Demonstration of Enhanced Human Service Transportation Models: Phase 1-System Development and Design, 19606-19612 [E6-5588]

Agencies

• Federal Transit Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 72 (Friday, April 14, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19606-19612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5588]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Demonstration of Enhanced Human Service Transportation Models: 
Phase 1--System Development and Design

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice; request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: This notice is a request for proposals (RFP) for system 
development and design of enhanced human service transportation models. 
The USDOT seeks up to 10 local communities to carry out detailed 
development and design of coordinated human service transportation 
systems that utilize Intelligent Transportation Systems capabilities. 
The expected results from Phase 1 include up to 10 ``deployment-
ready,'' replicable and scalable system detailed designs for enhanced 
human service transportation delivery models in communities 
representing a variety of operational environments and scenarios.

DATES: Proposals will be accepted immediately, as of the issue date of 
this RFP. All proposals must be submitted electronically to Grants.Gov 
by June 13, 2006, or postmarked by June 13, 2006, for consideration. 
All potential applicants are advised to begin the Grants.Gov 
registration process immediately, if they have not previously submitted 
grant applications through https://www.Grants.Gov in order to be able to 
meet the deadline.

ADDRESSES: Proposals should be submitted electronically to https://
www.Grants.Gov. Grants.Gov allows organizations to electronically find 
and apply for competitive opportunities from all Federal grant-making 
agencies. Grants.Gov is the single access point for over 1,000 programs 
offered by the 26 Federal grant-making agencies.
    Proposals can also be submitted in hard copy. Should the applicant 
elect this option, five hard copies and one unbound reproducible hard 
copy of the proposal, along with an electronic copy of the proposal 
contained on a CD-ROM should be submitted to Ms. Aletha Goodine, Office 
of Mobility Innovation, Room 9402, TRI-10, Federal Transit 
Administration, USDOT, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. 
All proposals should reference ``Enhanced Human Service Transportation 
System Development and Design.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For program management and cooperative 
agreement administrative questions: Aletha Goodine at PH: 202-366-4148; 
FAX: 202-366-3765; Office of Mobility Innovation, Room 9402, TRI-10, 
Federal Transit Administration, USDOT, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590, or aletha.goodine@fta.dot.gov.
    For technical questions: Yehuda Gross at PH: 202-366-1988; FAX: 
202-493-2027; ITS Joint Program Office, Room 3416, HOIT-1, Federal 
Highway Administration, USDOT, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, 
D.C. 20590, or Yehuda.gross@fhwa.dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    There are 62 Federal programs that fund transportation services for 
the transportation disadvantaged. The February 2004 Presidential 
Executive Order on Human Service Transportation Coordination (Executive 
Order 13330) requested the establishment of the Federal Interagency 
Transportation Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) to 
enhance accessibility and mobility for persons who are transportation 
disadvantaged, especially individuals with low-incomes, people with 
disabilities, and older Americans. This Council is chaired by the 
Secretary of Transportation with representation from 11 executive 
departments or agencies of the Federal Government.
    Currently, due to inefficiencies, limited resources, and a lack of 
coordination, delivery of human services transportation is challenging. 
New capabilities and opportunities are being created in both the 
transportation and health and human services communities through the 
use of emerging technologies and innovative services. However, the two 
communities are often unaware of the research, new approaches, and 
advances that each is making, and neither may have direct communication 
with the transportation disadvantaged community at large.
    In response to the Presidential Executive Order to improve the 
effectiveness and efficiency of current human service transportation 
delivery, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) is 
leading two concurrent initiatives to bring the transportation and 
human service communities together to apply solutions to overcome 
service coordination and accessibility barriers for the transportation 
disadvantaged travelers, transportation service providers and human 
service program administrators.
    The first of the two initiatives is United We Ride (UWR), an 
initiative of the CCAM, chaired by the Department of Transportation 
Secretary Norman Y. Mineta. This initiative has effectively engaged all 
11 Federal departmental partners related to human service 
transportation delivery. It addresses policy implications and solutions 
of coordinated human service transportation systems from both technical 
and non-technical perspectives. Developed by an ``expert panel'' in 
2003 as a key product of the UWR initiative, the Framework for Action 
is a comprehensive evaluation and planning tool designed to help state 
and community leaders and agencies involved in human service 
transportation and transit services, along with their stakeholders, 
assess and plan for coordinated transportation systems. It focuses on a 
series of core coordination elements (such as working together, needs 
assessment, putting customers first, funding adaptations, technology, 
and moving people efficiently) to help groups in states and communities 
assess their needs and plan their coordination efforts. The Framework 
for Action is actually two tools: one for communities and another for 
states. It is available at https://www.unitedweride.gov.
    The second initiative is the Mobility Services for All Americans 
(MSAA) initiative. This initiative is funded through the USDOT 
Intelligent

