[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 198 (Monday, October 15, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58365-58370]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20213]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Alternative Transportation in Parks and Public Lands Program
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Announcement of Project Selections.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) announces the selection of projects to be funded
under Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 appropriations for the Alternative
Transportation in Parks and Public Lands (ATPPL) program, authorized by
Section 3021 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for Users of 2005 (SAFETEA-LU) and
codified in 49 U.S.C. 5320. The ATPPL program funds capital and
planning expenses for alternative transportation systems in parks and
public lands. Federal land management agencies and State, tribal and
local governments acting with the consent of a Federal land management
agency are eligible recipients.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project sponsors who are State, local,
or tribal entities may contact the appropriate FTA Regional
Administrator (See Appendix A) for grant-specific issues. Project
sponsors who are a Federal land management agency or a specific unit of
a Federal land management agency should work with the contact listed
below at their headquarters office to coordinate the availability of
funds to that unit.
Bureau of Land Management: Linda Force, [email protected], 202-557-3567.
Fish and Wildlife Service: Nathan Caldwell, [email protected], 703-358-2376.
Forest Service: Ellen LaFayette, [email protected],
703-605-4509.
National Park Service: Kevin Percival, [email protected], 303-969-2429.
For general information about the Alternative Transportation in the
Parks and Public Lands program, please contact Scott Faulk, Office of
Program Management, Federal Transit Administration,
[email protected], 202-366-1660.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A total of $23,000,000 was appropriated for
FTA's ATPPL program in FY 2007. Of this amount, a maximum of
$20,596,500 was available for project awards; $115,000 was reserved for
oversight activities; and up to $2,300,000 was available for planning,
research, and technical assistance. A total of 81 applicants requested
$55 million, more than twice the amount available for projects,
indicating strong competition for funds. An interagency technical
review committee evaluated the project proposals based on the criteria
defined in 49 U.S.C. 5320(g)(2). Then, as specified in Section 5320(g),
the Secretary of the Interior's designee determined the final selection
of projects after consultation with and in cooperation with the
Secretary of Transportation's designee. For FY 2007, the program will
fund 46 projects totaling $19,788,840.
The goals of the program are to conserve natural, historical, and
cultural resources; reduce congestion and pollution; improve visitor
mobility and accessibility; enhance visitor experience; and ensure
access to all, including persons with disabilities through alternative
transportation projects. The projects selected for funding in FY 2007
represent a diverse
[[Page 58366]]
set of capital and planning projects across the country, ranging from
bus purchases to a ferry dock.
FY2007 ATPPL Project Selection
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Project
State Land unit/agency description Project type Funding recipient Amount ($)
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AK............ Glacier Bay NP and Replace the Boat/Ferry/Dock... Direct Grant to $3,000,000
Preserve/National existing Gustavus Alaska
Park Service. passenger and Department of
freight dock. Transportation
(D2007-ATPL-001).
AK............ Tongass National Design, procure, Other............. Interagency 500,000
Forest/United and implement an Agreement with
States Forest Intelligent United States
Service. Transportation Forest Service.
System (ITS).
AZ............ Grand Canyon Implement an ITS Other............. Interagency 193,000
National Park/ that promotes Agreement with
National Park transit use and National Park
Service. reduced Service.
congestion.
AZ............ Coronado National Fund a Planning.......... Interagency 180,000
Forest, Santa transportation Agreement with
Catalina Ranger analysis and United States
District, Sabino feasibility study. Forest Service.
Canyon Recreation
Area/United
States Forest
Service.
CA............ Muir Woods Lease ten clean Bus............... Interagency 492,500
National Monument fuel shuttle Agreement with
of the Golden buses for Muir National Park
Gate National Woods shuttle Service.
Recreation Area/ service and
National Park improve the Muir
Service. Woods Centennial
transit stop.
CA............ Sequoia and Kings Lease five 30' Bus............... Interagency 225,000
Canyon National shuttle buses for Agreement with
Parks/National the Giant Forest National Park
Park Service. Shuttle System in Service.
Sequoia National
Park.
CA............ Inyo National Capital cost of Bus............... Interagency 100,000
Forest Devils leasing ten buses Agreement with
Postpile National for the Red United States
Monument/United Meadows-Devils Forest Service.
States Forest Postpile transit
Service and system Funds also
National Park to be used for
Service. visitor
information on
the transit
system.
CA............ Yosemite National Lease Yosemite Bus............... Interagency 264,600
Park/National Area Regional Agreement with
Park Service. Transportation National Park
System (YARTS) Service.
