[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 171 (Thursday, September 4, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52799-52804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21057]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Transit-Oriented Development Planning Pilot Program
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA): Solicitation of Project
Proposals for the Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development
Planning.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the
availability of $19.98 million of Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 and FY 2014
funds under the Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
Planning as authorized under Section 20005(b) of the Moving Ahead for
Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), Public Law 112-141, July 6,
2012. The program augments FTA's Fixed Guideway Capital Investment
Grants (CIG) Program by supporting comprehensive planning associated
with new fixed guideway and core capacity improvement projects that
will help the projects develop information to address the CIG Program's
evaluation criteria and thus be more competitive for that program's
funding.
This notice solicits proposals to compete for FY 2013 and FY 2014
funding under the Pilot Program for TOD Planning and may include
additional funds made available under future appropriations. It
outlines the process to apply for funding, identifies FTA's priorities
for these discretionary funds, and establishes the criteria FTA will
use to identify meritorious projects for funding. This announcement is
available on the FTA Web site at:
[[Page 52800]]
http://www.fta.dot.gov. FTA may announce final selections on the Web
site and in the Federal Register. Additionally, a synopsis of this
funding opportunity will be posted in the FIND module of the
government-wide electronic grants (GRANTS.GOV) Web site at http://www.grants.gov.
DATES: Complete proposals for Pilot Program for TOD Planning funding
must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EDT November 3, 2014. All proposals
must be submitted electronically through the GRANTS.GOV APPLY function.
Any agency 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/TODPilot and
in the ``FIND'' module of GRANTS.GOV.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 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).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
A. FTA Pilot Program for TOD Planning Overview
1. Authority
2. Policy Priorities
B. Program Description and Purpose
C. Program Information
1. Eligible Transit Projects
2. Eligible Applicants
3. Eligible and Ineligible Activities
4. Cost Sharing and Matching
5. Eligible Sources of Match
D. Proposal Submission Process
E. Applicant Information
F. Proposal Content
G. Evaluation Criteria
H. Review and Selection Process
I. Award Information
J. Award Administration
K. Technical Assistance and Other Program Information
Appendix A: Registration in GRANTS.GOV
A. FTA Pilot Program for TOD Planning Overview
1. Authority
MAP-21 authorizes FTA to make grants for eligible projects under
the Pilot Program for TOD Planning on a competitive basis subject to
the terms and conditions outlined in. The $19.98 million available
consists of $9.98 million from the Consolidated and Further Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2013, and $10 million from the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2014. FTA intends to award both years' funding to
selected applicants responding to this NOFA and may include additional
funds made available under future appropriations.
2. Policy Priorities
Through this program, FTA intends to fund comprehensive planning
work, including for TOD, that would likely otherwise not occur without
Federal support and is conducted in conjunction with the development of
transit capital investments that will seek funding from the CIG
Program. 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. FTA is also prioritizing applications in corridors
with significant challenges related to TOD planning, low levels of
existing development, or where the cost of the planning work to
overcome the challenges exceeds what might be readily available
locally. Lastly, FTA is seeking planning efforts that include
strategies to support housing affordability and address residential and
commercial displacement that can sometimes occur when transit capital
projects are implemented.
This program will support two priorities of the U.S. Department of
Transportation. It will assist the Department with creating Ladders of
Opportunity for all Americans by assisting local project sponsors with
planning improved access to employment, health care, education, and
housing. The program will also promote public-private partnerships by
requiring private sector participation.
Congress enacted the Pilot Program for TOD Planning to leverage the
significant investments in transit projects FTA is making through its
CIG Program. Therefore, FTA is requiring that proposed planning
activities be associated with a capital transit project that is
currently or soon will be in the Project Development or Engineering
phase of the CIG Program (see section C, subsection 1 of this notice
for more detail on this requirement).
To ensure any proposed planning work results in concrete, specific
deliverables and outcomes, FTA is requiring that transit project
sponsors partner with entities with land use planning authority in the
transit project corridor to conduct the planning work. FTA will assess
the strength of these partnerships in its evaluation of applications.