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Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office. ITS encompass a 
broad range of communications-based information and electronics 
technologies for surface transportation applications. When integrated 
into the transportation system's infrastructure, and in vehicles 
themselves, these technologies relieve congestion, improve safety and 
enhance productivity. The MSAA initiative focuses on applying ITS 
solutions to advance human service transportation delivery. It aims to 
provide technology improvements that address both the concerns of 
users, including the transportation disadvantaged, and the concerns of 
service providers, including program administration.
    In the CCAM report to the President on Human Service Transportation 
Coordination, the Council recommended developing demonstration projects 
in metropolitan, rural and/or tribal areas to test the technical and 
institutional feasibility of an enhanced human service transportation 
system. The demonstration projects have three major objectives. These 
are (1) to establish a comprehensive set of transportation services to 
meet the full range of transportation needs for all, including low-
income individuals, older adults, and persons with disabilities in a 
target area by coordinating the resources of various human service and 
transit programs; (2) to create a simple point of access for consumers 
to obtain the transportation services needed from various programs, and 
(3) to use intelligent transportation systems to enhance transportation 
service delivery and system accessibility. In these demonstration 
projects, a single transportation system (not necessarily a single 
provider) will be established to meet the mobility needs of all 
Americans in general and transportation-disadvantaged populations in 
particular. The demonstration will take a two-phase approach: model 
development and design (Phase 1) and model deployment and evaluation 
(Phase 2).

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    This notice is a request for proposals (RFP) for Phase 1--model 
development and design of the demonstration program. The USDOT is 
soliciting proposals to select up to 10 local communities to carry out 
detailed development and design of coordinated human service 
transportation systems that utilize Intelligent Transportation Systems 
(ITS) capabilities. The geographic scope of a ``local community'' is to 
be determined by each applicant, such as a single municipality (or 
jurisdictional entity), a metropolitan area (or a portion of), 
statewide or even interstates, as deemed appropriate and necessary. 
Participation from various human service transportation funding 
agencies, service providers, private entities, faith-based and non-
profit organizations and consumers is strongly encouraged. The expected 
result from Phase 1 will be up to 10 ``deployment-ready,'' replicable 
and scalable system detailed designs for models of travel management 
coordination centers (TMCC) that deliver enhanced human service 
transportation across a variety of operational environments (e.g., 
urban, suburban, rural and remote) and scenarios.
    The vision of a TMCC is a system that:
     From a customer perspective, provides a convenient access 
point (physical and/or virtual) for comprehensive traveler support. The 
types of services provided may range from general customer support and 
trip planning (including accessibility, scheduling and fare 
information), to automated reservation management, and real-time 
traveler information. The services should be conveniently accessible to 
all users, regardless of eligible programs, funding sources and travel 
modes.
     From a service provider perspective, supports coordinated 
transportation service operations and management, including customer 
management, real-time fleet monitoring, automated scheduling, 
dispatching and routing, vehicle matching, automated reporting and 
invoicing. The overall interagency coordination mechanism should be 
transparent to the users.
     From a human service program management perspective, 
enables streamlined program management requirements, including consumer 
management, automated accounting, financial transaction back-office 
coordination, reporting and data collection for program evaluation.
    The major objectives of the Phase 1--TMCC system development and 
design are to:
     Develop ``deployment-ready'' designs of ITS-enhanced human 
service transportation models in up to 10 local communities that meet 
local requirements, yet are scalable and replicable for broader 
applications. The term ``deployment-ready'' refers to a completed, 
detailed TMCC system design that has been verified and validated by the 
USDOT designated experts and is ready for implementation subject to 
funding availability.
     Identify gaps in national and regional ITS architectures 
and related ITS standards to address human service transportation 
system requirements.
     Identify technical, regulatory and institutional related 
hurdles at the local level and identify solutions to overcome them.
     Explore effective and creative approaches to engage local 
stakeholders for continuous and active support and participation in 
defining requirements and potential solutions.