Vehicles.
CA............ Yosemite National Complete park wide Planning.......... Interagency 621,600
Park/National Integrated Agreement with
Park Service. Transportation National Park
Capacity Service.
Assessment.
CA............ Golden Gate Prepare Planning.......... Interagency 70,000
National operational plan Agreement with
Recreation Area/ for the Fort National Park
National Park Baker Shuttle. Service.
Service.
CA............ San Francisco Prepare Planning.......... Interagency 493,000
Maritime National Environmental Agreement with
Historical Park, Impact Statement National Park
Golden Gate for the extension Service.
National of the San
Recreation Area/ Francisco
National Park Municipal Railway
Service. Historic
Streetcar Route/
Line.
CO............ The Maroon Bells-- Purchase 2 hybrid Bus............... Direct Grant to 1,300,000
Snowmass electric low- Roaring Fork
Wilderness Area, floor buses and Alternative
White River advance ITS Transportation
National Forest/ technology Authority (D2007-
United States initiatives to ATPL-002).
Forest Service. make transit
within Maroon
Bells, Snowmass
Wilderness Area,
and White River
National Forest
more efficient
and user-friendly.
CO............ U.S. Fish and Bus acquisition to Bus............... Interagency 171,720
Wildlife Service facilitate Agreement with
Rocky Mountain/ alternative Fish and
Fish and Wildlife transportation Wildlife Service.
Service. within Rocky
Mountain Arsenal
National Wildlife
Refuge.
CO............ Rocky Mountain Model the effects Planning.......... Interagency 298,817
National Park/ of alternative Agreement with
National Park transportation on National Park
Service. resource Service.
protection and
visitor
experience in
Rocky Mountain
National Park.
[[Page 58367]]
FL............ Gulf Islands Fund the Fort Planning.......... Interagency 250,000
National Seashore/ Pickens/Gateway Agreement with
National Park Community National Park
Service. Alternative Service.
Transportation
Plan.
MA............ Cape Cod National Purchase five 30' Vehicle Interagency 1,850,000
Seashore/National low-floor mini- replacement. Agreement with
Park Service. buses. National Park
Service.
MA............ Cape Cod National Purchase a tram to Tram/Trolley...... Interagency 450,000
Seashore/National facilitate Agreement with
Park Service. alternative National Park
transportation. Service.
MA............ Lowell National Fund maintenance Tram/Trolley...... Interagency 409,650
Historic Park/ and safety Agreement with
National Park improvements to National Park
Service. the existing 1.5- Service.
mile trolley
system.
MA............ Monomoy National Fund a planning Planning.......... Interagency 100,000
Wildlife Refuge, study that Agreement with
Cape Cod National focuses on the Fish and
Seashore/National expansion of Wildlife Service.
Park Service and alternative
Fish and Wildlife transportation in
Service. Outer and Lower
Cape Cod.
MA............ Cape Cod National Fund a study that Planning.......... Interagency 250,000
Seashore/National develops an Agreement with
Park Service. integrated National Park
parking and Service.
transit plan.
MA............ Boston Harbor Rehabilitate the Planning.......... Interagency 100,000
Islands National Ferry Hub Pier at Agreement with
Recreation Area/ Georges Island. National Park
National Park Service.
Service.
MD............ Fort McHenry Reconfigure a Other............. Interagency 292,500
National Monument transit vehicle Agreement with
and Historic Site/ node, which will National Park
National Park provide a safe Service.
Service. visitor access
point to the park.
MD............ Fort McHenry Conduct a Planning.......... Interagency 72,000
National Monument feasibility study Agreement with
and Historic Site/ to evaluate a National Park
National Park circular trolley/ Service.
Service. transit system
connecting
Baltimore's Inner
Harbor with Fort
McHenry National
Park.
MD etc........ Multiple Wildlife Research and Planning.......... Interagency 248,000
Refuges in design of a low Agreement with
Northeast (Region environmental Fish and
5)/Fish and impact tram. Wildlife Service.
Wildlife Service.
MD/VA......... Chincoteague Conduct a Planning.......... Interagency 270,000
National Wildlife comprehensive Agreement with
Refuge, transportation Fish and
Assateague Island planning study. Wildlife Service.
National Seashore/
Fish and Wildlife
Service and
National Park
Service.
