FY 2012 Discretionary Funding Opportunities: Bus and Bus Facilities Programs (State of Good Repair and Bus Livability Initiatives) and Clean Fuels Grant Program, Augmented With Discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities Program Funds, 6178-6190 [2012-2752]

Agencies

• Federal Transit Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 7, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6178-6190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-2752]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


FY 2012 Discretionary Funding Opportunities: Bus and Bus 
Facilities Programs (State of Good Repair and Bus Livability 
Initiatives) and Clean Fuels Grant Program, Augmented With 
Discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities Program Funds

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability for FTA State of Good Repair, 
Livability, and Environmental Sustainability Initiatives, Clean Fuels 
Grant Program: Solicitation of Project Proposals.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the 
availability of Section 5309 Bus and Bus Facilities Program and Section 
5308 Clean Fuels Program discretionary funds in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012. 
There are two initiatives under the Bus and Bus Facilities capital 
program: (1) State of Good Repair Initiative (SGR) and (2) Bus 
Livability Initiative. FTA will distribute funds in support of the U.S. 
Department of Transportation's (DOT) state of good repair, livability, 
and environmental sustainability efforts.
    The Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011 
(Temporary Authorization, 2012) continues the authorization of the 
Federal transit programs of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) 
through March 31, 2012, and provides contract authority for these 
programs equal to approximately one half of the amounts available in FY 
2011. Subject to funding availability by Congress, FTA will fund the 
SGR and Bus Livability Initiatives with approximately $775 million 
($650 million for SGR and $125 million for Bus Livability) of 
unallocated Section 5309 Bus and Bus Facilities Program funds, 
authorized by 49 U.S.C. 5309(b) as amended by Section 3011 of the Safe, 
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy 
for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Public Law 109-59, August 10, 2005 and its 
extensions. Subject to funding availability, FTA will make available 
approximately $51.5 million from its FY 2012 Section 5308 Clean Fuels 
Program to fund projects from non-attainment areas selected through the 
Clean Fuels competition supplemented with additional Bus and Bus 
Facilities program resources, as available for attainment areas.
    This notice solicits proposals to compete for FY 2012 funding under 
the aforementioned program and initiatives. Based on the timing of 
Congressional appropriations and extensions of SAFETEA-LU, FTA may 
award FY 2013 funding to proposals submitted under this notice.
    This notice includes priorities established by FTA for these 
discretionary funds, the criteria FTA will use to identify meritorious 
projects for funding, and describes how to apply for funding under each 
discretionary program. This announcement is available on the FTA Web 
site at: https://www.fta.dot.gov. A synopsis of each funding 
opportunity will be posted in the FIND module of the government-wide 
electronic grants Web site at https://www.GRANTS.GOV. FTA will announce 
final selections on the FTA Web site and may also announce selections 
in the Federal Register.

DATES: Complete proposals for each program must be submitted by the 
following due dates: SGR proposals are due by 11:59 pm EDT on March 22, 
2012; Bus Livability proposals are due by 11:59 pm EDT on March 29, 
2012; and Clean Fuels proposals are due by 11:59 pm EDT on April 5, 
2012. All proposals must be submitted electronically through the 
GRANTS.GOV APPLY function. Any agency intending to apply should 
initiate the process of registering on the GRANTS.GOV site immediately 
to ensure completion of registration before the submission deadline. 
Instructions for applying can be found on FTA's Web site at https://www.fta.dot.gov/bus and https://fta.dot.gov/cleanfuels and in the 
``FIND'' module of GRANTS.GOV.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact the appropriate FTA Regional 
Office found at https://www.fta.dot.gov for proposal-specific 
information and issues. For program-specific questions about applying 
for the programs outlined in this notice, please contact the individual 
listed below.

SGR Bus Initiative

    Contact: Adam Schildge, Office of Program Management, (202) 366-
0778, email: adam.schildge@dot.gov. A TDD is available at 1-800-877-
8339 (TDD/FIRS).

Bus Livability Initiative

    Contact: Bryce McNitt, Office of Budget and Policy, (202) 366-2618, 
e-mail: bryce.mcnitt@dot.gov. A TDD is available at 1-800-877-8339 
(TDD/FIRS).

