Notice of Funding Availability for the Department of Transportation's National Infrastructure Investments Under the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations, 2012; and Request for Comments, 4863-4880 [2012-1996]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
• Office of the Secretary of Transportation

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 31, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4863-4880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-1996]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary of Transportation

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2012-0012]


Notice of Funding Availability for the Department of 
Transportation's National Infrastructure Investments Under the Full-
Year Continuing Appropriations, 2012; and Request for Comments

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of Transportation, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability, Request for Comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funding and requests 
proposals for the Department of Transportation's National 
Infrastructure Investments. In addition, this notice announces 
selection criteria and pre-application and application requirements for 
the National Infrastructure Investments.
    The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2012 
(Pub. L. 112-055, Nov. 18, 2011) (``FY 2012 Appropriations Act'') 
appropriated $500 million to be awarded by the Department of 
Transportation (``DOT'') for National Infrastructure Investments. This 
appropriation is similar, but not identical to the appropriation for 
the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or ``TIGER 
Discretionary Grant'', program authorized and implemented pursuant to 
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the ``Recovery 
Act''). Because of the similarity in program structure, DOT will 
continue to refer to the program as ``TIGER Discretionary Grants.'' As 
with previous rounds of TIGER, funds for the FY 2012 TIGER program are 
to be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a 
significant impact on the Nation, a metropolitan area or a region.
    Through this notice, DOT is soliciting applications for TIGER 
Discretionary Grants. In the event that this solicitation does not 
result in the award and obligation of all available funds, DOT may 
decide to publish an additional solicitation(s).

DATES: Pre-applications must be submitted by February 20, 2012, at 5 
p.m. EST (the ``Pre-Application Deadline''). Final applications must be 
submitted through Grants.gov by March 19, 2012, at 5 p.m. EDT (the 
``Application Deadline''). The DOT pre-application system will open on 
or before February 13, 2012, to allow prospective applicants to submit 
pre-applications. Subsequently, the Grants.gov ``Apply'' function will 
open on February 22, 2012, allowing applicants to submit applications. 
Applicants are encouraged to submit pre-applications and applications 
in advance of the deadlines.

ADDRESSES: Pre-applications must be submitted electronically to DOT and 
applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov. Only 
pre-applications received by DOT and applications received 
electronically through Grants.gov will be deemed properly filed. 
Instructions for submitting pre-applications to DOT and applications 
through Grants.gov are included in Section VII (Pre-Application and 
Application Cycle).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information concerning 
this notice please contact the TIGER Discretionary Grant program staff 
via

[[Page 4864]]

email at TIGERGrants@dot.gov, or call Howard Hill at (202) 366-0301. A 
TDD is available for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing at 
(202) 366-3993. In addition, DOT will regularly post answers to 
questions and requests for clarifications on DOT's Web site at 
www.dot.gov/TIGER. Applicants are encouraged to contact DOT directly 
and rather than rely on third parties to receive information about 
TIGER Discretionary Grants.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is substantially similar to the 
Final notice published for the TIGER Discretionary Grant program in the 
Federal Register on August 12, 2011. However, there are a few 
significant differences:
    1. To ensure applicants receive the most accurate information 
possible, Eligible Applicants must contact DOT directly, rather than 
through intermediaries, to get questions answered, set up briefings on 
the TIGER Discretionary Grants selection and award process, or receive 
other assistance.
    2. As in previous rounds of TIGER, high speed and intercity 
passenger rail projects remain eligible for funding under this program 
and a high priority of this Administration. DOT would like to encourage 
those seeking funding for passenger rail projects to consider TIGER and 
will, therefore, make up to $100 million in TIGER funds available to 
high speed and intercity passenger rail projects.
    3. Applications must include a detailed statement of work, detailed 
project schedule, and detailed project budget in the project narrative. 
Due to the shorter timeframe allowed for the obligation of TIGER 
Discretionary Grant funds in this round of funding in comparison to 
previous rounds, applicants must include this detailed information in 
their application in order to demonstrate that their projects are ready 
to proceed within this shortened timeframe.
    4. The discussion on Benefit-Cost Analysis (Appendix A: Additional 
Information on Benefit-Cost Analysis) has been streamlined and includes 
tools to aid applicants in preparing their analyses.
    Other than these differences, and minor edits for clarification and 
those made to conform the notice to the statutory circumstances of this 
round of TIGER Discretionary Grants funding, there have been no 
material changes made to the notice. Each section of this notice 
contains information and instructions relevant to the application 
process for these TIGER Discretionary Grants and prospective applicants 
should read this notice in its entirety so that they have the 
information they need to submit eligible and competitive applications.

Table of Contents

I. Background
TIGER Discretionary Grants
II. Selection Criteria and Guidance on Application of Selection 
Criteria
III. Evaluation and Selection Process
IV. Grant Administration
V. Projects in Rural Areas
VI. TIGER TIFIA Payments
Application Requirements
VII. Pre-Application and Application Cycle
VIII. Project Benefits
IX. Questions and Clarifications
Appendix A: Additional Information on Benefit-Cost Analysis
Appendix B: Additional Information on Applying Through Grants.gov
Appendix C: Additional Information on Guidelines for Project 
Readiness

I. Background

    On November 18, 2011, the President signed the FY 2012 
Appropriations Act. This Act appropriated $500 million to DOT for 
National Infrastructure Investments, using language that is similar, 
but not identical to the language in appropriations bills from FY 2010 
and FY 2011 and the Recovery Act.
    This program was first created in the 2009 Recovery Act, since 
which time DOT has referred to these grants as Transportation 
Investment Generating Economic Recovery or ``TIGER Discretionary 
Grants.'' Through the Recovery Act and continuing through the FY 2010 
and 2011 appropriations processes, Congress has provided DOT with three 
rounds of competitive grants totaling just over $2.6 billion for 
capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure. See DOT's 
Web site at https://www.dot.gov/tiger/ for further background 
on the disbursement of past rounds of TIGER Discretionary Grants.
    DOT's most recent solicitation for TIGER Discretionary Grants 
occurred through a notice of funding availability published in the 
Federal Register on August 12, 2011 (an interim notice was published on 
July 1, 2011). Applications for TIGER Discretionary Grants were due on 
October 31, 2011 and 848 applications were received with funding 
requests totaling approximately $14.29 billion. Awards for 46 capital 
projects totaling $511 million were announced on December 15, 2011. 
Grant awards ranged from $1 million to $13.5 million for projects in 
rural areas and $10 million to $20 million for projects in urban areas. 
Projects were selected for funding based on their alignment with the 
selection criteria specified in the August 12, 2011, Federal Register 
notice.