FTA has been considering the strength of local land use plans and
policies in fostering TOD in its evaluation of capital investments
projects for nearly two decades, over which time the practice of TOD
planning and implementation in the United States has advanced
significantly. Most local jurisdictions now develop station-area TOD
plans in conjunction with the planning for transit capital investments,
and several regions have funding tools to encourage TOD. With few
exceptions, these advances in TOD practice have been locally funded and
FTA's direct involvement has been limited. Thus, the goal of this
program is to further TOD planning by addressing barriers to its
implementation and ensuring concrete performance outcomes and measures.
B. Program Description and Purpose
The Pilot Program for TOD Planning helps support FTA's mission of
improving public transportation for America's communities by providing
funding to local communities to integrate land use and transportation
planning with a transit capital investment that will seek funding
through the CIG Program. The Pilot Program is not intended to simply
support planning that maintains or increases development adjacent to
transit. Instead, the 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,
thus developing information that addresses the CIG Program's evaluation
criteria and increasing the competitiveness of the project for that
program's funding. The program also encourages identification of
infrastructure needs and engagement with the private sector.
C. Program Information
1. Eligible Transit Projects
Any comprehensive planning work proposed for funding under the
Pilot Program for TOD Planning must be associated with an eligible
transit capital project. To be eligible, the transit capital project
must be a New Starts, Core Capacity or fixed-guideway Small Starts
project as defined under the CIG Program (e.g., in Section 5309(a) of
title 49, United States Code), and be either:
i. In the Project Development or Engineering phase of the New
Starts or Core Capacity process, or in the Project Development phase of
the Small Starts process by the date the application to the Pilot
Program for TOD Planning is submitted; or
ii. Expected to enter New Starts, Small Starts or Core Capacity
Project
[[Page 52801]]
Development in the near future, as evidenced by the transit project
sponsor having already initiated the environmental review activities
under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) prior to the
publication date of this NOFA.
2. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants under this program must be existing direct
recipients of FTA grants as of the publication date of this NOFA. An
applicant must either be the project sponsor of an eligible transit
capital project as defined in the previous subsection 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 application for Pilot
Program for TOD Planning funds must include sufficient evidence of a
partnership between the transit project sponsor and at least one entity
in the project corridor with land use planning authority. Sufficient
evidence may include 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. Only
one application per transit capital project corridor may be submitted
to FTA. Multiple applications submitted for a single transit capital
project corridor indicate to FTA that partnerships are not in place and
FTA will reject all of the applications.
3. Eligible Activities
Applications for funding under the Pilot Program for TOD Planning
must describe how the planning work proposed addresses all six aspects
of the general authority stipulated in Section 20005(b)(2) of MAP-21:
(A) Enhances economic development, ridership, and other goals
established during the project development and engineering processes;
(B) facilitates multimodal connectivity and accessibility;
(C) increases access to transit hubs for pedestrian and bicycle
traffic;
(D) enables mixed-use development;
(E) identifies infrastructure needs associated with the eligible
project; and
(F) includes private sector participation.
Applications should describe the anticipated final deliverables
that will result from the planning work. Examples of final 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;
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 tools to encourage TOD
implementation such as land banking, value capture, and development
financing;
v. An analysis of the effects of gentrification due to transit
capital project implementation and recommendations to reduce these
effects;
vi. An analysis of efforts to promote multimodal access to transit
stations and to improve connectivity of disadvantaged populations to
essential services;
vii. Policies to encourage TOD; and/or
viii. Local or regional resolutions to implement TOD plans and/or
establish TOD funding mechanisms.
4. Ineligible Activities
Applications should not include the following activities, which
include activities that are targeted to only a single location rather
than the comprehensive corridor-focused TOD planning study desired by
FTA:
i. TOD planning work in a single transit capital project station
area;
ii. Transit project development activities that would be
reimbursable through the CIG Program under a Full Funding Grant
Agreement (FFGA) or a Small Starts Grant Agreement (SSGA), such as 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.
5. Cost Sharing or Matching and Award Amount
The maximum Federal funding share is 80 percent.