Clean Fuels Grant Program

    Contact: Vanessa Williams, Office of Program Management, (202) 366-
4818, email: vanessa.williams@dot.gov. A TDD is available at 1-800-877-
8339 (TDD/FIRS).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. FTA Discretionary Programs Overview
    A. Authority
    B. Policy Priorities
    II. Discretionary Programs Information
    A. Bus and Bus Facilities Program: State of Good Repair (SGR) 
Initiative
    1. Program Description and Purpose
    2. Eligibility Information
    3. Evaluation Criteria, Review, and Selection
    B. Bus and Bus Facilities Program: Bus Livability Initiative
    1. Program Description and Purpose
    2. Eligibility Information
    3. Evaluation Criteria, Review, and Selection
    C. Clean Fuels/Bus and Bus Facilities Program
    1. Program Description and Purpose
    2. Eligibility Information
    3. Evaluation Criteria, Review, and Selection
III. Proposal and Submission Information for All Programs and 
Initiatives
IV. Award Administration
V. Agency Contacts and Technical Assistance
Appendix A Discretionary Program Timeline
Appendix B Program Matrix

I. FTA Discretionary Programs Overview

A. Authority

Bus and Bus Facilities Program
    Section 5309(b) of Title 49, United States Code, as amended by 
Section 3011 of SAFETEA-LU, authorizes FTA's Bus and Bus Facilities 
program as follows:

    The Secretary may make grants under this section to assist State 
and local governmental authorities in financing * * * capital 
projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related 
equipment and to construct bus-related facilities, including 
programs of bus and bus-related projects for assistance to 
subrecipients that are public agencies, private companies engaged in 
public transportation, or private non-profit organizations.
Clean Fuels
    The Clean Fuels Grant Program was first established as the Clean 
Fuels Formula Program in Section 3008 of the Transportation Equity Act 
for the 21st Century, Public Law 105-178, and June 9, 1998 (now 
codified at 49 U.S.C. 5308)). The program is currently authorized as a 
discretionary program

[[Page 6179]]

under Section 5308, as amended by Section 3010 of SAFETEA-LU.

B. Policy Priorities

    Maintaining transit assets in a state of good repair, fostering 
livable communities and promoting sustainable development, and 
improving our Nation's environment through investments in clean energy 
sources, have been key strategic goals of the Department of 
Transportation (DOT) and FTA. By this notice, FTA announces subject to 
the availability of funds approximately $826.5 million in FY 2012 
discretionary resources to: (1) Help growing reinvestment needs and the 
large backlog of transit assets needing repair or replacement; (2) 
support tangible livability improvements within existing programs while 
demonstrating the feasibility and value of such improvements; and (3) 
promote the usage and development of energy efficient technologies that 
reduce energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants. 
Projects funded as a result of this notice will further the 
Department's state of good repair, livability, and environmental 
sustainability efforts. As each discretionary funding opportunity has 
separate eligibility and program requirements, FTA encourages proposers 
to carefully consider which program to apply under. FTA will provide 
approximately $650 million, subject to funding availability, in 
unallocated FY 2012 discretionary Bus and Bus Facilities Program funds 
for the State of Good Repair Initiative, approximately $125 million, 
subject to funding availability, in unallocated FY 2012 Section 5309 
Bus and Bus Facilities Program funds for the Bus Livability Initiative, 
and approximately $51.5 million, subject to funding availability, for 
the Clean Fuels Grant Program. FTA also intends to further its 
environmental sustainability goals by allowing proposers in attainment 
areas that are not eligible under the Clean Fuels Grant Program to 
apply for projects which promote the use of clean fuels and fund those 
projects with Bus and Bus Facilities program funds as appropriate. 
Please refer to Appendix A for information on additional availability 
of FTA funds.
State of Good Repair
    Maintaining the nation's public transportation fleet, 
infrastructure, and equipment in a state of good repair is essential to 
providing reliable, high-quality, and safe transit services to the tens 
of millions of Americans who depend on it daily. Transit not only 
provides mobility options for the American public, but contributes to 
the livability of our nation's communities and to environmental and 
energy sustainability. However, given recent reductions in State and 