II. Award Information

    The TMCC system development and design cooperative agreements will 
fund up to 10 local communities at once and totaling no more than $3.25 
million. It is anticipated that successful applicants will be notified 
within 45 days from the closing date of this RFP. This TMCC system 
development and design project will last a maximum of 15 months, 
beginning at the project kick-off, to complete all the tasks and 
deliver a detailed TMCC system design that is ready for implementation 
in a model deployment.
    Near the end of the period of performance of Phase 1, the USDOT 
intends to issue a second RFP to launch Phase 2 of the demonstration 
program to select two or more local communities to proceed with Phase 
2--Model Deployment and Evaluation. Only those applicants awarded to 
participate in Phase I will be eligible to apply for Phase 2 of this 
demonstration.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    This solicitation is targeted for communities of any size, and the 
application can be submitted by a lead agency designated by the local 
community chief executive, such as Mayor or City/County Manager. If 
there are multiple jurisdictions working together to submit an 
application, there should be ONE lead agency identified, with letters 
of commitment submitted from each local community chief executive from 
all participating jurisdictions. Eligible lead agencies may include 
public entities currently establishing, operating, coordinating, or 
brokering general public and human service transportation, including, 
but not limited to, public transit agencies, state/local governments 
DOTs, health and human service agencies, federally recognized Indian 
tribes, and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in the U.S. All 
agencies submitting proposals in response to this RFP consent to be 
publicly identified as respondents.

[[Page 19608]]

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

    For each recipient, Federal ITS funds should not exceed 80% of 
total project costs. Each applicant is responsible for identifying the 
twenty (20) percent matching share from other non-USDOT public or 
private sector sources. The matching funds may consist of cash, 
equipment contributions, or personnel services (e.g., in-kind match). 
Applicants are encouraged to solicit matching funds from multiple 
sources, including Federal (non-USDOT), state and local governments and 
private sector partners, as they will be considered by proposal 
reviewers as evidence of local partnership.

3. Other

    All public transit operators serving the local community, including 
those funded under either the FTA urbanized or non-urbanized formula 
programs (Sections 5307 and 5311) are expected to participate in the 
project. In cases where any public transit operator is unable to 
participate, a statement of explanation must be included in the 
proposal.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address To Request Application Package

    This announcement is intended to provide all information that 
applicants need in order to prepare and submit proposals. Applicants 
may contact FTA representatives as listed in Section VII should further 
clarifications be needed.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