ME............ Acadia National Purchase six Vehicle Direct Grant to 1,096,500
Park/National propane buses. replacement. Maine Department
Park Service. of
Transportation
(D2007-ATPL-003).
ME............ Acadia National Fund a study that Planning.......... Interagency 80,000
Park/National evaluates Agreement with
Park Service. existing National Park
conditions at all Service.
bus stops within
Acadia National
Park, and
identify
alternative
designs and
strategies to
improve bus stops
that pose a risk
to visitor safety.
MI............ Hiawatha National Replace a Bus............... Interagency 575,000
Forest--Alger passenger ferry, Agreement with
County Public purchase a tour United States
Transit/United bus, rehabilitate Forest Service.
States Forest a ferry dock, and
Service. construct a
terminal facility.
MT............ Glacier National Purchase transit Bus............... Interagency 1,200,000
Park and vehicles for Agreement with
Blackfeet Indian Glacier National National Park
Reservation/ Park Transit Service.
National Park System.
Service.
NJ............ Sandy Hook Unit of Fund feasibility Planning.......... Interagency 50,000
Gateway National study on Agreement with
Recreation Area/ upgrading the National Park
National Park Sandy Hook Service.
Service. National Park's
shuttle bus
service.
[[Page 58368]]
NV............ Humboldt-Toiyabe Fund a pilot ski Bus............... Interagency 168,300
National Forest/ season shuttle Agreement with
Spring Mountain project and United States
National provide Forest Service.
Recreation Area/ operational data
United States for bus service
Forest Service. between Las Vegas
and the Las Vegas
Ski and Snowboard
Resort.
NY............ Roosevelt- Fund a multi-year, Bus............... Interagency 226,800
Vanderbilt seasonal field Agreement with
National Historic test at Roosevelt- National Park
Site/National Vanderbilt Service.
Park Service. National Historic
Site.
NY............ Fire Island Redesign and Boat/Ferry/Dock... Interagency 200,000
National Seashore/ construct a ferry Agreement with
National Park terminal/visitor National Park
Service. transportation Service.
center.
OH............ Cuyahoga Valley Upgrade Rockside Planning.......... Interagency 187,000
National Park/ Railroad Boarding Agreement with
National Park Station Area. National Park
Service. Service.
OR............ Lewis and Clark Fund shuttle bus Bus............... Interagency 43,000
National leasing from Agreement with
Historical Park/ Sunset Empire National Park
National Park Transit District. Service.
Service.
PA............ Gettysburg Procure three Bus............... Direct Grant to 787,353
National Military trolleys and Adams County
Park; Eisenhower construct eight Transit
National Historic bus stops. Authority (D2007-
Site and the ATPL-004).
Soldiers National
Cemetery/National
Park Service.
PA............ Valley Forge Fund a pilot Planning.......... Interagency 168,000
National shuttle bus Agreement with
Historical Park/ program at Valley National Park
National Park Forge National Service.
Service. Historical Park.
TN............ Kennesaw Mountain Conduct a Planning.......... Interagency 25,000
National technical review Agreement with
Battlefield Park/ of Kennesaw National Park
National Park Mountain National Service.
Service. Battlefield Park
shuttle bus
service.
TX............ Lower Rio Grande Purchase 10 Tram/Trolley...... Interagency 400,000
Valley National transit vehicles Agreement with
Wildlife Refuge. to facilitate Fish and
ecotourism at Wildlife Service.
Texas parks,
wildlife refuges,
and the World
Birding Center.
UT............ Bureau of Land Construct transit Other............. Direct Grant to 774,000
Management Moab hub to be located Grand County,
Field Office, on the north end Utah (D2007-ATPL-
Arches National of Moab near the 005).
Park/Bureau of banks of the
Land Management Colorado River.
and National Park
Service.
UT............ Zion National Park/ Expansion of the Other............. Interagency 151,500
National Park Zion shuttle Agreement with
Service. system's Visitor National Park
Center shuttle Service.
bus stop.
UT............ Wasatch-Cache Fund a Planning.......... Interagency 204,000
National Forest, transportation Agreement with
Salt Lake Ranger feasibility study United States
District/United for the Salt Lake Forest Service.
States Forest City Tri-Canyons,
Service. Albion Basin area.
UT............ Zion National Park/ Fund Zion National Planning.......... Interagency 150,000
National Park Park Shuttle Agreement with
Service. Service Planning National Park
Study. Service.
VA............ Colonial National Conduct visitor Planning.......... Interagency 95,000
Park/National survey and Agreement with
Park Service. enhance National Park
operations for Service.
current transit
system.