local resources and the need to meet projected growth in demand for 
transit service, many local transit agencies are finding it difficult 
to meet their basic reinvestment needs. FTA's June 2010 National State 
of Good Repair Assessment Study (National SGR Study) estimated a 
combined $77.7 billion repair and replacement backlog in our nation's 
bus and rail systems.
    The state of repair of transit infrastructure is an important issue 
for both large and small systems across the country. FTA's National SGR 
Study indicates that roughly one-third of the nation's transit assets 
are in either marginal or poor condition, implying that these assets 
are near or have already exceeded their expected useful life. While 
most of the $77.7 billion backlog is attributed to rail transit, more 
than 40 percent of the nation's buses are also in poor to marginal 
condition. The Study also estimates that an annual average of $14.4 
billion in normal replacement expenditures by all levels of government 
nationwide would be required to keep the backlog from getting larger.
    This is the third year FTA has provided funding to support this key 
strategic goal. To date, FTA has allocated over $1.5 billion to over 
300 projects aimed at replacing or rehabilitating transit 
infrastructure and for transit asset management systems.
Livable Communities and Sustainable Development
    FTA has long fostered livable communities and sustainable 
development through its various transit programs and activities. Public 
transportation supports the development of communities, providing 
effective and reliable transportation options that increase access to 
jobs, recreation, health and social services, entertainment, 
educational opportunities, and other activities of daily life, while 
also improving mobility within and among these communities. Through 
various initiatives and legislative changes over the last fifteen 
years, FTA has allowed and encouraged projects that help integrate 
transit into a community through neighborhood improvements and 
enhancements to transportation facilities or services; make 
improvements to areas adjacent to public transit facilities that may 
facilitate mobility needs of transit users; or support other 
infrastructure investments that enhance the use of transit and other 
transportation options for the community.
    On June 16, 2009, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood, U.S. Department of 
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, and U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson 
announced a new partnership to help American families in all 
communities--rural, suburban and urban--gain better access to 
affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower 
transportation costs. DOT, HUD, and EPA created this high-level 
interagency partnership to better coordinate federal transportation, 
environmental protection, and housing investments.
    Bus Livability will invest in projects that fulfill the following 
six livability principles that serve as the foundation for the DOT-HUD-
EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities:
     Provide more transportation choices: Develop safe, 
reliable, and economical transportation choices to decrease household 
transportation costs, reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil, 
improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote public 
health.
     Promote equitable, affordable housing: Expand location- 
and energy-efficient housing choices for people of all ages, incomes, 
races and ethnicities to increase mobility and lower the combined cost 
of housing and transportation.
     Enhance economic competitiveness: Improve economic 
competitiveness through reliable and timely access to employment 
centers, educational opportunities, services and other basic needs by 
workers as well as expanded business access to markets.
     Support existing communities: Target Federal funding 
toward existing communities--through such strategies as transit-
oriented, mixed-use development and land recycling--to increase 
community revitalization, improve the efficiency of public works 
investments, and safeguard rural landscapes.
     Coordinate policies and leverage investment: Align 
policies and funding to remove barriers to collaboration, leverage 
funding and increase the accountability and effectiveness of all levels 
of government to plan for future growth, including making smart energy 
choices such as locally generated renewable energy.
     Value communities and neighborhoods: Enhance the unique 
characteristics of all communities by investing in healthy, safe and 
walkable neighborhoods--rural, urban or suburban.

