Paul S. Sarbanes Transit In The Parks (20.520)

Program

20.520 Paul S. Sarbanes Transit In The Parks

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Transportation
Office: Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

Authorization

Section 3021 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act�A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) enacted August 10, 2005 [Public Law 109-59], established a new program called the Alternative Transportation in Parks and Public Lands program. The name of the program was changed to the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in the Parks under the SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act, 2008. , 49 U.S.C 5320.

Program Number

20.520

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

Purpose of the program is to enhance the protection of national parks and Federal lands, and increase the enjoyment of those visiting them through the use of alternative transportation. The goals of the program are to ensure access to all, including persons with disabilities; improve conservation and park and public land opportunities in urban areas through partnering with State and local governments; improve park and public land transportation infrastructure; enhance the environment and prevent or mitigate adverse impacts on natural resources; reduce congestion and pollution; improve visitor mobility and accessibility and the visitor experience; improve Federal land management agency resource management; and conserve natural, historical, and cultural resources.

Types of Assistance

Cooperative Agreements; Project Grants

Uses and Use Restrictions

A qualified project is a planning or capital project in or in the vicinity of a Federally-owned or managed park, refuge, or recreational area that is open to the general public and meets the goals of the program. Project evaluation will be based on the considerations listed in the law and explained in part 180 of this notice. The following types of projects are eligible:

(1) Planning Projects: Activities to comply with metropolitan and statewide planning provisions. (49 U.S.C. 5320(b)(5)(A) referencing 49 U.S.C. 5303, 5304, and 5305). Activities include planning studies for an alternative transportation system including evaluation of no-build and all other reasonable alternatives, traffic studies, visitor utilization studies, transportation analysis, feasibility studies, and environmental studies.

(2) Capital projects for ��acquiring, constructing, supervising, or inspecting equipment or a facility for use in public transportation, expenses incidental to the acquisition or construction (including designing, engineering, location surveying, mapping, and acquiring rights-of-way), payments for the capital portions of rail trackage rights agreements, transit-related intelligent transportation systems, relocation assistance, acquiring replacement housing sites, and acquiring, constructing, relocating, and rehabilitating replacement housing;�� (49 U.S.C. 5320(b)(5)(A) referencing 49 U.S.C. 5302(a)(1)(A).)

(3) Fixed Guideway and Bus Projects: (i) New fixed guideway capital projects including the acquisition of real property, the initial acquisition of rolling stock for the systems, the acquisition of rights-of-way, and relocation, for fixed guideway corridor development for projects in the advanced stages of alternatives analysis or preliminary engineering; (ii) Capital projects to modernize existing fixed guideway systems; (iii) Capital projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct bus-related facilities, including programs of bus and bus-related projects for assistance to subrecipients that are public agencies, private companies engaged in public transportation, or private non-profit organizations; and (iv) The development of corridors to support new fixed guideway capital projects, including protecting rights-of-way through acquisition, construction of dedicated bus and high occupancy vehicle lanes and park and ride lots, and other nonvehicular capital improvements that the Secretary may decide would result in increased public transportation usage in the corridor. (49 U.S.C. 5320(b)(5)(A) referencing 49 U.S.C. 5309(b).)

(4) Purchase of rolling stock that incorporates clean fuel technology or the replacement of buses of a type in use on August 10, 2005, with clean fuel vehicles;

(5) The deployment of alternative transportation vehicles that introduce innovative technologies or methods;

(6) The capital costs of coordinating Federal land management agency public transportation systems with other public transportation systems;

(7) Non-motorized transportation systems (including the provision of facilities for pedestrians, bicycles and non-motorized watercraft); and

(8) Any other alternative transportation project that:
- Enhances the environment;
- Prevents or mitigates an adverse impact on a natural resource;
- Improves Federal land management agency resource management; Improves visitor mobility and accessibility and the visitor experience;
- Reduces congestion and pollution (including noise pollution and visual pollution); or
- Conserves a natural, historical, or cultural resource (excluding rehabilitation or restoration of a nontransportation facility).

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Eligible applicants are:(1) The following Federal land management agencies: The National Park Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land management, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Reclamation; and (2) State, tribal and local governments with jurisdiction over land in the vicinity of an eligible area acting with the consent of a Federal land management agency, alone or in partnership with a Federal land management agency or other governmental or non-governmental participant.