    Each proposal should include a Project Overview, a Technical Plan, 
a Financial Plan, and a Management and Staffing Plan that describes how 
the proposed objectives will be met within the specified time frame and 
budget. These plans should contain the following information:
A. Project Overview
    1. Describe local area/jurisdiction where the project will take 
place. This description should include size, population, general socio-
economic characteristics, and characteristics of area (e.g., urban, 
suburban, rural, remote). The description should also include current 
public and community transportation systems, existing administration 
and coordination of human service transportation, and any other local 
conditions relevant to this RFP.
    2. Describe the proposed system, including which organizations will 
participate and which transportation modes and human service programs 
(both federally and non-federally funded) will be represented by those 
participants. Also describe how the proposed project will be integrated 
with the existing transportation delivery systems and supported by 
leaders from the local transportation and human service communities.
    3. Describe how consumers, which include people with disabilities, 
older adults, and individuals with lower incomes will be involved in 
the system development and design process. If a particular user 
community will be represented by a public or private organization, 
describe how this particular organization is qualified to represent 
local user needs and interests.
    4. Describe which organizations will lead the project, and how 
responsibilities for task completion will be shared among proposed 
project partners. Identify existing operational and institutional 
integration within and across organizations, including joint 
operations, shared resources, etc.
    5. Include documentation of any existing or planned interagency 
agreements or public/private cooperative arrangements necessary for 
conducting the project. If signed agreements cannot be included, a 
statement that an agreement is being developed, such as letter of 
commitment, will suffice.
    6. Discuss how and the extent to which local stakeholders, 
including consumers, service providers and human service agencies, will 
benefit from the proposed TMCC system. For example, explain how the 
proposed TMCC system makes it easier for consumers to access 
transportation resources.
    7. Include a ``Statement of Intent'' to develop a TMCC system that 
is consistent with all applicable laws and regulations, including the 
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and 
Section 508 requirements.
    8. Include a ``Statement of Intent'' to develop a TMCC system that 
is consistent with the regional ITS architecture. There should be a 
``Statement of Intent'' to adhere to Section 508 requirements for 
deliverables accessibility.
B. Technical Plan
    The proposal must provide a comprehensive and concise technical 
plan that describes how the applicant will develop and design a model 
TMCC system, including the respective roles of all involved parties, 
and the extent of agency coordination. The technical plan must include 
the following components:
    Current State of ITS Applications for Human Service Transportation 
Delivery.
    1. Provide a description of the current ITS system and its 
components in the targeted community/geographic areas and a detailed 
overview of the status and utilization of these components related to 
human service transportation coordination and accessibility 
enhancement.
    2. Discuss the relationship of the current ITS system with current 
policies and practices in human service transportation systems. Include 
a description of how ITS is used with varying human service program 
operations and funding streams.
    3. Describe the relationship of the current ITS system with other 
Federal systems change initiatives related to human service (e.g., 211/
511 systems, Aging Disability Resource centers, Real Choice System 
Change Projects, etc.).
    Technical Approach.
    1. Describe, in detail, how the applicant will produce the 
deliverables specified in Section VI.4 (Deliverables), including all 
associated tasks, the respective roles of all involved parties, and the 
extent of agency coordination.
    2. Describe the technical and logistical details by which each 
proposed task will be carried out, including stakeholder participation, 
processes involved, and technologies and resources to be used.
    3. Describe how the applicant will address institutional and 
regulatory issues, and in particular how it will handle the regulatory 
requirements and waivers and cost sharing, if applicable. Describe any 
plans and approaches for building interagency consensus across 
participating human service funding programs and service providers.
    4. Describe approaches and processes by which the applicant will 
monitor and measure project performance and progress toward a 
coordinated human service transportation system.
    5. Identify the project schedule (timeframe). The schedule should 
reflect the sequencing of/relationship among the tasks and the duration 
of each task. The schedule should also specify the milestone and 
deliverable dates (timeframes).
    a. Identify and discuss the major tasks to be performed. In 
addition, identify the estimated number of hours and cost for 
performing each task.
    b. Identify the project schedule (timeframe). The schedule should 
identify the sequencing of/relationship among the tasks and the 
duration of each task. The schedule should also

[[Page 19609]]

specify the milestone and deliverable dates (timeframes).
C. Management and Staffing Plan
    1. Identify management and key professional/technical 
responsibilities for the overall program. Include an organizational 
chart providing the names, affiliated organizations, and positions of 
all project management and key professional/technical staff.
    2. Identify one point of contact representing each project 
partners, including human service transportation program and 
organization, consumer groups, and private sector participants or 
sponsors.
    3. Demonstrate that all key personnel, including project 
manager(s), are capable, available, and able to commit to a level of 
involvement that ensures project success.
    4. Include biographical data on project management and key 
professional and technical personnel.
    5. Provide the estimated number of hours by task for each job 
classification.
    6. Discuss project management and oversight mechanisms and 
approaches to be used to monitor progress and gauge project 
performance.
D. Financial Plan
    The proposal should provide an in-depth description and assessment 
of the total cost of achieving the objectives of the project. 
Specifically, the financial plan should:
    1. provide a description of total project costs,
    2. provide a budget and cost estimates by task and phase as defined 
in the technical plan,
    3. identify staff members, labor categories, labor hours and burden 
rates (base rate and overhead), travel and other direct costs, and 
other standard budget items such as fees for each major task, and
    4. include all evidence of financial commitments to the project 
from both public and private sectors, such as in signed Memoranda of 
Understanding (MOU).

3. Submission Dates and Times

    All proposals should be submitted electronically to https://
www.Grants.Gov by June 13, 2006 for consideration. Grants.Gov allows 
organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive 
opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies. Grants.Gov is the 
single access point for over 1,000 programs offered by the 26 Federal 
grant-making agencies.
    Proposals can also be submitted in hard copy and postmarked by June 
13, 2006. Should the applicant elect this option, five hard copies and 
one unbound reproducible hard copy of the proposal, along with an 
electronic copy of the proposal contained on a CD-ROM should be 
submitted to Ms. Aletha Goodine, Office of Mobility Innovation, Room 
9402, TRI-10, Federal Transit Administration, USDOT, 400 Seventh 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590. All proposals should reference 
``Demonstration of Enhanced Human Service Transportation Models: Phase 
1--System Development and Design.''