[[Page 6180]]

Environmental Sustainability
    A goal of the Obama Administration is to improve our Nation's 
environment and to secure its energy future. The effective provision of 
public transportation is a key part of this goal. The Administration 
believes that we must commit ourselves to an economic future in which 
the strength of our economy is not tied to the unpredictability of oil 
markets.
    FTA advances these energy and environmental goals by funding 
projects that:
     Enhance the quality of public transportation services.
     Assist nonattainment and maintenance areas in achieving or 
maintaining the National Ambient Air Quality standards for ozone and 
carbon monoxide.
     Support emerging clean fuel and advanced propulsion 
technologies for transit buses and markets for those technologies.
     Reduce greenhouse gas emissions of public transportation 
systems.

II. Discretionary Programs Information

A. Bus and Bus Facilities Program: State of Good Repair (SGR) 
Initiative

1. Program Description and Purpose
    Improving and maintaining America's buses and bus facilities so 
that the nation's public transportation systems are in good physical 
condition and successfully accomplish their performance objectives is a 
key strategic goal of DOT and FTA. This dimension of the SGR Initiative 
is intended to contribute to the improvement of the condition of 
transit capital assets by providing financial assistance for 
recapitalization of buses and bus facilities. As part of the program, 
FTA will prioritize the replacement and rehabilitation of intermodal 
facilities that support the connection of bus service with multiple 
modes of transportation, including but not limited to: Rail, ferry, 
intercity bus and private transportation providers. In order to be 
eligible for funding, intermodal facilities must have adjacent 
connectivity with bus service. In addition, FTA will prioritize funding 
for the development and implementation of new, or improvement of 
existing, transit asset management systems. Public transportation asset 
management means a strategic and systematic process of operating, 
maintaining, and improving physical assets with a focus on both 
engineering and economic analysis to identify a structured sequence of 
maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and replacement actions that will 
achieve and sustain a desired state of good repair over the lifecycle 
of the assets at minimum possible cost.
2. Eligibility Information
i. Eligible Proposers
    ``Direct Recipients'' within the meaning of FTA's Section 5307 
Urbanized Area Formula program, States, or Indian Tribes are eligible 
to submit proposals for this initiative. Proposals for funding eligible 
projects in rural (nonurbanized) areas must be submitted as part of a 
consolidated State proposal with the exception of nonurbanized projects 
to Federally recognized Tribes. States and Direct Recipients may also 
submit consolidated proposals for projects in urbanized areas.
    Proposals shall contain projects to be implemented by the Recipient 
or its subrecipients. Eligible subrecipients include public agencies, 
private non-profit organizations, and private providers engaged in 
public transportation.
ii. Eligible Expenses
    Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 5309(b)(3), FTA is authorized to make grants 
to assist State and local governmental authorities in financing capital 
projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related 
equipment and to construct or rehabilitate bus-related facilities, 
including programs of bus and bus-related projects for assistance to 
subrecipients that are public agencies, private companies engaged in 
public transportation, or private non-profit organizations.
    Projects eligible for funding under the SGR Bus initiative are 
capital projects. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, 
the purchase, replacement, or rehabilitation of, buses and vans and 
related equipment (including Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), 
fare equipment, and communication devices that are compliant with the 
FCC's mandatory narrow-banding requirements); replacement or the 
modernization of bus maintenance and revenue service (passenger) 
facilities; replacement or modernization of intermodal facilities; and 
the development and implementation of transit asset management systems. 
This year, FTA will also consider expansion requests for bus 
maintenance facilities and/or new equipment requests to the extent the 
expansion or equipment is necessary to address current capacity 
constraints that are limiting the agency's ability to maintain vehicles 
and equipment in a state of good repair. All proposals must address the 
objectives identified in the Program Purpose subsection above.
    Funds made available under this initiative may not be used to fund 
operating expenses, preventive maintenance, or any other expanded 
capital eligibility items (for example, security drills, debt service 
reserve, mobility management). Funds also may not be used to reimburse 
projects that have incurred previous expenses absent evidence that FTA 
issued a Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) for the project before the costs 
were incurred. There is no blanket pre-award authority for projects to 
be funded under this announcement before their identification in the 
Federal Register of selected projects.
iii. Cost Sharing
    Costs will be shared at the following ratio: 80 percent FTA/20 
percent local contribution. FTA will not approve deferred local share 
requests under this program. The Federal share may exceed 80 percent 
for certain projects related to the Americans with Disabilities Act 
(ADA) and the Clean Air Act (CAA) as follows: ADA--The Federal share is 
90 percent for the cost of vehicle-related equipment or facilities 
attributable to compliance with the ADA. (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.); 
CAA--The Federal share is 90 percent for the cost of vehicle related 
equipment or facilities (including clean-fuel or alternative-fuel 
vehicle related equipment or facilities) attributable to compliance 
with the CAA (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.). For administrative simplicity, 
FTA allows recipients to compute the Federal share at 83 percent for 
eligible ADA and CAA vehicle purchases. The 83 percent Federal share 
does not apply to facilities. The award recipient must itemize the cost 
of specific, discrete, facility-related items being purchased to be in 
compliance with the ADA or the CAA in order to qualify for the Federal 
share of 90 percent of the cost for these itemized elements.
    A Federal share of 90 percent may also be applied to projects to 
provide access for bicycles to public transportation facilities, to 
provide shelters and parking facilities for bicycles in or around 
public transportation facilities, or to install equipment for 
transporting bicycles on public transportation vehicles.
3. Evaluation Criteria, Review and Selection
i. Project Evaluation Criteria
    FTA will evaluate projects based on the proposals submitted 
according to the following criteria. Each proposer is encouraged to 
demonstrate the

[[Page 6181]]