6. Eligible Sources of Match
The application must describe the cost of the planning effort
proposed and identify the funding sources necessary to complete the
work, including the amount of Pilot Program for TOD Planning funds
being requested. The applicant must describe each source of the local
match and identify whether the funds from each source are committed or
planned. For funds identified as committed, the application must
include documentation of the funding commitments such as a letter,
resolution, adopted budget, etc. Transportation Development Credits
(formerly referred to as Toll Revenue Credits) may not be used to
satisfy the local match requirement.
D. Proposal Submission Process
Project proposals must be submitted electronically through http://
www.GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 p.m. November 3, 2014. Mail and fax submissions
will not be accepted. Proposals should include only a completed SF 424
Mandatory form (downloaded from GRANTS.GOV) and the following
attachments to the completed SF 424:
--A completed Applicant and Proposal Profile supplemental form for the
Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development Planning (supplemental
form) found on the FTA Web site at http://www.fta.dot.gov/TODPilot. The
supplemental form provides a consistent format for proposers to respond
to the criteria outlined in this NOFA and takes the place of a free-
form written application. Supplemental forms for other FTA funding
programs will not be accepted;
--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; and
--Documentation of any funding commitments for the proposed planning
work.
FTA will not consider any further attachments in its evaluation of
applications, including any narrative that does not fit within the
supplemental form's length limit. The total length of the completed
supplemental form and documentation of partnerships and funding
commitments should be no more than 15 pages.
Within 24-48 hours after submitting an electronic application, the
applicant should receive three email messages from GRANTS.GOV: (1)
Confirmation of successful transmission to GRANTS.GOV, (2) confirmation
of successful validation by GRANTS.GOV
[[Page 52802]]
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 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.
Any addenda that FTA releases on the application process will be
posted at http://www.fta.dot.gov/TODPilot. Important: FTA urges
proposers to submit their 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. FTA
will not accept submissions after the stated submission deadline.
GRANTS.GOV scheduled maintenance and outage times are announced on the
GRANTS.GOV Web site 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.
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. The information listed in sections E
and F of this NOFA MUST be included on the SF 424 and supplemental
forms for all requests for Pilot Program for TOD Planning funding.
E. Applicant Information
1. Name of the lead applicant and, if applicable, the specific co-
sponsors submitting the application.
2. Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number.
3. Contact information including: Contact name, title, address,
congressional district, fax and phone number, and email address if
available.
4. Name of person(s) authorized to apply on behalf of the system
(attach a signed transmittal letter) must accompany the proposal.
F. Proposal Content
Proposals should include only a completed SF 424 Mandatory form and
the following attachments to the completed SF 424:
--A supplemental form as described in Section D of this NOFA that has
been completed and validated using the ``Validate Form'' button. The
supplemental form prompts applicants for all required information about
the proposed planning work (listed below), includes fields for
responses and takes the place of a free-form written application;
--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; and
--Documentation of any funding commitments for the proposed planning
work.
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.
The supplemental form will prompt applicants to address the
following items:
1. Identify the project title and project scope to be funded,
including anticipated final deliverables.
2. Identify an eligible transit project that meets the requirements
of section C, subsection 1 of this notice.
3. 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, per section C, subsection 2 of this notice.
4. Address the six aspects of general authority under MAP-21
Section 20005(b)(2).
5. Address each evaluation criterion separately, demonstrating how
the project responds to each criterion as described in section G.
6. Provide a line-item budget for the total planning effort, with
enough detail to indicate the various key components of the project.
7. Identify the Federal amount requested.
8. 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.
9. Address whether other Federal funds have been sought or received
for the project.
10. Provide a project time-line, including significant milestones
such as the dates anticipated to incorporate the planning work effort
into the region's metropolitan transportation plan and transportation
improvement program, and to complete all of the proposed planning work
within the maximum period of performance.
11. Describe how the planning work advances goals of the region's
metropolitan transportation plan.
12. Propose performance criteria for the implementation of the
planning work.
13. Identify possible impediments to the planning work and its
implementation, and how the work will address them.
