[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 101 (Thursday, May 24, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24157-24161]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-10964]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


FY 2018 Competitive Funding Opportunity: Pilot Program for 
Transit-Oriented Development Planning

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the 
opportunity to apply for approximately $25.79 million of funding under 
the Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning (Catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance #20.500). As required by federal transit 
law and subject to funding availability, funds will be awarded 
competitively to support comprehensive planning associated with new 
fixed guideway and core capacity improvement projects.

DATES: Complete proposals must be submitted electronically through the 
GRANTS.GOV ``APPLY'' function by 11:59 p.m. EDT July 23, 2018. 
Prospective applicants should initiate the process by registering on 
the GRANTS.GOV website promptly to ensure completion of the application 
process before the submission deadline. Instructions for applying can 
be found on FTA's website at https://www.transit.dot.gov/TODPilot and 
in the ``FIND'' module of GRANTS.GOV. The GRANTS.GOV funding 
opportunity ID is FTA-2018-004-TPE. Mail and fax submissions will not 
be accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Benjamin Owen, FTA Office of Planning 
and Environment, (202) 366-5602, or [email protected]. A TDD is 
available at 1-800-877-8339 (TDD/FIRS).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

A. Program Description
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission Information
E. Application Review Information
F. Federal Award Administration Information
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
H. Technical Assistance and Other Program Information
Appendix A: Registration in SAM and GRANTS.GOV

A. Program Description

    Section 20005(b) of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st 
Century Act (MAP-21; Pub. L. 112-141, July 6, 2012), with funding 
authorized by 49 U.S.C. 5338(a)(2)(B), authorizes FTA to award funds 
under the Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning 
(TOD Pilot Program) through a competitive process, as described in this 
notice, to local communities to integrate land use and transportation 
planning with a new fixed guideway or core capacity improvement transit 
capital project as defined in Federal transit statute. (See section C 
of this NOFO for more information about eligibility.)
    As outlined in MAP-21, the TOD Pilot Program is intended to fund 
comprehensive planning that supports economic development, ridership, 
multimodal connectivity and accessibility, increased transit access for 
pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and mixed-use development near transit 
stations. The TOD Pilot Program also encourages identification of 
infrastructure needs and engagement with the private sector.
    Consistent with direction in MAP-21, FTA is seeking comprehensive 
planning projects covering an entire transit capital project corridor, 
rather than proposals that involve planning for individual station 
areas or only a small section of the corridor. To ensure any proposed 
planning work reflects the needs and aspirations of the local community 
and results in concrete, specific deliverables and outcomes, transit 
project sponsors must partner with entities with land use planning 
authority in the transit project corridor to conduct the planning work.

B. Federal Award Information

    Federal transit law authorizes FTA to make grants for eligible 
comprehensive planning projects under Section 20005(b) of MAP-21, with 
funding authorized by 49 U.S.C. 5338(a)(2)(B). FTA intends to award all 
available funding to selected applicants responding to this NOFO.
    Only proposals from eligible recipients for eligible activities 
will be considered for funding. FTA anticipates minimum grant awards of 
$250,000 and maximum grant awards of $2,000,000. The maximum period of 
performance allowed for the work covered by the award is 36 months.

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    Applicants under the TOD Pilot Program must be FTA grantees (i.e., 
existing direct and designated recipients) as of the publication date 
of this NOFO. An applicant must either be the project sponsor of an 
eligible transit capital project as defined below in section C, 
subsection 3 or an entity with land use planning authority in an 
eligible transit capital project corridor. Except in cases where an 
applicant is both the sponsor of an eligible transit project and has 
land use authority in at least a portion of the transit project 
corridor, the transit project sponsor and at least one entity in the 
project corridor with land use planning authority must partner on the 
proposed comprehensive planning project. Documentation of this 
partnership must be included with the application; see section D, 
subsection 2 of this NOFO for further information.
    Only one application per transit capital project corridor may be 
submitted to FTA. Multiple applications submitted for a single transit 
capital project corridor indicate that partnerships are not in place 
and FTA will reject all of the applications.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

    The maximum Federal funding share is 80 percent.
    Eligible sources of local match include the following: Cash from 
non-Government sources other than revenues from providing public 
transportation services; revenues derived from the sale of advertising 
and concessions; amounts received under a service agreement with a 
State or local social service agency or private social service 
organization; revenues generated from value capture financing 
mechanisms; or funds from an undistributed cash surplus; replacement or 
depreciation cash fund or reserve; or new capital. In-kind 
contributions are

[[Page 24158]]

permitted. Transportation Development Credits (formerly referred to as 
Toll Revenue Credits) may not be used to satisfy the local match 
requirement. FTA may prioritize projects proposed with a higher non-
Federal share.

