[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 27, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45147-45153]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-16094]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


FY 2022 Competitive Funding Opportunity: All Stations 
Accessibility Program

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of funding opportunity (NOFO).

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the 
opportunity to apply for approximately $343 million in competitive 
grants under the fiscal year (FY) 2022 All Stations Accessibility 
Program (ASAP).

DATES: Complete proposals must be submitted electronically through the 
GRANTS.GOV ``APPLY'' function by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on September 
30, 2022. 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 http://www.transit.dot.gov/howtoapply and in the ``FIND'' module of 
GRANTS.GOV. The funding opportunity ID is FTA-2022-009-TPM-ASAP.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information concerning 
this notice, please contact the All Stations Accessibility Program 
Manager, Kevin Osborn, via email at [email protected], or call 202-
366-7519.

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. Other Information

A. Program Description

    Division J of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (enacted as the 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Pub. L. 117-58) authorizes FTA 
to award grants for public transportation rail station accessibility 
projects, for ``legacy'' stations, through a competitive process, as 
described in this notice. Legacy stations for purposes of this NOFO are 
defined as public transportation stations already constructed or where 
construction began prior to January 25, 1992, or for commuter rail 
stations already constructed or where construction began prior to 
October 7, 1991, that were not identified as key stations and remain 
not accessible to or usable by persons with disabilities, including 
wheelchair users. ASAP provides funding to States (including 
territories and Washington, DC) and local governmental authorities to 
help finance capital projects to upgrade the accessibility of legacy 
rail fixed guideway public transportation systems (e.g., subway, 
commuter rail, light rail) for persons with disabilities, including 
those who use wheelchairs, by increasing the number of existing 
stations or facilities, such as outdoor light-rail boarding and 
alighting areas, that are fully accessible. For purposes of this NOFO, 
``fully accessible'' means all of the passenger-use publicly accessible 
areas in the station(s) or facilities for passenger use meet or exceed 
the standards for new construction under Title II of the Americans with 
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.) as incorporated into 
Appendix A of 49 CFR part 37. Grants under this program are for (1) 
capital projects to repair, improve, modify, retrofit, or relocate 
infrastructure of stations or facilities for passenger use, including 
load-bearing members that are an essential part of the structural 
frame; or (2) for planning projects to develop or modify a plan for 
pursuing public transportation accessibility projects, assessments of 
accessibility, or assessments of planned modifications to stations or 
facilities for passenger use.
    This funding opportunity can be found under Federal Assistance 
Listing 20.533.
    This program supports FTA's priorities and objectives through 
investments that (1) renew our transit systems, (2) advance racial 
equity, (3) maintain and create good-paying jobs with a free and fair 
choice to join a union, (4) remove barriers to transit access for 
underserved communities, and (5) connect communities. This program will 
be implemented, as appropriate and consistent with law, in alignment 
with the priorities in Executive Order 14052, Implementation of the 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (86 FR 64355). In addition, this 
NOFO will advance the goals of the President's January 20, 2021, 
Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for 
Underserved

[[Page 45148]]

Communities Through the Federal Government (86 FR 7009).

B. Federal Award Information

    The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law appropriated $350,000,000 for FY 
2022 grants. Additional funds made available prior to project selection 
may be allocated to eligible projects. After the administrative 
oversight and Office of Inspector General takedown of $7,000,000, FTA 
is announcing the availability of $343,000,000 for ASAP through this 
notice. FTA may cap the amount a single recipient or State may receive 
as part of the selection process.
    FTA will grant pre-award authority to incur costs for selected 
projects beginning on the date FY 2022 project selections are announced 
on FTA's website. Funds are available for obligation for three fiscal 
years after the fiscal year in which the competitive awards are 
announced. Funds are available only for eligible costs incurred after 
the date project selections are announced. FTA intends to fund as many 
meritorious projects as possible.