responsiveness of a project to all of the selection criteria with the 
most relevant information that the proposer can provide, regardless of 
whether such information has been specifically requested or identified 
in this notice. FTA will assess the extent to which a project addresses 
the following criteria.
    a. Demonstration of Need: FTA will evaluate each project to 
determine its needs for resources. In addition to the project-specific 
criteria below, this will include evaluating the project's impact on 
service delivery and whether the project represents a one-time or 
periodic need that cannot reasonably be funded from FTA program formula 
allocations or State and/or local resources. This is the most important 
criterion. To be recommended for funding under this initiative, a 
proposal must receive a recommended or higher rating in this criterion.
    1. For bus replacement or rehabilitation projects:
     The age of the asset to be replaced or rehabilitated by 
the proposed project, relative to its useful life.
     The degree to which the proposed project addresses a 
demonstrated and verifiable backlog of deferred maintenance.
     Consistency with the proposer's bus fleet management plan.
     Condition and performance of the asset to be replaced by 
the
    proposed project, as ascertained through field inspections or 
otherwise, if available.
     The project conforms to FTA's spare ratio guidelines.
     The project improves energy efficiency or reduces energy 
consumption/green house gas emissions. Proposers are encouraged to 
provide information regarding the expected use of clean or alternative 
sources of energy. Examples include the use or implementation of energy 
efficient transit vehicles and retrofitting of existing vehicles with 
energy efficient technologies which could also reduce direct emissions 
such as electronic accessories, anti-idle technologies, and clean 
fuels.
    2. For bus facility and equipment projects (replacement and/or 
expansion):
     The age of the asset to be rehabilitated or replaced 
relative to its useful life.
     The degree to which the proposed project addresses a 
demonstrated and verifiable backlog of deferred maintenance.
     The degree to which the proposed project will enable the 
agency to improve the maintenance and condition of the agency's fleet 
and/or other related transit assets.
     For expansion requests, the degree to which the proposed 
project addresses a current capacity constraint that is limiting 
ability of the agency to maintain vehicles and equipment in a state of 
good repair.
     The project supports emerging or advanced technologies and 
green building initiatives for transit facilities and equipment.
    3. For transit asset management system projects:
    If asset management system development or upgrades are proposed, 
the proposal shall describe, as applicable, the system element(s) the 
proposer is seeking to improve; including:
     How asset management plans/systems will be developed or 
upgraded.
     How asset inventories will be maintained physically and 
fiscally.
     How assets initial condition will be assessed.
     How assets will be inspected and monitored, and at what 
frequency.
     How logistical decision support tools (including options 
and tradeoff analysis) will be used in the proposer's day-to-day 
operations.
     Demonstrated long-term financial and management commitment 
of the proposer to using the asset management system.
    b. Planning and Local/Regional Prioritization: The extent to which 
the proposed project is consistent with planning documents and local 
priorities. This will involve assessing whether:
    1. Project is consistent with the transit priorities identified in 
the long range plan and/or contingency/illustrative projects. Proposer 
should note if project could not be included in the financially 
constrained Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)/Statewide 
Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) due to lack of funding (if 
selected, project must be in TIP and STIP before grant award).
    2. Local support is demonstrated by availability of local match and 
letters of support for the project.
    3. In an area with more than one transit operator, the proposal 
demonstrates coordination with, and support of, other transit 
operators, or other related projects within the proposer's Metropolitan 
Planning Organization (MPO) or the geographic region within which the 
proposed project will operate.
    c. Project Readiness: The extent to which the project is ready to 
implement. FTA will assess whether:
    1. Project is a Categorical Exclusion (CE) or the required 
environmental work has been initiated or completed for construction 
projects requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) under, among others, the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as amended.
    2. Project implementation plans are complete, including initial 
design of facilities projects.
    3. TIP/STIP can be amended (evidenced by MPO/State endorsement).
    4. Project funds can be obligated and the project implemented 
quickly, if selected.
    5. Applicant demonstrates the ability to carry out the proposed 
project successfully.
    d. Technical, legal, and financial capacity to implement the 
particular project proposed: FTA will evaluate whether:
    1. The proposer has the technical capacity to administer the 
project.
    2. For fleet replacement, the acquisition is consistent with the 
bus fleet management plan.
    3. There are no outstanding legal, technical, or financial issues 
with the grantee that would make this a high-risk project to implement 
quickly.
    4. The proposer has adequate financial systems in place and has 
identified the source of local match if selected (no deferred local 
share will be allowed).
    5. The grantee is in fundable status for grant-making purposes.
ii. Review and Selection Process
    In addition to other FTA staff that may review the proposals, a 
technical evaluation committee will review proposals under the project 
evaluation criteria. Members of the technical evaluation committee and 
other involved FTA staff reserve the right to screen and rate the 
applications it receives and to seek clarification from any applicant 
about any statement in its application that FTA finds ambiguous and/or 
request additional documentation to be considered during the evaluation 
process to clarify information contained within the proposal.
    After consideration of the findings of the technical evaluation 
committee, the FTA Administrator will determine the final selection and 
amount of funding for each project. Geographic diversity and the 
applicant's receipt of other discretionary awards may be considered in 
FTA's award decisions. FTA expects to announce the selected projects 
and notify successful applicants in July 2012.

