[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 56 (Friday, March 23, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13968-13971]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-4832]
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Part III
Department of Transportation
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Federal Transit Administration
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Bus and Bus Facilities Discretionary Program Grants (Section 5309);
Notice
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 56 / Friday, March 23, 2007 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Bus and Bus Facilities Discretionary Program Grants (Section
5309)
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of Fiscal Year 2007 Funds; Solicitation
of Grant Applications.
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SUMMARY: This notice invites applications for the discretionary funds
available in Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 for the discretionary Bus and Bus
Facilities Program, authorized by 49 U.S.C. 5309(b). The Bus and Bus
Facilities Program makes funds available to public transit providers to
finance 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.
The notice includes priorities established by the Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) for the discretionary program, includes the
criteria FTA will use in evaluating applications, and describes how to
apply. Applications will be accepted from Designated Recipients for the
FTA Urbanized Area Formula program and States, on behalf of
nonurbanized or urbanized area transit providers.
This announcement is available on the Internet 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. 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. Proposals may be submitted to
FTA electronically through the Grants.Gov APPLY function or through
FTA's Transportation Electronic Award and Management (TEAM)-Web.
DATES: Complete proposals for the discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities
Program grants must be submitted by May 22, 2007. Anyone intending to
apply electronically through Grants.Gov for the first time should
initiate the process of registering on the Grants.Gov site immediately
to ensure completion of registration before the deadline for
submission. FTA will announce grant selections in the Federal Register
when the selection process is complete.
ADDRESSES: Proposals may be submitted electronically through the
Grants.Gov website or through FTA's TEAM-Web grants management and
award system. Applicants applying to Grants.Gov may also send an e-mail
to their regional grant contact to receive confirmation that FTA
retrieved the application.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact the appropriate FTA Regional
Administrator (Appendix A) for application-specific information and
issues. For general program information, contact Henrika Buchanan-
Smith, (202) 366-4020, e-mail: [email protected] or Mary
Martha Churchman, (202) 366-2053, e-mail: [email protected]
in the FTA Office of Program Management, Office of Transit Programs. A
TDD is available at 1-800-877-8339 (TDD/FIRS).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
Overview
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
II. Award Information
III. Eligibility Information
IV. Application and Submission Information
V. Application Review, Selection, and Notification
VI. Award Administration
VII. Agency Contact(s)
Appendix A FTA Regional Offices
Overview
Federal Agency Name: Federal Transit Administration, U.S.
Department of Transportation.
Funding Opportunity Title: Discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities
Program.
Announcement Type: Initial Announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 20.500.
Dates: Applications must be submitted by May 22, 2007.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Authority
The program is authorized under 49 U.S.C. 5309(b)(3), as amended by
section 3011 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient,
Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Pub. L.
109-059, August 10, 2005.
The Secretary may make grants under this section to assist State
and local governmental authorities in financing * * *
(3) 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
The ``Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007'' (Pub. L.
110-05) enacted, February 15, 2007, made available $881,779,000 for the
FTA Bus and Bus Facilities program in FY 2007. Of this amount,
$8,817,790 is deducted for oversight and $459,670,089 is allocated to
statutory provisions and project designations in SAFETEA-LU. The
balance of $413,291,121 in FY 2007 funds is available to FTA for
discretionary allocation. In addition, a balance of $24,893,251 of FY
2006 Bus and Bus Facilities program funding that was not allocated to
specific projects in the FY 2006 appropriations legislation is also
available for discretionary award in FY 2007, for a total of
$438,184,372.
The authorizing legislation allows for the Secretary of
Transportation to make awards under this program at her discretion. FTA
is issuing two separate Notices of Funding Availability for
discretionary funding in the Bus Program in FY 2007. One notice, which
appears in another part of today's Federal Register, invites
applications to support the Department's Congestion Initiative, in
conjunction with the solicitation previously issued by the Department
for the Urban Partners program. This notice invites applications to
support additional strategic investments in bus and bus facility
projects that represent the highest and best use of the available
discretionary funding and respond to specific priorities FTA has
identified in this Notice. Applicants may respond to either or both
notices, according to the instructions included in each notice.