3. Other Eligibility Criteria

i. Eligible Transit Projects
    Any comprehensive planning work proposed for funding under the TOD 
Pilot Program must be associated with an eligible transit capital 
project. To be eligible, the proposed transit capital project must be a 
new fixed guideway project or a core capacity improvement project as 
defined in Section 5309(a) of title 49, United States Code.
    A fixed guideway is a public transportation facility:
    (A) Using and occupying a separate right-of-way for the exclusive 
use of public transportation;
    (B) using rail;
    (C) using a fixed catenary system;
    (D) for a passenger ferry system; or
    (E) for a bus rapid transit system.
    A new fixed guideway capital project is defined in statute to be:
    (A) A new fixed guideway project that is a minimum operable segment 
or extension to an existing fixed guideway system; or
    (B) a fixed guideway bus rapid transit project that is a minimum 
operable segment or an extension to an existing bus rapid transit 
system.
    A fixed guideway bus rapid transit project is defined more 
specifically in statute as a bus capital project:
    (A) In which the majority of the project operates in a separated 
right-of-way dedicated for public transportation use during peak 
periods;
    (B) that represents a substantial investment in a single route in a 
defined corridor or subarea; and
    (C) that includes features that emulate the services provided by 
rail fixed guideway public transportation systems, including:
    (i) Defined stations;
    (ii) traffic signal priority for public transportation vehicles;
    (iii) short headway bidirectional services for a substantial part 
of weekdays and weekend days; and
    (iv) any other features the Secretary may determine are necessary 
to produce high-quality public transportation services that emulate the 
services provided by rail fixed guideway public transportation systems.
    A core capacity improvement project is defined in statute as a 
substantial corridor-based capital investment in an existing fixed 
guideway system that increases the capacity of the corridor by not less 
than 10 percent. The term does not include project elements designed to 
maintain a state of good repair of the existing fixed guideway system.
    Any transit capital project that does not meet the statutory 
definition above of either a new fixed guideway project or a core 
capacity improvement project is not eligible under the TOD Pilot 
Program.
ii. Eligible Activities
    Any comprehensive planning efforts funded under the TOD Pilot 
Program must address all six aspects of the general authority 
stipulated in Section 20005(b)(2) of MAP-21:
    i. Enhances economic development, ridership, and other goals 
established during the project development and engineering processes;
    ii. facilitates multimodal connectivity and accessibility;
    iii. increases access to transit hubs for pedestrian and bicycle 
traffic;
    iv. enables mixed-use development;
    v. identifies infrastructure needs associated with the eligible 
project; and
    vi. includes private sector participation.
    MAP-21 also requires the comprehensive planning effort to advance 
the metropolitan planning organization's metropolitan transportation 
plan. Further, MAP-21 requires applicants to establish performance 
criteria for the planning effort.
    Following are examples of the types of substantial deliverables 
that may result from the comprehensive planning work. Substantial 
deliverables are reports, plans and other materials that represent the 
key accomplishments of the comprehensive planning effort and that must 
be submitted to FTA as each is completed. Substantial deliverables may 
include, but are not restricted to, the following:
    i. A comprehensive plan report that includes corridor development 
policies and station development plans, a proposed timeline, and 
recommended financing strategies for these plans, which may include use 
of Federal loan programs such as USDOT's Transportation Infrastructure 
Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) and Railroad Rehabilitation 
Improvement and Financing (RRIF) programs;
    ii. A strategic plan report that includes corridor specific 
planning strategies and program recommendations to support 
comprehensive planning;
    iii. Revised TOD-focused zoning codes and/or resolutions;
    iv. A report evaluating and recommending financial tools to 
encourage TOD implementation such as land banking, value capture, and 
development financing;
    v. Policies to encourage TOD; and/or
    vi. Local or regional resolutions to implement TOD plans and/or 
establish TOD funding mechanisms.
iii. Ineligible Activities
    Applications should not include the following activities, which 
include activities that are targeted to only a single location rather 
than a comprehensive corridor-focused TOD planning study:
    i. TOD planning work in a single transit capital project station 
area;
    ii. Transit project development activities that would be 
reimbursable under an FTA capital grant, such as project planning, the 
design and engineering of stations and other facilities, environmental 
analyses needed for the transit capital project, or costs associated 
with specific joint development activities;
    iii. Capital projects, such as land acquisition, construction, and 
utility relocation; and
    iv. Site- or parcel-specific planning, such as the design of 
individual structures.

