[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 4, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23843-23847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-10430]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities Program
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of FTA State of Good Repair Bus and Bus
Facilities Initiative Funds: Solicitation of Project Proposals.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the
availability of discretionary Section 5309 Bus and Bus Facilities grant
funds in support of its ``State of Good Repair'' initiative. The State
of Good Repair (SGR) Bus initiative will be funded with up to $775
million in unallocated Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 discretionary Bus and Bus
Facilities Program funds, authorized by 49 USC 5309(b) of the Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy
For Users (SAFETEA-LU), Public Law 109-59, August 10, 2005. FTA may use
additional Bus and Bus Facilities program funding that becomes
available in the future to further support this initiative.
The SGR Bus initiative will make funds available to public transit
providers to finance capital projects to replace, rehabilitate, and
purchase buses and related equipment and to construct/rehabilitate bus-
related facilities, including programs of bus and bus-related projects
which may include assistance to subrecipients that are public agencies,
private companies engaged in public transportation, or private non-
profit organizations. This Notice includes priorities established by
FTA for these discretionary funds, the criteria FTA will use to
identify meritorious projects for funding, and describes how to apply.
This announcement is available on the FTA Web site at: http://www.fta.dot.gov. FTA will announce final selections on the Web site and
in the Federal Register. 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.
DATES: Complete proposals for the SGR Bus initiative must be submitted
by June 18, 2010. All proposals must be submitted electronically
through the GRANTS.GOV APPLY function. In order to apply through
GRANTS.GOV, proposers should initiate the process of registering on the
GRANTS.GOV site immediately to ensure completion of registration before
the deadline for submission. Proposers will receive two confirmation e-
mails. The first email will confirm that the application was received
and a subsequent e-mail will be sent indicating whether the application
was validated or rejected by the system.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact the appropriate FTA Regional
Administrator (see Appendix) for proposal-specific information and
issues. For information on the SGR Bus initiative, contact Darren
Jaffe, Office of Program Management, (202) 366-4008, e-mail:
[email protected]. A TDD is available at 1-800-877-8339 (TDD/FIRS).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Funding Opportunity Description
II. Award Information
III. Eligibility Information
IV. Proposal Submission Information
V. Proposal Review, Selection, and Notification
VI. Award Administration
VII. Agency Contacts
Appendix FTA Regional Offices
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Authority
The bus and bus facilities program is authorized under 49 U.S.C.
5309(b), as amended by section 3011 of SAFETEA-LU:
``The Secretary may make grants under this section to assist
State and local governmental authorities in financing capital
projects * * * to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and
related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities, including
programs of bus and bus-related projects for assistance to
subrecipients that are public agencies, private companies engaged in
public transportation, or private non-profit organizations.''
B. Background
Maintaining the nation's public transportation fleet,
infrastructure, and equipment in a state of good repair is essential to
providing reliable, high-quality, and safe transit services to the tens
of millions of Americans who depend on it daily. Transit not only
provides mobility options for the American public, but contributes to
the livability of our nation's communities and to environmental and
energy sustainability. However, given recent limitations in State and
local resources and the need to meet projected growth in demand for
transit service, many local transit agencies are finding it difficult
to meet their basic re-investment needs. FTA's April 2009 Rail
Modernization Study estimated a combined $50 billion repair and
replacement backlog in the bus and rail systems of the seven oldest and
largest U.S. transit agencies.
The state of repair of transit infrastructure is an important issue
for both large and small systems across the country. According to the
U.S. Department of Transportation's 2008
[[Page 23844]]
Status of the Nation's Highways, Bridges, and Transit Conditions and
Performance Report to Congress, over 36 percent of urban bus
maintenance facilities were estimated to be in marginal or poor
condition in 2006, five percent higher than in 2004. This report also
found that nearly 50 percent of the nation's bus facilities were over
20 years old and that 18 percent of the nation's bus fleet was in need
of replacement. The average bus age and condition have stabilized
recently and are even expected to improve due to the number of vehicles
purchased recently with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.
Buses are relatively short-lived assets, however, and some 8,000 must
be replaced each year.
