[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 48 (Monday, March 12, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14587-14590]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-5895]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
FY 2012 Discretionary Livability Funding Opportunity:
Alternatives Analysis Program
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of funding availability for FTA Alternatives Analysis
Program: Solicitation of Project Proposals.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the
availability of Section 5339 Alternatives Analysis program
discretionary funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012. FTA will distribute
these funds in accordance with the mission of this program, consistent
with the eligibility requirements of this program, and in support of
the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) livability efforts.
The Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011
(Temporary Authorization, 2012), Public Law 112-30, continues the
authorization of the Federal transit programs of the U.S. DOT through
March 31, 2012. Subject to action by Congress, FTA will fund the
Alternatives Analysis program with approximately $25 million of
unallocated Section 5339 funds made available by the Temporary
Authorization.
This notice solicits proposals to compete for FY 2012 funding under
the aforementioned program and livability initiative. Contingent on
subsequent appropriations by Congress, FTA may also award FY 2013 funds
to proposals submitted pursuant to this notice.
This notice includes priorities established by FTA for these
discretionary funds, the criteria FTA will use to identify meritorious
projects for funding, and describes how to apply for funding. This
announcement is available on the FTA Web site at: http://www.fta.dot.gov. A synopsis of the funding opportunity will be posted
in the FIND module of the government-wide electronic grants Web site at
http://www.GRANTS.GOV. FTA will announce final selections on the FTA
Web site and may also announce selections in the Federal Register.
DATES: Complete proposals must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EDT on April
19, 2012. All proposals must be submitted electronically through the
GRANTS.GOV ``APPLY'' function. Any prospective proposer intending to
apply should initiate the process of registering on the GRANTS.GOV site
immediately to ensure completion of registration before the submission
deadline. Instructions for applying can be found on FTA's Web site at
http://www.fta.dot.gov/alternativesanalysis and in the ``FIND'' module
of GRANTS.GOV.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact the appropriate FTA Regional Office
found at http://www.fta.dot.gov for proposal-specific information and
issues. For program-specific questions about applying to the
Alternatives Analysis program outlined in this notice, please contact
Kenneth Cervenka, Office of Planning and Environment, (202) 493-0512,
email: kenneth.cervenka@dot.gov. A TDD is available at 1-800-877-8339
(TDD/FIRS).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Overview of FTA Discretionary Program
A. Authority
B. Policy Priorities
II. Discretionary Program Information
A. Description and Purpose
B. Eligibility Information
C. Evaluation Criteria, Review, and Selection
III. Proposal and Submission Information
IV. Award Administration
V. Agency Contacts and Technical Assistance
I. Overview of FTA Discretionary Program
A. Authority
Section 5339(a) of Title 49, United States Code authorizes the
Secretary to make awards for FTA's Alternatives Analysis program and
states:
The Secretary may award grants to States, authorities of the
States, metropolitan planning organizations, and local governmental
authorities to develop alternatives analyses as defined by section
5309(a)(1).
Section 5309(a)(1) defines ``alternatives analysis'' as:
A study conducted as part of the transportation planning process
required under sections 5303 and 5304, which includes--
(A) An assessment of a wide range of public transportation
alternatives designed to address a transportation problem in a
corridor or subarea;
(B) Sufficient information to enable the Secretary to make the
findings of project justification and local financial commitment
required under this section;
(C) The selection of a locally preferred alternative; and
(D) The adoption of the locally preferred alternative as part of
the long-range transportation plan required under section 5303.
B. Policy Priorities
Maintaining transit assets in a state of good repair, fostering
livable communities and promoting sustainable development, and
improving our Nation's environment through investments in clean energy
resources, have been key strategic goals of the Department of
Transportation (DOT) and FTA. Studies funded as a result of this notice
will further the Department's livability efforts by supporting the
study of tangible livability improvements within the existing
Alternatives Analysis program while demonstrating the feasibility and
value of such improvements.
Livable Communities and Sustainable Development
FTA has long fostered livable communities and sustainable
development through its various transit
[[Page 14588]]
programs and activities. Public transportation supports the development
of communities, providing effective and reliable transportation options
that increase access to jobs, recreation, health and social services,
entertainment, educational opportunities, and other activities of daily
life, while also improving mobility within and among these communities.