FY 2012 TIGER Discretionary Grants

    Like the previous rounds, this year's TIGER Discretionary Grants 
are for capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure 
and are to be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will 
have a significant impact on the Nation, a metropolitan area, or a 
region.
    ``Eligible Applicants'' for TIGER Discretionary Grants are State, 
local, and tribal governments, including U.S. territories, transit 
agencies, port authorities, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), 
other political subdivisions of State or local governments, and multi-
State or multi-jurisdictional groups applying through a single lead 
applicant (for multi-jurisdictional groups, each member of the group, 
including the lead applicant, must be an otherwise Eligible Applicant 
as defined in this paragraph).
    To ensure applicants receive the most accurate information 
possible, Eligible Applicants must contact DOT directly, rather than 
through intermediaries, to get questions answered, set up briefings on 
the TIGER Discretionary Grants selection and award process, or receive 
other assistance. Assistance can be obtained by simply calling or 
emailing the TIGER Discretionary Grant program staff via email at 
TIGERGrants@dot.gov, or by calling Howard Hill at (202) 366-0301.
    Projects that are eligible for TIGER Discretionary Grants 
(``Eligible Projects'') include, but are not limited to: (1) Highway or 
bridge projects eligible under title 23, United States Code; (2) public 
transportation projects eligible under chapter 53 of title 49, United 
States Code; (3) passenger and freight rail transportation projects; 
and (4) marine port infrastructure investments. Federal wage rate 
requirements included in subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, 
United States Code, apply to all projects receiving funds, and apply to 
all parts of the project, whether funded with TIGER Discretionary Grant 
funds, other federal funds, or non-federal funds. This description of 
Eligible Projects is identical to the description of eligible projects 
under earlier rounds of the TIGER Discretionary Grant program.\1\
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    \1\ Consistent with the FY 2012 Appropriations Act, DOT will 
apply the following principles in determining whether a project is 
eligible as a capital investment in surface transportation: (1) 
surface transportation facilities generally include roads, highways 
and bridges, marine ports, freight and passenger railroads, transit 
systems, and projects that connect transportation facilities to 
other modes of transportation; and (2) surface transportation 
facilities also include any highway or bridge project eligible under 
title 23, U.S.C., or public transportation project eligible under 
chapter 53 of title 49, U.S.C. Please note that the Department may 
use a TIGER Discretionary Grant to pay for the surface 
transportation components of a broader project that has non-surface 
transportation components, and applicants are encouraged to apply 
for TIGER Discretionary Grants to pay for the surface transportation 
components of these projects.

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[[Page 4865]]

    As was the case in earlier rounds of the TIGER Discretionary Grant 
program, Eligible Projects do not include research, demonstration, or 
pilot projects that do not result in publically accessible surface 
transportation infrastructure. To be funded, projects or elements of a 
project must demonstrate independent utility, which means that the 
project provides transportation benefits and is ready for broad public 
use upon completion of project construction.
    Each applicant may submit no more than three applications for 
consideration to the TIGER Discretionary Grant Program to focus 
submissions on those applications that are most likely to align well 
with DOT's selection criteria. While applications may include requests 
to fund more than one project, applicants may not bundle together 
unrelated projects in the same application for purposes of avoiding the 
three application limit that applies to each applicant. Please note 
that the three application limit applies only to applications where the 
applicant is the lead applicant, and there is no limit on applications 
for which an applicant can be listed as a partnering agency. Also, DOT 
will not count any application for a multistate project against the 
three application limit to the extent multiple states are partnering to 
submit the application. Furthermore, jurisdictions that collaborate 
with regional partners on a priority application are more likely to be 
successful than those that choose separate priorities and apply 
separately because DOT will give priority to applications that 
demonstrate a high degree of Jurisdictional & Stakeholder Collaboration 
(see Section II. Selection Criteria and Guidance on Application of 
Selection Criteria). If any lead applicant submits more than three 
applications, only the first three received will be considered.
    The FY 2012 Appropriations Act requires a new solicitation of 
applications and, therefore, any unsuccessful applicant for earlier 
rounds of TIGER Discretionary Grants that wishes to be considered for a 
TIGER Discretionary Grant this year must reapply according to the 
procedures in this notice.
    The FY 2012 Appropriations Act specifies that TIGER Discretionary 
Grants may be not less than $10 million (except in rural areas) and not 
greater than $200 million. The FY 2012 Appropriations Act does not 
provide authority to waive the minimum $10 million grant size for 
projects located in urbanized areas. For projects located in rural 
areas (as defined in Section V (Projects in Rural Areas)), the minimum 
TIGER Discretionary Grant size is $1 million. The term ``grant'' in the 
provision of the FY 2012 Appropriations Act specifying a minimum grant 
size does not include TIGER TIFIA Payments, as described below.
    DOT reserves the right to award funds for a part of the project, 
not the full project, if a part of the project has independent utility 
and aligns well with the selection criteria specified in this notice.
    Pursuant to the FY 2012 Appropriations Act, no more than 25 percent 
of the funds made available for TIGER Discretionary Grants (or $125 
million) may be awarded to projects in a single State.
    The FY 2012 Appropriations Act directs that not less than $120 
million of the funds provided for TIGER Discretionary Grants be used 
for projects located in rural areas. Further, in awarding TIGER 
Discretionary Grants pursuant to the FY 2012 Appropriations Act, DOT 
must take measures to ensure an equitable geographic distribution of 
grant funds, an appropriate balance in addressing the needs of urban 
and rural areas and the investment in a variety of transportation 
modes. As in previous rounds of TIGER, high speed and intercity 
passenger rail projects remain eligible for funding under this program 
and a high priority of this Administration. DOT would like to encourage 
those seeking funding for passenger rail projects to consider TIGER and 
will, therefore, make up to $100 million in TIGER funds available to 
high speed and intercity passenger rail projects.
    TIGER Discretionary Grants may be used for up to 80 percent of the 
costs of a project, but priority must be given to projects for which 
Federal funding is required to complete an overall financing package 
and projects can increase their competitiveness by demonstrating 
significant non-Federal contributions. DOT may increase the Federal 
share above 80 percent only for projects located in rural areas, in 
which case DOT may fund up to 100 percent of the costs of a project. 
Therefore, for projects located in urban areas, based on the statutory 
requirements of at least 20 percent non-Federal cost share and a 
minimum grant size of $10 million, the minimum total project size for 
an eligible project is $12.5 million (where the minimum $10 million 
TIGER Discretionary Grant request represents 80 percent of the total 
project cost). The minimum total project size for an eligible project 
in a rural area is $1 million (where the entire project cost is funded 
with a TIGER Discretionary Grant). However, the statutory requirement 
to give priority to projects that use Federal funds to complete an 
overall financing package applies to projects located in rural areas as 
well, and projects located in rural areas can increase their 
competitiveness for purposes of the TIGER program by demonstrating 
significant non-Federal financial contributions. In the FY2011 
competition, on average, urban projects pledged 65% non-Federal funds 
while rural projects featured more than 46% non-Federal funds. Three 
TIGER-TIFIA projects will use only 2% TIGER funds but leverage more 
than $1.8 billion in non-Federal investment. DOT will consider any non-
Federal funds as well as funds from the Indian Reservation Roads 
Program as a local match for purposes of this program, whether such 
funds are contributed by the public sector (State or local) or the 
private sector. However, DOT cannot consider funds already expended as 
a local match.
    The 2012 Appropriations Act requires that TIGER funds are only 
available for obligation through September 30, 2013. The limited amount 
of time for which the funds will be made available means that DOT will 
focus on the extent to which a project is ready to proceed with 
obligation of grant funds when evaluating applications, and give 
priority to those projects that are ready to proceed sooner than other 
competitive projects.
    The FY 2012 Appropriations Act allows for an amount not to exceed 
$175 million of the $500 million to be used to pay the subsidy and 
administrative costs for a project receiving credit assistance under 
the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 1998 
(``TIFIA'') program, if it would further the purposes of the TIGER 
Discretionary Grant program. DOT is referring to these payments as 
``TIGER TIFIA Payments.'' The amount of budget authority required to 
support TIFIA credit assistance is calculated on a project-by-project 
basis. Applicants for TIGER TIFIA Payments should submit an application 
pursuant to this notice and a separate TIFIA letter of interest, as 
described below in Section VI (TIGER TIFIA Payments). Unless otherwise