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants for ASAP include designated recipients that 
operate or allocate funds to inaccessible pre-ADA--or ``legacy''--rail 
fixed guideway public transportation systems, and States (including 
territories and Washington, DC) and local governmental entities that 
operate or financially support legacy rail fixed guideway public 
transportation systems and corresponding legacy stations/facilities. 
The law limits ASAP to legacy rail fixed guideway public transportation 
systems with stations or facilities for passenger use that are not 
already accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities, 
including wheelchair users. To be considered eligible, applicants must 
be able to demonstrate the requisite legal, financial, and technical 
capabilities to receive and administer Federal funds under this 
program. Assistance on this requirement is available from FTA's 
Regional Offices.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

    The maximum Federal share as identified in the law for an eligible 
project shall not exceed 80 percent of the net project cost.
    Eligible sources of match include the following: state or local 
government revenues, 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; funds from an undistributed cash surplus; 
replacement or depreciation cash fund or reserve; new capital; or in-
kind contributions. Transportation development credits or in-kind match 
may be used for local match if identified and documented in the 
application.

3. Eligible Projects

    Eligible projects under ASAP include (1) capital projects to 
repair, improve, modify, retrofit, or relocate infrastructure of 
stations or facilities for passenger use, including load-bearing 
members that are an essential part of the structural frame; or (2) for 
planning projects to develop or modify a plan for pursuing public 
transportation accessibility projects, assessments of accessibility, or 
assessments of planned modifications to stations or facilities for 
passenger use projects; or programs of projects in an eligible area. 
Capital projects are limited to those that, upon completion, will meet 
or exceed the standards for new construction under Title II of the 
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.), as 
incorporated into Appendix A of 49 CFR part 37. Eligible costs are 
limited to project costs associated with the accessibility 
improvements.
    Neither a capital grant nor a planning grant awarded under this 
program may be used to upgrade a station or facility for passenger use 
that is already accessible to and usable by individuals with 
disabilities, including individuals who use wheelchairs, consistent 
with the construction standards under Title II of the Americans with 
Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) (42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.) in place at 
the time the station or passenger facility was originally constructed 
or upgraded. Only legacy stations or passenger facilities that existed 
prior to the ADA and were not made accessible in the intervening time 
are therefore eligible.
    Any project of station upgrades or passenger facility that does not 
result in full accessibility consistent with Title II of the ADA as 
incorporated by appendix A of 49 CFR part 37 and usability by persons 
with disabilities, including wheelchair users, is not eligible under 
this program. Projects for maintenance or repair activities for 
elements of existing accessible stations or passenger facilities that 
are otherwise subject to the ongoing maintenance requirements under 49 
CFR 37.161(a) are not eligible under this program. Maintenance and 
repair activities for stations altered under this program are subject 
to the same ongoing maintenance provision, and are similarly 
ineligible.

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Address To Request Application Package

    Application materials may be accessed on grants.gov. Applications 
must be submitted electronically through GRANTS.GOV. General 
information for accessing and submitting applications through 
GRANTS.GOV can be found at www.fta.dot.gov/howtoapply along with 
specific instructions for the forms and attachments required for 
submission. A complete proposal submission for each program consists of 
two forms: the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance (available at 
GRANTS.GOV) and the supplemental form for the FY 2022 All Stations 
Accessibility Program (downloaded from GRANTS.GOV or the FTA website at 
https://www.transit.dot.gov/notices-funding/fiscal-year-2022-all-stations-accessibility-program-notice-funding-opportunity. Please note 
that if an applicant is applying for both a planning and construction 
project they must submit two different applications via GRANTS.GOV. 
Failure to submit the information as requested can delay review or 
disqualify the application.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

a. Proposal Submission
    A complete proposal submission for each program consists of two 
forms: (1) the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance; and (2) the 
supplemental form for the FY 2022 All Stations Accessibility Program. 
The supplemental form and any supporting documents must be attached to 
the ``Attachments'' section of the SF-424. The application must include 
responses to all sections of the SF-424 Application for Federal 
Assistance and the supplemental form, unless indicated as optional. 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.
    FTA will accept only one supplemental form per SF-424 submission. 
FTA encourages States and other applicants to consider submitting a 
single supplemental form that includes multiple activities to be 
evaluated as a consolidated proposal. If