Preliminary FTA research indicates that while most transit agencies
employ maintenance management systems and have capital improvement
plans, few possess asset management plans and systems that support
prioritization of asset replacement, as practiced by most state highway
agencies and other major public infrastructure managers. Indications
are that potential improvements in investment efficiency from better
asset management can considerably outweigh the cost of implementation.
Recognizing growing investment needs and the large backlog of
transit assets needing repair or replacement, the FTA proposed a $2.9
billion Bus and Rail State of Good Repair formula program in the
President's FY 2011 budget. In advance of the implementation of this
program, this notice makes available up to $775 million in FY 2010
Section 5309 bus and bus discretionary program resources for a ``State
of Good Repair Bus'' (SGR Bus) grant initiative.
C. Program Purpose
Improving and maintaining America's buses and bus facilities so
that the nation's public transportation systems are in good physical
condition and successfully accomplish their performance objectives is a
key strategic goal of the DOT and FTA. The SGR Bus initiative is
intended to contribute to the improvement of the condition of transit
capital assets by providing financial assistance for recapitalization
of buses and bus facilities. In addition, funding under this SGR Bus
initiative may be used for the development and implementation of new,
or improvement of existing, transit asset management systems.
Transportation asset management is a strategic and systematic process
of operating, maintaining, improving, and expanding physical assets
effectively throughout their life cycle. Successful systems focus on
good business and engineering policy, practices and procedures for
resource allocation and utilization with the objective of better
decision-making based upon quality information and well defined
objectives.
II. Award Information
Federal transit funds are available to State or local governmental
authorities as recipients and other public transportation providers as
subrecipients. There is no floor or upper limit for any single grant
under this program; however, FTA intends to fund as many meritorious
projects as possible. In addition, FTA will take into consideration the
geographic diversity of its award decisions.
Consistent with 49 U.S.C. 5309(m)(8), the Secretary shall consider
the age and condition of buses, bus fleets, bus-related facilities and
equipment of applicants in its award of State of Good Repair Bus
grants.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Proposers
Eligible proposers and eventual grant applicants under this
initiative are Direct Recipients under the Section 5307 Urbanized Area
Formula program, States, and Indian Tribes. Proposals for funding
eligible projects in rural (nonurbanized) areas must be submitted as
part of a consolidated State proposal with the exception of
nonurbanized projects to Indian Tribes. Tribes, States, and Direct
Recipients may also submit consolidated proposals for projects in
urbanized areas.
Proposals shall contain projects to be implemented by the Recipient
or its subrecipients. Eligible subrecipients include public agencies,
private non-profit organizations, and private providers engaged in
public transportation.
B. Eligible Expenses
SAFETEA-LU grants authority to the Secretary to make grants to
assist State and local governmental authorities in financing capital
projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related
equipment and to construct or rehabilitate bus-related facilities,
including programs of bus and bus-related projects for assistance to
subrecipients that are public agencies, private companies engaged in
public transportation, or private non-profit organizations.
Projects eligible for funding under the SGR Bus initiative are
capital projects such as: purchase, replacement, or rehabilitation of,
buses and vans and related equipment (including Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS), fare equipment, communication devices
that are FCC mandatory narrow-banding compliant); replacement or the
modernization of bus maintenance and revenue service (passenger)
facilities; and the development and implementation of transit asset
management systems, that address the objectives identified in the
Program Purpose subsection above.
C. Cost Sharing
Costs will be shared at the following ratio: 80 percent FTA/20
percent local contribution, unless the grantee requests a lower Federal
share. FTA will not approve deferred local share requests under this
program.
The Federal share may exceed 80 percent for certain projects
related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Clean Air
Act (CAA) as follows: ADA--The Federal share is 90 percent for the cost
of vehicle-related equipment or facilities attributable to compliance
with the ADA of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq); CAA--The Federal share
is 90 percent for the cost of vehicle related equipment or facilities
(including clean-fuel or alternative-fuel vehicle related equipment or
facilities) attributable to compliance with the CAA (42 U.S.C. 7401 et
seq). For administrative simplicity, FTA allows recipients to compute
the Federal share at 83 percent for eligible ADA and CAA vehicle
purchases.
