[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 172 (Friday, September 4, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53615-53621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21960]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Railroad Safety Grants for the Safe Transportation of Energy 
Products by Rail Program

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of funding availability.

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SUMMARY: This Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA or notice) details 
the application requirements and procedures for obtaining grant funding 
for eligible projects under Railroad Safety Grants for the Safe 
Transportation of Energy Products by Rail (or STEP Rail) Program. The 
opportunities described in this notice are available under Catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 20.314, ``Railroad 
Development.''

DATES: Applications for funding under this notice are due no later than 
5:00

[[Page 53616]]

p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), on November 4, 2015. Applications for 
funding received after 5:00 p.m. EDT on November 4, 2015, will not be 
considered for funding. See Section 4 of this notice for additional 
information regarding the application process.

ADDRESSES: Applications for funding must be submitted via Grants.gov. 
For any required or supporting application materials that an applicant 
is unable to submit via Grants.gov (such as oversized engineering 
drawings), the applicant may submit an original and two copies to John 
Winkle, Office of Program Delivery, Federal Railroad Administration, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 20, Washington, DC 20590. As the 
application deadline approaches, applicants are advised to use other 
means of document conveyance, such as courier service, to ensure timely 
delivery.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding this 
notice, please contact John Winkle, Office of Program Delivery, Federal 
Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 20, 
Washington, DC 20590; Email: [email protected]; Phone: (202) 493-
6067; Fax: (202) 493-6333.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice to applicants: FRA recommends that 
applicants read this notice in its entirety prior to preparing 
application materials. There are several administrative requirements 
described herein that applicants must comply with to submit an 
application and application requirements may differ depending on the 
type of proposed project. FRA has established a Web page for grant 
notices, at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0021, that contains required 
application materials and additional guidance for topics referenced in 
this notice.
    Additionally, applicants should note that the required project 
narrative component of the application package may not exceed 25 pages 
in length.

Table of Contents

1. Program Description
2. Federal Award Information
3. Eligibility Information
4. Application and Submission Information
5. Application Review
6. Federal Award Administration
7. Federal Awarding Agency Contact

Section 1: Program Description

1.1 Background

    Over the last 10 years, the number of railroad accidents in the 
U.S. has declined by 46 percent and those accidents involving hazardous 
materials have declined by almost 50 percent. Nonetheless, there is 
opportunity for improvement, and safety continues to be FRA's number 
one priority, particularly where hazardous materials and energy product 
transport are concerned.
    In the past two years, DOT and FRA have aggressively taken more 
than two dozen actions (https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/details/L04721) on 
multiple fronts to mitigate accident risk and promote rail safety. FRA 
has issued emergency orders and safety advisories; conducted special 
inspections, such as ``Operation Classification''; and brought together 
railroad companies on a series of immediate actions they can take to 
improve safety. Additionally, DOT recently released its Final Rule to 
Strengthen Safe Transportation of Flammable Liquids by Rail (https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/details/L16355#p2_z5_gD_lPR), which will prevent 
accidents, mitigate accident consequences, and support emergency 
response.
    This NOFA represents another component of FRA's multi-pronged 
effort to promote the safe transport of hazardous materials, with a 
special emphasis on the movement of energy products by rail, which has 
increased by well over 4,000 percent in the past 7 years alone, largely 
due to the increase in domestic crude oil production and its transport 
to market.

1.2 Program Overview

    This notice contains the requirements and procedures applicants 
must follow to compete for funding under the Railroad Safety Grants for 
the Safe Transportation of Energy Products by Rail Program. This 
Program makes $10,000,000 in discretionary funding available for public 
and private railroad grade crossing enhancement and track improvement 
projects that improve safety on rail routes that transport flammable 
energy products, which are defined as crude oil, ethanol, and natural 
gas for the purposes of this notice.
    Applicants are encouraged to read the remainder of this NOFA 
carefully for funding parameters; applicant, project, and project-cost 
eligibility requirements; application development and submission 
policies; details regarding FRA's application evaluation and selection 
criteria; and post-award grant administration responsibilities.

1.3 Legislative Authority

    Funding for this notice was made available by the Consolidated and 
Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, Public Law 113-235, 
Division K, Title I, sec. 153, 128 Stat. 2130, 2718 (2014). This Act 
appropriated $10,000,000 for this grant program, all of which is 
available through this NOFA.