[[Page 45149]]

a State or other applicant chooses to submit separate proposals for 
individual consideration by FTA, each proposal must be submitted using 
a separate SF-424 and supplemental form. Applicants applying for both a 
planning and a construction project must submit two separate 
applications, one for each type of project.
    Applicants may attach additional supporting information to the SF-
424 submission, including but not limited to letters of support, 
project budgets, accessibility information, or excerpts from relevant 
planning documents. Any supporting documentation must be described and 
referenced by file name in the appropriate response section of the 
supplemental form, or it may not be reviewed.
    Information such as applicant 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 and supplemental form. 
Applicants must fill in all fields unless stated otherwise on the 
forms. If information is copied into the supplemental form from another 
source, applicants should verify that pasted text is fully captured on 
the supplemental form and has not been truncated by the character 
limits built into the form. Applicants 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. Applicants 
should enter their information in the supplemental form (fillable PDF) 
that is made available on FTA's website or through the GRANTS.GOV 
application package, and should attach this to the application in its 
original format. Applicants should not use scanned versions of the 
form, ``print'' the form to PDF, convert or create a version using 
another text editor, etc.
b. Application Content
    The SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance and the supplemental 
form will prompt applicants for the required information, including:

i. Applicant name
ii. Unique Entity Identifier
iii. Key contact information (including contact name, address, email 
address, and phone)
iv. Congressional district(s) where project will take place
v. Project information (including title, an executive summary, and 
type)
vi. A detailed description of the need for the project
vii. A detailed description on how the project will support the 
Program's objectives
viii. Evidence that the project is consistent with local and 
regional planning documents
ix. Evidence that the applicant can provide the local cost share
x. A description of the technical, legal, and financial capacity of 
the applicant
xi. A detailed project budget
xii. An explanation of the scalability of the project
xiii. Details on the local matching funds
xiv. A detailed project timeline
xv. A system map and listing of accessible vs inaccessible stations, 
and which station(s) they are proposing to upgrade.

3. Unique Entity 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 
has an exemption approved by FTA pursuant to 2 CFR 25.110(c) or is 
otherwise excepted from registration requirements. 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 there 
is a 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 https://www.sam.gov.

4. Submission Dates and Times

    Project proposals must be submitted electronically through 
GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on September 30, 2022. 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 for reasons 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 an email message from GRANTS.GOV with 
confirmation of successful transmission to GRANTS.GOV. If 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.
    FTA urges applicants to submit applications at least 72 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. 
GRANTS.GOV scheduled maintenance and outage times are announced on the 
GRANTS.GOV website. Deadlines will not be extended due to scheduled 
website maintenance.
    Applicants 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 an application can be submitted. Registered applicants 
may still be required to take steps to keep their registrations up to 
date before submissions can be made successfully. For example, 
registration in SAM is renewed annually, and persons making submissions 
on behalf of the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) must be 
authorized in GRANTS.GOV by the AOR to make submissions.

5. Funding Restrictions

    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. FTA expects to issue pre-award authority to incur costs for 
selected projects beginning on the date that project selections are 
announced. 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. FTA will issue 
specific guidance to awardees regarding pre-award authority at the time 
of selection. For more information about FTA's policy on pre-award 
authority, please see the most recent Apportionment Notice on FTA's 
website. Refer to Section C.3., Eligible Projects, for information on 
activities that are allowable in this grant program. Allowable direct 
and indirect expenses

[[Page 45150]]

must be consistent with the Government-wide Uniform Administrative 
Requirements and Cost Principles (2 CFR part 200) and FTA Circular 
5010.1E. Funds may not be used to support or oppose union organizing.

6. Other Submission Requirements

    All applications must be submitted via the GRANTS.GOV website. FTA 
does not accept applications on paper, by fax machine, email, or other 
means. For information on application submission requirements, please 
see Section D.1. of this notice, Address to Request Application.

E. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

    Projects will be evaluated primarily on the responses provided in 
the supplemental form. Additional information may be provided to 
support the responses; however, any additional documentation must be 
directly referenced on the supplemental form, including the file name 
where the additional information can be found. FTA will evaluate 
proposals based on the criteria described in this notice.
    Applicants are encouraged to identify scaled funding options in 
case insufficient funding is available to fund a project at the full 
requested amount. If an applicant indicates that a project is scalable, 
the applicant must provide an appropriate minimum funding amount that 
will fund an eligible project that achieves the objectives of the 
program and meets all relevant program requirements. Proposed scalable 
projects must still result in a station or passenger facility with full 
accessibility to and usability by persons with disabilities, including 
wheelchair users. The applicant must provide a clear explanation of how 
the project budget would be affected by a reduced award. FTA may award 
a lesser amount regardless of whether a scalable option is provided.
a. Demonstration of Need
For Station or Passenger Facility Accessibility Improvement Projects
    Applicants should explain the need for the project, including 
supporting information that describes the lack of accessibility at, the 
condition, of and age of the stations or passenger facilities for 
passenger use to be made fully accessible. Applicants are encouraged to 
include a detailed project description and scope that explains how the 
proposed project will make all of the passenger-use publicly accessible 
areas in the station(s) or facilities for passenger use fully 
accessible in accordance with title II of the Americans with 
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.), as incorporated 
into Appendix A of 49 CFR part 37. Applicants should demonstrate that 
this is a legacy rail station that was not already required to be made 
fully accessible in accordance with the ADA.
    Applicants should provide information explaining whether the 
project (1) addresses an overall lack of accessible stations in a 
particular geographic area; (2) is at a major interchange point with 
other transportation modes; (3) serves major activity or cultural 
centers, such as employment or government centers, sports or 
entertainment venues, centers of economic activity or commerce, 
cultural or community centers, institutions of higher education, 
hospitals or other major health care facilities, or other facilities 
that are major trip generators; (4) is a transfer station(s) on a rail 
line, between rail lines, or is an end of the line station; (5) is a 
station or passenger facility where passenger boardings exceed average 
station or facility passenger boardings on the rail system and/or (6) 
is able to demonstrate reductions in ADA paratransit reliance through 
paratransit origin-to-destination pairs analysis.
For Planning Projects
    Applicants should demonstrate that the proposed planning project 
will develop or modify a plan for pursuing public transportation 
accessibility projects, assessments of accessibility, or assessments of 
planned modifications to stations or facilities for passenger use. 
Applicants are encouraged to reference how the project supports local 
and regional prioritization of increased accessibility at their 
existing legacy rail fixed guideway public transportation stations or 
passenger facilities.
b. Demonstration of Benefits
For Station or Passenger Facility Accessibility Improvement Projects
    Applicants should specifically detail how the project will increase 
the accessibility of legacy rail fixed guideway public transportation 
systems for persons with disabilities, including those who use 
wheelchairs, by increasing the number of existing stations or passenger 
facilities for passenger use that meet or exceed the standards for new 
construction under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 
1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131 et seq.) as incorporated into Appendix A of 49 
CFR part 37. See: https://www.access-board.gov/files/ada/ADAdotstandards.pdf. FTA will rate projects higher if they propose to 
exceed the construction standards, by providing multiple paths of 
travel for people with physical disabilities (including those who use 
wheelchairs) or technologies to improve accessibility for people with 
sensory or cognitive disabilities, as examples. The applicant should 
describe how the proposed station, stations, or facilities for 
passenger use were analyzed and selected to improve accessibility and 
usability for passengers with disabilities within the system.
For Planning Projects
    Applicants must detail how the resulting planning project will 
advance accessibility for persons with disabilities, including 
wheelchair users, and result in a future capital project that will make 
a legacy station or facility fully accessible. Applicants should 
address the timeline and steps remaining after the project would be 
completed, before a construction project could commence to repair, 
improve, modify, retrofit, or relocate infrastructure of stations or 
facilities for passenger use.
c. Planning and Local or Regional Prioritization
    Applicants must demonstrate how the proposed project is consistent 
with local and regional long-range planning documents and local 
government priorities. FTA will evaluate applications based on the 
extent to which the project is consistent with the transit priorities 
or illustrative projects identified in the metropolitan long-range plan 
or the investment prioritization of the transit asset management plan. 
Applicants may submit copies of the relevant pages of such plans to 
support their application. FTA will also consider letters of support 
from local and regional planning organizations, local government 
officials, public agencies, non-profit or private sector organizations, 
and other relevant stakeholders.
    Applicants should also provide any information documenting outreach 
to, engagement with, and support for the project among the surrounding 
local disability community, such as centers for independent living, as 
well as other communities likely to be affected by the project. This 
should also include details on compliance with environmental justice 
and civil rights requirements, such as access for persons with limited 
English proficiency and for persons with disabilities. Applications 
will be rated higher that demonstrate how the