4. Funding Restriction

    Eligible expenses for this project are limited to activities 
related to the development and design of local coordinated human 
service transportation models, such as personnel, travel, and 
consulting services. This RFP is not to support operations of 
transportation services or capital equipment purchases, including the 
purchase of ITS hardware/software systems.
    Successful applicants should plan to participate in a 1.5 day face-
to-face project kickoff workshop with the Federal Government 
representatives, invited subject experts, and peer recipients at the 
USDOT headquarters in Washington, DC. The workshop agenda will focus on 
project goals, objectives, potential approaches, strategies, available 
resources and USDOT expectations. The USDOT may elect to hold a second 
face-to-face workshop during the project performance period where all 
recipients can network with their peers and exchange information and 
lessons learned with one another. The successful applicant's project 
manager plus one key member assigned to the project should plan to 
attend both workshops. Associated travel expenses should be budgeted 
and presented in the financial plan.
    Successful applicants should also include a budget to develop and 
make presentations at up to two conferences to be specified by the FTA 
Project Manager.

5. Other Submission Requirements

    A proposal should not exceed 50 pages in length, including title, 
index, tables, figures, appendices, abstracts, and other supporting 
materials except resumes (i.e., resumes may be in addition to the 50 
pages). A page is defined as one (1) side of an 8.5 by 11-inch paper, 
line spacing no smaller than 1.5, with a type font no smaller than 12 
point. The cover sheet or front page of the proposal should include the 
name, address, and phone number of an individual to whom correspondence 
and questions about the application may be directed. In addition, an 
SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, form must be completed and 
submitted with the proposal. The form may be obtained at https://
www.Grants.Gov.

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

    The primary evaluation criterion for the proposal will be the 
applicant's demonstrated understanding and ability to accomplish the 
required project deliverables based on reasonable schedule and budget 
that are consistent with the vision of the project. Specific criteria 
and weights (in parentheses) against which each submitted proposal will 
be evaluated include the following:
     Operations environment (NA)--To promote model 
replicability, the grants will be awarded to a mix of urban, suburban, 
rural and remote areas where different operational characteristics and 
user needs may lead to variations in TMCC system development and 
design. Since this criterion is beyond the control of the applicants, 
no weight is assigned.
     Clarity and specificity of proposal (15%)--The reviewers 
will judge each proposal by the applicant's demonstrated ability to 
achieve the project goals and objectives. All proposals should follow 
proposal guidelines as laid out in Section IV.2 (Content and Form of 
Application Submission) and clearly provide information as requested, 
such as descriptions of how customers will be involved in the process 
and how is the proposed system supported by leaders from local 
transportation and human service communities.
     Current state of human service transportation delivery 
system (15%)--Preference will be given to those applicants with 
existing policies, ongoing transportation coordination in place to 
support human service transportation improvements. Six areas of focus 
under this evaluation criterion include: (1) Leadership and 
partnership; (2) planning; (3) operations; (4) technology; (5) customer 
service; and (6) policy, program and funding. In the proposal, 
applicants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate their commitment and 
ability to build upon their existing resources and activities to 
advance the quality of human service transportation. The Implementation 
Tool for Coordinated Community Transportation, published jointly by the 
United We Ride and Mobility Services for All Americans initiatives, 
will be referenced by the reviewers in scoring proposals with respect 
to this criterion.

[[Page 19610]]