WA............ Wenatachee Redesign the Lake Planning.......... Interagency 5,000
National Forest/ Chelan Dock Agreement with
United States infrastructure. United States
Forest Service Forest Service
and National Park and National
Service. Park Service.
WY............ National Elk Construct a 4.2 Non-motorized..... Direct Grant to 1,000,000
Refuge and Grand mile trail system Teton County
Teton National from National Elk (D2007-ATPL-006).
Park/Fish and Refuge Visitor
Wildlife Service Center to the end
and National Park of the National
Service. Elk Refuge.
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Total..... .................. .................. .................. ................. 19,788,840
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[[Page 58369]]
Applying for Funds
Recipients who are State or local government entities will be
required to apply for ATPPL funds electronically through FTA's
electronic grant award and management system, TEAM. The content of
these grant applications must reflect the approved proposal. (Note:
Applications for the ATPPL program do not require Department of Labor
Certification.) Upon grant award, payments to grantees will be made by
electronic transfer to the grantee's financial institution through the
Electronic Clearing House Operation (ECHO) system. Staff in FTA's
Regional offices are available to assist applicants.
Recipients who are Federal land management agencies will be
required to enter into an interagency agreement with FTA. FTA will
administer one interagency agreement with each Federal land management
agency receiving funding through the program for all of that agency's
projects. Individual units of Federal land management agencies should
work with the contact at their headquarters office listed above to
coordinate the availability of funds to that unit.
Program Requirements
Section 5320 requires funding recipients to meet certain
requirements. Program requirements can be found in the document
``Alternative Transportation in Parks and Public Lands Program:
Requirements for Recipients of FY 2007 Funding'' available at http://www.fta.dot.gov/atppl. These requirements are incorporated into the
grant agreements and inter-agency agreements used to fund the selected
projects.
Pre-Award Authority
Pre-award authority allows an agency that will receive a grant or
interagency agreement to incur certain project costs prior to receipt
of the grant or interagency agreement and retain eligibility of the
costs for subsequent reimbursement after the grant or agreement is
approved. The recipient assumes all risk and is responsible for
ensuring that all conditions are met to retain eligibility, including
compliance with federal requirements such as the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA), SAFETEA-LU planning requirements, and provisions
established in the grant contract or Interagency Agreement. This
automatic pre-award spending authority, when triggered, permits a
grantee to incur costs on an eligible transit capital or planning
project without prejudice to possible future Federal participation in
the cost of the project or projects. Under the authority provided in 49
U.S.C. 5320(h), FTA is extending pre-award authority for FY 2007 ATTPL
projects effective as of October 15, 2007, when the projects were
publicly announced.
The conditions under which pre-award authority may be utilized are
specified below:
a. Pre-award authority is not a legal or implied commitment that
the project(s) will be approved for FTA assistance or that FTA will
obligate Federal funds. Furthermore, it is not a legal or implied
commitment that all items undertaken by the applicant will be eligible
for inclusion in the project(s).
b. All FTA statutory, procedural, and contractual requirements must
be met.
c. No action will be taken by the grantee that prejudices the legal
and administrative findings that the Federal Transit Administrator must
make in order to approve a project.
d. Local funds expended pursuant to this pre-award authority will
be eligible for reimbursement if FTA later makes a grant or interagency
agreement for the project(s). Local funds expended by the grantee prior
to October 15, 2007 will not be eligible for credit toward local match
or reimbursement. Furthermore, the expenditure of local funds on
activities such as land acquisition, demolition, or construction, prior
to the completion of the NEPA process, would compromise FTA's ability
to comply with Federal environmental laws and may render the project
ineligible for FTA funding.
e. When a grant for the project is subsequently awarded, the
Financial Status Report, in TEAM-Web, must indicate the use of pre-
award authority, and the pre-award item in the project information
section of TEAM should be marked ``yes.''
Reporting Requirements
All recipients must submit quarterly milestone/progress reports to
FTA containing the following information:
(1) Narrative description of project(s); and,
(2) Discussion of all budget and schedule changes.
State and local government entities should submit this information
through FTA's TEAM grants management system.
The headquarters office for each federal land management agency
should collect a quarterly report for each of the projects delineated
in the interagency agreement and then send these reports (preferably by
e-mail) to Scott Faulk, FTA Office of Transit Programs,
[email protected]; 202-366-1660; 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.; E44-
417; Washington, DC 20590. Examples can be found on the program Web
site at http://www.fta.dot.gov/atppl. The quarterly reports are due to
FTA on the dates noted below:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quarter Covering Due date
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1st Quarter Report.............. October 1-December January 31.