[[Page 45151]]

passenger stations or facilities proposed for investment were selected 
from a stakeholder engagement process with local disability community 
members and organizations, including individuals with physical 
disabilities (including those who use wheelchairs), sensory 
disabilities, and intellectual or developmental disabilities. Letters 
of support may be submitted with the application that demonstrate that 
each station proposed for investment is supported by stakeholders in 
the surrounding disability community.
d. Local Financial Commitment
    Applicants must identify the source of the non-Federal cost share 
and describe whether such funds are currently available for the project 
or will need to be secured if the project is selected for funding. FTA 
will consider the availability of the non-Federal cost share as 
evidence of local financial commitment to the project. Applicants 
should submit evidence of the availability of funds for the project, 
for example, by including a board resolution, letter of support from 
the State, a budget document highlighting the line item or section 
committing funds to the proposed project, or other documentation of the 
source of non-Federal funds.
e. Project Implementation Strategy
    FTA will rate projects higher if grant funds can be obligated 
within 12 months of selection and the project can be implemented within 
a reasonable time frame. In assessing when funds can be obligated, FTA 
will consider whether the project qualifies for a Categorical Exclusion 
(CE), or whether the required environmental work has been initiated or 
completed for a project that requires an Environmental Assessment (EA) 
or Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) under the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). As such, applicants should 
submit information describing the project's anticipated path and 
timeline through the environmental review process for all proposals, 
including whether the project qualifies for a CE. The proposal must 
state when grant funds can be obligated and indicate the timeframe 
under which the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) 
and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) can be amended, 
if necessary, to include the proposed project.
    In assessing whether the proposed implementation plans are 
reasonable and complete, FTA will review the proposed project 
implementation plan, including all necessary project milestones and the 
overall project timeline. For projects that will require formal 
coordination, approvals, or permits from other agencies or project 
partners, the applicant must demonstrate coordination with these 
organizations and their support for the project, such as through 
letters of support.
f. Technical, Legal, and Financial Capacity
    Applicants must demonstrate that they have the technical, legal, 
and financial capacity to undertake the project.
    FTA will review relevant oversight assessments and records to 
determine whether there are any outstanding legal, technical, or 
financial issues with the applicant that would affect the outcome of 
the proposed project. Applicants with outstanding legal, technical, or 
financial compliance issues from an FTA compliance review or FTA grant-
related Single Audit finding must explain how corrective actions taken 
will mitigate negative impacts on the proposed project.

2. Review and Selection Process

    A technical evaluation committee will evaluate proposals based on 
the published evaluation criteria. FTA may request additional 
information from applicants, if necessary. Based on the review of the 
technical evaluation committee, the FTA Administrator will determine 
the final selection of projects for program funding. In determining the 
allocation of program funds, FTA may consider geographic diversity, 
diversity in the size of the transit systems receiving funding, and the 
applicant's receipt of other competitive awards. FTA may also consider 
capping the amount a single applicant may receive.
    After applying the above criteria, and in support of Executive 
Order 14052, Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs 
Act, FTA will give priority based on several considerations.
    FTA will give priority consideration to applications that advance 
racial equity in two areas: (1) planning and policies related to racial 
equity and overcoming barriers to opportunity; and (2) project 
investments that either proactively address racial equity and barriers 
to opportunity, including automobile dependence as a form of barrier, 
or redress prior inequities and barriers to opportunity. This objective 
has the potential to enhance environmental stewardship and community 
partnerships, and reflects Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial 
Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal 
Government. FTA encourages the applicant to include sufficient 
information to evaluate how the applicant will advance racial equity 
and address barriers to opportunity. The applicant should describe any 
transportation plans or policies related to equity and barriers to 
opportunity they are implementing or have implemented in relation to 
the proposed project, along with the specific project investment 
details necessary for FTA to evaluate if the investments are being made 
either proactively to advance racial equity and address barriers to 
opportunity or redress prior inequities and barriers to opportunity. 
All project investment costs for the project that are related to racial 
equity and barriers to opportunity should be summarized.
    FTA will also give priority consideration to projects that create 
good paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union and 
these strong labor protections. Applicants for capital projects should 
describe whether and how project delivery and implementation create 
good-paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union to the 
greatest extent possible, the use of demonstrated strong labor 
standards, practices and policies (including for direct employees, 
contractors, and subcontractors); distribution of workplace rights 
notices; the use of local and economic hiring provisions; registered 
apprenticeships; or other similar standards or practices; or, for 
capital projects over $35 million, the use of Project Labor Agreements. 
Applicants should describe how planned methods of project delivery and 
implementation (for example, use of Project Labor Agreements and/or 
local and economic hiring provisions, and training and placement 
programs for underrepresented workers) provides opportunities for all 
workers, including workers with disabilities and other workers 
underrepresented in construction jobs to be trained and placed in good-
paying jobs directly related to the project.

