[Federal Register: January 23, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 14)]
[Notices]
[Page 4281-4284]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23ja09-121]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability: Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in
Parks Program.
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SUMMARY: This notice solicits proposals to compete for Fiscal Year (FY)
2009 funds through the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program
(Transit in Parks Program), formerly the Alternative Transportation in
Parks and Public Lands program (ATPPL), administered by the Federal
Transit Administration (FTA) in partnership with the Department of the
Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service.
The purpose of the program is to enhance the protection of national
parks and Federal lands, and increase the enjoyment of visitors'
experience. The program funds capital and planning expenses for
alternative transportation systems such as buses and trams in
federally-managed parks and public lands. Federal land management
agencies, as well as State, tribal and local governments acting with
the consent of a Federal land management agency are eligible to apply.
DOI, after consultation with and in cooperation with FTA, will
determine the final selection and funding of projects.
DATES: Complete proposals must be received by 12 midnight EST on
February 27, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Project proposals must be submitted to FTA. Applicants are
encouraged to submit proposals through the government-wide electronic
grants Web site at http://www.grants.gov. Click on ``Find Grant
Opportunities,'' then on ``Basic Search,'' and enter Paul S. Sarbanes
Transit in Parks Program as the keyword. Submissions will also be
accepted by e-mail, mail, or fax to: Vanessa Williams, Office of
Program Management, FTA, 202-366-2053, fax: 202-366-7951, e-mail:
SarbanesProgram@dot.gov, mail: 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE.; E44-417;
Washington, DC 20590. The required project proposal template is
available at grants.gov and on the program Web site at http://
www.fta.dot.gov/Transit_in_Parks_Program.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact Vanessa Williams, Office of Program
Management, FTA, 202-366-2053, e-mail: vanessa.williams@dot.gov.
Applicants may also contact the following Transit in Parks Program
points of contact at the Federal land management agencies:
National Park Service: Mark H Hartsoe, Mark_H_
Hartsoe@nps.gov; tel: 202-513-7025, fax: 202-371-6675, mail: 1849 C
Street, NW. (MS2420); Washington, DC 20240-0001.
Fish and Wildlife Service: Nathan Caldwell, nathan_
caldwell@fws.gov, tel: 703-358-2205, fax: 703-358-2517, mail: 4401 N.
Fairfax Drive, Room 634; Arlington, VA 22203.
Forest Service: Ellen LaFayette, elafayette@fs.fed.us,
tel: 703-605-4509, cell: 703-472-2456, fax: 703-605-1542, mail: 1400
Independence Avenue, SW.; Washington, DC 20250-1101. FedEx: USDA Forest
Service, Engineering Suite RPC 500, 1601 N. Kent Street, Arlington, VA
22209.
Bureau of Land Management: Linda Force, linda_
force@blm.gov, tel: 202-452-5110, fax: 202-452-5046, mail: 1849 C
Street, NW.; Washington, DC 20240.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. General Program Information
II. Guidelines for Preparing and Submitting Proposals
III. Proposal Review, Selection, and Notification
IV. Additional Program Information
I. General Program Information
A. Authority
Section 3021 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient
Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for Users of 2005 (SAFETEA-LU), as
amended established the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program
(Transit in Parks Program) (49 U.S.C. 5320). SAFETEA-LU authorized
$96.9 million in funding for the program for FYs 2006 through 2009.
SAFETEA-LU authorized $26.9 million for FY 2009. Availability of
funding is subject to congressional appropriations, which have not yet
been finalized for FY 2009. No one project may receive more than 25
percent of available funds.
B. Background
Congestion in and around parks and public lands causes traffic
delays and noise and air pollution that substantially detract from the
visitor's experience and the protection of natural resources. In August
2001, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and DOI published a
comprehensive study of alternative transportation needs in national
parks and related Federal lands. The study identified significant
alternative transportation needs at sites managed by the National Park
Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. Additionally, a supplement to this report identified Forest
Service sites that would benefit from such services.
Section 3021 of SAFETEA-LU (49 U.S.C. 5320) addresses these needs
by establishing a new program to fund alternative transportation
projects in national parks and other Federal lands. 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.