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Address

    Applications must be submitted electronically through GRANTS.GOV. 
General information for submitting applications through GRANTS.GOV can 
be found at https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grants/applying/applying-fta-funding along with specific instructions for the forms and 
attachments required for submission. Mail and fax submissions will not 
be accepted.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

    Proposals should include only a completed SF 424 Mandatory form 
(downloaded from GRANTS.GOV) and the following attachments to the 
completed SF 424:
    i. A completed Applicant and Proposal Profile supplemental form for 
the TOD Pilot Program (supplemental form) found on the FTA website at 
https://www.transit.dot.gov/TODPilot. The information on the 
supplemental form will be used to determine applicant and project 
eligibility for the program, and to evaluate the proposal against the 
selection criteria described in part E of this notice;
    ii. A map of the proposed study area showing the transit project 
alignment and stations, major roadways, major

[[Page 24159]]

landmarks, and the geographic boundaries of the proposed comprehensive 
planning activities;
    iii. Documentation of a partnership between the transit project 
sponsor and an entity in the project corridor with land use planning 
authority to conduct the planning work, if the applicant does not have 
both of these responsibilities. Documentation may consist of a 
memorandum of agreement or letter of intent signed by all parties that 
describes the parties' roles and responsibilities in the proposed 
comprehensive planning project; and
    iv. Documentation of any funding commitments for the proposed 
planning work.
    Information such as proposer name, Federal amount requested, local 
match amount, description of areas served, etc. may be requested in 
varying degrees of detail on both the SF 424 form and supplemental 
form. Proposers must fill in all fields unless stated otherwise on the 
forms. Proposers should use both the ``Check Package for Errors'' and 
the ``Validate Form'' validation buttons on both forms to check all 
required fields on the forms, and ensure that the federal and local 
amounts specified are consistent. In the event of errors with the 
supplemental form, FTA recommends saving the form on your computer and 
ensuring that JavaScript is enabled in your PDF reader. The information 
listed below MUST be included on the SF 424 and supplemental forms for 
all requests for TOD Pilot Program funding.
    The SF 424 and supplemental form will prompt applicants to address 
the following items:

    1. Provide the name of the lead applicant and, if applicable, 
the specific co-sponsors submitting the application.
    2. Provide the applicant's Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data 
Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number.
    3. Provide contact information including: Contact name, title, 
address, fax and phone number, and email address.
    4. Specify the Congressional district(s) where the planning 
project will take place.
    5. Identify the project title and project scope to be funded, 
including anticipated substantial deliverables and the milestones at 
which they will be provided to FTA.
    6. Identify and describe an eligible transit project that meets 
the requirements of section C, subsection 3 of this notice.
    7. Provide evidence of a partnership between the transit project 
sponsor and at least one agency with land use authority in the 
transit capital project corridor, as described earlier in this 
subsection.
    8. Address the six aspects of general authority under MAP-21 
Section 20005(b)(2).
    9. Address each evaluation criterion separately, demonstrating 
how the project responds to each criterion as described in section 
E.
    10. Provide a line-item budget for the total planning effort, 
with enough detail to indicate the various key components of the 
project.
    11. Identify the Federal amount requested.
    12. Document the matching funds, including amount and source of 
the match (may include local or private sector financial 
participation in the project). Describe whether the matching funds 
are committed or planned, and include documentation of the 
commitments.
    13. Address whether other Federal funds have been sought or 
received for the project.
    14. Provide a project schedule and process for the development 
of the comprehensive plan that includes anticipated dates for 
incorporating the planning work effort into the region's unified 
planning work program, completing major tasks and substantial 
deliverables, and completing the overall planning effort (which, per 
the maximum period of performance, must occur within 36 months of 
grant execution).
    15. Describe how the planning work advances the metropolitan 
transportation plan of the metropolitan planning organization.
    16. Propose performance criteria for the development and 
implementation of the planning work.
    17. Identify potential State, local or other impediments to the 
planning work and its implementation, and how the work will address 
them.