3. Integrity and Performance Review

    Prior to making an award with a total amount of Federal share 
greater than the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), 
FTA is required to review and consider any information about the 
applicant that is in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity 
Information Systems (FAPIIS) accessible through SAM. An applicant may 
review and comment on information about itself that a Federal awarding 
agency previously entered. FTA will consider any comments by the 
applicant, in addition to the other information in

[[Page 45152]]

FAPIIS, 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 2 CFR 200.206.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices

    FTA will announce the final project selections on the FTA website. 
Selectees should contact their FTA Regional Offices for additional 
information regarding allocations for projects. At the time the project 
selections are announced, FTA expects to extend pre-award authority for 
the selected projects (see Section D.5 of this notice for more 
information). There is no pre-award authority for these projects before 
announcement.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

a. Grant Requirements
    If selected, awardees will apply for a grant through FTA's Transit 
Award Management System (TrAMS). Recipients of funding in urban areas 
are subject to the grant requirements of the Urbanized Area Formula 
Grants program (49 U.S.C. 5307), including those of FTA Circular 
``Urbanized Area Formula Program: Program Guidance and Application 
Instructions'' (FTA.C.9030.1E). Recipients of funding in rural areas 
are subject to the grant requirements of the Formula Grants for Rural 
Areas Program (49 U.S.C. 5311), including those of FTA Circular 
``Formula Grants for Rural Areas: Program Guidance and Application 
Instructions'' (FTA.C.9040.1G). All recipients must accept the FTA 
Master Agreement and follow FTA Circular ``Award Management 
Requirements'' (FTA.C.5010.1E) and the labor protections required by 
Federal public transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5333(b)). Technical 
assistance regarding these requirements is available from the relevant 
FTA regional office.
    By submitting a grant application, the applicant assures that it 
will comply with all applicable Federal statutes, regulations, 
Executive Orders, directives, FTA circulars and other Federal 
administrative requirements in carrying out any project supported by 
the FTA grant, including the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3144, and 
3146-3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR 
part 5, ``Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering 
Federally Financed and Assisted Construction''). Further, 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.
    As authorized by Section 25019 of the BIL, applicants are 
encouraged to implement a local or other geographical or economic 
hiring preference relating to the use of labor for construction of a 
project funded by the grant, including pre-hire agreements, subject to 
any applicable State and local laws, policies, and procedures.
b. Made in America
    All capital procurements must comply with FTA's Buy America 
requirements (49 U.S.C. 5323(j)), which require that all iron, steel, 
and manufactured products be produced in the United States. In 
addition, any award must comply with the Build America, Buy America Act 
(BABA) (Pub. L. 117-58, sections 70901-52). BABA provides that none of 
the funds provided under an award made pursuant to this notice may be 
used for a project unless all iron, steel, manufactured products, and 
construction materials are produced in the United States. FTA's Buy 
America requirements are consistent with BABA requirements for iron, 
steel, and manufactured products. DOT issued a temporary public 
interest waiver for construction materials for a period of 180 days 
beginning on May 14, 2022, and expiring on November 10, 2022. The 
waiver can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2022-05/Temporary%20Waiver%20of%20Buy%20America%20Requirements%20for%20Construction%20Materials.pdf.
    Any proposal that will require a waiver of any domestic preference 
standard must identify the items for which a waiver will be sought in 
the application. Applicants should not proceed with the expectation 
that waivers will be granted.
c. Civil Rights Requirements
    Applications should demonstrate that the recipient has a plan for 
compliance with civil rights obligations and nondiscrimination laws, 
including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with 
Disabilities Act (ADA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and 
accompanying regulations. This should include a current Title VI 
program plan and a completed Community Participation Plan 
(alternatively called a Public Participation Plan and often part of the 
overall Title VI program plan), if applicable. Applicants who have not 
sufficiently demonstrated the conditions of compliance with civil 
rights requirements will be required to do so before receiving funds.
    Recipients of Federal transportation funding will be required to 
comply fully with the DOT's regulations and guidance for the ADA and 
all relevant civil rights requirements. The Department's and FTA's 
Office of Civil Rights will work with awarded grant recipients to 
ensure full compliance with Federal civil rights requirements.
d. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
    Recipients of planning or capital assistance that will award prime 
contracts, the cumulative total of which exceeds $250,000 in FTA funds 
in a Federal fiscal year, must comply with the Disadvantaged Business 
Enterprise (DBE) program regulations (49 CFR part 26).
    FTA will provide additional guidance as grants are awarded. For 
more information on DBE requirements, please call Monica McCallum, FTA 
Office of Civil Rights, at 206-220-7519, or email 
[email protected].
e. Planning
    FTA encourages applicants to notify the appropriate State 
departments of transportation and Metropolitan Planning Organizations 
(MPOs) in areas likely to be served by the project funds made available 
under this program. Selected projects must be incorporated into the 
long-range plans and transportation improvement programs of States and 
metropolitan areas before they are eligible for FTA funding.