Section 2: Federal Award Information

    The total amount of funding available under this NOFA is 
$10,000,000. FRA anticipates making multiple awards under this notice. 
However, given the relatively limited amount of funding available for 
award, FRA:
    (1) Encourages applicants to constrain their Federal funding 
request to a maximum of $3,000,000 per project and application. While 
this funding request limit is a recommendation and not a firm 
requirement, applications exceeding the recommended amount must explain 
why additional funding over the recommended amount is necessary to 
implement the proposed project. If additional funding is required for a 
particular project, applicants are advised to subdivide higher-cost 
projects into discrete components that demonstrate operational 
independence and public benefits discrete to that project component.
    (2) Strongly encourages applicants to leverage other federal, 
state, local, or private funds to support the proposed project.
    (3) May not be able to award grants to all eligible applications, 
or even those applications that meet or exceed the stated evaluation 
criteria (see Section 5, Application Review and Selection). However, 
should additional funding become available, FRA may choose to fund 
applications submitted under this NOFA, but not selected in FRA's first 
round of funding.

Section 3: Eligibility Information

    This section of the notice provides the requirements for submitting 
an eligible grant application under this Program. Applications that do 
not meet the requirements in this section may be considered ineligible 
for funding. Instructions for conveying eligibility information to FRA 
are detailed in Section 4 of this NOFA.

3.1 Applicant Eligibility

    The following entities are eligible applicants for all project 
types permitted under this notice (see section 3.2, ``Project 
Eligibility''):
     States
     Groups of States
     Interstate Compacts
FRA prefers but does not require that State Departments of 
Transportation (or similar) submit applications on behalf of their 
State.

3.2 Project Eligibility

    This notice solicits applications for two distinct project types. 
The types of

[[Page 53617]]

costs/activities allowed under each project type are discussed in 
Section 3.3, ``Cost Eligibility'':
    [cir] Grade Crossing Improvements; and
    [cir] Track Enhancements.
    All eligible projects types must be conducted on and directly 
relate to rail lines over which crude oil, ethanol, and/or natural gas 
are transported.\1\ In addition, all applications must clearly 
demonstrate project need and the expected positive impact of the 
proposed project on rail safety using clear, supportable data.
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    \1\ FRA does not maintain comprehensive, publicly-available data 
regarding where crude oil, ethanol, and/or natural gas are currently 
transported over rail lines. Therefore, FRA encourages applicants to 
work with railroads or track owners to determine if a particular 
line meets this criterion. This information may also be available 
from emergency responders or emergency planners. Information 
regarding hazardous material commodity flows, including energy 
products, may be requested via the provisions of the Association of 
American Railroads' Circular OT-55-O, which may be downloaded here: 
http://www.boe.aar.com/boe-download.htm.
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    Proposed grade crossing improvement and track enhancement projects 
may include pre-construction planning activities in their statement of 
work (SOW) (see Section 4 for more details on SOW requirements).
    Applicants seeking grade crossing improvement funding must describe 
their project in the context of the Federal Highway Administration's 
Railway-Highway Crossing Program funds, 23 U.S.C. 130 funding (Section 
130 funding). Specifically, applicants must document why their State 
has not used Section 130 funding to conduct the proposed project, or 
how FRA funds will be used to augment/complement work currently 
proposed, underway, or completed using Section 130 funding.
    All applicants must establish the need for their project in the 
context of energy product transport by rail.
    FRA will only accept one project per application, with two discrete 
exceptions:
    (1) FRA will accept an application that proposes a single project 
composed of combination track enhancements and grade crossing 
improvements if those enhancements and improvements are at the same or 
contiguous project sites and the applicant demonstrates that together, 
they have a markedly higher improvement on rail safety if jointly 
implemented; and
    (2) FRA will accept an application that proposes improvements at 
sequential grade crossings that, together, will result in a sealed rail 
corridor or segment.