Beneficiary Eligibility

General public, including persons with disabilities.

Credentials/Documentation

Any project sponsor must be acting with the consent of a Federal land management agency. Any project proposed must be consistent with the metropolitan and statewide planning and public participation requirements found in 49 U.S.C 5303, 5304, and 5307(d). If the project is an �capital project� in contrast with a �planning project,� the capital project must be in the metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) or State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), or, if selected, will not receive funds until it is incorporated into the TIP or STIP. Projects also must be consistent with Federal land management agency plans. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

The program allows the Department of Transportation to spend up to 10 percent of program funds to carry out planning, research and technical assistance activities. Funds allocated to technical assistance will be used to assist program participants in planning, implementing, and evaluating alternative transportation projects. In addition, the Federal Transit Administration will provide planning guidance and will disseminate research findings. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedure

OMB Circular No. A-102 applies to this program. OMB Circular No. A-110 applies to this program. Project proposals must be submitted to the designated contact person at the headquarters office of the Federal land management agency that manages the park or public land involved. This list can be found in the Notice of Funding Availability published in the Federal Register Vol. 71, No. 233, December 5, 2006. If the project involves more than one Federal land management agency, a proposal template must be submitted to all agencies involved. The project proposal must be 10 or fewer pages in length at 10 point font or larger. If a proposal is greater than 10 pages, only the first 10 pages will be considered during the evaluation process. Submission by email is preferred. Mail and fax submissions will also be accepted. If applicants would like to apply for funds appropriated for future fiscal years, applicants must reapply each year.

Award Procedure

Proposals will first be reviewed and screened by the headquarters office of the relevant Federal land management agency (or agencies if the project involves more than one). Following this initial review, proposals will be evaluated by an interagency team which includes representatives from FTA, each of the Federal land management agencies, and the Department of the Interior.

After evaluating the projects on the basis of criteria in the law and further explained in Section 180 of this program description, the team will provide a recommendation to the Secretary of the Interior. The Secretary of the Interior, after consultation with and in cooperation with the Secretary of Transportation, will determine the final selection and amount of funding for each project.. The Department of the Interior will notify each Federal land management agency of projects awarded for sites under the agency�s jurisdiction. FTA will publish the list of all selected projects and funding levels in the Federal Register, as well as in FTA�s annual report to Congress on the Alternative Transportation in Parks and Public Lands program submitted as part of FTA�s Annual Report on New Starts in early February 2008. Criteria and application procedures may be reassessed for subsequent years.

Once proposals have been reviewed and projects have been chosen on the basis of selection criteria, the cognizant Federal agency (or agencies), will award funds to the proposing entity to implement the project. These funds will be administered according to Federal requirements as well as the appropriate policies, guidelines and rules of the pertinent agencies. For projects directly administered by a Federal land management agency, these funds will be administered by interagency agreement between the FTA and the respective agency. For programs administered by a State, tribal, or local Governmental authority, these funds will be administered through a grant administered by FTA. With regard to interagency agreement and grant requirements, 49 U.S.C. 5320(i) authorizes the Secretary to apply the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5307 (Urbanized Area Formula Grant) and 5333(a) (Prevailing Wages Requirement) ��to the extent the Secretary deems appropriate.��

Additionally, each recipient (Federal land management agency, and State, tribal, and local governments) of Federal funds must comply with requisite Federal guidelines governing the management of Federal funds and specific program requirements. Program Oversight, as defined by FTA, will ensure that projects meet the basic statutory, administrative, and regulatory requirements as stipulated by the conditions for accepting Federal funds.

Deadlines

Not Applicable.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

> 180 Days. The Department of the Transportation plans to announce the projects selected no later than March 31, 2010.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.

This program has no matching requirements. This program has no statutory formula. The Secretary of Transportation, in cooperation with the Secretary of Interior will establish the Government�s share of the net project cost to be provided. Funds appropriated to any Federal land management agency may be counted toward the remainder of the net project cost. The maximum Federal share may be 100 percent.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Funding will be provided on an annual basis. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: lump sum.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

The Secretary of Transportation in consultation with the Secretary of Interior submits annually a report to Congress on the allocation of amounts made available to assist qualified projects. Also, a similar report must be included by the Secretary of Transportation in its Annual Report on New Starts. Requirements regarding reports to be prepared by the program recipient along with other requirements for this program are currently being developed and will be made specific in the interagency agreement with Department of Interior and in grant agreements. The requirements will be made available for public notice and comment in the Federal Register prior to award of program funds. Cash reports are not applicable. Progress reports are not applicable. Expenditure reports are not applicable. Performance monitoring is not applicable.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, �Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations,� non-Federal entities that expend $500,000 or more in a year in Federal awards shall have a single or program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year with certain exceptions as stated in OMB Circular No. A-133.