[[Page 6182]]

B. Bus and Bus Facilities Program: Bus Livability Initiative

1. Program Description and Purpose
    The Bus Livability Initiative makes funds available to public 
transportation providers to finance capital projects to replace, 
rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related equipment and to construct 
bus-related facilities, including programs of bus and bus-related 
projects for assistance to subrecipients that are public agencies, 
private companies engaged in public transportation, or private non-
profit organizations.
    Improving mobility and shaping America's future by ensuring that 
the Nation's public transportation systems are accessible, integrated, 
and efficient, while offering flexibility of choices is a key strategic 
goal of the DOT. FTA is committed to creating livable communities that 
improve the quality of life for all Americans. Public transportation 
provides transportation options that connect communities and fosters 
sustainability and the development of urban and rural land use. Through 
Bus Livability Initiative grants, FTA will invest in projects that 
fulfill the six livability principles that serve as the foundation for 
the DOT-HUD-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities.
2. Eligibility Information
i. Eligible Proposers
    Eligible proposers and eventual grant applicants under this 
initiative are Direct Recipients under the Section 5307 Urbanized Area 
Formula program, States, and Indian Tribes. Proposals for funding 
eligible projects in rural (nonurbanized) areas must be submitted as 
part of a consolidated State proposal with the exception of 
nonurbanized projects to Federally Recognized Tribes. States, Direct 
Recipients, and Tribes may also submit consolidated proposals for 
projects in urbanized areas.
    Proposals shall contain projects to be implemented by the Recipient 
or its subrecipients. Eligible subrecipients include public agencies, 
private non-profit organizations, and private providers engaged in 
public transportation.
ii. Eligible Expenses
    Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 5309(b)(3), FTA is authorized to make grants 
to assist State and local governmental authorities in financing capital 
projects to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses and related 
equipment and to construct bus-related facilities, including programs 
of bus and bus-related projects for assistance to subrecipients that 
are public agencies, private companies engaged in public 
transportation, or private non-profit organizations.
    Projects eligible for funding under the Bus Livability Initiative 
are capital projects such as: purchase and rehabilitation of buses and 
vans, bus related equipment (including ITS, fare equipment, 
communication devices); and construction and rehabilitation of bus-
related facilities (including administrative, maintenance, transfer, 
and intermodal facilities, including facilities consistent with FTA's 
Joint Development and Bike/Pedestrian policies, which are available at 
https://www.fta.dot.gov/livability). FTA will prioritize the replacement 
and rehabilitation of intermodal facilities that support the connection 
of bus service with multiple modes of transportation such as: rail, 
ferry, intercity bus, and private transportation providers. In order to 
be eligible for funding, intermodal facilities must have adjacent 
connectivity with bus service.
    Funds made available under this initiative may not be used to fund 
operating expenses, preventive maintenance, or any other expanded 
capital eligibility items (for example, security drills, debt service 
reserve, mobility management). Funds also may not be used to reimburse 
projects that have incurred previous expenses absent evidence that FTA 
issued a Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) for the project before the costs 
were incurred. There is no blanket pre-award authority for projects to 
be funded under this announcement before their identification in the 
Federal Register of selected projects.
iii. Cost Sharing
    Costs will be shared at the following ratio: 80 percent FTA/20 
percent local contribution. FTA will not approve deferred local share 
requests under this program. The Federal share may exceed 80 percent 
for certain projects related to the Americans with Disabilities Act 
(ADA) and the Clean Air Act (CAA) as follows: ADA--The Federal share is 
90 percent for the cost of vehicle-related equipment or facilities 
attributable to compliance with the ADA (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.); 
CAA--The Federal share is 90 percent for the cost of vehicle related 
equipment or facilities (including clean-fuel or alternative-fuel 
vehicle related equipment or facilities) attributable to compliance 
with the CAA (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.). For administrative simplicity, 
FTA allows recipients to compute the Federal share at 83 percent for 
eligible ADA and CAA vehicle purchases. The 83 percent Federal share 
does not apply to facilities. The award recipient must itemize the cost 
of specific, discrete, facility-related items being purchased to be in 
compliance with the ADA or the CAA. The Federal share is 90 percent of 
the cost for these itemized elements.
    A Federal share of 90 percent may also be applied to projects to 
provide access for bicycles to public transportation facilities, to 
provide shelters and parking facilities for bicycles in or around 
public transportation facilities, or to install equipment for 
transporting bicycles on public transportation vehicles.
3. Evaluation Criteria, Review, and Selection
i. Project Evaluation Criteria
    Projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria. 
Each proposer is encouraged to demonstrate the responsiveness of a 
project to any and all of the selection criteria with the most relevant 
information that the proposer can provide, regardless of whether such 
information has been specifically requested, or identified, in this 
notice. FTA will assess the extent to which a project addresses the 
criteria below and produces a livability or sustainability outcome.
    a. Linkage to Livability Principles: Livability investments are 
projects that deliver not only transportation benefits, but also are 
designed and planned in such a way that they have a positive impact on 
qualitative measures of community life. This element 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. To determine whether a project improves the quality of the 
living and working environment of a community, FTA will qualitatively 
assess whether the project:
    1. Will significantly enhance user mobility through the creation of 
more convenient transportation options for travelers;
    2. The degree to which the proposed project contributes 
significantly to broader traveler mobility through intermodal 
connections, or improved connections between residential and commercial 
areas.
    3. Will improve existing transportation choices by enhancing points 
of modal connectivity or, in urban areas, by reducing congestion on 
existing transit systems or roadways.
    4. Will improve accessibility and transport services for 
economically