3.3 Cost Eligibility

    3.3.1. Matching Funds. FRA's funding contribution to any proposed 
project under this NOFA must not exceed an 80 percent share of the 
total project cost. At least 20 percent of any total project costs must 
be provided for by the applicant in the form of project match, and 
applicants are encouraged to leverage funds in excess of the 20 percent 
project cost where possible. Federal regulation prohibits FRA from 
considering any Federal or non-Federal funds already expended (or 
otherwise encumbered) toward the matching requirement. Applicants must 
identify the source(s) of their matching and other leveraged funds, and 
must clearly and distinctly reflect these funds as part of the total 
project cost in the application budget.
    Before submitting an application, applicants should carefully 
review the principles for cost sharing or matching in 2 CFR 200.306.
    3.3.2. Grade Crossing Improvement Costs. Activities proposed for 
grade crossing improvement projects should fall into the following 
categories, although the examples provided are not exhaustive:
    [cir] Crossing Approach Improvements--includes channelization, 
medians, and illumination.
    [cir] Crossing Sign and Pavement Improvements.
    [cir] Active Grade Crossing Warning Device Installation/Upgrade--
includes flashing lights, gates, bells, track circuitry (such as 
constant warning time), highway traffic signal interconnection, and 
highway-traffic signal preemption.
    [cir] Visibility Improvements--includes sight distance improvements 
and vegetation clearance.
    [cir] Crossing Geometry Improvements--includes horizontal and/or 
vertical roadway alignment, and elimination or modification of high-
profile or ``humped'' crossings.
    [cir] Grade Crossing Elimination--includes crossing elimination 
through crossing closure, roadway relocation, or construction of grade 
separation structures.
    [cir] Other Innovative Crossing Improvements--includes other 
justifiable safety enhancements such as photo/video enforcement 
equipment, vehicle presence detection, and remote health monitoring 
equipment.
    FRA strongly encourages applicants to submit proposals for grade 
crossing improvement projects that go beyond basic signage or 
visibility improvements (although these improvements may be part of a 
larger proposed grade crossing improvement project). Application 
selection preference may be given to projects where proven innovative 
or cutting edge grade crossing safety techniques or technology will be 
applied.
    3.3.3. Track Enhancements Costs. Activities proposed for track 
enhancements should be focused on efforts to rehabilitate, restore, 
maintain, or improve track conditions and classification that will 
directly and positively impact railroad safety. Activities/costs for 
these projects should fall into the following categories, although the 
examples provided in each category are not exhaustive:
    [cir] Track Renewal--includes rail and tie replacement, continuous 
welding or rail surfacing, and the removal and replacement of existing 
tie plates, spikes, anchors, and other track material.
    [cir] Ballast Renewal--includes undercutting, ballast replacement, 
and tamping.
    [cir] Turnout Rehabilitation--includes frog and switch point 
rehabilitation and replacement or turnout upgrades.
    [cir] Drainage Rehabilitation--includes ditch cleaning, re-grading 
or culvert cleaning, and replacement or drainage upgrades.

Section 4: Application and Submission Information

4.1 Submission Dates and Times

    Complete applications must be submitted to Grants.gov no later than 
5:00 p.m. EDT on November 4, 2015. Applications received after 5:00 
p.m. EDT on November 4, 2015, will not be considered for funding. 
Accordingly, applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early to 
ensure that all materials are received before the application deadline.

4.2 Application Content

    Required documents for an application package are outlined in the 
checklist below.
    [cir] SF424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
    [cir] Project Narrative (see 4.2.1)
    [cir] Statement of Work (see 4.2.2)
    [cir] FRA's Additional Assurances and Certifications
    [cir] Most Recent Section 130 Program Annual State Report (only for 
grade crossing projects)
    [cir] Either: SF 424A--Budget Information for Non-Construction OR 
SF 424C--Budget Information for Construction
    [cir] Either: SF 424B--Assurances for Non-Construction OR SF 424D--
Assurances for Construction

