FY17 Competitive Funding Opportunity; Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program |
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Matthew J. Welbes
Federal Transit Administration
18 July 2017
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 136 (Tuesday, July 18, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32924-32929]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-15043]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
FY17 Competitive Funding Opportunity; Grants for Buses and Bus
Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of funding opportunity (NOFO).
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the
opportunity to apply for approximately $226.5 million in Fiscal Year
(FY) 2017 funds under Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities
Infrastructure Investment Program (CFDA#20.526). As required by federal
transit law and subject to funding availability, funds will be awarded
competitively to assist in the financing of capital projects to
replace, rehabilitate, purchase or lease buses and related equipment,
and to rehabilitate, purchase, construct or lease bus-related
facilities. Projects may include costs incidental to the acquisition of
buses or to the construction of facilities, such as the costs of
related workforce development and training activities, and project
administration expenses. FTA may award additional funds if they are
made available to the program prior to the announcement of project
selections.
DATES: Complete proposals must be submitted electronically through the
GRANTS.GOV ``APPLY'' function by 11:59 p.m. on August 25, 2017.
Prospective applicants should initiate the process by registering on
the GRANTS.GOV Web site promptly to ensure completion of the
application process before the submission deadline. Instructions for
applying can be found on FTA's Web site at http://transit.dot.gov/howtoapply and in the ``FIND'' module of GRANTS.GOV. The GRANTS.GOV
funding opportunity ID is FTA-2017-004-TPM-Bus. Mail and fax
submissions will not be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Bathrick, FTA Office of Program
Management, 202-366-9955, or mark.bathrick@dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
A. Program Description
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission Information
E. Application Review
F. Review and Selection Process
G. Federal Award Administration
H. Technical Assistance and Other Program Information
I. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
A. Program Description
Section 5339(b) of Title 49, United States Code, as amended by the
Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (Pub. L. 114-94,
Dec. 4, 2015), authorizes FTA to award funds under the Buses and Bus
Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program (Bus and Bus
Infrastructure Program) through a competitive process, as described in
this notice, for capital projects to replace, rehabilitate, purchase or
lease buses and related equipment and to rehabilitate, purchase,
construct or lease bus-related facilities.
The purpose of the Bus and Bus Infrastructure Program is to assist
in the financing of buses and bus facilities capital projects,
including replacing, rehabilitating, purchasing or leasing buses or
related equipment, and rehabilitating, purchasing, constructing or
leasing bus-related facilities.
The Bus and Bus Infrastructure Program provides funds to designated
recipients that allocate funds to fixed route bus operators, and to
States, and local governmental authorities that operate fixed route bus
service. FTA also may award grants to eligible recipients for projects
to be undertaken by subrecipients that are public agencies or private
non-profit organizations engaged in public transportation. In
accordance with 49 U.S.C. 5339(b)(2), FTA will ``consider the age and
condition of buses, bus fleets, related equipment, and bus-related
facilities'' in selecting projects for funding. FTA may prioritize
projects that demonstrate how they will address significant repair and
maintenance needs, improve the safety of transit systems, and deploy
connective projects that include advanced technologies to connect bus
systems with other networks.
B. Federal Award Information
Federal transit law at 49 U.S.C. 5338(a)(2)(M) authorizes
$283,600,000 in FY 2017 funds for the Section 5339(b) Bus and Bus
Infrastructure Program and the 5339(c) Low or No Emission Grants (Low-
No) Program. Of this amount, 0.75 percent, or $2,127,000, has been
reserved for program oversight in accordance with 49 U.S.C.
5338(f)(1)(H). Of the amount available for grants, FTA separately
announced the availability of $55 million for Low-No Grants and is
making the remaining $226,473,000 available through this notice for
competitive grants under the Bus and Bus Infrastructure Program.
As required under 49 U.S.C. 5339(b)(5), a minimum of 10 percent of
the amount awarded under the Bus and
[[Page 32925]]
Bus Infrastructure Program will be awarded to projects located in rural
areas. And, as required by 49 U.S.C. 5339(b)(8), no single grantee will
be awarded more than 10 percent of the amounts made available.