[[Page 6183]]

disadvantaged populations, non-drivers, senior citizens, and persons 
with disabilities.
    5. Is the result of a planning process which coordinated 
transportation and land-use planning decisions and encouraged community 
participation in the process.

    Note: Special consideration may be given to those proposers that 
serve a community that holds HUD Preferred Sustainability Status. A 
list of these communities can be found via https://www.hud.gov/sustainability.

    b. Linkage to Environmental Sustainability: In order to determine 
whether a project promotes a more environmentally sustainable 
transportation system, i.e., reducing reliance on automobile travel, 
improving the pedestrian environment of a community or, use of 
environmental design techniques in the planning, construction, and 
operation of the project, FTA will assess the project's ability to:
    1. Improve energy efficiency or reduce energy consumption/green 
house gas emissions. Proposers are encouraged to provide information 
regarding the expected use of clean or alternative sources of energy; 
for example through the use or implementation of energy efficient 
transit vehicles or retrofitting of existing vehicles with energy 
efficient technologies which could also reduce direct emissions such as 
electronic accessories, anti-idle technologies, and clean fuels.
    2. Maintain, protect or enhance the environment, as evidenced by 
environmentally friendly policies and practices utilized in the project 
design, construction, and operation that exceed the requirements of the 
National Environmental Policy Act, including but not limited, items 
such as: whether the project uses a Leadership in Energy and 
Environmental Design (LEED)-certified design; the vehicles or 
facilities are rated with the energy-star; the project re-uses a 
brownfield; construction equipment is retrofitted with catalytic 
converters; the project utilizes recycled materials; the project 
includes elements to conserve energy, such as passive solar heating, 
solar panels, wind turbines, reflective roofing or paving materials; 
or, other advanced environmental design elements such as green roofs, 
etc.
    c. Leveraging of public and private investments.
    1. Jurisdictional and Stakeholder Collaboration: To measure a 
project's alignment with this criterion, FTA 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. FTA 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 or the private owners of real 
property abutting the project. FTA will assess the amount of co-
investment from State, local or other non-profit sources.
    2. Disciplinary Integration: To demonstrate the value of 
partnerships across government agencies that serve the various public 
service missions and to promote collaboration of the objectives 
outlined in this notice, FTA will give priority to projects that are 
supported, financially or otherwise, by non-transportation public 
agencies that are pursuing similar objectives. Special consideration 
will be given to those projects that leverage or provide services that 
support projects funded under the DOT-HUD-EPA Partnership for 
Sustainable Communities. For example, FTA will give priority to 
transportation projects that are supported by relevant public housing 
or human service agencies, or transportation projects that encourage 
energy efficiency or improve the environment and are supported by 
relevant public agencies with energy or environmental missions.
    d. Demonstrated Need for Resources: FTA will evaluate each project 
to determine its need for resources. This determination will be made by 
examining the proposal to determine if:
    1. The project represents a one-time or periodic need that cannot 
reasonably be funded from FTA program formula allocations or State and/
or local revenues.
    2. The project or applicant did not receive sufficient Federal 
funding in previous years.
    3. The project will have a significant impact on service delivery.
    e. Planning and Prioritization at Local/Regional Level: FTA will 
examine each Bus Livability project proposal for consistency with the 
area's planning documents and local priorities. This examination will 
involve assessing whether:
    1. The project is consistent with the transit priorities identified 
in the long-range plan and/or contingency/illustrative projects.
    2. The MPO endorses the project, if in a UZA, and the State, if for 
a rural area.
    3. Local support is demonstrated by availability of local match for 
this and/or related projects and letters of support.
    4. Capital projects are consistent with service needs of the area.
    i. Example: vehicle expansion proposal shows evidence of the need 
for additional capacity.
    f. Project Readiness: The extent to which the project is ready to 
implement. This will involve assessing whether:
    1. Any required environmental work has been initiated for 
construction projects requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA), 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), or documented Categorical 
Exclusion (CE).
    2. Implementation plans are ready, including initial design of 
facilities projects.
    3. TIP/STIP can be amended (evidenced by MPO/State endorsement).
    4. Local share of funding is in place.
    5. Project can be obligated and implemented quickly if selected.
    6. The applicant demonstrates the ability to carry out the proposed 
project successfully.
    7. If the project is multimodal in nature, the proposal 
demonstrates coordination with and support of other transportation 
modes and partners.
    g. Technical, legal, and financial capacity to implement the 
particular project proposed:
    1. The proposer has the technical capacity to administer the 
project.
    2. For fleet replacement, the acquisition is consistent with the 
bus fleet management plan.
    3. There are no outstanding legal, technical, or financial issues 
with the grantee that would make this a high-risk project to implement 
quickly.
    4. The proposer has adequate financial systems in place and has 
identified the source of local match if selected (no deferred local 
share will be allowed).
    5. The grantee is in fundable status for grant-making purposes.
ii. Review and Selection Process
    An interagency evaluation committee will review proposals under the 
project evaluation criteria. Members of the technical evaluation 
committee and other involved FTA staff reserve the right to screen 
applications and to seek clarification from any applicant about any 
statement in its application that FTA finds ambiguous and/or request 
additional documentation to be considered during the evaluation process 
to clarify information contained within the proposal. After 
consideration of the findings of the technical evaluation committee, 
the FTA Administrator will determine the final selection and amount of 
funding for each project. Geographic diversity and other discretionary 
awards may be considered in FTA's award decisions. FTA expects to 
announce the selected