Records

Recipient is required to retain intact, for three years following submission of the final expenditure report, all contract documents, financial records, and supporting documents.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: A Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) was published December 13, 2007 to announce the availability of FY 2008 funds . The project selections from that NOFA were announced in the Federal Register notice on October 10, 2008 and 52 projects were selected for funding. Fiscal Year 2009: A Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) was published January 23, 2009 to announce the availability of FY 2009 funds . The project proposals are under review. Selections are expected by March 2010. Fiscal Year 2010: Not available.

Financial Information

Account Identification

69-8350-0-1-407.

Obligations

(Project Grants (Cooperative Agreements)) FY 08 $24,875,000; FY 09 est $26,765,500; FY 10 est not reported.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

No one project may receive more than 25 percent of funds.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Guidance is included with each Federal Register notice that announces project selections. Program requirements, additional guidance and legislation information can be found at http://www.fta.dot.gov/funding/grants/grants_financing_6106.html .

Related Programs

Not Applicable.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. Project proposals must be submitted to the designated contact person at the headquarters office of the Federal land management agency that manages the park or public land involved. If the project involves more than one Federal land management agency, a project proposal template must be submitted to all agencies involved. The required project proposal template is available at http:// www.fta.dot.gov. E-mail submission is preferred. Mail and fax submission will also be accepted.

-National Park Service: Kevin Percival, Kevin.Percival@nps.gov, tel: 303�969�2429, fax: 303�987�6675, mail: 12795 W. Alameda Parkway, P.O. Box 25287, Denver, CO 80225�0287.

- Fish and Wildlife Service: Nathan Caldwell, nathan.caldwell@fws.gov, tel:703�358�2376, fax: 703�358�2517,mail: 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 634; Arlington, VA 22203.

- Forest Service: Ellen LaFayette, elafayette@fs.fed.us, tel: 703�605�4509, fax: 703�605�1542, mail: 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250�1101.

- Bureau of Land Management: Linda Force, Linda_Force@blm.gov, tel: 202� 557�3567, fax: 202�452�5046, mail: 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240.

Headquarters Office

Kimberly Sledge 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, District of Columbia 20590 Email: kimberly.sledge@dot.gov Phone: 202-366-2053

Web Site Address

http://www.fta.dot.gov/atppl

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: ATPPL funded a planning project to extend San Francisco Municipal Railway�s Historic streetcars from Fisherman�s Wharf to San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park and the Fort Mason Center at Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Fiscal Year 2009: Not available. Fiscal Year 2010: Not available.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Consistent with the considerations identified in Title 49, Chapter 53 at Section 5320(g)(2), evaluation of proposals will be based on the following criteria:

- Demonstration of need
oDocumentation of problem in plans and other reports
o Severity of problem

- Protection of natural and cultural resources
o Protection or improvement of cultural, historical, scenic, and natural resources
o Environmental benefits�reduction of pollution (including air pollution, noise pollution, and visual pollution)

- Operational efficiency and financial sustainability
oEvaluation of costs and benefits of all reasonable alternatives
oFinancial planning (including for capital, operations, maintenance, and equipment replacement expenses; and revenues, including user fees)
oCost effectiveness
oInnovative financing or joint development strategies
oDeferred maintenance issues

- Public benefits
oEnhancing visitor experience
oMobility issues (reduces congestion, improves intermodal connectivity, improves public access, including access for persons with disabilities)
oSafety
oPartnership with public and private entities, and benefits to gateway communities.

- Additional consideration will be given to projects based upon geographic diversity, balance between urban and rural projects, and balance in size of projects. Finally, projects that demonstrate innovative funding mechanisms or partnerships will be given extra consideration. The proposal template contains specific questions related to each of these criteria to guide the applicant in justifying the project.