FTA will grant pre-award authority to incur costs for selected
projects beginning on the date that project selections are announced.
Funds are only available for projects that have not incurred costs
prior to the selection of projects and will remain available for
obligation until September 30, 2020.
C. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Under 49 U.S.C. 5339(b)(1), eligible applicants include designated
recipients that allocate funds to fixed route bus operators, states or
local governmental entities that operate fixed route bus service, and
Indian tribes. Except for projects proposed by Indian tribes, proposals
for projects in rural (non-urbanized) areas must be submitted as part
of a consolidated State proposal. Under 49 U.S.C. 5339(b)(3), states
and other eligible applicants may also submit consolidated proposals
for projects in urbanized areas. The submission of the statewide
application shall not preclude the submission and consideration of any
application from other eligible recipients in an urbanized area in a
State. Proposals may contain projects to be implemented by the
recipient or its subrecipients.
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. Eligible subrecipients
under this program include all otherwise eligible applicants and
private nonprofit organizations engaged in public transportation.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
The maximum federal share for projects selected under the Bus and
Bus Infrastructure Program is 80 percent of the net project cost,
unless noted below by one of the exceptions. FTA may prioritize
projects proposed with a higher local share.
i. The maximum federal share is 85 percent of the net project cost
of acquiring vehicles (including clean-fuel or alternative fuel
vehicles) that are compliant with the Clean Air Act (CAA) and/or the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.
ii. The maximum federal share is 90 percent of the net project cost
of acquiring, installing or constructing vehicle-related equipment or
facilities (including clean fuel or alternative-fuel vehicle-related
equipment or facilities) that are required by the ADA of 1990, or that
are necessary to comply with or maintain compliance with the Clean Air
Act. The award recipient must itemize the cost of specific, discrete,
vehicle-related equipment associated with compliance with ADA or CAA to
be eligible for the maximum 90 percent Federal share for these costs.
Eligible sources of local match include the following: Cash from
non-Government sources other than revenues from providing public
transportation services; revenues derived from the sale of advertising
and concessions; amounts received under a service agreement with a
State or local social service agency or private social service
organization; revenues generated from value capture financing
mechanisms; or funds from an undistributed cash surplus; replacement or
depreciation cash fund or reserve; or new capital. In addition,
transportation development credits or documentation of in-kind match
may substitute for local match if identified in the application.
3. Eligible Projects
Under 49 U.S.C. 5339(b)(1), eligible projects are capital projects
to replace, rehabilitate purchase, or lease buses, vans, and related
equipment, and capital projects to rehabilitate, purchase, construct,
or lease bus-related facilities.
Recipients are permitted to use up to 0.5 percent of their
requested grant award for workforce development activities eligible
under 49 U.S.C. 5314(b) and an additional 0.5 percent for costs
associated with training at the National Transit Institute. Applicants
must identify the proposed use of funds for these activities in the
project proposal and identify them separately in the project budget.
D. Application and Submission Information
1. Address
Applications must be submitted electronically through GRANTS.GOV.
General information for submitting applications through GRANTS.GOV can
be found at https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grants/applying/applying-fta-funding along with specific instructions for the forms and
attachments required for submission. Mail and fax submissions will not
be accepted. A complete proposal submission consists of at least two
forms: The SF424 Mandatory Form (downloaded from GRANTS.GOV) and the
supplemental form for the FY 2017 Bus and Bus Infrastructure Program
(downloaded from GRANTS.GOV or the FTA Web site at www.transit.dot.gov/busprogram). Failure to submit the information as requested can delay
review of the application.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
A complete proposal submission consists of at least two forms: The
SF424 Mandatory Form and the FY 2017 Bus Infrastructure Program
supplemental form. The application must include responses to all
sections of the SF424 Mandatory Form 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.
An applicant may submit multiple project proposals in a single
submission, and if doing so must include all project proposals on a
single supplemental form. To add additional projects, select the ``add
project'' button and complete a separate ``project detail'' section for
each project. FTA will only accept one supplemental form per
submission.