     The current level of ITS Infrastructure in place (15%)--
The USDOT will give preference to applicants with some levels of 
existing ITS infrastructure, such as wireless communications, in place 
to support human service transportation improvements.
     Scope of human service transportation programs 
participation (10%)--The USDOT encourages all applicants to involve at 
least two and as many human service transportation programs as 
practically possible in their respective projects. The USDOT will also 
recognize effort to engage non-federally funded human service 
transportation programs. The proposal will be evaluated on established 
interagency relationship for human service transportation delivery 
through written legal agreements, such as the establishment of a 
coordination council, various resource centers, memorandum of 
understanding, and/or general documentation of cooperative working 
relationships, such as documented meetings and events. The term 
``interagency'' may involve multiple human service program managing/
funding agencies, user groups, and a wide spectrum of service modes and 
providers.
     Strong public-private partnership and commitment (10%)--
The USDOT strongly encourages the participation of private entities 
(e.g., private transportation operators, non-profit human service 
providers, advocacy groups and business community organizations) in 
this project. If a public-private partnership is included in the 
proposal, the business models and functional roles of the private 
partners should be described in detail. The proposal should also 
include evidence of commitment to the project from each of the 
participating organizations and assess the likelihood of continuing 
participation beyond the end of the project.
     Integration with other technology and/or systems change 
initiatives (10%)--The USDOT encourages and recognizes applicants to 
integrate (or coordinate) with and build upon efforts made by other 
initiatives related to human service transportation enhancement, such 
as state-level United We Ride activities, HIPAA, 211 (local community 
services information systems) and 511 (travel information systems), 
Aging Disability Resource centers, and Real Choice System Change 
projects.
     Cost (10%)--The cost of the project should reflect the 
scope of the project.
     Qualifications and experience (10%)--The proposal 
demonstrates adequate qualifications and experience of individuals and 
organizations with respect to project management and technical 
capabilities. The applicants' past performance, if available, may be 
considered in the evaluation.
     Timelines and Deliverables (5%)--The timeline incorporates 
sufficient time to develop and implement the institutional and 
technical aspects of the project.

2. Review and Selection Process

    The Federal Transit Administration will establish a proposal review 
panel to evaluate all eligible applications based on the criteria and 
requirements defined in this Notice. The review panelists may represent 
Federal agencies outside of the USDOT to provide diversified 
perspectives and expertise related to human service transportation. The 
Federal Transit Administration will notify successful applicants.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

    It is anticipated that successful applicants will be notified 
within 45 days from the closing date of this RFP. Federal Transit 
Administration's (FTA) Administrator will notify the successful 
applicants through postal mail.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Following receipt of the FTA Administrator's notification letter, 
the successful applicants will be required to submit their proposal 
through the FTA Transportation Electronic Award and Management (TEAM) 
system Web site. FTA will manage the cooperative agreement through the 
TEAM system Web site. Before FTA may award Federal financial assistance 
through a cooperative agreement, each applicant must submit all 
certifications and assurances pertaining to itself and its project as 
required by Federal laws and regulations. These certifications and 
assurances must be submitted to FTA irrespective of whether the project 
is financed under the authority of 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53, or Title 23, 
United States Code, or another Federal statute. Since Federal fiscal 
year 1995, FTA has been consolidating the various certifications and 
assurances that may be required of its awardees and the projects into a 
single document published in the Federal Register. Fiscal year 2006 
Annual List of Certifications and Assurances for FTA Grants and 
Cooperative Agreements and guidelines will be published in the Federal 
Register and posted on the FTA Web site at https://www.fta.dot.gov.

3. Reporting

    Recipients are required to submit quarterly reports to the FTA 
Project Manager through the FTA TEAM system Web site. The quarterly 
reports must discuss milestones related to the deliverables targeted 
for the end of the project period, and include the following elements:
     Significant accomplishments,
     Project issues/concerns and recommended solutions,
     Updated project schedule,

--List and status of current tasks
--List of completed tasks
--Percent complete by task
--If slips in the schedule occur, the recipient should propose how to 
mitigate the schedule deviation(s)

     total budget by task, and

--Amount spent to date by task
--Amount remaining by task

     Travel expense report (if applicable).

4. Deliverables

    At a minimum, the lead agency should provide the following 
deliverables during and at the conclusion of the project:
     A detailed project plan
    Based on the discussion at the project kickoff workshop, successful 
applicants should develop a detailed project plan. The project plan 
must include project background information, major tasks and 
approaches, implementation timelines, budgets, and deliverables.
     A TMCC concept of operations
    The TMCC concept of operations provides a high-level definition of 
``what'' the TMCC should or should not do. The concept of operations 
document should clearly and concisely describe user needs and 
operational policies and constraints corresponding to local 
characteristics. The identified user needs will serve as the foundation 
for system requirements and provide the justification for the functions 
desired. A comprehensive discussion of operational policies and 
constraints should establish expected policy environment for TMCC 
operation and set clear boundaries on the scope of the project. The 
Concept of Operations should explicitly document the specific 
shortcomings of the current human service transportation delivery in 
the local area that will be addressed by the proposed TMCC, from both 
an operator/program administration and a user point of view.
     A TMCC system requirements
    A system requirement is the detailed ``what.'' The recipients 
should define both functional and performance requirements of the TMCC 
model. All