The FY 2010 Appropriations Act allows a 90 percent Federal share
for the total cost of a biodiesel bus. The Act also allows a 90 percent
Federal share for the net capital cost of factory installed or
retrofitted hybrid electric propulsion systems and any equipment
related to such a system. For administrative simplicity, FTA allows
recipients to compute the Federal share at 83 percent for eligible
vehicle purchases.
IV. Proposal Submission Information
A. Proposal Submission Process
Project proposals must be submitted electronically through http://www.grants.gov. Mail and fax submissions will not be accepted except
for supplemental information that cannot be sent electronically.
B. Proposal Content
1. Proposal Information
Proposals should provide basic sponsor identifying information,
including:
a. Proposer's name and FTA recipient ID number.
[[Page 23845]]
b. Contact information for notification of project selection
(including contact name, title, address, congressional district, email,
fax and phone number).
c. A general description of services provided by the agency
including ridership, fleet size, areas served, etc.
d. A description of the agency's technical, legal, and financial
capacity to implement the proposed project. Some of this information is
included in Standard Form 424 when applying through GRANTS.GOV.
2. Project Information
Every proposal must:
a. Describe concisely, but completely, the project scope to be
funded. As FTA may elect to only partially fund some project proposals
(see below), the scope should be ``scalable'' with specific components
of independent utility clearly identified.
b. Address each of the evaluation criteria separately,
demonstrating how the project responds to each criterion.
c. Provide a line-item budget for the total project, with enough
detail to describe the various key components of the project. As FTA
may elect to only partially fund some project proposals, the budget
should provide for the minimum amount necessary to fund specific
project components of independent utility.
d. Provide the Federal amount requested.
e. Document the matching funds, including amount and source of the
match, demonstrating strong local or private sector financial
participation in the project.
f. Provide support documentation, including audited financial
statements, bond-ratings, and documents supporting the commitment of
non-federal funding to the project, or a timeframe upon which those
commitments would be made.
g. Provide a project time-line, including significant milestones
such as the date anticipated to issue a request for proposals for
vehicles, or contract for purchase of vehicle(s), and actual or
expected delivery date of vehicles, or notice of request for proposal
and notice to proceed for capital construction/rehabilitation projects.
C. Submission Dates and Times
Complete proposals for the State of Good Repair Bus initiative must
be submitted June 18, 2010 electronically through the GRANTS.GOV Web
site by the same date. Proposers 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 a proposal application can be submitted. FTA
will announce project selections when the competitive selection process
is complete. Successful proposers must then apply for a grant in FTA's
Web-based grant system, TEAM, for the scope and amount approved.
D. Funding Restrictions
Only proposals from eligible recipients for eligible activities
will be considered for funding (see Section III). Due to funding
limitations, proposers that are selected for funding may receive less
than the amount originally requested.
E. Other Submission Requirements
Proposers should submit three (3) copies of any supplemental
information that cannot be submitted electronically to the appropriate
regional office. Supplemental information submitted in hardcopy must be
postmarked by June 18, 2010.
V. Proposal Review, Selection, and Notification
A. Project Evaluation Criteria
Projects will be evaluated by FTA based on the proposals submitted
according to the following criteria. Each proposer is encouraged to
demonstrate the responsiveness of a project to any and all of the
selection criteria with the most relevant information that the proposer
can provide, regardless of whether such information has been
specifically requested, or identified, in this notice. FTA will assess
the extent to which a project addresses the following criteria.
1. Planning and prioritization at the local/regional level:
a. Project is consistent with the transit priorities identified in
the long range plan and/or contingency/illustrative projects. Proposer
should note if project could not be included in the financially
constrained Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)/Statewide
Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) due to lack of funding (if
selected, project must be in TIP before grant award).
b. Local support is demonstrated by availability of local match and
letters of support for project.
c. In an area with more than one transit operator, the proposal
demonstrates coordination with, and support of, other transit
operators, or other related projects within the proposer's MPO or the
geographic region within which the proposed project will operate.
2. The project is ready to implement:
a. Any required environmental work has been initiated for
construction projects requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) or
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
b. Project implementation plans are complete, including initial
design of facilities projects.
c. TIP/STIP can be amended (evidenced by MPO/State endorsement).
d. Project funds can be obligated and the project implemented
quickly, if selected.