C. Eligible Applicants
(1) Federal land management agencies that manage an eligible area,
including but not limited to the National Park Service, the Fish and
Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service,
and the Bureau of Reclamation; and
(2) State, tribal and local governments with jurisdiction over land
in the vicinity of an eligible area, acting with the consent of a
Federal land management agency, alone or in partnership with a Federal
land management agency or other governmental or non-governmental
participant. If the applicant is a State, tribal, or local government,
a letter from the unit(s) of the Federal land management agency or
agencies affected expressing support for the project should be
submitted with the project proposal.
Note: An eligible area is any federally owned or managed park,
refuge, or recreational area that is open to the general public,
including a unit of the National Park System, a unit of the National
Wildlife Refuge System, a recreational area managed
[[Page 4282]]
by the Bureau of Land Management, a recreational area managed by the
Bureau of Reclamation, and a unit of the National Forest System.
D. Eligible Expenses
SAFETEA-LU defines alternative transportation as ``transportation
by bus, rail, or any other publicly or privately owned conveyance that
provides to the public general or special service on a regular basis,
including sightseeing service. Such term also includes a non-motorized
transportation system (including the provision of facilities for
pedestrians, bicycles, and non-motorized watercraft).''
A qualified project is a planning or capital project in or in the
vicinity of a Federally-owned or managed park, refuge, or recreational
area that is open to the general public and meets the goals of the
program. Operating expenses are not eligible under the program. A
project proposal may include up to 15 percent for project
administration, contingency, and oversight. As specified in 49 U.S.C.
5320(b)(5), the following types of projects are eligible:
Planning
1. Activities to comply with metropolitan and statewide planning
provisions. (49 U.S.C. 5320(b)(5)(A) referencing 49 U.S.C. 5303, 5304,
5305).
2. Activities include planning studies for an alternative
transportation system including evaluation of no-build and all other
reasonable alternatives, traffic studies, visitor utilization studies,
transportation analysis, feasibility studies, and environmental
studies.
Capital
1. General Capital Expenses for Alternative Transportation System
Projects:
a. Eligible capital projects include all aspects of ``acquiring,
constructing, supervising, or inspecting equipment or a facility for
use in public transportation, expenses incidental to the acquisition or
construction (including designing, engineering, location surveying,
mapping, and acquiring rights-of-way), payments for the capital
portions of rail trackage rights agreements, transit-related
intelligent transportation systems, relocation assistance, acquiring
replacement housing sites, and acquiring, constructing, relocating, and
rehabilitating replacement housing;''
b. Capital projects may include those projects operated by an
outside entity, such as a public transportation agency, state or local
government, private company engaged in public transportation, or
private non-profit organization; and,
c. Projects may also include the deployment/commercialization of
alternative transportation vehicles that introduce innovative
technologies or methods.
2. ``Fixed Guideway'' and Bus Projects:
a. The SAFETEA-LU legislation includes language allowing
eligibility of ``fixed guideway'' projects. These are defined as those
transportation projects that run on a dedicated right of way, like a
light rail, trolley, bus rapid transit, or any type of ferry system.
For these types of projects, eligible projects can include:
i. Development of a new fixed guideway project;
ii. Rehabilitation or modernization of existing fixed guideway
systems; and,
iii. Expansion of existing systems.
b. For bus or shuttle projects, eligible projects can include:
i. Purchase of buses and related equipment;
ii. Replacement of buses and related equipment;
iii. Rehabilitation of buses and related equipment;
iv. Construction of bus-related facilities such as bus shelters;
and,
v. Purchase of rolling stock that incorporates clean fuel
technology or the replacement of buses of a type in use on August 10,
2005, with clean fuel vehicles.
3. The Transit in Parks Program specifically includes these other
eligible capital projects:
a. The capital costs of coordinating Federal land management agency
public transportation systems with other public transportation systems.
b. Non-motorized transportation systems (including the provision of
facilities for pedestrians, bicycles and non-motorized watercraft).
c. Water-borne access systems within or in the vicinity of an
eligible area as appropriate and consistent with 49 U.S.C. 5320.
d. Any other alternative transportation project that
i. Enhances the environment;
ii. Prevents or mitigates an adverse impact on a natural resource;
iii. Improves Federal land management agency resource management;
iv. Improves visitor mobility and accessibility and the visitor
experience;
v. Reduces congestion and pollution (including noise pollution and
visual pollution); or
vi. Conserves a natural, historical, or cultural resource
(excluding rehabilitation or restoration of a non-transportation
facility).