[[Page 19611]]

system requirements must be unambiguous, concise, and achievable, and 
be consistent with and supportive of the concept of operations as laid 
out in the previous task. All requirements should map to an explicit 
user or operator need in the Concept of Operations, as described below. 
In developing the system requirements, it is anticipated that the 
recipients may find it necessary to clarify and update the needs 
described in the Concept of Operations.
     A TMCC system design
    System design describes the ``how'' to implement the ``what.'' 
Recipients will explore different alternatives, including outlining 
strengths and weaknesses, examining technical and operational 
feasibility, institutional compatibility, and other constraints and 
costs. As part of this task, the recipients will produce a report 
documenting the approach, process, and outcome of the TMCC system 
designs. All TMCC system designs should take into account and be in 
compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and policies, 
including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 
(HIPAA) of 1996.
     A TMCC system phasing implementation plan
     An existing ITS architecture and standards gaps report
    Upon completion and approval of the TMCC system design, recipients 
should analyze and identify any gaps in the existing regional ITS 
architecture and relevant available ITS-related standards with respect 
to implementation of the proposed TMCC. The USDOT anticipates that some 
gaps may exist given the specific operational characteristics and 
stakeholders involved in human service transportation. It should be 
noted that no recipients will be held responsible for updating the 
existing regional ITS architecture or for creating new standards within 
the scope of this project.
    Other deliverables:
     Meetings and working sessions with the USDOT 
interdisciplinary technical assistance team as described in Section 
VIII.1--Technical Assistance Resources,
     A proposal at the conclusion of the project to the USDOT 
for funding to implement and evaluate the TMCC system as designed 
(i.e., Phase 2); the USDOT will define the proposal format and 
requirements and release a separate request for proposal near the end 
of this project, and
     Up to two face-to-face workshops at USDOT headquarters in 
Washington, DC or selected local communities to discuss progress, 
exchange information and network with peer groups.
    Recipients are required to submit written deliverables to the FTA 
Project Manager for review and approval. All written deliverables must 
be provided in a Section 508 compliant format, unless otherwise 
directed by the FTA Project Manager. For all deliverables to be 
published on the websites, recipients should provide the final approved 
products as follows to the FTA Project Manager:
     The final products should be submitted in Adobe PDF, 
PowerPoint, MSWord, Excel, or other file format pre-approved by the FTA 
Project Manager that meets current FTA web posting standards.
     The preferred source code file that the recipients should 
provide to the FTA Project Manager is Microsoft Word with images, if 
any, embedded into the document in JPEG format.
     All documents, including final reports must be submitted 
in formats that meet 508 Requirements so that they can easily be posted 
on Federal websites. Where there are graphics (e.g., pictures, 
illustrations, logos, charts, tables as images, maps), Alt-tags text 
should thoroughly describe the image and be provided for every single 
image. Repeating a caption does not meet the intent of the law and is 
therefore on the lowest end of acceptability. The description in the 
Alt-tags text must fully describe the graphic (as if one were acting as 
a reader for a blind person). If the full description is contained in 
the text, the Alt-tags should reference the reader to where that 
description is (e.g.: graphic representation of noise waves as 
described in the previous paragraph). If the full description is not 
already in the text and is long a link should be created to a separate 
page that contains the description and the Alt-tags should direct the 
reader to this link. Graphics file size (e.g., pictures, illustrations, 
logos, charts, maps) must be submitted as individual files in addition 
to those that are embedded in the source file. The preferred format for 
images is JPEG. Graphics should (if at all possible) be kept to a width 
of 600 pixels or less--to prevent horizontal scrolling. Tables are 
never acceptable as graphics files. All tables should be laid out using 
the Word table feature. Do not use tabs.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For program management and cooperative agreement administrative 
questions: Aletha Goodine at PH: 202-366-4148; FAX: 202-366-3765; 
Office of Mobility Innovation, Room 9402, TRI-10, Federal Transit 
Administration, USDOT, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, 
or aletha.goodine@fta.dot.gov.
    For technical questions: Yehuda Gross at PH: 202-366-1988; FAX: 
202-493-2027; ITS Joint Program Office, Room 3416, HOIT-1, Federal 
Highway Administration, USDOT, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590, or Yehuda.gross@fhwa.dot.gov.