Separate applications are required for each notice. In the selection
process, FTA will ensure that funding is not awarded to the same
applicant for the same activities under both notices.
C. Purpose
Improving mobility and shaping America's future by ensuring that
the transportation system is accessible, integrated, and efficient, and
offers flexibility of choices is a key strategic goal of the Department
of Transportation. Bus and Bus Facilities projects will improve
mobility for all individuals by providing financial assistance to help
transit providers address planned capital improvements beyond what can
be provided with existing resources such as Urbanized Area (49 U.S.C.
5307) and Nonurbanized Area (49 U.S.C. 5311) formula resources that are
currently available to grantees. These competitive grants will support
cost effective
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strategic investments in buses and bus facility projects that represent
the highest and best use of the available discretionary funding.
II. Award Information
Federal transit funds are available to State or local governmental
authorities as recipients and other public transportation providers as
subrecipients for up to 80 percent of the net project capital cost. The
$438 million available to FTA for discretionary allocation in FY 2007
will be allocated to projects submitted in response to this notice and
the Congestion Relief notice published separately in this Federal
Register. There are no minimum or maximum funding limits for
applications under this notice; however, FTA intends to fund as many
meritorious projects as possible. FTA may allocate less than the total
amount requested in the application. Following announcement of the
project selections, successful applicants will submit further
documentation through FTA's electronic grant management system, TEAM,
and FTA will award funding in the form of grants. At the request of the
original applicant, FTA will award grants to other eligible direct
recipients whose projects were included in a consolidated application.
While funds under the program have a three year period of availability
for obligation, FTA intends to award grants for the selected projects
before the end of FY 2007 or in the first quarter of FY 2008. Grants
are subject to a 20 percent local match requirement and projects must
comply with all requirements applicable to the Section 5309 Bus and Bus
Facilities Program.
FTA will give special consideration to applications that address
the following priority areas that FTA has established for the FY 2007
discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities program:
Fleet replacement needs that cannot be met with formula
funds.
Fleet expansion that allows significant service increase
and/or improvements and/or operating efficiencies.
Facility construction or renovation to support increased
service or introduction of clean fuels.
Strategic investments in rural areas where formula funding
is inadequate.
Purchase of clean fuel vehicles.
Intermodal terminal projects that include intercity bus
providers.
Gulf Coast Recovery--capital to support bus and bus
facilities replacement and expansion related to the impacts of the 2005
Hurricanes. Eligibility is limited to those areas identified as
eligible under Section 7025 of Pub. L. 109-234 and FTA's implementing
guidance.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants under this program are Designated Recipients
under the Section 5307 Urbanized Area Formula program and States.
Proposals for funding of eligible projects in rural (nonurbanized)
areas must be submitted as part of a consolidated State application.
States and Designated Recipients may also submit consolidated proposals
for projects in urbanized areas.
Proposals may contain projects to be implemented by the Designated
Recipient or its subrecipients. Eligible subrecipients include public
agencies, private non-profit organizations, and private providers
engaged in public transportation. Tribal rural transit projects must be
included in a State proposal, but FTA may make a direct grant to a
Federally recognized tribe for a project included in the proposal if
selected.
2. Eligible Expenses
Section 5309 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 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 Bus program are capital
projects such as: purchase and rehabilitation of buses and vans, bus
related equipment (including Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
equipment, fare boxes, radios), construction and rehabilitation of bus
related facilities (including administrative, maintenance, transfer,
and intermodal facilities, including facilities consistent with FTA's
joint development policy.)