The supplemental form must be submitted as an attachment to the
SF424 Mandatory Form. All project proposals will be evaluated
separately, regardless of whether they are submitted as a single
submission.
An applicant may submit additional supporting documentation for
each project proposal as attachments. 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 proposer name, Federal amount requested, local
match amount, description of areas served, etc. may be requested in
varying degrees of detail on both the SF424 form and Supplemental Form.
Proposers must fill in all fields unless stated otherwise on the forms.
Applicants should not place N/A or ``refer to attachment'' in lieu of
typing in responses in the field sections. 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.
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.
[[Page 32926]]
The SF424 Mandatory Form and the Supplemental Form will prompt
applicants for the required information, including:
a. Applicant Name
b. Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number
c. Key contact information (including contact name, address, email
address, and phone)
d. Congressional district(s) where project will take place
e. Project Information (including title, an executive summary, and
type)
f. A detailed description of the need for the project
g. A detailed description on how the project will support the Bus
Infrastructure Program's objectives
h. Evidence that the project is consistent with local and regional
planning objectives
i. Evidence that the applicant can provide the local cost share
j. A description of the technical, legal, and financial capacity of
the applicant
k. A detailed project budget
l. An explanation of the scalability of the project
m. Details on the local matching funds
n. A detailed project timeline
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:
(1) Is an individual; (2) is excepted from the requirements under 2 CFR
25.110(b) or (c); or (3) has an exception approved by FTA under 2 CFR
25.110(d). FTA may not make an Award until the applicant has complied
with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements. If
an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time
FTA is ready to make an Award, FTA may determine that the applicant is
not qualified to receive an Award and use that determination as a basis
for making a Federal award to another applicant. All applicants must
provide a unique entity identifier provided by SAM. Registration in SAM
may take as little as 3-5 business days, but since there could be
unexpected steps or delays (for example, if you need to obtain an
Employer Identification Number), FTA recommends allowing ample time, up
to several weeks, for completion of all steps. For additional
information on obtaining a unique entity identifier, please visit
www.sam.gov.
4. Submission Dates and Times
Project proposals must be submitted electronically through
GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on August 25, 2017. Mail and fax
submissions will not be accepted.
FTA urges proposers 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. FTA
will not accept submissions after the stated deadline, as determined
through the timestamp assigned to the application upon receipt in
GRANTS.GOV. GRANTS.GOV scheduled maintenance and outage times are
announced on the GRANTS.GOV Web site. Deadlines will not be extended
due to scheduled Web site maintenance.
Within 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, and (3) confirmation of
successful validation by FTA. If confirmations of successful validation
are not received or 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.
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 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.
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 or unless FTA has issued a ``Letter of No Prejudice'' for the
project before the expenses are incurred.
6. Other Submission Requirements
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. 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 whether or not a
scalable option is provided.
E. Application Review
FTA will evaluate project proposals for the Bus and Bus
Infrastructure Program based on the criteria described in this notice.
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.
a. Demonstration of Need
Applicants must demonstrate how the proposed project will address
an unmet need for capital investment in bus vehicles and/or supporting
facilities, enhance the safety of the transit system for transit
vehicle operators, riders, and the general public, or improve the
connectivity of bus systems with other networks through the use of
deployment-ready information technologies. For example, an applicant
may demonstrate a substantial backlog of deferred capital investment,
insufficient size or capacity of maintenance facilities, excessive
reliance on vehicles that are beyond their intended service life, a
vehicle fleet that is insufficient to meet current ridership demands,
or passenger facilities that are insufficient for their current use.