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    [cir] SF LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
    Applicants must complete and submit all components of the 
application package to be considered for funding. FRA has established a 
grant opportunity Web page at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0021, which 
contains application forms and additional application guidance. 
Additional content requirements for the project narrative and SOW can 
be found in Sections 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 below.
    FRA welcomes the submission of other relevant supporting 
documentation that the applicant has developed such as planning, 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation, engineering and 
design documentation, letters of support, etc. Applications accompanied 
by completed feasibility studies, environmental determinations, and 
cost estimates may be more favorably considered during the application 
review process because they demonstrate an applicant has a greater 
understanding of the scope and cost of the proposed project. These 
documents will not count against the 25-page limit applied to the 
project narrative.
    4.2.1 Project Narrative. The following seven numeric points 
describe the minimum content required in the project narrative 
component of a grant application, and FRA recommends that the project 
narrative adhere to the following outline. The project narrative may 
not exceed 25 pages in length (including any supporting tables, maps, 
drawings, etc.) FRA will not accept applications with project 
narratives exceeding the 25 page limit. However, the supplementary 
documents listed in the Section 4.2 above will not count against this 
limit.
    (1) Include a title page that lists the following elements in 
either a table or formatted list: Project title, location (street or 
address, zip code, city, county, State, district), type of project 
(e.g., Grade Crossing Improvement or Track Enhancement), the applicant 
organization name, and the name of any co-applicants. Provide a brief 
4-6 sentence summary of the proposed project, capturing the safety 
challenges the proposed project aims to address, the intended outcomes, 
and anticipated benefits that will result from the proposed project. If 
applicable, the project description must also cite specific National 
Grade Crossing Inventory information, including the name railroad that 
owns the infrastructure (or the crossing owner, if different from the 
railroad), the name of the primary railroad operator, the DOT crossing 
inventory number, and the name of the roadway at the crossing. 
Applicants can search for data to meet this requirement at the 
following link: http://safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/default.aspx.
    (2) Describe applicant eligibility per Section 3 of this notice. 
Provide a single point of contact for the application including: Name, 
title, phone number, mailing address, and email address. The point of 
contact must be an employee of the eligible applicant.
    (3) Indicate the amount of Federal funding requested from FRA under 
this NOFA and for this project, the proposed non-Federal match, any 
other funding amounts, and total project cost. Identify the Federal and 
matching funding percentages of the total project cost. Applicants must 
identify source(s) of matching funds, the source(s) of any other 
Federal funds committed to the project, and any pending Federal 
requests. Please note, other federal funds may be used to support the 
project, but may not be considered eligible matching funds for funds 
awarded under this notice. If applicable, be sure to note if the 
requested Federal funding must be obligated or expended by a certain 
date due to dependencies or relationships with other Federal or non-
Federal funding sources, related projects, or other factors. Finally, 
specify whether Federal funding has ever previously been sought for the 
project and not secured, and name the Federal program and fiscal year 
from which the funding was requested.
    (4) Include a detailed project description that expands upon the 
brief summary required in item number one of the project narrative 
section. This detailed description should provide, at a minimum, 
additional background on: The safety risks and challenges the project 
aims to address; the amount of crude oil, ethanol, or natural gas 
transported through the project area; the expected beneficiaries of the 
project (including any private rail companies); the specific project 
activities proposed, expected outputs and outcomes of the project; and 
any other information the applicant deems necessary to justify the 
proposed project. In describing the project, the application should 
also clearly explain how the proposed project meets the respective 
project and cost/activity eligibility criteria for the type of funding 
requested as outlined in Section 3 of this notice.
    (5) Include a thorough discussion of how the project meets all of 
the evaluation criteria for the respective project type as outlined 
below in Section 5 of this notice. Applicants should note that FRA 
reviews applications based upon the evaluation criteria listed. If an 
application does not sufficiently address the evaluation criteria, it 
is unlikely to be considered a competitive application. In responding 
to the criteria, applicants are reminded to clearly identify, quantify, 
and compare expected safety benefits and costs of proposed projects. 
FRA understands that the level of detail and sophistication of analysis 
that should be expected for relatively small projects (i.e., those 
encouraged to be limited to under $3,000,000 in this notice) is less 
than for larger, multi-million dollar investments.
    (6) Describe proposed project implementation and project management 
arrangements. Include descriptions of the expected arrangements for 
project contracting, contract oversight, change-order management, risk 
management, and conformance to Federal requirements for project 
progress reporting.
    (7) Describe anticipated environmental or historic preservation 
impacts associated with the proposed project, any environmental or 
historic preservation analyses that have been prepared, and progress 
toward completing any environmental documentation or clearance required 
for the proposed project under NEPA, the National Historic Preservation 
Act, section 4(f) of the U.S. DOT Act, the Clean Water Act, or other 
applicable Federal or State laws. Applicants and grantees under FRA's 
financial assistance programs are encouraged to contact FRA and obtain 
preliminary direction regarding the appropriate NEPA class of action 
and required environmental documentation. Generally, projects will be 
ineligible to receive funding if they have begun construction 
activities prior to the applicant/grantee receiving written approval 
from FRA that all environmental and historical analyses have been 
completed. Additional information regarding FRA's environmental 
processes and requirements are located at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/#####.
    4.2.2 Statement of Work. Applicants are required to submit an SOW 
that addresses the scope, schedule, and budget for the proposed project 
if it were selected for award. The SOW should contain sufficient detail 
so that both FRA and the applicant can understand the expected outcomes 
of the proposed work to be performed and monitor progress toward 
completing project tasks and deliverables during a prospective grant's 
period of performance. The FRA has developed a standard SOW template 
that applicants must use to be considered for award.