In order to be considered for funding, a project must consist of
one or more of the eligible activities listed above, meet the
definition of alternative transportation, and contribute to the goals
of the program.
Lease vs. Purchase
The capital cost of leasing vehicles is an eligible expense under
the program. For vehicle acquisition projects, sponsors should compare
the cost-effectiveness of leasing versus purchasing vehicles. Leasing
may be particularly cost effective in circumstances in which transit
service is only needed during a peak visitation period that lasts only
a few months. In these cases, leasing a vehicle for a few months during
the year may be less expensive than purchasing a vehicle only used for
a few months during the year. An award can cover the capital cost of
leasing vehicles but not the cost of operations, such as fuel or
driver's salary.
Project sponsors should also compare the cost effectiveness of
providing service versus contracting for service. The capital portion
of contracted service is an eligible capital expense under the program.
For example, if a public land agency contracts with a private bus
company to provide shuttle service with privately owned buses, the
portion of the contract that covers the capital expense of the buses is
an eligible expense under the Transit in Parks Program. Operating
expenses are not eligible under the program. Project sponsors will be
asked to compare the cost-effectiveness of their preferred option to
other alternatives in the financial sustainability portion of the
proposal.
E. Proposal Evaluation Criteria and Other Considerations
It is anticipated that the demand for financial assistance through
the Transit in Parks Program will significantly exceed the funds
available, and thus the selection process will be highly competitive.
Project proposals will be evaluated based on how well the proposed
project would meet the goals of the program identified in the
legislation and in section I B of this notice. The criteria below,
which are consistent with the considerations identified in 49 U.S.C.
5320(g)(2), aid evaluators in determining how well projects would meet
these goals. The application template contains specific questions
related to each of these criteria to guide the applicant in justifying
the project. Proposed capital projects will be evaluated based on the
following criteria:
[[Page 4283]]
Demonstration of Need:
[cir] Visitor mobility and experience current or anticipated
problem; and
[cir] Environmental current or anticipated problem.
Visitor Mobility and Experience Benefits of Project:
[cir] Reduced traffic congestion;
[cir] Enhanced visitor mobility, accessibility, and safety; and
[cir] Improved visitor education, recreation, and health benefits.
Environmental Benefits of Project:
[cir] Protection of sensitive natural, cultural, and historic
resources; and
[cir] Reduced pollution (air, noise, visual).
Financial Sustainability and Operational Efficiency:
[cir] Effectiveness in meeting management goals;
[cir] Realistic financial plan;
[cir] Cost effectiveness; and
[cir] Partnering, funding from other sources, innovative
financing.
Proposed planning projects will be evaluated based on the following
criteria:
Demonstration of Need:
[cir] Visitor mobility and experience current or anticipated
problem; and
[cir] Environmental current or anticipated problem.
Methodology for Assessing Visitor Mobility and Experience
Benefits of Project:
[cir] Reduced traffic congestion;
[cir] Enhanced visitor mobility, accessibility, and safety; and
[cir] Improved visitor education, recreation, and health benefits.
Methodology for Assessing Environmental Benefits of
Project:
[cir] Protection of sensitive natural, cultural, and historical
Resources; and
[cir] Reduced pollution (air, noise, visual).
Methodology for Assessing Operational Efficiency and
Financial Sustainability of Alternatives:
[cir] Effectiveness in meeting management goals;
[cir] Realistic financial plan;
[cir] Cost effectiveness; and
[cir] Partnering, funding from other sources.
A special note on non-motorized transportation systems: While non-
motorized systems, such as trails, are eligible under the program, not
all non-motorized systems will meet the goals of the program needed to
be considered for funding. Like motorized systems, in order to be
considered for funding, non-motorized systems must reduce or mitigate
the number of auto trips by providing an alternative to travel by
private auto. In addition, non-motorized systems must provide a high
degree of connectivity within a transportation system. Finally, they
should improve safety for motorized and non-motorized transportation
system users.
Additional consideration will be given to projects based upon
geographic diversity, balance between urban and rural projects, and
balance in size of projects.