VIII. Other Information

1. Technical Assistance Resources

    To assist recipients in completing the TMCC development and design 
tasks within the project performance period, the USDOT will establish 
an interdisciplinary technical assistance team as a resource. This 
technical assistance team will provide technical assistance to and 
exchange information across the recipients as needed. The technical 
assistance team will be funded separately by the USDOT and involve 
people with diversified areas of expertise related to human service 
transportation, including ITS technology, transportation disadvantaged 
population, transportation planning, transit operations, human service 
program policy and regulatory compliance, system engineering, 
communications technology, software design and related topics.
    The technical assistance team may conduct on-site visits to address 
specific local community needs, including identifying technical and 
institutional hurdles and possible solutions, as well as other impacts 
that may affect the progression and quality of the project. In addition 
to site visits by the technical assistance task, recipients may contact 
the technical assistance team experts through emails, telephone calls 
or on-site visits for prompt technical consultation as needed.
    Recipients are not financially responsible for the technical 
assistance team, which will be procured by the USDOT through a separate 
RFP. However, each applicant is required to demonstrate in the proposal 
its willingness to utilize such technical assistance and cooperate with 
the interdisciplinary technical assistance team as appropriate.
    In addition, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has 
published several reports in recent years on subjects related to human 
service transportation. These reports provide a comprehensive overhaul 
of issues and challenges facing cost-effective delivery and access of 
human service transportation. These reports can be viewed and 
downloaded from the GAO Web site at https://www.gao.gov.
    Finally, three recently released publications may assist the 
applicants

[[Page 19612]]

in preparing proposals and subsequently implementing the projects. The 
first publication, the Report to the President on Human Service 
Transportation Coordination (https://www.unitedweride.gov/1_866_ENG_
HTML.htm), published in 2005, presented five broad recommendations that 
the CCAM believes will strengthen existing transportation services to 
be more cost-effective, and accountable and help providers become more 
responsive to consumers. These five recommendations include (1) 
coordinated transportation planning; (2) vehicle sharing; (3) cost 
sharing; (4) reporting and evaluations; and (5) consolidated access 
transportation demonstration program.
    Second, as part of the joint effort of the United We Ride and 
Mobility Services for All Americans initiatives, the USDOT is in the 
process of developing additional tools to take the Framework for Action 
to the next level by providing communities and states with guidance to 
take concrete action and identify their progress along the way. These 
tools build on the same core elements as the Framework and assist in 
defining where a community or state is on the road to building a fully 
coordinated comprehensive transportation system that is inclusive of 
people with disabilities, older adults and individuals with lower 
incomes. The recipients may find these tools useful in designing their 
respective TMCC systems. Inquiries about the availability of these 
tools may be directed to the United We Ride program office at 
unitedweride@fta.dot.gov.
    The third publication is a generic TMCC concept of operations that 
provides a high-level, representative description of an enhanced human 
service transportation delivery system in terms of operational 
characteristics, service scenarios and relationships between system 
components. This publication is designed to provide an example that can 
be used by agency and other stakeholders as the basis for developing 
their own specific TMCC system concept of operations. This publication 
can be obtained via website at https://www.its.dot.gov/msaa or by 
contacting the FTA Project Manager.

2. Additional Resources

     USDOT ITS Mobility Services for All Americans initiative 
https://www.its.dot.gov/msaa/index.htm
     Federal Interagency United We Ride initiative https://
www.unitedweride.gov
     Information on Section 508 and web site accessibility: 
https://www.section508.gov
     National ITS Architecture https://www.its.dot.gov/arch/
index.htm
     ITS Standards https://www.standards.its.dot.gov/
standards.htm

3. List of Acronyms and Abbreviations

CCAM Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility
FHWA Federal Highway Administration
FTA Federal Transit Administration
GAO Government Accountability Office
GIS Geographic Information Systems
HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
ITS Intelligent Transportation Systems
JPEG Joint Photographic Experts Group
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MPO Metropolitan Planning Organization
MSAA Mobility Services for All Americans
PDF Portable Document Format
RFP Request for Proposals
TMCC Travel Management Coordination Center
USDOT United States Department of Transportation
UWR United We Ride

    Issued on: April 7, 2006.
Sandra K. Bushue,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. E6-5588 Filed 4-13-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P