[[Page 53619]]

The SOW templates are located at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0021.

4.3 Submission Instructions

    Applicants must submit all application materials through 
Grants.gov. For any required or supporting application materials an 
applicant is unable to submit via Grants.gov (such as oversized 
engineering drawings), an applicant may submit an original and two 
copies to Renee Cooper, Office of Program Delivery, Federal Railroad 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 20, Washington, 
DC 20590. Applicants are advised to use means of rapid conveyance (such 
as courier service) as the application deadline approaches.
    To apply for funding through Grants.gov, applicants must be 
properly registered. Complete instructions on how to register and 
submit an application are at Grants.gov. Registering with Grants.gov is 
a one-time process. However, it can take several weeks for first-time 
registrants to receive confirmation and a user password. FRA recommends 
that applicants start the registration process as early as possible to 
prevent delays that may preclude submitting an application package by 
the application deadline. FRA will not accept applications after the 
due date.
    To apply for funding under this announcement and to apply for 
funding through Grants.gov, all applicants must:
    1. Acquire a DUNS Number. A Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 
number is required for Grants.gov registration. The Office of 
Management and Budget requires that all businesses and nonprofit 
applicants for Federal funds include a DUNS number in their 
applications for a new award or renewal of an existing award. A DUNS 
number is a unique nine-digit sequence recognized as the universal 
standard for identifying and keeping track of entities receiving 
Federal funds. The identifier is used for tracking purposes and to 
validate address and point of contact information for Federal 
assistance applicants, recipients, and sub-recipients. The DUNS number 
will be used throughout the grant life cycle. Obtaining a DUNS number 
is a free, one-time activity. Applicants may obtain a DUNS number by 
calling 1-866-705-5711 or by applying online at http://www.dnb.com/us.
    2. Acquire or Renew Registration with the System for Award 
Management (SAM) Database. All applicants for Federal financial 
assistance must maintain current registrations in the System for Award 
Management (SAM) database. An applicant must be registered in SAM to 
successfully register in Grants.gov. The SAM database is the repository 
for standard information about Federal financial assistance applicants, 
recipients, and sub recipients. Organizations that have previously 
submitted applications via Grants.gov are already registered with SAM, 
as it is a requirement for Grants.gov registration. Please note, 
however, that applicants must update or renew their SAM registration at 
least once per year to maintain an active status. Therefore, it is 
critical to check registration status well in advance of the 
application deadline. Information about SAM registration procedures is 
available at www.sam.gov.
    3. Acquire an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and a 
Grants.gov Username and Password. Applicants must complete an AOR 
profile on Grants.gov and create a username and password. Applicants 
must use the organization's DUNS number to complete this step. 
Additional information about the registration process is available at 
www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
    4. Acquire Authorization for your AOR from the E-Business Point of 
Contact (E-Biz POC). The Applicant's E-Biz POC must log in to 
Grants.gov to confirm a representative as an AOR. Please note that 
there can be more than one AOR at an organization.
    5. Search for the Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. The Catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for this opportunity is 
20.314, titled ``Railroad Development.''
    6. Submit an Application Addressing All of the Requirements 
Outlined in this Funding Availability Announcement. After submitting 
the application through Grants.gov, a confirmation screen will appear 
on the applicant's computer screen. This screen will confirm that the 
applicant has submitted an application and provide a tracking number to 
track the status of the submission. Within 24 to 48 hours after 
submitting an electronic application, an applicant should receive an 
email validation message from Grants.gov. The validation message will 
explain whether the application has been received and validated or 
rejected, with an explanation. Applicants are urged to submit an 
application at least 72 hours prior to the due date of the application 
to allow time to receive the validation message and to correct any 
problems that may have caused a rejection notification.
    If an applicant experiences difficulties at any point during this 
process, please call the Grants.gov Customer Center Hotline at 1-800-
518-4726, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (closed on Federal holidays).