31.
2nd Quarter Report.............. January 1-March 31 April 30.
3rd Quarter Report.............. April 1-June 30... July 31.
4th Quarter Report.............. July 1-September October 31.
31.
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In order to allow FTA to compute aggregate program performance
measures as required by the President's Management Agenda, FTA requests
that all recipients of funding for capital projects under the ATPPL
program submit the following information annually:
Annual visitation to the land unit;
Annual number of persons who use the alternative
transportation system (ridership/usage);
An estimate of the number of vehicle trips mitigated based
on alternative transportation system usage and the typical number of
passengers per vehicle;
Cost per passenger; and,
A note of any special services offered for those systems
with higher costs per passenger but more amenities.
State and local government entities should submit this information
as part of their fourth quarter report through FTA's TEAM grants
management system.
Federal land management agencies should also send this information
as part of their fourth quarter report (preferably by e-mail), to Scott
Faulk, FTA, [email protected]; 202-366-1660; 1200 New Jersey Avenue,
SE.; E44-417; Washington, DC 20590. Examples can be found on the
program Web site at http://www.fta.dot.gov/atppl.
[[Page 58370]]
Oversight
Recipients of FY 2007 ATPPL funds will be required to certify that
they will comply with all applicable Federal and FTA programmatic
requirements. FTA direct grantees will complete this certification as
part of the annual Certification and Assurances package, and Federal
Land Management Agency recipients will complete the certification by
signing the interagency agreement. This certification is the basis for
oversight reviews conducted by FTA.
The Secretary of Transportation and FTA have elected not to apply
the triennial review requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5307(h)(2) to ATPPL
recipients that are other Federal agencies. Instead, working with the
existing oversight systems at the Federal Land Management Agencies, FTA
will perform periodic reviews of specific projects funded by the ATPPL
program. These reviews will ensure that projects meet the basic
statutory, administrative, and regulatory requirements as stipulated by
this notice and the certification. To the extent possible, these
reviews will be coordinated with other reviews of the project. FTA
direct grantees of ATPPL funds (State, local and tribal government
entities) will be subject to all applicable triennial, State
management, civil rights, and other reviews.
Issued in Washington, DC, this 5th day of October, 2007.
James S. Simpson,
Administrator.
Appendix A--FTA Regional Offices
Region I
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
and Vermont. Richard Doyle, FTA Regional Administrator, Kendall
Square, 55 Broadway, Suite 920, Cambridge, MA 02142-1093, (617) 494-
2055.
Region II
New Jersey and New York. Brigid Hynes-Cherin, FTA Regional
Administrator, One Bowling Green, Room 429, New York, NY 10004-1415,
(212) 668-2170.
Region III
Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania,
Virginia, and West Virginia. Letitia Thompson, FTA Regional
Administrator, 1760 Market Street, Suite 500, Philadelphia, PA
19103-4124, (215) 656-7100.
Region IV
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North
Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virgin
Islands. Yvette Taylor, FTA Regional Administrator, 61 Forsyth
Street, SW., Suite 17T50, Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 865-5600.
Region V
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Marisol Simon, FTA Regional Administrator, 200 West Adams Street,
Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60606-5232, (312) 353-2789.
Region VI
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Robert
Patrick, FTA Regional Administrator, 819 Taylor Street, Room 8A36,
Ft. Worth, TX 76102, (817) 978-0550.
Region VII
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Mokhtee Ahmad, FTA
Regional Administrator, 901 Locust Street, Suite 404, Kansas City,
MO 64106, (816) 329-3920.
Region VIII
Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and
Wyoming. Terry Rosapep, FTA Regional Administrator, 12300 West
Dakota, Suite 310, Lakewood, CO 80228-2583, (720) 963-3300.
Region IX
American Samoa, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, and
the Northern Mariana Islands. Leslie Rogers, FTA Regional
Administrator, 201 Mission Street, Suite 2210, San Francisco, CA
94105-1839, (415) 744-3133.
Region X
Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Richard F. Krochalis, FTA
Regional Administrator, Jackson Federal Building, 915 Second Avenue,
Suite 3142, Seattle, WA 98174-1002, (206) 220-7954.
[FR Doc. E7-20213 Filed 10-12-07; 8:45 am]
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