Through various initiatives and legislative changes over the last
fifteen years, FTA has allowed and encouraged projects that help
integrate transit into a community through neighborhood improvements
and enhancements to transportation facilities or services; make
improvements to areas adjacent to public transit facilities that may
facilitate mobility needs of transit users; or support other
infrastructure investments that enhance the use of transit and other
transportation options for the community.
On June 16, 2009, U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood, U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, and U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson
announced a new partnership to help American families in all
communities--rural, suburban and urban--gain better access to
affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower
transportation costs. DOT, HUD, and EPA created this high-level
interagency partnership to better coordinate federal transportation,
environmental protection, and housing investments.
The Alternatives Analysis program will invest in studies that
fulfill the following six livability principles that serve as the
foundation for the DOT-HUD-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities:
Provide more transportation choices: Develop safe,
reliable, and economical transportation choices to decrease household
transportation costs, reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil,
improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote public
health.
Promote equitable, affordable housing: Expand location-
and energy-efficient housing choices for people of all ages, incomes,
races and ethnicities to increase mobility and lower the combined cost
of housing and transportation.
Enhance economic competitiveness: Improve economic
competitiveness through reliable and timely access to employment
centers, educational opportunities, services and other basic needs by
workers as well as expanded business access to markets.
Support existing communities: Target Federal funding
toward existing communities--through such strategies as transit-
oriented, mixed-use development and land recycling-- to increase
community revitalization, improve the efficiency of public works
investments, and safeguard rural landscapes.
Coordinate policies and leverage investment: Align
policies and funding to remove barriers to collaboration, leverage
funding and increase the accountability and effectiveness of all levels
of government to plan for future growth, including making smart energy
choices such as locally generated renewable energy.
Value communities and neighborhoods: Enhance the unique
characteristics of all communities by investing in healthy, safe and
walkable neighborhoods--rural, urban or suburban.
II. Discretionary Program Information
A. Description and Purpose
As defined in 49 U.S.C. 5309(a)(1), an alternatives analysis is a
study conducted as part of the transportation planning process required
under Sections 5303 and 5304 which includes: (1) An assessment of a
wide range of public transportation alternatives designed to address a
transportation problem in a corridor or subarea; (2) the development of
sufficient information to enable the Secretary to make the findings of
project justification and local financial commitment required under
Section 5309; (3) the selection of a locally preferred alternative; and
(4) the adoption of the locally preferred alternative as part of the
long-range transportation plan required under Section 5303.
The funds available through this notice includes assistance to
potential sponsors of New Starts and Small Starts projects in the
evaluation of all reasonable transportation alternatives and general
alignment options to address transportation needs in a defined travel
corridor. Information about FTA's New Starts and Small Starts program
can be found on FTA's web site at http://fta.dot.gov/12347_5221.html.
FTA will invest in studies that are performed in accordance with the
mission of the Alternatives Analysis program and support the six
livability principles that serve as the foundation for the DOT-HUD-EPA
Partnership for Sustainable Communities.
FTA advises potential proposers that current provisions of the New
Starts and Small Starts program are subject to change. On January 25,
2012, FTA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that
proposes changes in the measurement of the existing statutory New
Starts and Small Starts project evaluation criteria. Additionally,
FTA's current program authorizations expire on March 31, 2012, and any
new authorizing legislation may prescribe modifications to FTA's
programs. However, the effective dates of a final rule and any new
authorizing legislation are uncertain, and the contents of either are
subject to change from current proposals. Moreover, changes to the
Federal process will not remove the need for sponsors of major transit
capital projects to assess costs and benefits of alternative project
modes and alignments. FTA therefore encourages potential sponsors of
New Starts and Small Starts projects to maintain their focus on
conducting a technically sound analysis of alternatives that evaluate
solutions to transportation problems and facilitate informed decision-
making.
B. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Proposers
Section 5339 authorizes FTA to award grants to States, authorities
of the States, metropolitan planning organizations, and local
governmental authorities to develop alternatives analyses as defined by
Section 5309(a)(1).