3. Reporting

    Post-award reporting requirements include the electronic submission 
of Federal Financial Reports and Milestone Progress Reports in FTA's 
electronic grants management system. Recipients of funds made available 
through this NOFO are also required to regularly submit data to the 
National Transit Database. Recipients should include any goals, 
targets, and indicators referenced in their applications in the 
Executive Summary of the TrAMS application.

[[Page 45153]]

    FTA is committed to making evidence-based decisions guided by the 
best available science and data. In accordance with the Foundations for 
Evidence-based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act), FTA may use 
information submitted in discretionary funding applications; 
information in FTA's Transit Award Management System (TrAMS), including 
grant applications, Milestone Progress Reports (MPRs), Federal 
Financial Reports (FFRs); transit service, ridership and operational 
data submitted in FTA's National Transit Database; documentation and 
results of FTA oversight reviews, including triennial and state 
management reviews; and other publicly available sources of data to 
build evidence to support policy, budget, operational, regulatory, and 
management processes and decisions affecting FTA's grant programs.
    As part of completing the annual certifications and assurances 
required of FTA grant recipients, a successful applicant must report on 
the suspension or debarment status of itself and its principals. If the 
award recipient's active grants, cooperative agreements, and 
procurement contracts from all Federal awarding agencies exceeds 
$10,000,000 for any period of time during the period of performance of 
an award made pursuant to this notice, the recipient must comply with 
the Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters reporting requirements 
described in Appendix XII to 2 CFR part 200.

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

    For further information concerning this notice, please contact the 
ASAP Program Manager, Kevin Osborn via email at [email protected], 
or by phone at 202-366-7519. A TDD is available for individuals who are 
deaf or hard of hearing at 800-877-8339. In addition, FTA will post 
answers to questions and requests for clarifications on FTA's ASAP 
homepage at: https://www.transit.dot.gov/grants/all-stations-accessibility-program. To ensure applicants receive accurate 
information about eligibility or the program, applicants are encouraged 
to contact FTA with questions directly, rather than through 
intermediaries or third parties.
    For technical issues with GRANTS.GOV, please contact GRANTS.GOV by 
phone at 1-800-518-4726 or by email at grants.gov">support@grants.gov. Contact 
information for FTA's regional offices can be found on FTA's website at 
https://www.transit.dot.gov/about/regional-offices/regional-offices.

H. Other Information

    User-friendly information and resources regarding DOT's 
discretionary grant programs relevant to rural applicants can be found 
on the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success 
(ROUTES) website at https://www.transportation.gov/rural.
    This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''

Nuria I. Fernandez,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2022-16094 Filed 7-26-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P