3. Technical, legal, and financial capacity to implement the
particular project proposed:
a. The proposer has the technical capacity to administer the
project.
b. There are no outstanding legal, technical, or financial issues
with the grantee that would make this a high-risk project to implement
quickly.
c. Source of local match is identified and is available for prompt
project implementation if selected (no deferred local share will be
allowed).
In addition, for each of the project types below, the following
criteria will apply:
1. For bus projects:
a. The age of the asset to be replaced or rehabilitated by the
proposed project, relative to its useful life.
b. The degree to which the proposed project addresses a
demonstrated and verifiable backlog of deferred maintenance.
c. Consistency with the proposer's bus fleet management plan.
d. Condition and performance of the asset to be replaced by the
proposed project, as ascertained through field inspections or
otherwise, if available.
e. Demonstrated positive impact on air quality.
f. The degree to which the proposed project supports emerging or
advanced technologies for transit buses.
g. The project conforms to FTA's spare ratio guidelines.
2. For bus facility and equipment projects:
a. The age of the asset to be rehabilitated or replaced relative to
its useful life.
b. The degree to which proposed project addresses a demonstrated
and verifiable backlog of deferred maintenance.
c. Supports emerging or advanced technologies for transit
facilities and equipment.
d. For facilities, evidence of proposed project compliance with
``Green Building'' certification.
3. For transit asset management system projects:
If asset management system development or upgrades are proposed,
[[Page 23846]]
the proposal shall describe, as applicable, the system element(s) the
proposer is seeking to improve; including:
a. How asset management plans/systems will be developed or
upgraded.
b. How asset inventories will be maintained physically and
fiscally.
c. How assets initial condition will be assessed.
d. How assets will be inspected and monitored, and at what
frequency.
e. How logistical decision support tools (including options and
tradeoff analysis) will be used in the proposer's day-to-day
operations.
f. Demonstrated long-term financial and management commitment of
the proposer to using the asset management system.
B. Review and Selection Process
Proposals will be evaluated by the appropriate FTA regional office
using the criteria above. The FTA Administrator will determine the
final selection and amount of funding for each project. Selected
projects will be announced in September 2010. FTA will publish the list
of all selected projects and funding levels in the Federal Register.
Regional offices will also notify successful proposers and the amount
of funding to be awarded to the project.
VI. Award Administration
A. Award Notices
FTA will award grants for the selected projects to the proposer
through the FTA electronic grants management and award system, TEAM,
after receipt of a complete application in TEAM. These grants will be
administered and managed by the FTA regional offices in accordance with
the Federal requirements of the Section 5309 Bus program. At the time
the project selections are announced, FTA will extend pre-award
authority for the selected projects. There is no blanket pre-award
authority for these projects before announcement.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
1. Grant Requirements
If selected, applicants will apply for a grant through TEAM and
adhere to the customary FTA grant requirements of the Section 5309 Bus
and Bus Facilities program, including those of FTA C 9300.1B Circular
and C 5010.1D and S. 5333(b) labor protections. Discretionary grants
greater than $500,000 will be subject to the Congressional Notification
and release process. Technical assistance regarding these requirements
is available from each FTA regional office.
2. Planning
Applicants are encouraged to notify the appropriate State
Departments of Transportation and MPO in areas likely to be served by
the project funds made available under this program. Incorporation of
funded projects in the long-range plans and transportation improvement
programs of States and metropolitan areas is required of all funded
projects.
3. Standard Assurances
The applicant assures that it will comply with all applicable
Federal statutes, regulations, executive orders, FTA circulars, and
other Federal administrative requirements in carrying out any project
supported by the FTA grant. The applicant acknowledges that it is under
a continuing obligation to comply with the terms and conditions of the
grant agreement issued for its project with FTA. The applicant
understands that Federal laws, regulations, policies, and
administrative practices might be modified from time to time and affect
the implementation of the project. The applicant agrees that the most
recent Federal requirements will apply to the project, unless FTA
issues a written determination otherwise. The applicant must submit the
Certifications and Assurances before receiving a grant if it does not
have current certifications on file.