For safety, an applicant may demonstrate safety concerns with vehicles,
equipment, or facilities that are beyond their intended useful life, or
that are no longer appropriate for use due to safety concerns. To
improve connectivity, bus systems may deploy Intelligent Transportation
Systems (ITS)
[[Page 32927]]
technologies or software that link buses with other transportation
modes. Applicants should also describe how the proposed project will
improve the operation of the transit system and whether the project
represents a one-time or periodic need that cannot reasonably be funded
from FTA formula program allocations and State or local resources. As a
part of the response for demonstration of need, applicants should
provide the following information:
i. For bus projects (replacement, rehabilitation or expansion):
Applicants must provide information on the age, condition and
performance of the asset(s) to be replaced or rehabilitated by the
proposed project. For service expansion requests, applicants must
provide information on the proposed service expansion and the benefits
for transit riders and the community from the new service. For all
vehicle projects, the proposal must address how the project conforms to
FTA's spare ratio guidelines.
ii. For bus facility and equipment projects (replacement,
rehabilitation, and/or expansion): Applicants must provide information
on the age and condition of the asset to be rehabilitated or replaced
relative to its minimum useful life.
b. Demonstration of Benefits
Applications will be evaluated based on how well they describe how
the proposed project will improve the condition of the transit system,
improve the reliability of transit service for its riders, and/or
enhance access and mobility within the service area.
System Condition: FTA will evaluate the potential for the project
to improve the condition of the transit system by repairing and/or
replacing assets that are in poor condition or have surpassed their
minimum or intended useful life benchmarks, lowering the average age of
vehicles in the fleet, and/or reducing the cost of maintaining outdated
vehicles, facilities and equipment. Applicants should document how the
project's asset(s) will be operated, inspected, maintained,
rehabilitated, and replaced to manage the asset's performance, risks,
and costs over its life cycle to provide safe, cost-effective, and
reliable public transportation.
Service Reliability: FTA will evaluate the potential for the
project to reduce the frequency of breakdowns or other service
interruptions as caused by the age and condition of the agency's bus
fleet. Applicants should document their current service reliability
metrics and benchmark goals, including their strategy for improving
reliability with or without the award of Bus Infrastructure Program
funds.
Enhanced Access and Mobility: FTA will evaluate the potential for
the project to improve access to employment opportunities, education,
and other services. FTA will also evaluate the potential for the
project to improve mobility for the transit riding public, such as
through improved headways, creation of new transportation choices, or
eliminating gaps in the current route network. Proposed benefits should
be based on documented ridership demand and be well-described or
documented through a study or route planning proposal.
c. Planning and Local/Regional Prioritization
Applicants must demonstrate how the proposed project will be
consistent with local and regional long-range planning documents and
local government priorities. This will involve assessing whether the
project is consistent with the transit priorities identified in the
long-range plan; and/or contingency/illustrative projects included in
that plan; or the locally developed human services public
transportation coordinated plan. Applicants are not required to submit
copies of such plans, but should describe how the project will support
regional goals. Additional consideration will be given to applications
including support letters from local and regional planning
organizations, local government officials, public agencies, and/or non-
profit or private sector partners attesting to the consistency of the
proposed project with these plans. Applicants may also address how the
proposed project will impact overall system performance, asset
management performance, or specific performance measures tracked and
monitored by the applying entity to demonstrate how the proposed
project will address local and regional planning priorities.
Evidence of additional local or regional prioritization (i.e. STIP
and LRTP) should include letters of support for the project from local
government officials, public agencies (i.e. MPOs), and non-profit or
private sector partners.
d. Local Financial Commitment
Applicants must identify the source of the local 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 local cost share as evidence of
local financial commitment to the project. Additional consideration
will be given to those projects for which local funds have already been
made available or reserved. 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, or other documentation of
the source of local funds such as a budget document highlighting the
line item or section committing funds to the proposed project.
e. Project Implementation Strategy
Projects will be evaluated based on the extent to which the project
is ready to implement within a reasonable period of time and whether
the applicant's proposed implementation plans are reasonable and
complete.
In assessing whether the project is ready to implement within a
reasonable period of time, FTA will consider whether the project
qualifies for a Categorical Exclusion (CE), or whether the required
environmental work has been initiated or completed for projects that
require an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA), as amended. The proposal must also state whether grant funds
can be obligated within 12 months from time of award, if selected, and
indicate the timeframe under which the Metropolitan Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP) and/or Statewide Transportation Improvement
Program (STIP) can be amended to include the proposed project.