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noted, or the context requires otherwise, references in this notice to 
TIGER Discretionary Grants include TIGER TIFIA Payments.
    Due to the limited funding available under this program, applicants 
that require a substantial amount of funds to complete a financing 
package should consider whether a TIGER TIFIA Payment may provide more 
value for their project than a comparable award of grant funds. DOT 
reserves the right to offer a TIGER TIFIA Payment to an applicant that 
applied for a TIGER Discretionary Grant even if DOT does not choose to 
fund the requested TIGER Discretionary Grant and the applicant did not 
specifically request a TIGER TIFIA Payment.
    While TIFIA support has most often been sought for road and bridge 
projects (including multiple TIGER TIFIA payments for managed lanes 
projects), TIFIA is a multimodal program. DOT encourages applicants 
seeking support for large multimodal projects that meet TIFIA 
eligibility criteria, including major transit projects, to consider 
TIGER TIFIA Payments as a means for federal support of these projects. 
In the past two rounds of TIGER Discretionary Grants, two TIGER TIFIA 
Payments were awarded to transit agencies for the expansion of fixed 
guideway transit systems.
    TIGER grant recipients may apply for funding to support additional 
phases of a project awarded funds in earlier rounds of this program. 
However, to be competitive, any phase awarded funding in the past 
should be at or near completion, and the applicant should provide data 
about how the project is performing based on the benefits expected in 
the original application.
    The FY 2012 Appropriations Act provides that the Secretary of 
Transportation may retain up to $20 million of the $500 million to fund 
the award and oversight of TIGER Discretionary Grants. Portions of the 
$20 million may be transferred for these purposes to the Administrators 
of the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit 
Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Federal 
Maritime Administration.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit applications for TIGER 
Discretionary Grants. This is a final notice.

TIGER Discretionary Grants

II. Selection Criteria and Guidance on Application of Selection 
Criteria

    This section specifies the criteria that DOT will use to evaluate 
applications for TIGER Discretionary Grants. The criteria incorporate 
the statutory eligibility requirements for this program, which are 
specified in this notice as relevant. This section is divided into two 
parts. Part A (Selection Criteria) specifies the criteria that DOT will 
use to rate projects. Additional guidance about how DOT will apply 
these criteria, including illustrative metrics and examples, is 
provided in Part B (Additional Guidance on Selection Criteria).

A. Selection Criteria

    TIGER Discretionary Grants will be awarded based on the selection 
criteria as outlined below. There are two categories of selection 
criteria, ``Primary Selection Criteria'' and ``Secondary Selection 
Criteria.''
1. Primary Selection Criteria
(a) Long-Term Outcomes
    DOT will give priority to projects that have a significant impact 
on desirable long-term outcomes for the Nation, a metropolitan area, or 
a region. Applications that do not demonstrate a likelihood of 
significant long-term benefits in this criterion will not proceed in 
the evaluation process. The following types of long-term outcomes will 
be given priority:
    (i) State of Good Repair: Improving the condition of existing 
transportation facilities and systems, with particular emphasis on 
projects that minimize life-cycle costs.
    (ii) Economic Competitiveness: Contributing to the economic 
competitiveness of the United States over the medium- to long-term.
    (iii) Livability: Fostering livable communities through policies 
and investments that increase transportation choices and access to 
transportation services for people in communities across the United 
States.
    (iv) Environmental Sustainability: Improving energy efficiency, 
reducing dependence on oil, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and 
benefitting the environment.
    (v) Safety: Improving the safety of U.S. transportation facilities 
and systems.
(b) Job Creation and Near-Term Economic Activity
    Job creation and near-term economic activity remain a top priority 
of this Administration; therefore, DOT will give priority to projects 
that are expected to quickly create and preserve jobs and promote rapid 
increases in economic activity, particularly jobs and activity that 
benefit economically distressed areas as defined by section 301 of the 
Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965, as amended (42 
U.S.C. 3161) (``Economically Distressed Areas'').\2\
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    \2\ While Economically Distressed Areas are typically identified 
under the Public Works and Economic Development Act at the county 
level, for the purposes of this program DOT will consider regions, 
municipalities, smaller areas within larger communities, or other 
geographic areas to be Economically Distressed Areas if an applicant 
can demonstrate that any such area otherwise meets the requirements 
of an Economically Distressed Area as defined in section 301 of the 
Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965.
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2. Secondary Selection Criteria
(a) Innovation
    DOT will give priority to projects that use innovative strategies 
to pursue the long-term outcomes outlined above.
(b) Partnership
    DOT will give priority to projects that demonstrate strong 
collaboration among a broad range of participants, integration of 
transportation with other public service efforts, and/or are the 
product of a robust planning process.