    For each of the above indicate yes or no, and attach a link to any 
applicable documents or websites. Do not attach the documentation.
    FTA will not consider any additional materials submitted by 
applicants in its evaluation of proposals. The total length of the 
completed supplemental form and documentation of partnerships and 
funding commitments should be no more than 15 pages.

3. Unique Entry Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

    Each applicant is required to: (1) Be registered in SAM before 
submitting an application; (2) provide a valid unique entity identifier 
in its application; and (3) continue to maintain an active SAM 
registration with current information at all times during which the 
applicant has an active Federal award or an application or plan under 
consideration by FTA. These requirements do not apply if the applicant: 
(1) Is an individual; (2) is excepted from the requirements under 2 CFR 
25.110(b) or (c); or (3) has an exception approved by FTA under 2 CFR 
25.110(d). FTA may not make an award until the applicant has complied 
with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements. If 
an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time 
FTA is ready to make an award, FTA may determine that the applicant is 
not qualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis 
for making a Federal award to another applicant. All applicants must 
provide a unique entity identifier provided by SAM. Registration in SAM 
may take as little as 3-5 business days, but since there could be 
unexpected steps or delays (for example, if you need to obtain an 
Employer Identification Number), FTA recommends allowing ample time, up 
to several weeks, for completion of all steps. For additional 
information on obtaining a unique entity identifier, please visit 
www.sam.gov.

4. Submission Dates and Times

    Project proposals must be submitted electronically through http://www.GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 p.m. July 23, 2018. GRANTS.GOV attaches a time 
stamp to each application at the time of submission. Proposals 
submitted after the deadline will only be considered under 
extraordinary circumstances not under the applicant's control. Mail and 
fax submissions will not be accepted.
    Within 48 hours after submitting an electronic application, the 
applicant should receive two email messages from GRANTS.GOV: (1) 
Confirmation of successful transmission to GRANTS.GOV, and (2) 
confirmation of successful validation by GRANTS.GOV. FTA will then 
validate the application and will attempt to notify any applicants 
whose applications could not be validated (for instance, due to a 
missing or scanned Applicant and Proposal Profile supplemental form or 
the use of a form for a different funding opportunity). If 
confirmations of successful validation are not received and a notice of 
failed validation or incomplete materials is received, the applicant 
must address the reason for the failed validation, as described in the 
email notice, and resubmit before the submission deadline. If making a 
resubmission for any reason, include all original attachments 
regardless of which attachments were updated and check the box on the 
supplemental form indicating this is a resubmission. An application 
that is submitted at the deadline and cannot be validated will be 
marked as incomplete, and such applicants will not receive additional 
time to re-submit.
    Any addenda that FTA releases on the application process will be 
posted at https://www.transit.dot.gov/TODPilot. Important: FTA urges 
proposers to submit their applications at least 96 hours prior to the 
due date to allow time to receive the validation messages and to 
correct any problems that may have caused a rejection notification.

[[Page 24160]]

GRANTS.GOV scheduled maintenance and outage times are announced on the 
GRANTS.GOV website at http://www.GRANTS.GOV. Deadlines will not be 
extended due to scheduled maintenance or outages.
    Proposers are encouraged to begin registration process on the 
GRANTS.GOV site well in advance of the submission deadline. 
Registration is a multi-step process, which may take several weeks to 
complete before an application can be submitted. Registered proposers 
may still be required to take steps to keep their registration up to 
date before submissions can be made successfully: (1) Registration in 
the System for Award Management (SAM) is renewed annually and (2) 
persons making submissions on behalf of the Authorized Organization 
Representative (AOR) must be authorized in GRANTS.GOV by the AOR to 
make submissions. Instructions on the GRANTS.GOV registration process 
are listed in Appendix A.

5. Funding Restrictions

    See section C of this NOFO for detailed eligibility requirements. 
FTA emphasizes that any comprehensive planning projects funded through 
the TOD Pilot Program must be associated with an eligible transit 
project, specifically a new fixed guideway project or a core capacity 
improvement project as defined in Federal transit statute, 49 U.S.C. 
5309(a).

6. Other Submission Requirements

    Project proposals must be submitted electronically through http://www.GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 p.m. E.D.T. on July 23, 2018. Mail and fax 
submissions will not be accepted.

E. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

    FTA will evaluate proposals that include all components identified 
in section D of this notice according to the following three criteria:
a. Demonstrated Need
    FTA will evaluate each project to determine the need for funding 
based on the following factors:
    i. Potential state, local or other impediments to implementation of 
the products of the comprehensive planning effort, and how the workplan 
will address them;
    ii. How the proposed work will advance TOD implementation in the 
corridor and region;
    iii. Justification as to why Federal funds are needed for the 
proposed work; and
    iv. Extent to which the transit project corridor could benefit from 
TOD planning.
b. Strength of the Work Plan, Schedule and Process
    FTA will evaluate the strength of the work plan, schedule and 
process included in an application based on the following factors:
    i. Extent to which the schedule contains sufficient detail, 
identifies all steps needed to implement the work proposed, and is 
achievable;
    ii. The proportion of the project corridor covered by the work 
plan;
    iii. Extent of partnerships, including with non-public sector 
entities;
    iv. The partnerships' technical capability to develop, adopt and 
implement the plans, based on FTA's assessment of the applicant's 
description of the policy formation, implementation, and financial 
roles of the partners, and the roles and responsibilities of proposed 
staff; and
    v. Whether the performance measures identified in the application 
relate to the goals of the planning work.
c. Funding Commitments
    FTA will assess the status of local matching funds for the planning 
work. Applications demonstrating that matching funds for the proposed 
planning work are committed will receive higher ratings from FTA on 
this factor. Proposed planning projects for which matching funding 
sources have been identified, but are not yet committed, will be given 
lower ratings under this factor by FTA, as will proposed projects for 
which in-kind contributions constitute the primary or sole source of 
matching funds.

2. Review and Selection Process

    In addition to other FTA staff that may review the proposals, a 
technical evaluation committee will evaluate proposals based on the 
published evaluation criteria. Members of the technical evaluation 
committee and other FTA staff may request additional information from 
applicants, if necessary. Based on the findings of the technical 
evaluation committee, the FTA Administrator will determine the final 
selection of projects for program funding. Among the factors, FTA may 
consider geographic diversity, diversity in the size of the grantees 
receiving funding, and/or the applicant's receipt of other competitive 
awards in determining the allocation of program funds. FTA may 
prioritize projects proposed with a higher local share.
    In addition to the criteria and considerations outlined in this 
section, the FTA Administrator will take into account the following key 
Departmental objectives:
    (A) Supporting economic vitality at the national and regional 
level;
    (B) Leveraging Federal funding to attract other, non-Federal 
sources of infrastructure investment, including value capture;
    (C) Using innovative approaches to improve safety and expedite 
project delivery; and,
    (D) Holding grant recipients accountable for their performance and 
achieving specific, measurable outcomes identified by grant applicants.
    Prior to making an award, FTA is required to review and consider 
any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity 
and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS). An 
applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated 
integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on 
any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously 
entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance 
system accessible through SAM. FTA will consider any comments by the 
applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated 
integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the 
applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under 
Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants 
as described in the 2 CFR 200.205 Federal awarding agency review of 
risk posed by applicants.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices

    Subsequent to an announcement by the FTA Administrator of the final 
project selections, which will be posted on the FTA website, FTA will 
publish a list of the selected projects, Federal award amounts, and 
recipients in the Federal Register. Project recipients should contact 
their FTA Regional Offices for additional information regarding 
allocations for projects under the TOD Pilot Program. FTA will issue 
specific guidance to recipients regarding pre-award authority at the 
time of selection; see subsection 3 below for further information.
    Local funds must be committed and grants awarded by September 30, 
2019.

2. Award Administration

    Funds under the TOD Pilot Program are available to existing FTA 
grantees. The anticipated minimum and maximum award amounts are 
$250,000

[[Page 24161]]

and $2,000,000, respectively. Only proposals from eligible recipients 
for eligible activities will be considered for funding. Due to funding 
limitations, proposers that are selected for funding may receive less 
than the amount originally requested. In those cases, applicants must 
be able to demonstrate that the proposed projects are still viable and 
can be completed with the amount awarded.

3. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

i. Pre-Award Authority
    FTA will issue specific guidance to recipients regarding pre-award 
authority at the time of selection. FTA does not provide pre-award 
authority for competitive funds until projects are selected and even 
then there are Federal requirements that must be met before costs are 
incurred. Funds under this NOFO cannot be used to reimburse applicants 
for otherwise eligible expenses incurred prior to FTA award of a Grant 
Agreement until FTA has issued pre-award authority for selected 
projects, or unless FTA has issued a ``Letter of No Prejudice'' for the 
project before the expenses are incurred. For more information about 
FTA's policy on pre-award authority, please see the FY 2017 
Apportionment Notice published on January 19, 2017. https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-01-19/pdf/2017-01194.pdf.
ii. Grant Requirements
    If selected, awardees will apply for a grant through FTA's Transit 
Award Management System (TrAMS). Recipients of TOD Pilot Program funds 
are subject to the grant requirements of the Section 5303 Metropolitan 
Planning program, including those of FTA Circular 8100.1C and Circular 
5010.1E. All competitive grants, regardless of award amount, will be 
subject to the Congressional Notification and release process. 
Technical assistance regarding these requirements is available from 
each FTA regional office.
iii. Planning
    FTA encourages proposers to notify the appropriate metropolitan 
planning organizations in areas likely to be served by the funds made 
available under this program. Selected projects must be incorporated 
into the unified planning work programs of metropolitan areas before 
they are eligible for FTA funding or pre-award authority.
iv. 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 may 
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.

4. Reporting

    Post-award reporting requirements include submission of Federal 
Financial Reports and Milestone Progress Reports in FTA's electronic 
grants management system on a quarterly basis. Awardees must also 
submit copies of the substantial deliverables identified in the work 
plan to the FTA regional office at the corresponding milestones.

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact

    For program-specific questions, please contact Benjamin Owen, 
Office of Planning and Environment, (202) 366-5602, email: 
[email protected]. A TDD is available at 1-800-877-8339 (TDD/FIRS). 
Any addenda that FTA releases on the application process will be posted 
at https://www.transit.dot.gov/TODPilot. To ensure applicants receive 
accurate information about eligibility or the program, the applicant is 
encouraged to contact FTA directly, rather than through intermediaries 
or third parties. FTA staff may also conduct briefings on the FY 2018 
competitive grants selection and award process upon request.

H. Technical Assistance and Other Program Information

    This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.'' FTA will consider 
applications for funding only from eligible recipients for eligible 
projects as listed in Section C.
    Complete applications must be submitted through GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 
p.m. EDT July 23, 2018. For issues with GRANTS.GOV please contact 
GRANTS.GOV by phone at 1-800-518-4726 or by email at 
[email protected]. Contact information for FTA's regional offices can 
be found on FTA's website at www.transit.dot.gov.

K. Jane Williams,
Acting Administrator.

Appendix A

Registration In Sam And Grants.Gov

Registration in Brief

    Registration takes approximately 3-5 business days, but allow 4 
weeks for completion of all steps.

STEP 1: Obtain DUNS Number

    Same day. If requested by phone (1-866-705-5711) DUNS is 
provided immediately. If your organization does not have one, you 
will need to go to the Dun & Bradstreet website at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform [EXIT Disclaimer] to obtain the number. 
*Information for Foreign Registrants.*Webform requests take 1-2 
business days.

STEP 2: Register With SAM

    Three to five business days or up to two weeks. If you already 
have a TIN, your SAM registration will take 3-5 business days to 
process. If you are applying for an EIN please allow up to 2 weeks. 
Ensure that your organization is registered with the System for 
Award Management (SAM) at System for Award Management (SAM). If your 
organization is not, an authorizing official of your organization 
must register.

STEP 3: Username & Password

    Same day. Complete your AOR (Authorized Organization 
Representative) profile on Grants.gov and create your username and 
password. You will need to use your organization's DUNS Number to 
complete this step. https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/OrcRegister.

STEP 4: AOR Authorization

    *Same day. The E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) at your 
organization must login to Grants.gov to confirm you as an 
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Please note that there 
can be more than one AOR for your organization. In some cases the E-
Biz POC is also the AOR for an organization. *Time depends on 
responsiveness of your E-Biz POC.

STEP 5: TRACK AOR STATUS

    At any time, you can track your AOR status by logging in with 
your username and password. Login as an Applicant (enter your 
username & password you obtained in Step 3) using the following 
link: applicant_profile.jsp.

[FR Doc. 2018-10964 Filed 5-23-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-57-P