[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 233 (Tuesday, December 5, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70583-70586]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20540]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Alternative Transportation in Parks and Public Lands Program

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability: Alternative Transportation in 
Parks and Public Lands Program.

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SUMMARY: This notice solicits proposals to compete for Fiscal Year (FY) 
2007 funds through the Alternative Transportation in Parks and Public 
Lands (ATPPL) program, 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 those visiting them. 
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 and 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 the designated Federal 
land management agency contact listed in this notice by the close of 
business on February 16, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Project proposals must be submitted to the designated 
contact person at the headquarters office of the Federal land 
management agency that manages the park or public land involved. If the 
project involves more than one Federal land management agency, a 
project proposal template must be submitted to all agencies involved. 
The required project proposal template is available at http://www.fta.dot.gov/atppl. E-mail submission is preferred. Mail and fax 
submission will also be accepted.
     National Park Service: Mark H Hartsoe, [email protected]; tel: 202-513-7025, fax: 202-371-6675, mail: 1849 C 
Street, NW., (MS2420); Washington, DC 20240-0001.
     Fish and Wildlife Service: Nathan Caldwell, [email protected], tel: 703-358-2205, fax: 703-358-2517, mail: 4401 N. 
Fairfax Drive, Room 634; Arlington, VA 22203.
     Forest Service: Ellen LaFayette, [email protected], 
tel: 703-605-4509, 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, [email protected], tel: 202-557-3567, fax: 202-452-5046, mail: 1849 C 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Faulk, Office of Program 
Management, Federal Transit Administration, 202-366-1660, e-mail: 
[email protected].

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) 
established a new program called the ATPPL program (49 U.S.C. 5320). 
SAFETEA-LU authorized $97 million in funding for the program for FY 
2006 through 2009. SAFETEA-LU authorized $23 million FY 2007. 
Availability of funding is subject to congressional appropriations, 
which have not yet been finalized for FY 2007. 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

    Eligible applicants are:
    (1) Federal land management agencies, including 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.

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

[[Page 70584]]

include up to 15 percent of project expenses 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 ATPPL 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 Section 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 that is then 
only used for a few months during the year. An ATPPL award can cover 
the capital cost of leasing vehicles but not the cost of operations.
    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 contracts with a private bus company to 
provide a 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 ATPPL 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 ATPPL 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 section 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:
     Demonstration of Need
    [cir] Visitor mobility & experience current or anticipated problem
    [cir] Environmental current or anticipated problem
     Visitor Mobility & Experience Benefits of Project
    [cir] Reduced traffic congestion
    [cir] Enhanced visitor mobility, accessibility, and safety
    [cir] Improved visitor education, recreation, and health benefits
     Environmental Benefits of Project
    [cir] Protection of sensitive natural, cultural, and historic 
resources
    [cir] Reduced pollution (air, noise, visual)
     Financial Sustainability and Operational Efficiency
    [cir] Effectiveness in meeting management goals
    [cir] Realistic financial plan
    [cir] Cost effectiveness
    [cir] Partnering, funding from other sources, innovative financing
    Proposed planning projects will be evaluated based on the following 
criteria:

[[Page 70585]]

     Demonstration of Need
    [cir] Visitor mobility & experience current or anticipated problem
    [cir] Environmental current or anticipated problem
     Methodology for Assessing Visitor Mobility & Experience 
Benefits of Project
    [cir] Reduced traffic congestion
    [cir] Enhanced visitor mobility, accessibility, and safety
    [cir] Improved visitor education, recreation, and health benefits
     Methodology for Assessing Environmental Benefits of 
Project
    [cir] Protection of sensitive natural, cultural, and historical 
Resources
    [cir] Reduced pollution (air, noise, visual)
     Methodology for Assessing Operational Efficiency and 
Financial Sustainability of Alternatives
    [cir] Realistic financial plan
    [cir] Cost effectiveness
    [cir] Partnering, funding from other sources
     The planning project involves partnerships and 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

    Project proposal templates as well as guidance on completing them 
are available at http://www.fta.dot.gov/atppl. There are separate 
proposal templates for planning and capital (``implementation'') 
projects. Project proposals must be submitted to the designated contact 
person at the headquarters office of the Federal land management agency 
that manages the park or public land involved. This list can be found 
in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. If the project involves more 
than one Federal land management agency, a proposal template must be 
submitted to all agencies involved. Project proposals must adhere to 
the page limits listed on the proposal templates. Submission by e-mail 
is preferred. Mail and fax submissions will also be accepted.
    In addition, a synopsis of this announcement will also be posted in 
the FIND module of the government-wide electronic grants Web site at 
http://www.grants.gov.
    A ``webinar''-style workshop to provide information on the program 
and guidance on applying will be held during the middle of December 
2006. Check the Web site at http://www.fta.dot.gov/atppl 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 Scott Faulk at 202-366-1660.
    If applicants would like to apply for funds appropriated for future 
fiscal years, applicants must reapply each year. 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 ATPPL 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. Proposal Review, Selection and Notification

    Proposals will first be reviewed and screened by the headquarters 
office of the relevant Federal land management agency (or agencies if 
the project involves more than one). Following this initial review, 
proposals will be evaluated by an interagency team which includes 
representatives from FTA, each of the Federal land management agencies, 
and DOI. After evaluating the projects based on the criteria in the law 
and further explained in part E of this notice, the team will provide a 
recommendation to the Secretary of the Interior. The Secretary of the 
Interior, after consultation with and in cooperation with the Secretary 
of Transportation, shall determine the final selection and amount of 
funding for each project.
    Selected projects will be announced in Spring 2007. DOI will notify 
each Federal land management agency of projects awarded for sites under 
the agency's jurisdiction. FTA will publish the list of all selected 
projects and funding levels in the Federal Register, as well as in its 
annual report to Congress on the ATPPL program submitted as part of its 
Annual Report on New Starts in early February 2008. Criteria and 
application procedures may be reassessed for subsequent years.

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 interagency agreement 
between the 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/atppl under ``Requirements for 
Recipients of Funding.'' This document also describes the oversight FTA 
will provide for this program.

C. Performance Measures

    Participants may be asked to compile data for use in measuring 
program performance.

D. Technical Assistance, Planning, and Research

    The ATPPL program allows DOT to spend not more than 10 percent of 
program funds to carry out planning, research, and technical assistance 
activities. FTA will oversee the funds allocated to technical 
assistance to assist program participants in planning, implementing, 
and evaluating alternative transportation projects. In

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addition, FTA will be responsible for the provision of planning 
guidance and dissemination of research findings. First products include 
a program manual to be issued in November and the webinar to be held on 
November 29. 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 or the 
FTA contact in the Addresses section to request technical assistance or 
provide ideas of types of activities that would be particularly helpful 
in furthering the goals of the program.

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 29th day of November, 2006.
James S. Simpson,
Administrator.
 [FR Doc. E6-20540 Filed 12-4-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P