C. Reporting
Post-award reporting requirements include submission of Financial
Status Reports and Milestone Reports in TEAM on a quarterly basis for
all projects. Documentation is required for payment. In addition,
project sponsors receiving grants for asset management systems and
innovative technologies may be required to report on the performance of
these systems and technologies.
VII. Agency Contacts
Contact the appropriate FTA Regional Administrator (Appendix A) for
proposal specific information and issues. For information on the SGR
Bus and Bus Facilities Initiative, contact Darren Jaffe, Office of
Program Management, (202) 366-4008, e-mail: [email protected]. A TDD
is available at 1-800-877-8339 (TDD/FIRS).
Issued in Washington, DC this 29th day of April, 2010.
Peter Rogoff,
Administrator.
Appendix A--FTA Regional and Metropolitan Offices
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Richard H. Doyle, Regional Robert C. Patrick, Regional
Administrator, Region 1-Boston, Administrator, Region 6-Ft. Worth,
Kendall Square, 55 Broadway, Suite 819 Taylor Street, Room 8A36, Ft.
920, Cambridge, MA 02142-1093, Worth, TX 76102, Tel. 817-978-
Tel. 617-494-2055 0550.
States served: Connecticut, Maine, States served: Arkansas, Louisiana,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas.
Rhode Island, and Vermont
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Brigid Hynes-Cherin, Regional Mokhtee Ahmad, Regional
Administrator, Region 2-New York, Administrator, Region 7-Kansas
One Bowling Green, Room 429, New City, MO, 901 Locust Street, Room
York, NY 10004-1415, Tel. 212-668- 404, Kansas City, MO 64106, Tel.
2170 816-329-3920.
States served: New Jersey, New York States served: Iowa, Kansas,
Missouri, and Nebraska.
New York Metropolitan Office,
Region 2-New York, One Bowling
Green, Room 428, New York, NY
10004-1415, Tel. 212-668-2202.
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Letitia Thompson, Regional Terry Rosapep, Regional
Administrator, Region 3- Administrator, Region 8-Denver,
Philadelphia, 1760 Market Street, 12300 West Dakota Ave., Suite 310,
Suite 500, Philadelphia, PA 19103- Lakewood, CO 80228-2583, Tel. 720-
4124, Tel. 215-656-7100 963-3300.
States served: Delaware, Maryland, States served: Colorado, Montana,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, West North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,
Virginia, and District of Columbia and Wyoming.
Philadelphia Metropolitan Office,
Region 3-Philadelphia, 1760 Market
Street, Suite 500, Philadelphia,
PA 19103-4124, Tel. 215-656-7070
Washington, D.C. Metropolitan
Office, 1990 K Street, NW., Room
510, Washington, DC 20006, Tel.
202-219-3562
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Yvette Taylor, Regional Leslie T. Rogers, Regional
Administrator, Region 4-Atlanta, Administrator, Region 9-San
230 Peachtree Street, NW., Suite Francisco, 201 Mission Street,
800, Atlanta, GA 30303, Tel. 404- Room 1650, San Francisco, CA 94105-
865-5600 1926, Tel. 415-744-3133.
States served: Alabama, Florida, States served: American Samoa,
Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii,
North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Nevada, and the Northern Mariana
Carolina, Tennessee, and Virgin Islands.
Islands
Los Angeles Metropolitan Office,
Region 9-Los Angeles, 888 S.
Figueroa Street, Suite 1850, Los
Angeles, CA 90017-1850, Tel. 213-
202-3952.
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Marisol Simon, Regional Rick Krochalis, Regional
Administrator, Region 5-Chicago, Administrator, Region 10-Seattle,
200 West Adams Street, Suite 320, Jackson Federal Building, 915
Chicago, IL 60606, Tel. 312-353- Second Avenue, Suite 3142,
2789 Seattle, WA 98174-1002, Tel. 206-
220-7954.
States served: Illinois, Indiana, States served: Alaska, Idaho,
Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Oregon, and Washington.
Wisconsin
Chicago Metropolitan Office, Region
5-Chicago, 200 West Adams Street,
Suite 320, Chicago, IL 60606, Tel.
312-353-2789
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[FR Doc. 2010-10430 Filed 4-30-10; 11:15 am]
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