Funds made available under this Notice cannot be used to fund
operating expenses or the expanded capital eligibility activities such
as preventive maintenance, security drills, or debt service reserve
otherwise eligible under the Bus Program. Funds also cannot be used to
reimburse grantees that have incurred prior expenses for the project
absent evidence that FTA had issued a Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) for
the project prior to the costs being incurred. There is no blanket pre-
award authority for projects to be funded under this announcement prior
to announcement in the Federal Register of the selected projects.
3. Cost Sharing or Matching
Costs will be shared at the following ratio: 80 percent FTA/20
percent local contribution. Match for the incremental cost of ADA or
Clean Air Act improvements may be 90/10, consistent with the guidance
for other FTA programs. FTA can waive local share for Gulf Coast
projects under provisions of Section 7025. FTA will not approve
deferred local share under this program.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Proposal Submission Process
The eligible applicants, Designated Recipients and States, because
they are already established FTA grantees, may apply through FTA's
TEAM-Web electronic grants management and award system. Any applicant
information specified in section 2.A below that is not part of the
recipient profile in TEAM-Web may be included as a narrative
attachment. The material regarding Project Information specified in
section 2.B below should be provided as a narrative attachment. To
ensure that FTA identifies the application as a candidate for
consideration in the competitive selection process, the application
must be given the following temporary project name: BUSNOFA--(two
letter State code)--(4 digits Recipient TEAM ID). Supplemental
information may be submitted as a PDF attachment. Mail and fax
submissions will not be accepted except for supplemental information
that cannot be sent electronically.
Submission through TEAM-Web does not guarantee that the application
will be selected for funding. Only those projects selected for award
through the competitive process will advance to formal submission for
grant award, and revisions may be required prior to submission, for
example reductions in the project budget.
Alternatively, applicants may submit project proposals
electronically through http://www.grants.gov. The Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) requires all Federal agencies to make applications for
competitive grant programs available through Grants.Gov. 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 and applicants
will be able to apply through the APPLY module of that site.
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This opportunity is only for funds available to FTA in FY 2007 for
discretionary allocation. In the past, the entire Bus and Bus
Facilities program has typically been allocated by Congress in the
Authorization and in subsequent appropriation legislation. If there are
future discretionary funding opportunities, FTA will issue a new Notice
of Funding Availability.
2. Application Content
A. Applicant Information
This addresses basic identifying information, including:
a. Applicant name and FTA recipient ID number.
b. Contact information (including contact name, e-mail, fax and
phone number).
c. Brief description of services provided by the agency, including
areas served.
For applicants applying through Grants.Gov, some of this information is
included in the Standard Form 424.
B. Project Information
Every proposal must:
1. Describe the projects(s) for which funding is requested.
2. Identify which of the FTA priorities the project addresses, or
indicate that the project addresses other local priorities.
3. Address each of the evaluation criteria separately, providing
evidence that demonstrates how the project responds to each criterion,
for example, age and condition of current fleet to demonstrate need if
applying for replacement vehicles, projected ridership increases that
will result from the project if applying for fleet expansion to support
service enhancements, status of environmental compliance activities if
applying for construction projects, advance preparations that will
enable the project to be implemented quickly.
4. Provide a line item budget for the project, including the
Federal amount requested and the total cost for each purpose for which
funds are sought, and the total Federal amount requested and total
project cost.
5. Document the matching funds, including amount and source of the
match.
6. Provide a project time-line, including significant milestones
such as anticipated date of contract award for purchase of vehicle(s),
and actual or expected delivery date of vehicles.
7. Proposal may include additional supplemental information, for
example, architectural drawings, letters of support, maps.
3. Submission Dates and Times
Complete proposals for the Bus and Bus Facilities Program grants
must be submitted to TEAM-Web by May 22, 2007 or submitted
electronically through the Grants.Gov Web site by the same date.
Applicants planning to apply through grants.gov 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. FTA will announce grant selections when the competitive
selection process is complete.