B. Additional Guidance on Selection Criteria

    The following additional guidance explains how DOT will evaluate 
each of the selection criteria identified above in Section II(A) 
(Selection Criteria). Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the 
responsiveness of a project to any and all of the selection criteria 
with the most relevant information that applicants can provide, 
regardless of whether such information has been specifically requested, 
or identified, in this notice. Any such information shall be considered 
part of the application, not supplemental, for purposes of the 
application size limits specified below in Section VII(D) (Length of 
Application).
1. Primary Selection Criteria
(a) Long-Term Outcomes
    In order to measure a project's alignment with this criterion, DOT 
will assess the public benefits generated by the project, as measured 
by the extent to which a project produces one or more of the following 
outcomes.
    (i) State of Good Repair: In order to determine whether the project 
will improve the condition of existing transportation facilities or 
systems, including whether life-cycle costs will be minimized, DOT will 
assess (i) whether the project is part of, or consistent with, relevant 
State, local or regional efforts and plans to maintain transportation 
facilities or systems in a state of good repair, (ii) whether an 
important aim of the project is to rehabilitate, reconstruct or upgrade

[[Page 4867]]

surface transportation assets that, if left unimproved, threaten future 
transportation network efficiency, mobility of goods or accessibility 
of people, or economic growth due to their poor condition, (iii) 
whether the project is appropriately capitalized up front and uses 
asset management approaches that optimize its long-term cost structure, 
and (iv) the extent to which a sustainable source of revenue is 
available for long-term operations and maintenance of the project. The 
application should include any quantifiable metrics of the facility or 
system's current condition and performance and, to the extent possible, 
projected condition and performance, with an explanation of how the 
project will improve the facility or system's condition, performance 
and/or long-term cost structure, including calculations of avoided 
operations and maintenance costs and associated delays.
    (ii) Economic Competitiveness: In order to determine whether a 
project promotes the economic competitiveness of the United States, DOT 
will assess whether the project will measurably contribute over the 
long term to growth in the productivity of the American economy. For 
purposes of aligning a project with this outcome, applicants should 
provide evidence of how improvements in transportation outcomes (such 
as time savings and operating cost savings) translate into long-term 
economic productivity benefits. These long-term economic benefits that 
are provided by the completed project are different from the near-term 
economic benefits of construction that are captured in the Job Creation 
& Near-Term Economic Activity criterion. In weighing long-term economic 
competitiveness benefits, applicants should describe how the project 
supports increased long-term efficiency and productivity.
    Priority consideration will be given to projects that: (i) Improve 
long-term efficiency, reliability or cost-competitiveness in the 
movement of workers or goods, with a particular focus on projects that 
have a significant effect on reducing the costs of transporting export 
cargoes, or (ii) make improvements that increase the economic 
productivity of land, capital or labor at specific locations, 
particularly Economically Distressed Areas. Applicants may propose 
other methods of demonstrating a project's contribution to the economic 
competitiveness of the country and such methods will be reviewed on a 
case-by-case basis.
    Economic competitiveness may be demonstrated by the project's 
ability to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the 
transportation system through integration or better use of all existing 
transportation infrastructure. This may be evidenced by the project's 
involvement with or benefits to more than one mode and/or its 
compatibility with and its connection to other modes and facilities. 
Applications that demonstrate increases in efficiency for exports will 
be given priority in the evaluation process.
    For purposes of demonstrating economic benefits, applicants should 
estimate National-level or region-wide economic benefits on 
productivity and production (e.g., reduced shipping costs or travel 
times for U.S. exports originating both inside and outside of the 
region), and should take care not to include economic benefits that are 
being shifted from one location in the United States to another 
location. Highly localized benefits will receive the most consideration 
under circumstances where such benefits are most likely to improve an 
Economically Distressed Area (as defined herein) or otherwise improve 
access to more productive employment opportunities for under-employed 
and disadvantaged populations.
    (iii) Livability: Livability investments are projects that not only 
deliver transportation benefits, but are also designed and planned in 
such a way that they have a positive impact on qualitative measures of 
community life. This element of long-term outcomes delivers benefits 
that are inherently difficult to measure. However, it is implicit to 
livability that its benefits are shared and therefore magnified by the 
number of potential users in the affected community. Therefore, 
descriptions of how projects enhance livability should include a 
description of the affected community and the scale of the project's 
impact as measured in person-miles traveled or number of trips 
affected. In order to determine whether a project improves the quality 
of the living and working environment of a community, DOT will consider 
whether the project furthers the six livability principles developed by 
DOT with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the Partnership for 
Sustainable Communities, which are listed fully at https://www.dot.gov/affairs/2009/dot8009.htm. For this criterion, the Department will give 
particular consideration to the first principle, which prioritizes the 
creation of affordable and convenient transportation choices.\3\ 
Specifically, DOT will qualitatively assess whether the project:
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    \3\ In full, this principle reads: ``Provide more transportation 
choices. Develop safe, reliable and economical transportation 
choices to decrease household transportation costs, reduce our 
nations' dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions and promote public health.''
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    (1) Will significantly enhance or reduce the average cost of user 
mobility through the creation of more convenient transportation options 
for travelers;
    (2) Will improve existing transportation choices by enhancing 
points of modal connectivity, increasing the number of modes 
accommodated on existing assets, or reducing congestion on existing 
modal assets;
    (3) Will improve accessibility and transport services for 
economically disadvantaged populations, non-drivers, senior citizens, 
and persons with disabilities, or will make goods, commodities, and 
services more readily available to these groups; and/or
    (4) Is the result of a planning process which coordinated 
transportation and land-use planning decisions and encouraged community 
participation in the process, such as planning conducted with TIGER II 
Planning Grants, the Department of Housing and Urban Development's 
Regional Planning Grants, or the Environmental Protection Agency's 
Brownfield Area-Wide Planning Pilot Program as well as technical 
assistance programs focused on livability or economic development 
planning.
    Livability improvements may include projects for new or improved 
biking and walking infrastructure. However, particular attention will 
be paid to the degree to which such projects contribute significantly 
to broader traveler mobility, including for people with disabilities, 
through intermodal connections, enhanced job commuting options, or 
improved connections between residential and commercial areas. Projects 
that appear designed primarily as recreational facilities and do not 
enhance traveler mobility as described above will not be funded.
    (iv) Environmental Sustainability: In order to determine whether a 
project promotes a more environmentally sustainable transportation 
system, DOT will assess the project's ability to:
    (1) Improve energy efficiency, reduce dependence on oil and/or 
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, (applicants are encouraged to provide 
quantitative information regarding expected reductions in emissions of 
CO2 or fuel consumption as a result of the project, or 
expected use of clean or alternative