    Note:  Please use generally accepted formats such as .pdf, .doc, 
.docx, .xls, .xlsx and .ppt, when uploading attachments. While 
applicants may imbed picture files, such as .jpg, .gif, and .bmp, in 
document files, applicants should not submit attachments in these 
formats. Additionally, the following formats will not be accepted: 
.com, .bat, .exe, .vbs, .cfg, .dat, .db, .dbf, .dll, .ini, .log, 
.ora, .sys, and .zip.

Section 5: Application Review

5.1 Intake and Eligibility

    Following the application deadline, FRA will screen all 
applications for timely submission and completeness. Applications that 
do not meet the requirements detailed in Section 4 of this notice will 
be ineligible for funding consideration.

5.2 Evaluation

    FRA intends to award funds to projects that achieve the maximum 
benefits possible given the amount of funding available. FRA will 
analyze each application for its technical merit using the factors and 
sub-criteria below.
    (1) Technical Merit
    [cir] The application is thorough and responsive to all of the 
requirements outlined in this notice.
    [cir] The tasks and subtasks outlined in the SOW are appropriate to 
achieve the expected safety outputs of the proposed project.
    [cir] The proposed costs are realistic and are sufficient to 
accomplish the tasks documented in the SOW.
    [cir] The appropriate partnerships and financing are in place to 
complete the proposed project.
    (2) Project Benefits
    [cir] The application contains supportable data to describe the 
safety risk that currently exists if the proposed project is not 
completed, including clear data regarding the energy products 
transported through the proposed project site.
    [cir] The applicant describes the expected safety benefit of the 
project, making a reasonable link between that benefit and the proposed 
activities of the project.
    [cir] The relative impact of the proposed safety improvement (i.e., 
does the safety benefit have a significant impact on a given community, 
rail line, etc.).
    [cir] Information provided by the applicant that demonstrates the 
merit of investing in the proposed project using a benefit cost 
analysis that is systematic, data driven, and examines the trade-offs 
between projects costs and their

[[Page 53620]]

expected safety benefit. Applicants should note if other, alternative 
investments were considered for submission under this notice using a 
similar benefit-cost analysis approach. Applicants are strongly 
encouraged to use Executive Order 12839 (Principles for Federal 
Infrastructure Investments, 59 FR 4233), OBM Circular A-94 (Guidelines 
and Discount Rates for Benefit-Cost Analysis of Federal Programs), and 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-4 (Regulatory 
Analysis) to conduct this analysis.

5.3 Selection

    In addition to the evaluation criteria outlined in Section 5.2 
above, the FRA Administrator may apply any or all of the following 
selection criteria to further ensure the projects selected for funding 
advance FRA and DOT's current mission and key priorities, as well as to 
ensure the projects selected are appropriate in a national context.
    (1) Alignment with DOT Strategic Goals and Priorities:
    [cir] Improving transportation safety;
    [cir] Maintaining infrastructure in a state of good repair;
    [cir] Promoting economic competitiveness;
    [cir] Advancing environmentally sustainable transportation 
policies;
    [cir] Furthering the six ``Livability Principles'' DOT developed 
with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the 
Environmental Protection Agency as part of the Partnership for 
Sustainable Communities;
    [cir] Enhancing quality of life; and/or
    [cir] Building ladders of opportunity to expand the middle class.
    (2) Project Delivery Performance:
    [cir] The applicant's track record in successfully delivering 
previous FRA and DOT grants on time, on budget, and for the full 
intended scope; and/or
    [cir] The extent to which the proposed project complements previous 
FRA or DOT awards.
    (3) Region/Location
    [cir] The extent to which the proposed project increases the 
economic productivity of land, capital, or labor at specific locations, 
particularly in economically distressed areas;
    [cir] Ensuring appropriate level of regional balance across the 
country; and/or
    [cir] Ensuring consistency with national transportation and rail 
network objectives.
    (4) Innovation/Resource Development:
    [cir] Pursuing new rail technologies, including grade crossing 
safety-improvement technology, that result in favorable public return 
on investment and ensure delivery of project benefits;
    [cir] Promoting innovations that demonstrate the value of new 
approaches to, safety management, as well as contracting, project 
delivery, etc.; and/or
    [cir] Promoting domestic manufacturing, supply, and industrial 
development.
    (5) Partnerships:
    [cir] For projects that span multiple jurisdictions (States or 
local governments), emphasizing those that have organized multi-
jurisdictional partnerships with joint planning and prioritization of 
investments;
    [cir] Strengthening human capital and workforce opportunities, 
particularly for low-income workers or for people in economically 
distressed areas;
    [cir] Employing creative approaches to ensure workforce diversity 
and use of disadvantaged and minority business enterprises, including 
opportunities for small businesses and disadvantaged business 
enterprises, including veteran-owned small businesses and service-
disabled veteran-owned small businesses; and/or
    [cir] Engaging local communities and other stakeholder groups in 
the project in a way that offers an opportunity for meaningful 
engagement in the process.
    (6) Project Readiness:
    [cir] Applicant progress, if any, in reaching compliance with the 
NEPA for the proposed project. Note that NEPA related work or a NEPA 
decision (e.g., a Record of Decision, Finding of No Significant Impact, 
Categorical Exclusion determination) is not required to apply for 
funding under this program;
    [cir] The extent to which proposed project is consistent with an 
adopted State-wide transportation or rail plan;
    [cir] The level of detail provided in the submitted Statement of 
Work, including whether there is enough information to immediately 
advance the proposed project to award;
    [cir] The level and degree to which the proposed project is 
dependent on other non-FRA financial contributions and the extent to 
which these contributions are secure; and/or
    [cir] Whether there are engineering materials developed and 
submitted to FRA or materials partially developed that may be available 
to FRA in the near future to assess the proposed project's design and 
constructability risks.
    (7) Passenger Rail Impact:
    [cir] Proposed projects that improve rail lines over which both 
passengers and energy products travel.