4. Funding Restrictions
Only proposals from eligible recipients for eligible activities
will be considered for funding (see Section III). Due to funding
limitations, applicants that are selected for funding may receive less
than the amount requested.
5. Other Submission Requirements
Applicants should submit 3 copies of any supplemental information
that cannot be submitted electronically to the appropriate regional
office. Supplemental information submitted in hardcopy must be
postmarked or delivered by alternate delivery services by May 22, 2007.
V. Application Review Information
1. Project Evaluation Criteria
Projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
A. Cost Effective Strategic Investment.
i. Project represents a one-time or periodic capital investment
that cannot reasonably be funded from formula allocations or State and/
or local revenues. Applicants for the Gulf Coast recovery priority must
also demonstrate that funds have not been made available for the
investment by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or other
supplemental resources.
ii. Applicant did not receive sufficient funding for the proposed
project in the SAFETEA-LU earmarks and formula funds are not available
to support the project.
iii. For vehicle replacement applications, average fleet age is at
or close to 75 percent of useful life, and/or vehicles to be replaced
exceed their useful life based on mileage and/or age.
iv. The project will have a significant impact on service delivery.
B. Planning and prioritization at local/regional level.
i. Project is consistent with the transit priorities identified in
the Metropolitan Transportation plan or statewide long range plan and/
or contingency/illustrative projects in those plans. The project could
not be included in the financially constrained Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP)/State Transportation Improvement Program
(STIP) due to lack of funding (if selected, project must be on TIP
before grant award).
ii. Local support is demonstrated by the availability of local
match for this project and, if applicable, letters of support from
project partners (e.g., intercity bus operators, in the case of an
application for an intermodal facility).
iii. Capital projects are consistent with service needs of the area
based on local plans and projected population trends. For example, a
proposal for fleet expansion shows evidence of the need for additional
capacity.
iv. In an area with more than one transit operator, the application
demonstrates coordination with and support of other transit operators,
or in rural areas, with human service transportation providers.
C. The project clearly addresses one or more of the FTA FY 2007 Bus
priority areas.
i. Application clearly addresses one or more of the priority areas
and demonstrates merit in that area, for example, investment for bus
replacements is justified by age and condition of fleet.
Note: If the project does not address one of the FTA priority
areas, application demonstrates how the project addresses
significant regional or local priorities.
D. The project is ready to implement.
i. At a minimum, any required environmental work has been initiated
for construction projects requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA).
Prior FTA environmental approval indicates a higher state of readiness.
ii. Initial design of facilities projects is complete, and where
applicable, implementation plans have been developed or are under
development.
iii. TIP/STIP can be readily amended (as evidenced by Metropolitan
Planning Organization (MPO)/State endorsement).
iv. Project can be obligated and implemented quickly if selected,
for example, an existing bus procurement includes options the grantee
could exercise.
E. The applicant demonstrates the ability to carry out the proposed
project successfully.
Note: Applicants must have basic technical, legal, and financial
capacity as a precondition of grant award. Since proposals are
limited to existing FTA grantees,
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applicants are assumed to have that basic capacity. This criterion
refers to implementation of the particular project proposed.
i. For larger capital projects, the applicant has the technical
capacity to administer the project.
ii. For fleet replacement and expansion, the acquisition is
consistent with the system's capital replacement plans and/or
operational plans or plans for system improvements.
iii. There are no outstanding legal, technical or financial issues
with the grantee that would make this a high risk project.
iv. Source of 20 percent local match is identified and is available
for prompt project implementation if selected (no deferred local share
will be allowed).
2. Review and Selection Process
Proposals will be screened and ranked by the appropriate FTA
regional office (see Appendix A) and FTA headquarters staff.
Meritorious projects will be considered for inclusion in a national
list of selected projects that addresses the identified priorities and
represents the highest and best use of the available funding. The
Administrator shall determine the final selection and amount of funding
for each project.