[[Page 4868]]

sources of energy; projects that demonstrate a projected decrease in 
the movement of people or goods by less energy-efficient vehicles or 
systems will be given priority under this factor); and
    (2) Maintain, protect or enhance the environment, as evidenced by 
its avoidance of adverse environmental impacts (for example, adverse 
impacts related to air or water quality, wetlands, and endangered 
species) and/or by its environmental benefits (for example, improved 
air quality, wetlands creation or improved habitat connectivity).
    Applicants are encouraged to provide quantitative information that 
validates the existence of substantial transportation-related costs 
related to energy consumption and adverse environmental effects and 
evidence of the extent to which the project will reduce or mitigate 
those costs.
    (v) Safety: In order to determine whether the project improves 
safety, DOT will assess the project's ability to reduce the number, 
rate and consequences of surface transportation-related crashes, 
injuries, and fatalities among drivers and/or non-drivers in the United 
States or in the affected metropolitan area or region, and/or the 
project's contribution to the elimination of highway/rail grade 
crossings, the protection of pipelines, or the prevention of unintended 
release of hazardous materials.
    Evaluation of Expected Project Costs and Benefits: DOT believes 
that benefit-cost analysis (``BCA'') is an important discipline. For 
BCA to yield useful results, a robust consideration of costs and 
benefits is necessary. These include quantified fuel and travel time 
savings as well as reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, water 
quality impacts, and public health effects as well as quantification of 
other costs and benefits that are more indirectly related to vehicle-
miles or that are harder to measure. In addition, BCA should attempt to 
measure the indirect effects of transportation investments on land use 
and on the portions of household budgets spent on transportation. The 
systematic process of comparing expected benefits and costs helps 
decision-makers organize information about, and evaluate trade-offs 
between, alternative transportation investments.\4\
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    \4\ DOT has a responsibility under Executive Order 12893, 
Principles for Federal Infrastructure Investments, 59 FR 4233, to 
base infrastructure investments on systematic analysis of expected 
benefits and costs, including both quantitative and qualitative 
measures.
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    Therefore, applicants for TIGER Discretionary Grants are generally 
required to identify, quantify, and compare expected benefits and 
costs, subject to the following qualifications:
    All applicants will be expected to prepare an analysis of benefits 
and costs; however, DOT understands that the detail of analysis that 
should be expected (for items such as surveys, travel demand forecasts, 
market forecasts, statistical analyses) is less for smaller projects 
than for larger projects. The level of resources devoted to preparing 
the benefit-cost analysis should be reasonably related to the size of 
the overall project and the amount of grant funds requested in the 
application. Any subjective estimates of benefits and costs should 
still be quantified, and applicants should provide whatever evidence 
they have available to lend credence to their subjective estimates. 
Estimates of benefits should be presented in monetary terms whenever 
possible; if a monetary estimate is not possible, then at least a 
quantitative estimate (in physical, non-monetary terms, such as crash 
rates, ridership estimates, emissions levels, etc.) should be provided.
    The lack of a useful analysis of expected project benefits and 
costs may be the basis for not selecting a project for award of a TIGER 
Discretionary Grant to an applicant. If it is clear to DOT that the 
total benefits of a project are not reasonably likely to justify the 
project's costs, DOT will not award a TIGER Discretionary Grant to the 
project.
    Detailed guidance for the preparation of benefit-cost analyses is 
provided in Appendix A. Benefits should be presented, whenever 
possible, in a tabular form showing benefits and costs in each year for 
the useful life of the project. Benefits and costs should both be 
discounted to the year 2012, and present discounted values of both the 
stream of benefits and the stream of costs should be calculated. If the 
project has multiple parts, each of which has independent utility, the 
benefits and costs of each part should be estimated and presented 
separately. The results of the benefit-cost analysis should be 
summarized in the Project Narrative section of the application itself, 
but the details may be presented in an attachment to the application if 
the full analysis cannot be included within the page limit for the 
project narrative.
    Evaluation of Project Performance: Each applicant selected for 
TIGER Discretionary Grant funding will be required to work with DOT on 
the development and implementation of a plan to collect information and 
report on the project's performance with respect to the relevant long-
term outcomes that are expected to be achieved through construction of 
the project.
    (b) Job Creation and Near-Term Economic Activity
    In order to measure a project's alignment with this criterion, DOT 
will assess whether the project promotes the short- or long-term 
creation or preservation of jobs and whether the project rapidly 
promotes new or expanded business opportunities during construction of 
the project or thereafter. Applicants are encouraged to provide 
information to assist DOT in making these assessments, including the 
total amount of funds that will be expended on construction and 
construction-related activities by all of the entities participating in 
the project and, to the extent measurable, the number and type of jobs 
to be created and/or preserved by the project by calendar quarters 
during construction and annually thereafter. Applicants should also 
identify any business enterprises to be created or benefited by the 
project during its construction and once it becomes operational.\5\
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    \5\ The Executive Office of the President, Council of Economic 
Advisers, (CEA), issued a memorandum in May 2009 on ``Estimates of 
Job Creation from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 
2009.'' That memorandum provides a simple rule for estimating job-
years created by government spending, which is that $92,000 of 
government spending creates one job-year (or 10,870 job-years per 
billion dollars of spending). More recently, in September 2011, 
based on further analysis both of actual job-creation experience 
from transportation projects under the Recovery Act and on further 
macroeconomic analysis, the CEA determined that a job-year is 
created by every $76,923 in transportation infrastructure spending 
(or 13,000 job-years per billion dollars of transportation 
infrastructure spending). This figure can now be used in place of 
the earlier $92,000/job-year estimate. Applicants can use this 
estimate as an appropriate indicator of direct, indirect and induced 
job-years created by TIGER Discretionary Grant spending, but are 
encouraged to supplement or modify this estimate to the extent they 
can demonstrate that such modifications are justified. However, 
since this guidance makes job creation purely a function of the 
level of expenditure, applicants should also demonstrate how quickly 
jobs will be created under the proposed project. Projects that 
generate a given number of jobs more quickly will have a more 
favorable impact on economic recovery. A quarter-by-quarter 
projection of the number of direct job-hours expected to be created 
by the project is useful in assessing the impacts of a project on 
economic recovery. Furthermore, applicants should be aware that 
certain types of expenditures are less likely to align well with the 
Job Creation & Near-Term Economic Activity criterion. These types of 
expenditures include, among other things, engineering or design work 
and purchasing existing facilities or right-of-way.
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    DOT will continue to apply the Updated Implementing Guidance for 
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 issued by the Office 
of Management and Budget (``OMB'') on April 3, 2009 (the ``OMB 
Guidance'') to the TIGER Discretionary Grants program