G. Evaluation Criteria
FTA will evaluate proposals that include all components identified
in section F of this notice according to the following four criteria:
1. Demonstrated Need
FTA will evaluate each project to determine the need for funding
based on the following factors:
i. Barriers to TOD in the corridor and how the proposed work will
overcome 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, as evidenced by current corridor population and
employment, and by the extent of ongoing TOD development activity in
the corridor, if any.
[[Page 52803]]
2. 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 to work proposed, and is
achievable;
ii. The proportion of the corridor covered by the work plan;
iii. Extent of partnerships, including with non-public sector
entities;
iv. The partnerships' technical capability to develop 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;
v. Whether the performance measures identified in the application
relate to the goals of the planning work;
vi. The extent to which the application demonstrates efforts to
address gentrification and displacement;
vii. The extent to which the application demonstrates a commitment
to connecting disadvantaged populations to essential services;
viii. Whether the proposed work will examine innovative financial
tools such as value capture; and
ix. Whether the application demonstrates leveraging other Federal
grants that would support the proposed work plan.
3. Likelihood of Transit Project Implementation
Under this factor, FTA will consider how far along the transit
capital project is in the CIG Program process. Planning studies in a
corridor where the transit capital project is in the Engineering phase
or the Project Development phase will be given a higher score by FTA.
Planning studies in a corridor where the transit capital project is not
yet in the CIG Program but is expected to soon enter as demonstrated by
the initiation of the environmental review process will be given a
lower rating under this factor by FTA. FTA will also consider whether
the project is currently in the region's fiscally constrained long
range transportation plan.
4. 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.
H. Review and Selection Process
A technical evaluation committee consisting of FTA staff will
perform a primarily qualitative evaluation according to the criteria
described above. FTA will assign greatest emphasis to the Demonstrated
Need and Strength of the Work Plan, Schedule and Process criteria. Each
complete, eligible application will receive a rating of Highly
Recommended, Recommended or Not Recommended depending on its
performance against the criteria. Applications that are complete but
not eligible will not be rated. FTA may seek clarification from any
applicant about any statement in its application that FTA finds
ambiguous, and/or to request additional documentation to be considered
during the evaluation process to clarify information contained within
the application.
After a thorough evaluation of all eligible proposals, the
technical evaluation committee will provide selection recommendations
to the FTA Administrator. The FTA Administrator will determine the
final list of project selections, and the amount of funding for each
project. Geographic diversity and the applicant's receipt of other FTA
discretionary funding may be considered in FTA's award decisions. FTA
expects to announce the selected projects and notify successful
proposers during fall 2014.
I. Award Information
FTA intends to fund as many meritorious TOD planning efforts as
possible. 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 24 months.
J. Award Administration
1. Award Notices
FTA will not extend pre-award authority for selected projects prior
to grant awards. Local funds must be committed and grants awarded
within eight months of funding announcements.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
i. Grant Requirements
If selected, awardees will apply for a grant through FTA's
electronic grants management system and adhere to the customary FTA
grant requirements of the Section 5307 Urbanized Area Formula Grant
program, including those of FTA Circular 9030.1E, Circular 5010.1D, and
the labor protections of 49 U.S.C. Section 5333(b). 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.
ii. Planning
FTA encourages proposers to notify the appropriate State
Departments of Transportation and MPOs in areas likely to be served by
the project funds made available under these initiatives and programs.
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.
iii. 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.
iv. Reporting
Post-award reporting requirements include submission of Federal
Financial Reports and Milestone Reports in FTA's electronic grants
management system on a quarterly basis. Awardees must also submit
copies of the deliverables identified in the work plan to FTA at the
corresponding milestones.
[[Page 52804]]
FTA is in the process of seeking Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) approval for the collection of data under this NOFA, as required
per the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Awardees will not be required
to respond to the reporting and recordkeeping requirements in the NOFA
until notification of OMB approval has been published in the Federal
Register.
K. 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 listed in Section C.
Complete applications must be submitted through GRANTS.GOV by 11:59
p.m. EDT November 3, 2014. Contact information for FTA's regional
offices can be found on FTA's Web site at www.fta.dot.gov.
Therese W. McMillan,
Acting Administrator.
APPENDIX A
Registering 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 Web site 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. 2014-21057 Filed 9-3-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P