Additional consideration will be given to projects for which grant
funds can be obligated within 12 months from time of award.
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
[[Page 32928]]
issues with the applicant that would affect the outcome of the proposed
project. Applicants with outstanding legal, technical, or financial
compliance issues from a Federal Transit Administration compliance
review or Federal Transit grant-related Single Audit finding must
explain how corrective actions taken will mitigate negative impacts on
the project.
F. Review and Selection Process
In addition to other FTA staff that may review the proposals, a
technical evaluation committee will evaluate proposals based on the
published evaluation criteria. Based on the findings of the technical
evaluation committee, the FTA Administrator will determine the final
selection of projects for program funding. FTA may consider geographic
diversity, diversity in the size of the transit systems receiving
funding, and/or the applicant's receipt of other discretionary awards
in determining the allocation of program funds. FTA may prioritize
projects that have a higher local financial commitment. FTA may
prioritize projects that demonstrate how they will address significant
repair and maintenance needs, improve the safety of transit systems,
and deploy connective projects that include advanced technologies to
connect bus systems with other networks. FTA may prioritize projects in
rural areas. Not less than 10 percent of the Bus and Bus Infrastructure
Program funds will be distributed to projects in rural areas. In
addition, FTA will not award more than 10 percent of the funds to a
single grantee.
G. Federal Award Administration
i. Federal Award Notice
Subsequent to an announcement by the FTA Administrator of the final
project selections, which will be posted on the FTA Web site, FTA will
publish a list of the selected projects, a summary of final scores for
selected projects, Federal award amounts and recipients in the Federal
Register. Project recipients should contact their FTA Regional Offices
for additional information regarding allocations for projects under the
Bus and Bus Infrastructure Program.
At the time the project selections are announced, FTA will extend
pre-award authority for the selected projects. There is no blanket pre-
award authority for these projects before announcement.
ii. Award Administration
Funds under the Bus and Bus Infrastructure Program are available to
designated recipients that allocate funds to fixed route bus operators,
or state or local governmental entities, including Indian tribes, that
operate fixed route bus service. There is no minimum or maximum grant
award amount; however, FTA intends to fund as many meritorious projects
as possible. Only proposals from eligible recipients for eligible
activities will be considered for funding. Due to funding limitations,
proposers that are selected for funding may receive less than the
amount originally requested. In those cases, applicants must be able to
demonstrate that the proposed projects are still viable stand-alone
projects that can be completed with the amount awarded.
iii. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
a. Pre-Award Authority
The FTA will issue specific guidance to recipients regarding pre-
award authority at the time of selection. The FTA does not provide pre-
award authority for discretionary funds until projects are selected and
even then, there are Federal requirements that must be met before costs
are incurred. Funds under this NOFO cannot be used to reimburse
applicants for otherwise eligible expenses incurred prior to FTA award
of a Grant Agreement until FTA has issued pre-award authority for
selected projects through a notification in the Federal Register, or
unless FTA has issued a ``Letter of No Prejudice'' for the project
before the expenses are incurred. For more information about FTA's
policy on pre-award authority, please see the FY 2017 Apportionment
Notice published on January 19, 2017.
b. Grant Requirements
If selected, awardees will apply for a grant through FTA's Transit
Award Management System (TrAMS). Recipients of Bus and Bus
Infrastructure Program funding in urban areas are subject to the grant
requirements of section 5307 Urbanized Area Formula Grant program,
including those of FTA Circular 9030.1E. Recipients of Bus and Bus
Infrastructure Program funding in rural areas are subject to the grant
requirements of section 5311 Formula Grants for Rural Areas Program,
including those of FTA Circular 9040.1G. All recipients must follow the
Grants Management Requirements of FTA Circular 5010.1E, and the labor
protections of 49 U.S.C. 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.