[[Page 4869]]

as a matter of policy, and consistent with applicable Federal laws. 
Applicants are encouraged to provide information to assist DOT in 
assessing (1) whether the project will promote the creation of job 
opportunities for low-income workers through the use of best practice 
hiring programs and apprenticeship (including pre-apprenticeship) 
programs; (2) whether the project will provide maximum practicable 
opportunities for small businesses and disadvantaged business 
enterprises, including veteran-owned small businesses and service 
disabled veteran-owned small businesses; (3) whether the project will 
make effective use of community-based organizations in connecting 
disadvantaged workers with economic opportunities; (4) whether the 
project will support entities that have a sound track record on labor 
practices and compliance with Federal laws ensuring that American 
workers are safe and treated fairly; and (5) whether the project 
implements best practices, consistent with our Nation's civil rights 
and equal opportunity laws, for ensuring that all individuals--
regardless of race, gender, age, disability, and national origin--
benefit from TIGER grant funding.
    To the extent possible, applicants should indicate whether the 
populations most likely to benefit from the creation or preservation of 
jobs or new or expanded business opportunities are from Economically 
Distressed Areas. In addition, to the extent possible, applicants 
should indicate whether the project's procurement plan is likely to 
create follow-on jobs and near-term economic activity for manufacturers 
and suppliers that support the construction industry.
    In evaluating a project's alignment with this criterion, DOT will 
assess whether a project is ready to proceed rapidly upon receipt of a 
TIGER Discretionary Grant (see Appendix C: Additional Information on 
Project Readiness Guidelines for further details), as evidenced by:

    (i) Project Schedule: Applicants must include a detailed project 
schedule in this section of their application, which should include 
major and minor project milestones. If the project will be completed 
in individual segments or phases, these segments or phases must be 
described individually. A feasible and sufficiently detailed project 
schedule demonstrating that the project can begin construction 
quickly upon receipt of a TIGER Discretionary Grant,\6\ and that the 
grant funds will be spent steadily and expeditiously once 
construction starts; the schedule should show how many direct, on-
project jobs are expected to be created or sustained during each 
calendar quarter after the project is underway. Any applicant that 
is applying for a TIGER Discretionary Grant and does not own all of 
the property or right-of-way required to complete the project should 
provide evidence that the property and/or right-of-way owner whose 
permission is required to complete the project supports the 
application and will cooperate in carrying out the activities to be 
supported by the TIGER Discretionary Grant;
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    \6\ Each applicant should demonstrate that any potential grant 
funding awarded to their project can be obligated no later than June 
30, 2013, in order to give DOT comfort that the TIGER Discretionary 
Grant funds are likely to be obligated in advance of the September 
30, 2013, statutory deadline, and that any unexpected delays will 
not put TIGER Discretionary Grant funds at risk of expiring before 
they are obligated.
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    (ii) Environmental Approvals: Receipt (or reasonably anticipated 
receipt) of all environmental approvals and permits necessary for 
the project to proceed to construction on the timeline specified in 
the project schedule and necessary to meet the statutory obligation 
deadline, including satisfaction of all Federal, State and local 
requirements and completion of the National Environmental Policy Act 
(``NEPA'') process;
    To demonstrate satisfaction of this requirement, applicants will 
be asked to provide assurances with their pre-applications and 
evidence with their applications that NEPA review is complete or 
substantially complete and submit relevant draft or final NEPA 
documentation--preferably by way of a Web site link--for DOT review.
    DOT is unlikely to select a project for TIGER Discretionary 
Grant funding if it involves, or potentially involves, significant 
environmental impacts and/or is not clearly likely to complete 
required environmental and regulatory reviews in time to meet the 
obligation deadline of September 30, 2013.
    If an applicant has not substantially completed the NEPA process 
the applicant should provide information on the project's current 
status in the NEPA process and an estimate of the latest date that 
the NEPA process is reasonably expected to be completed. If an 
applicant has not initiated the NEPA process, the applicant must 
provide a reasonable justification for why the NEPA process has not 
yet been initiated as of the date of this notice and an assurance 
that the necessary environmental reviews can be completed with 
enough time for any post-NEPA, pre-obligation activities to be 
completed by June 30, 2013, in order to give DOT comfort that all of 
the TIGER Discretionary Grant funds are likely to be obligated in 
advance of the September 30, 2013, statutory deadline. An example of 
a reasonable justification for why an applicant has not initiated 
NEPA review would be if, prior to the availability of TIGER 
Discretionary Grant funds, there was no reasonable expectation of 
receiving Federal funding for the project. A project selected for 
award that has not completed the NEPA process may not be permitted 
to use grant funds for construction and related activities until 
NEPA is complete and all other necessary environmental approvals 
have been received.
    An applicant seeking to demonstrate timely environmental review 
and permitting should submit the information listed below with its 
application:
    a. The information required under Sections VII(C)(2)(V) and 
VII(F)-(G) (Contents of Applications) of this notice;
    b. Environmental studies or other documents--preferably by way 
of a Web site link--that describe in detail known potential project 
impacts, and possible mitigation for those impacts;
    c. A description of completed, or planned and anticipated 
coordination with Federal and State regulatory agencies for permits 
and approvals;
    d. An estimate of the time required for completion of NEPA and 
all other required Federal, State or local environmental approvals; 
and
    e. An identification of the proposed NEPA class of action (i.e., 
Categorical Exclusion, Environmental Assessment, or Environmental 
Impact Statement).
    (iii) Legislative Approvals: Receipt of all necessary 
legislative approvals (for example, legislative authority to charge 
user fees or set toll rates), and evidence of support from State and 
local elected officials; evidence of support from all relevant State 
and local officials is not required, however, the evidence should 
demonstrate that the project is broadly supported;
    (iv) State and Local Planning: The planning requirements of the 
operating administration administering the TIGER project will 
apply.\7\ Where required by an operating administration, applicants 
should demonstrate that a project that is required to be included in 
the relevant State, metropolitan, and local planning documents, has 
been or will be included. One way applicants may do this is by 
providing a link to a Web site showing the planning documents. If 
the project is not included in the relevant planning documents at 
the time the application is submitted, applicants should submit a 
certification from the appropriate planning agency that actions are 
underway at the time of the application to