The program of projects may also be balanced by type of project, as
categorized below, to best show accomplishments from the program.
New alternative transportation systems--to show new
systems made possible by this new program.
Expansion or enhancement of an existing alternative
transportation system--to demonstrate improvements and expansions
enabled by the program.
Rehabilitation or replacement of vehicles or facilities of
existing alternative transportation systems--to support and sustain
existing meritorious systems into the future.
Planning studies--to prepare for new systems that can be
funded in future years.
II. Guidelines for Preparing and Submitting Proposals
Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals through the Federal
government-wide electronic grants Web site at http://www.grants.gov.
Click on ``Find Grant Opportunities,'' then on ``Basic Search,'' and
enter Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program as the keyword.
Submissions will also be accepted by e-mail, mail, or fax to the
Federal Transit Administration using the contact information found in
the ADDRESSES section of this notice. The required project proposal
template as well as guidance on completing a proposal can be found on
grants.gov and on the program Web site at http://www.fta.dot.gov/
Transit in Parks Program. There are separate proposal templates for
planning and capital (``implementation'') projects. Project proposals
must adhere to the page limits listed on the proposal templates.
A ``Webinar''-style workshop to provide information on the program
and guidance on how to apply will be held on February 4, 2009 EST.
Check the Web site at http://www.fta.dot.gov/Transit in Parks Program
for more details. If you do not have adequate Internet access you may
request hard copies of the Webinar presentations and information on how
to phone-in to the Webinar from Vanessa Williams at 202-366-2053, e-
mail: vanessa.williams@dot.gov.
Applicants must reapply each year; however an applicant may also
propose a project that would expend money in multiple years even though
the award is from one year's worth of appropriated Transit in Parks
Program funds. The project would, however, need to be ready to begin
and need to be completed in a reasonable period of time, as evaluated
on a case by case basis. In sum, the period of performance of the award
is separate from the year of funds of the award.
III. Selection and Notification
FTA will announce project selections in the Federal Register in the
latter part of FY 2009. DOI will notify each Federal land management
agency of projects awarded for sites under the agency's jurisdiction.
The Federal Register will include the list of all selected projects and
funding levels.
IV. Additional Program Information
A. Funds Administration
Once proposals have been reviewed and projects have been selected,
FTA will award funds to the lead project sponsor to implement the
project. These funds will be administered according to Federal
requirements as well as the appropriate policies, guidelines and rules
of the pertinent agencies.
For projects directly administered by a Federal land management
agency, these funds will be administered by an interagency agreement
between FTA and the respective agency. For programs administered by a
State, tribal, or local governmental authority, these funds will be
administered through a grant administered by FTA.
B. Program Requirements and Oversight
The requirements for recipients of funding through the program can
be found at http://www.fta.dot.gov/Transit in Parks Program under
``Requirements for Recipients of Funding.'' This document also
describes the oversight FTA will provide for this program.
C. Performance Measures
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 Transit
in Parks 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,
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A note of any special services offered for those systems
with higher costs per passenger but more amenities.
Federal land management agencies should send this information as
part of their fourth quarter report. Examples can be found on the
program Web site at http://www.fta.dot.gov/Transit in Parks Program.
All planning documents that result from Transit in Parks Program
funding must be submitted to FTA within thirty days. These should also
be submitted to Vanessa Williams.
D. Technical Assistance
FTA has established a technical assistance program to assist
participants in planning, implementing, and evaluating alternative
transportation projects. As part of FTA's technical assistance efforts,
FTA is in the process of establishing a National Alternative
Transportation Technical Assistance Center which will carry out
multiple planning, research and technical assistance initiatives. FTA
anticipates that the Center will be operational by March 2009. For more
information regarding the Technical Assistance Center, contact Julie
Atkins, Office of Planning and Environment, at 202-366-4491, e-mail:
Julie.atkins@dot.gov.
In addition, a limited number of technical assistance visits are
available to assist potential project sponsors in the initial stages of
planning. Project sponsors or potential project sponsors may contact
the relevant Federal land management agency headquarters contact (see
ADDRESSES section) to request technical assistance.
Issued in Washington, DC, this 14th day of January, 2009.
Sherry E. Little,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. E9-1258 Filed 1-22-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P