Selected projects will be announced approximately eight weeks after
the application deadline. FTA will publish the list of all selected
projects and funding levels in the Federal Register.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
FTA will announce project selections in a Federal Register Notice
and FTA regional offices will contact successful applicants. FTA will
award grants for the selected projects to the Designated Recipient or
State applicant, or to other eligible direct recipients, 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 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 prior to announcement.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
A. 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 C 9300.1A; C
5010.1C; and labor protections required under 49 U.S.C. 5333(b).
Discretionary grants greater than $1 million will go through
Congressional Notification and release process. Technical assistance
regarding these requirements is available from each FTA regional
office.
B. Planning
Applicants are encouraged to notify the appropriate State
Departments of Transportation and MPOs in areas likely to be served by
the project funds made available under this program. Before grant
award, the project must satisfy requirements for inclusion in the STIP
and Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), where
applicable.
C. Standard Assurances
FTA annually issues a set of standard Certifications and Assurances
which each FTA grantee must sign, assuring 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 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 all
relevant current Certifications and Assurances prior to receiving a
grant under this announcement.
3. Reporting
Post-award reporting requirements include submission of Financial
Status Reports, Milestone reports, and narrative progress reports in
TEAM on a quarterly basis for projects within a large urbanized area,
or annual reports for grants in Small urban or rural areas.
Documentation is required for payment.
VII. Agency Contact(s)
Contact the appropriate FTA Regional Administrator (see Appendix A)
for application-specific information and issues. For general program
information, contact Henrika Buchanan-Smith, Office of Transit
Programs, (202) 366-2053, e-mail: [email protected]. A TDD
is available at 1-800-877-8339 (TDD/FIRS).
Issued in Washington, DC, this 12th day of March, 2007.
James S. Simpson,
Administrator.
Appendix A--FTA Regional Offices
Region I--Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire,
Vermont and Maine.
Richard H. Doyle, FTA Regional Administrator, Volpe National
Transportation Systems Center, Kendall Square, 55 Broadway, Suite
920, Cambridge, MA 02142-1093, (617) 494-2055.
Region II--New York, New Jersey.
Brigid Hynes-Cherin, FTA Regional Administrator, One Bowling
Green, Room 429, New York, NY 10004-1415, (212) 668-2170.
Region III--Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia,
Delaware, Washington, DC.
Herman Shipman, FTA Deputy Regional Administrator, 1760 Market
Street, Suite 500, Philadelphia, PA 19103-4124, (215) 656-7100.
Region IV--Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida,
Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Puerto Rico, Virgin
Islands.
Yvette G. Taylor, FTA Regional Administrator, 61 Forsyth Street,
S.W., Suite 17T50, Atlanta, GA 30303, (404) 562-3500.
Region V--Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan.
Marisol R. Simon, FTA Regional Administrator, 200 West Adams
Street, Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60606-5232, (312) 353-2789.
Region VI--Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma.
Robert Patrick, FTA Regional Administrator, 819 Taylor Street,
Room 8A36, Ft. Worth, TX 76102, (817) 978-0550.
Region VII--Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri.
Mokhtee Ahmad, FTA Regional Administrator, 901 Locust Street,
Suite 404, Kansas City, MO 64106, (816) 329-3920.
Region VIII--Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming,
Utah.
Letitia Thompson, Acting FTA Regional Administrator, 12300 West
Dakota Avenue Suite 310, Lakewood, CO 80228-2583, (720) 963-3300.
Region IX--California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, American Samoa,
Guam.
Leslie Rogers, FTA Regional Administrator, 201 Mission Street,
Suite 1650, San Francisco, CA 94105-1831, (415) 744-3133.
Region X--Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska.
Richard Krochalis, FTA Regional Administrator, Jackson Federal
Building, 915 Second Avenue, Suite 3142, Seattle, WA 98174-1002,
(206) 220-7954.
[FR Doc. E7-4832 Filed 3-22-07; 8:45 am]
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