[[Page 4870]]

include the project in the relevant planning document;
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    \7\ All regionally significant projects requiring an action by 
the FHWA or the FTA must be in the metropolitan transportation plan, 
TIP and STIP. Further, in air quality non-attainment and maintenance 
areas, all regionally significant projects, regardless of the 
funding source, must be included in the conforming metropolitan 
transportation plan and TIP. To the extent a project is required to 
be on a metropolitan transportation plan, TIP and/or STIP it will 
not receive a TIGER Discretionary Grant until it is included in such 
plans. Projects not currently included in these plans can be amended 
in by the State and MPO. Projects that are not required to be in 
long range transportation plans, STIPs and TIPs will not need to be 
included in such plans in order to receive a TIGER Discretionary 
Grant. Freight and passenger rail projects are not required to be on 
the State Rail Plans called for in the Passenger Rail Investment and 
Improvement Act of 2008. This is consistent with the exemption for 
high speed and intercity passenger rail projects under the Recovery 
Act. However, applicants seeking funding for freight and passenger 
rail projects are encouraged to demonstrate that they have done 
sufficient planning to ensure that projects fit into a prioritized 
list of capital needs and are consistent with long-range goals.
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    (v) Technical Feasibility: The technical feasibility of the 
project should be demonstrated by previously performed and/or 
ongoing engineering and design studies and activities; the 
development of design criteria and/or a basis of design; the basis 
for the cost estimate presented in the TIGER application, including 
the identification of contingency levels appropriate to its level of 
design; and any scope, schedule, and budget risk-mitigation 
measures. Applicants must include a detailed statement of work that 
focuses on the technical and engineering aspects of the project. If 
the project will be completed in individual segments or phases, 
these segments or phases must be described individually. For 
projects generating ongoing operating expenses, an estimate of those 
expenses and a basis for the estimate must be included. Technical 
feasibility also includes the technical capacity of the project 
sponsor, including a staffing and management plan, demonstrated 
experience in successfully implementing (on-time and on-budget) 
similar capital investments, and other indications of sponsor and 
partner technical capacity to construct the project; and
    (vi) Financial Feasibility: The viability and completeness of 
the project's financing package (assuming the availability of the 
requested TIGER Discretionary Grant funds), including evidence of 
stable and reliable capital and (as appropriate) operating revenue 
commitments sufficient to cover estimated costs; the availability of 
contingency reserves should planned capital or operating revenue 
sources not materialize; evidence of the financial condition of the 
project sponsor; and evidence of the grant recipient's ability to 
manage grants. Applicants must demonstrate financial feasibility by 
including a detailed project budget in this section of their 
application, which should include a detailed breakdown of how the 
funds will be spent that provides estimates--both dollar amount and 
percentage of cost--of how much each activity would cost--e.g. 
preparation, grading, asphalt, etc. If the project will be completed 
in individual segments or phases, a budget for each individual 
segment or phase must be included.