2. Eligible Proposals and Expenses
FTA will award available discretionary funds to eligible proposers
to conduct a new alternatives analysis or to support additional
technical tasks in an on-going alternatives analysis that will improve
and expand the information available to decision-makers considering
major transit improvements. FTA will consider proposals for all areas
of technical work that can better develop information about the costs
and benefits of potential major transit improvements. These funds are
not available for systems planning work that leads to the selection of
a particular corridor for conducting an alternatives analysis, or for
work performed after the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) has been
selected. There is no blanket pre-award authority for studies to be
funded under this notice before FTA's public announcement of the
selections.
3. Cost Sharing or Matching
The total federal share (Section 5339 funds plus other federal
funds) of the cost of studies or technical tasks selected for funding
may not exceed 80 percent. Section 5339 requests may range between
$50,000 and $2 million.
[[Page 14589]]
Funds remain available for three fiscal years, including the fiscal
year in which the award is made. FTA will not approve deferred local
share requests under this program.
C. Evaluation Criteria, Review, and Selection
1. Evaluation Criteria
The submitted proposals will be evaluated according to the
following criteria. Each proposer is encouraged to demonstrate the
responsiveness of their proposal to any and all of the selection
criteria with the most relevant information that the proposer can
provide, regardless of whether such information has been specifically
requested, or identified, in this notice. FTA will assess the extent to
which the proposal addresses each of the three criteria below.
a. Demonstrated Need
Proposers must demonstrate a need for these funds by identifying a
transportation problem in the study corridor that warrants an
evaluation of major transit improvements, including alternatives that
may be suitable for New Starts or Small Starts funding. For both new
and ongoing alternatives analyses, higher scores will be assigned to
studies in areas that have been prioritized in the metropolitan
planning process as having a significant transportation need,
particularly through inclusion of conceptual corridor improvements in
fiscally constrained long-range transportation plans. Proposals for
both new and ongoing studies must show there is a need for these funds
to support a meaningful future analysis of alternative modes and
alignments, as opposed to efforts aimed at justifying largely
predefined projects.
b. Advancing Livability
Proposers must describe the proposed study's role in broader
efforts to advance the six DOT-HUD-EPA Livability Principles. Higher
scores will be assigned to proposals that are linked to a history of
concrete actions as well as ongoing planning efforts to enhance
livability.
c. Study Approach and Outcomes
Proposers must outline a study approach that is likely to provide
decision-makers with actionable information about the costs and
benefits of investment alternatives while meaningfully involving
project stakeholders. Higher scores will be assigned to proposals that
demonstrate successful outcomes from prior alternatives analyses, a
robust public involvement plan, evidence of partnerships with related
organizations (such as housing- and environment-focused public
agencies), and demonstration of technical capacity to complete all
work.
2. Review and Selection Process
In addition to other FTA staff that may review the proposals, a
technical evaluation committee will review proposals based on the
evaluation criteria. Members of the technical evaluation committee and
other involved FTA staff reserve the right to screen the proposals and
seek clarification from any proposer about any statement in the
proposal that FTA finds ambiguous and/or request additional
documentation to be considered during the evaluation process to clarify
information contained within the proposal. After consideration of the
findings of the technical evaluation committee, the FTA Administrator
will determine the final selection and amount of funding for each
study. Geographic diversity and other discretionary awards may be
considered in FTA's award decisions. FTA expects to announce the
selected studies and notify successful proposers in August 2012.
III. Proposal and Submission Information
A. Proposal Submission Process
Proposals must be submitted electronically through http://www.GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 p.m. EDT, April 19, 2012. Mail and fax
submissions will not be accepted.
A complete proposal submission will consist of at least three
files: (1) The SF 424 Mandatory form (downloaded from GRANTS.GOV); (2)
the supplemental form found on the FTA Alternatives Analysis program
Web site: http://fta.dot.gov/alternativesanalysis; and (3) a map of the
study corridor. The supplemental form, titled Applicant and Proposal
Profile, provides guidance and a consistent format for proposers to
respond to the criteria outlined in this NOFA. Once completed, the
supplemental form and the study corridor map must be placed in the
attachments section of the SF 424 Mandatory form. Letters of support
and materials referenced in the supplemental form may also be submitted
as attachments; however, FTA will not consider narrative beyond the
text that can be accommodated within the supplemental form's character
limits.
