 Bus
and Bus Facilities program, including those of FTA Circular 9300.1B and
Circular 5010.1D and 49 U.S.C. 5333(b) labor protections. All
discretionary grants, regardless of award amount, will be subject to
the Congressional Notification and release process. Technical
assistance regarding these requirements is available from each FTA
regional office.
2. Planning
Applicants are encouraged to notify the appropriate State
Departments of Transportation and MPO in areas likely to be served by
the project funds made available under this program. Incorporation of
funded projects in the long-range plans and transportation improvement
programs of States and metropolitan areas is required of all funded
projects.
3. Standard Assurances
The applicant assures that it will comply with all applicable
Federal statutes, regulations, executive orders, FTA circulars, and
other Federal administrative requirements in carrying out any project
supported by the FTA grant. The applicant acknowledges that it is under
a continuing obligation to comply with the terms and conditions of the
grant agreement issued for its project with FTA. The applicant
understands that Federal laws, regulations, policies, and
administrative practices might be modified from time to time and may
affect the implementation of the project. The applicant agrees that the
most recent Federal requirements will apply to the project, unless FTA
issues a written determination otherwise. The applicant must submit the
Certifications and Assurances before receiving a grant if it does not
have current certifications on file.
C. Reporting
Post-award reporting requirements include submission of Financial
Status Reports and Milestone Reports in TEAM on a quarterly basis for
all projects. Documentation is required for payment. In addition,
project sponsors receiving grants for asset management systems and
innovative technologies may be required to report on the performance of
these systems and technologies.
VII. Agency Contacts
Contact the appropriate FTA Regional Administrator (Appendix A) for
proposal specific information and issues. For information on the SGR
Bus and Bus Facilities Initiative, contact Kimberly Sledge, Office of
Program Management, (202) 366-2053, e-mail: kimberly.sledge@dot.gov. A
TDD is available at 1-800-877-8339 (TDD/FIRS).
Issued in Washington, DC this 21st day of June, 2011.
Peter Rogoff,
Administrator.
Appendix A
[[Page 37188]]
FTA Regional and Metropolitan Offices
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Mary Beth Mello, Regional Robert C. Patrick, Regional
Administrator, Region 1--Boston, Administrator, Region 6--Ft.
Kendall Square, 55 Broadway, Suite Worth, 819 Taylor Street, Room
920, Cambridge, MA 02142-1093, 8A36, Ft. Worth, TX 76102, Tel.
Tel. 617-494-2055. 817-978-0550.
States served: Connecticut, Maine, States served: Arkansas, Louisiana,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas.
Rhode, Island, and Vermont.
Brigid Hynes-Cherin, Regional Mokhtee Ahmad, Regional
Administrator, Region 2--New York, Administrator, Region 7--Kansas
One Bowling Green, Room 429, New City, MO, 901 Locust Street, Room
York, NY 10004-1415, Tel. 212-668- 404, Kansas City, MO 64106, Tel.
2170. 816-329-3920.
States served: New Jersey, New States served: Iowa, Kansas,
York. Missouri, and Nebraska.
New York Metropolitan Office,
Region 2--New York, One Bowling
Green, Room 428, New York, NY
10004-1415, Tel. 212-668-2202.
Letitia Thompson, Regional Terry Rosapep, Regional
Administrator, Region 3-- Administrator, Region 8--Denver,
Philadelphia, 1760 Market Street, 12300 West Dakota Ave., Suite 310,
Suite 500, Philadelphia, PA 19103- Lakewood, CO 80228-2583, Tel. 720-
4124, Tel. 215-656-7100. 963-3300.
States served: Delaware, Maryland, States served: Colorado, Montana,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, West North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,
Virginia, and District of and, Wyoming.
Columbia.
Philadelphia Metropolitan Office,
Region 3--Philadelphia, 1760
Market Street, Suite 500,
Philadelphia, PA 19103-4124, Tel.
215-656-7070.
Washington, D.C. Metropolitan
Office, 1990 K Street, NW., Room
510, Washington, DC 20006, Tel.
202-219-3562.
Yvette Taylor, Regional Leslie T. Rogers, Regional
Administrator, Region 4--Atlanta, Administrator, Region 9--San
230 Peachtree Street, NW., Suite Francisco, 201 Mission Street,
800, Atlanta, GA 30303, Tel. 404- Room 1650, San Francisco, CA 94105-
865-5600. 1926, Tel. 415-744-3133.
States served: Alabama, Florida, States served: American Samoa,
Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii,
North, Carolina, Puerto Rico, Nevada, and the Northern Mariana,
South Carolina, Tennessee, and Islands.
Virgin Islands.
Los Angeles Metropolitan Office,
Region 9--Los Angeles, 888 S.
Figueroa Street, Suite 1850, Los
Angeles, CA 90017-1850, Tel. 213-
202-3952.
Marisol Simon, Regional Rick Krochalis, Regional
Administrator, Region 5--Chicago, Administrator, Region 10--Seattle,
200 West Adams Street, Suite 320, Jackson Federal Building, 915
Chicago, IL 60606, Tel. 312-353- Second Avenue, Suite 3142,
2789. Seattle, WA 98174-1002, Tel. 206-
220-7954.
States served: Illinois, Indiana, States served: Alaska, Idaho,
Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Oregon, and Washington.
Wisconsin.
Chicago Metropolitan Office, Region
5--Chicago, 200 West Adams Street,
Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60606, Tel.
312-353-2789.
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[FR Doc. 2011-15918 Filed 6-23-11; 8:45 am]
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