c. Buy America
The FTA requires that all capital procurements meet FTA's Buy
America requirements, which require that all iron, steel, or
manufactured products be produced in the U.S. These requirements help
create and protect manufacturing jobs in the U.S. The Bus
Infrastructure Program will have a significant economic impact toward
meeting the objectives of the Buy America law. The FAST Act amended the
Buy America requirements to provide for a phased increase in the
domestic content for rolling stock. For FY 2016 and FY 2017, the cost
of components and subcomponents produced in the United States must be
more than 60 percent of the cost of all components. For FY 2018 and FY
2019, the cost of components and subcomponents produced in the United
States must be more than 65 percent of the cost of all components. For
FY 2020 and beyond, the cost of components and subcomponents produced
in the United States must be more than 70 percent of the cost of all
components. There is no change to the requirement that final assembly
of rolling stock must occur in the United States. FTA issued final
guidance on the implementation of the phased increase in domestic
content on September 1, 2016. Any proposal that will require a waiver
must identify the items for which a waiver will be sought in the
application.
d. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
FTA requires that its recipients receiving planning, capital and/or
operating assistance that will award prime contracts exceeding $250,000
in FTA funds in a Federal fiscal year comply with the Disadvantaged
Business Enterprise (DBE) program regulations at 49 CFR part 26.
Applicants should expect to include any funds awarded, excluding those
to be used for vehicle procurements, in setting their overall DBE goal.
Note, however, that projects including vehicle procurements remain
subject to the DBE program regulations. The rule requires that, prior
to bidding on any FTA-assisted vehicle procurement, entities that
manufacture vehicles, perform post-production alterations or
retrofitting must submit a DBE Program plan and goal methodology to
FTA. Further, to the extent that a vehicle remanufacturer is responding
to a solicitation for new or remanufactured vehicles with a vehicle to
which the remanufacturer has provided post-production alterations or
retro-fitting (e.g., replacing major
[[Page 32929]]
components such as engine to provide a ``like new'' vehicle), the
vehicle remanufacturer is considered a transit vehicle manufacturer and
must also comply with the DBE regulations.
FTA will then issue a transit vehicle manufacturer (TVM)
concurrence/certification letter. Grant recipients must verify each
entity's compliance with these requirements before accepting its bid. A
list of compliant, certified TVMs is posted on FTA's Web page at
https://www.fta.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/civil-rights-ada/eligible-tvms-list. Please note, that this list is nonexclusive and
recipients must contact FTA before accepting bids from entities not
listed on this web-posting. Recipients may also establish project
specific DBE goals for vehicle procurements. The FTA will provide
additional guidance as grants are awarded. For more information on DBE
requirements, please contact Janelle Hinton, Office of Civil Rights,
202-366-9259, email: janelle.hinton@dot.gov.
e. 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 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.
f. Standard Assurances
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. 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.
g. Reporting
Post-award reporting requirements include the electronic submission
of Federal Financial Reports and Milestone Reports in FTA's electronic
grants management system.
H. Technical Assistance and Other Program Information
This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372,
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.'' FTA will consider
applications for funding only from eligible recipients for eligible
projects listed in Section C. Complete applications must be submitted
through GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 p.m. EDT on August 25, 2017. For issues
with GRANTS.GOV please contact GRANTS.GOV by phone at 1-800-518-4726 or
by email at support@grants.gov. Contact information for FTA's regional
offices can be found on FTA's Web site at https://www.transit.dot.gov/about/regional-offices/regional-offices.
I. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
For further information concerning this notice please contact the
Bus Infrastructure Program manager, Mark Bathrick, via email at
mark.bathrick@dot.gov, or by phone at 202-366-9955. A TDD is available
for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing at 1-800-877-8339. In
addition, FTA will post answers to questions and requests for
clarifications on FTA's Web site at http://transit.dot.gov/busprogram.
To ensure applicants receive accurate information about eligibility or
the program, the applicant is encouraged to contact FTA directly,
rather than through intermediaries or third parties, with questions.
FTA staff may also conduct briefings on the discretionary grants
selection and award process upon request.
Matthew J. Welbes,
Executive Director.
[FR Doc. 2017-15043 Filed 7-17-17; 8:45 am]
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