Within 24-48 hours after submitting an electronic application, the
proposer should receive three email messages from GRANTS.GOV: (1)
Confirmation of successful transmission to GRANTS.GOV, (2) confirmation
of successful validation by GRANTS.GOV, and (3) confirmation of
successful validation by FTA. If confirmations of successful validation
are not received and a notice of failed validation or incomplete
materials is received, the proposer must address the reason for the
failed validation or incomplete materials 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.
Complete instructions on the application process can be found at
http://www.fta.dot.gov/alternativesanalysis. Important: FTA urges
proposers to submit their applications at least 72 hours prior to the
due date to allow time to receive the validation message and to correct
any problems that may have caused a rejection notification. Submissions
after the stated submission deadline will not be accepted. GRANTS.GOV
scheduled maintenance and outage times are announced on the GRANTS.GOV
Web site http://www.GRANTS.GOV. Deadlines will not be extended due to
scheduled maintenance or outages.
B. Proposal Content
Information such as applicant name, federal amount requested, match
amount, description of areas served, etc. are requested in varying
degrees of detail on both the SF 424 Mandatory form and supplemental
``Applicant and Proposal Profile'' form. All fields are required unless
stated otherwise on the forms. Use both the ``Check Package for
Errors'' and the ``Validate Form'' validation buttons on both forms to
check all required fields on the forms. Ensure that the ``Federal''
amount identified on the SF 424 Mandatory form is the same as the
``5339 Request'' total amount calculated on the supplemental form. For
up-to-date guidance on the completion of all forms, refer to FTA's
Alternatives Analysis Web site: http://fta.dot.gov/alternativesanalysis. The supplemental form has three sections:
1. Applicant Information
This section contains basic proposer identification information:
organization legal name, FTA Recipient ID number, and transit services
provided.
[[Page 14590]]
2. Project (Study) Information
This section contains background information about the project
(study): title, proposed scope of work, map of the study corridor (map
attachment to SF 424 application is required), descriptions of the
corridor, project budget allocated into major tasks, including the
source of local match, and time-line for beginning and ending the major
tasks.
3. Evaluation Criteria
This section contains information for direct use in the evaluation
process: demonstrated need, advancing livability, and study approach
and outcomes.
C. Submission Dates and Times
Complete proposals for the Alternatives Analysis program must be
submitted electronically through GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 p.m. EDT on April
19, 2012. Proposers are encouraged to begin the process of registration
on the GRANTS.GOV site well in advance of the submission deadline.
Registration is a multi-step process, which may take several weeks to
complete before a proposal 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
Central Contractor Repository (CCR) 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.
IV. Award Administration
A. Award Notices
At the time the project (study) selections are announced, FTA will
extend pre-award authority for the selected projects awarded to current
grantees. There is no blanket pre-award authority for these projects
before announcement.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
1. Grant Requirements
If selected, applicants will apply for a grant through TEAM and
adhere to the customary FTA grant requirements of the Section 5339
Alternatives Analysis program, including those of FTA Circular 9300.1B,
Circular 5010.1D, and the labor protections of 49 U.S.C. Section
5333(b). These grants will be administered and managed by the FTA
regional offices. The Alternatives Analysis must be documented in the
Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) of the MPO for the area before
these funds can be used. All discretionary 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.
2. 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 activity
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.
3. Reporting
Post-award reporting requirements include submission of Federal
Financial Reports and Milestone reports in TEAM on a quarterly basis
for all projects. Documentation is required for payment. In addition,
project sponsors receiving grants for innovative approaches may be
required to report on the performance of these approaches.
V. Agency Contacts and Technical Assistance
Contact the appropriate FTA Regional Office at http://www.fta.dot.gov for proposal-specific information and issues. For
general program information, please use the contact identified in the
front of this notice. During the application period, FTA may post
answers to commonly asked questions about the Alternatives Analysis
program at www.fta.dot.gov/alternativesanalysis.
Issued in Washington, DC, this 7th day of March, 2012.
Peter Rogoff,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-5895 Filed 3-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P