    DOT reserves the right to revoke any award of TIGER Discretionary 
Grant funds and to award such funds to another project to the extent 
that such funds cannot be timely expended and/or construction does not 
begin in accordance with the project schedule. Because projects have 
different schedules DOT will consider on a case-by-case basis how much 
time after selection for award of a TIGER Discretionary Grant each 
project has before funds must be obligated (consistent with law) and 
construction started through an executed grant agreement between the 
selected applicant and Cognizant Modal Administration. This deadline 
will be specified for each TIGER Discretionary Grant in the project-
specific grant agreements signed by the grant recipients and will be 
based on critical path items identified by applicants in response to 
items (i) through (vi) above. DOT expects that pre-conditions be 
complete and TIGER Discretionary Grants funds obligated on or before 
June 30, 2013, in order to give DOT comfort that all TIGER 
Discretionary Grant funds will be obligated before the statutory 
deadline of September 30, 2013. By statute, DOT's ability to obligate 
funds for TIGER Discretionary Grants expires on September 30, 2013, and 
DOT has no authority to extend the deadline.
2. Secondary Selection Criteria
(a) Innovation
    In order to measure a project's alignment with this criterion, DOT 
will assess the extent to which the project uses innovative technology 
(including, for example, intelligent transportation systems, dynamic 
pricing, value capture, rail wayside or on-board energy recovery, smart 
cards, real-time dispatching, active traffic management, radio 
frequency identification (RFID), or others) to pursue one or more of 
the long-term outcomes outlined above and/or to significantly enhance 
the operational performance of the transportation system. DOT will also 
assess the extent to which the project incorporates innovations that 
demonstrate the value of new approaches to, among other things, 
transportation funding and finance, contracting, project delivery, 
congestion management, safety management, asset management, or long-
term operations and maintenance. The applicant should clearly 
demonstrate that the innovation is designed to pursue one or more of 
the long-term outcomes outlined above and/or significantly enhance the 
transportation system.
    DOT will consider the extent to which innovative, multi-modal 
projects might be difficult to fund under other programs and will give 
priority to projects that align well with the Primary Selection 
Criteria but are unlikely to receive funding under traditional 
programs.
(b) Partnership
    (i) Jurisdictional & Stakeholder Collaboration: In order to measure 
a project's alignment with this criterion, DOT will assess the 
project's involvement of non-Federal entities and the use of non-
Federal funds, including the scope of involvement and share of total 
funding. DOT will give priority to projects that receive financial 
commitments from, or otherwise involve, State and local governments, 
other public entities, or private or nonprofit entities, including 
projects that engage parties that are not traditionally involved in 
transportation projects, such as nonprofit community groups. Pursuant 
to the OMB Guidance, DOT will give priority to projects that make 
effective use of community-based organizations in connecting 
disadvantaged people with economic opportunities. Letters of commitment 
and other supporting documentation showing existing or confirmed 
collaboration, partnerships, etc., should be provided (preferably 
through a Web site link) to demonstrate alignment with this criterion.
    In compliance with the FY 2012 Appropriations Act, DOT will give 
priority to projects for which a TIGER Discretionary Grant will help to 
complete an overall financing package. An applicant should clearly 
demonstrate in the application the extent to which the project cannot 
be readily and efficiently completed without Federal assistance, and 
the extent to which other sources of Federal assistance are or are not 
readily available for the project. DOT will assess the amount of 
private debt and equity to be invested in the project or the amount of 
co-investment from State, local or other non-profit sources.
    DOT will also assess the extent to which the project application 
demonstrates collaboration among neighboring or regional jurisdictions 
to achieve National, regional or metropolitan benefits. Multiple States 
or jurisdictions may submit a joint application and should identify a 
lead State or jurisdiction as the primary point of contact. Where 
multiple States or jurisdictions are submitting a joint application, 
the application should demonstrate how the project costs are 
apportioned between the States or jurisdictions to assist DOT in making 
the distributional determinations described below in Section III(C) 
(Distribution of Funds).
    (ii) Disciplinary Integration: In order to demonstrate the value of 
partnerships across government agencies that serve various public 
service missions and to promote collaboration on the objectives 
outlined in this notice, DOT will give priority to projects that are 
supported, financially or otherwise, by non-transportation public 
agencies that are pursuing similar objectives. For example, DOT will 
give priority to transportation projects that are coordinated with 
economic development, housing, water infrastructure and land use plans 
and policies; similarly, DOT will give priority to transportation 
projects that

[[Page 4871]]

encourage energy efficiency or improve the environment and are 
supported by relevant public agencies with energy or environmental 
missions. Projects that grow out of a robust planning process--such as 
those conducted with TIGER II Planning Grants, the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development's Regional Planning Grants, or the 
Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfield Area-Wide Planning Pilot 
Program as well as technical assistance programs focused on livability 
or economic development planning--will also be given priority.

III. Evaluation and Selection Process

A. Evaluation Process

    TIGER Discretionary Grant applications will be evaluated in 
accordance with the below discussed evaluation process. DOT will 
establish a pre-application evaluation team to review each pre-
application that is received by DOT on or prior to the Pre-Application 
Deadline. This evaluation team will be organized and led by the Office 
of the Secretary and will include members from the relevant modal 
administrations in DOT with the most experience and/or expertise in the 
relevant project areas (the ``Cognizant Modal Administrations''). This 
evaluation team will be responsible for analyzing whether the pre-
application satisfies the following key threshold requirements:
    1. The project is an Eligible Project;
    2. NEPA has been addressed, as described above in Section 
II(B)(2)(b)(ii) (Environmental Approvals);
    3. The project is included in the relevant State, metropolitan, and 
local planning documents, or will be included, if applicable;
    4. The project expects to be ready to obligate all of the TIGER 
Discretionary Grant funds no later than June 30, 2013;\8\ and
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    \8\ See footnote 7, above.
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    5. Local matching funds to support 20 percent or more of the costs 
for the project are identified and committed in applications for 
projects in urban areas.\9\
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    \9\ For FHWA and FTA committed funds are defined as: ``Funds 
that have been dedicated or obligated for transportation purposes'' 
as described in 23 CFR 450.104.
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    To the extent the pre-application evaluation team determines that a 
pre-application does not satisfy these key threshold requirements, DOT 
will inform the project sponsor that an application for the project 
will not be reviewed unless the application submitted on or prior to 
the Application Deadline can demonstrate that the requirement has been 
addressed.
    DOT will establish application evaluation teams to review each 
application that is received by DOT prior to the Application Deadline. 
These evaluation teams will be organized and led by the Office of the 
Secretary and will include members from each of the Cognizant Modal 
Administrations. These representatives will include technical and 
professional staff with relevant experience and/or expertise. The 
evaluation teams will be responsible for evaluating and rating all of 
the projects and making funding recommendations to the Secretary. The 
evaluation process will require team members to evaluate and rate 
applications individually before convening with other members to 
discuss ratings.
    DOT will not assign specific numerical scores to projects based on 
the selection criteria outlined above in Section II(A) (Selection 
Criteria). Rather, ratings of ``highly recommended,'' ``recommended,'' 
``acceptable,'' or ``not recommended'' will be assigned to projects for 
each of the selection criteria. DOT will award TIGER Discretionary 
Grants to projects that are well-aligned with one or more of the 
selection criteria. In addition, DOT will consider whether a project 
has a negative effect on any of the selection criteria, and any such 
negative effect may reduce the likelihood that the project will receive 
a TIGER Discretionary Grant. To the extent the initial evaluation 
process does not sufficiently differentiate among highly rated 
projects, DOT will use a similar rating process to re-assess the 
projects that were highly rated and identify those that should be most 
highly rated.
    DOT will give more weight to the two Primary Selection Criteria 
(Long-Term Outcomes and Job Creation & Near-Term Economic Activity), 
which will be weighted equally, than to the two Secondary Selection 
Criteria (Innovation and Partnership) which will also be weighted 
equally. The following table summarizes the weighting of the selection 
criteria, as described in the preceding paragraphs:

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