Section 6: Federal Award Administration

    Applications selected for funding will be announced after the 
application review period. FRA will contact applicants with successful 
applications after announcement with information and instructions about 
the award process. Notification of a selected application is not an 
authorization to begin proposed project activities. A formal Notice of 
Grant Agreement signed by both the grantee and the FRA and containing 
an approved scope, schedule, and budget, is required before the award 
is considered complete.
    The period of performance for grants awarded under this notice is 
dependent upon the project and will be determined on a grant-by-grant 
basis. FRA will only consider written requests to FRA to extend the 
period of performance with specific and compelling justifications for 
why an extension is required. Any obligated funding not spent by the 
grantee and reimbursed by the FRA upon completion of the grant will be 
deobligated.
    FRA will make awards for projects selected under this notice 
through cooperative agreements. Cooperative agreements allow for 
substantial Federal involvement in carrying out the agreed upon 
investment, including technical assistance, review of interim work 
products, and increased program oversight under 2 CFR part 200, 
appendix I. The funding provided under these cooperative agreements 
will be made available to grantees on a reimbursable basis. Applicants 
must certify that their expenditures are allowable, allocable, 
reasonable, and necessary to the approved project before seeking 
reimbursement from FRA. Additionally, the grantee must expend matching 
funds at the required percentage alongside Federal funds throughout the 
life of the project.

6.1 Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Grantees and entities receiving funding from the grantee (sub-
recipients), must comply with all applicable laws and regulations. A 
non-exclusive list of administrative and national policy requirements 
that grantees must follow includes: 2 CFR part 200; procurement 
standards; compliance with Federal civil rights laws and regulations; 
disadvantaged business enterprises; debarment and suspension; drug-free 
workplace; FRA's and OMB's Assurances and Certifications; Americans 
with Disabilities Act; and labor standards, safety oversight, 
environmental

[[Page 53621]]

protection, NEPA, environmental justice, and Buy American (41 U.S.C. 
8302) provisions.

6.2 General Requirements

    The grantee must comply with all post-award reporting, auditing, 
monitoring, and close-out requirements, as described at 
www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0021.

Section 7: Federal Awarding Agency Contact

    For further information regarding this notice and the grants 
program, please contact John Winkle, Office of Program Delivery, 
Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 
20, Washington, DC 20590; Email: [email protected]; Phone: (202) 493-
6067; Fax: (202) 493-6333.

    Authority: Pub. L. 113-235, sec. 153, Division K, Title I, 128 
Stat. 2130, 2718.

    Issued in Washington, DC on August 31, 2015.
David Valenstein,
Division Chief.
[FR Doc. 2015-21960 Filed 9-3-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-06-P