[[Page 6184]]

projects and notify successful applicants in July 2012.

C. Clean Fuels/Bus and Bus Facilities Program

1. Program Description and Purpose
    The Clean Fuels Grant Program assists non-attainment or maintenance 
areas in achieving or maintaining the National Ambient Air Quality 
Standards for ozone and carbon monoxide (CO). Additionally, the program 
supports emerging clean fuel and advanced propulsion technologies for 
transit buses and markets for those technologies. FY 2012 unallocated 
funding provides $51.5 million dollars in discretionary Clean Fuels 
Grant Program resources. Additionally, FTA is expanding the eligible 
applicant pool and may fund projects that meet the Clean Fuels Grant 
Program objectives in attainment areas using a portion of discretionary 
Bus and Bus Facilities Program resources that are available.
2. Eligibility Information
i. Eligible Applicants
    Eligible applicants under this program are designated recipients in 
maintenance or non-attainment areas for ozone or CO under section 
107(d) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7407(d)), that are entities 
designated to receive Federal urbanized formula funds under 49 U.S.C. 
5307. Tribes, States and Designated Recipients may submit consolidated 
proposals for projects in non-urbanized areas. FTA will also accept 
applications from direct recipients, Tribes, and State Departments of 
Transportation in attainment areas for projects that meet eligibility 
criteria under the Bus and Bus Facilities Program.
ii. Eligible Projects
    Section 5308 authorizes FTA to make grants under this section to 
assist recipients to finance eligible projects such as the following: 
(1) Purchasing or leasing clean fuel buses, including buses that employ 
a lightweight composite primary structure and vans for use in revenue 
service; (2) Constructing or leasing clean fuel bus facilities or 
electrical recharging facilities and related equipment for such buses; 
or (3) Projects relating to clean fuel, biodiesel, hybrid electric, or 
zero emissions technology buses that exhibit equivalent or superior 
emissions reductions to existing clean fuel or hybrid electric 
technologies.
    Funds made available under this program cannot be used to fund 
operating expenses or preventive maintenance; to purchase or lease non-
revenue vehicles; or to reimburse projects that have incurred prior 
eligible expenses without a Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) issued by FTA 
for the project before the costs are incurred.
iii. Cost Sharing or Matching
    For projects awarded funding, costs will be shared as follows:
    a. Vehicles--90 percent FTA/10 percent local contribution for the 
net incremental cost of the clean fuels component (not the whole 
vehicle). For administrative simplicity, FTA allows recipients to apply 
an 83 percent Federal share for the whole vehicle. The 83 percent share 
is a blended figure representing 80 percent of the vehicle and 90 
percent of the vehicle-related equipment to be acquired in compliance 
with the Clean Air Act (CAA) 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
    b. Facilities--The 83 percent Federal share does not apply to 
facilities, for which the costs are more variable. The Federal share is 
90 percent of the cost for the CAA elements of the facility.
    c. FTA will not approve deferred local share.
3. Evaluation Criteria, Review, and Selection
i. Project Evaluation Criteria
    Projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
    a. Demonstration of benefits: Proposers should explain how the 
proposed project will reduce transportation related pollutants.
    b. Demonstration of clean fuels/advanced technologies: Proposers 
should explain how the project supports emerging clean fuels 
technologies or advanced technologies for transit buses.
    c. Demonstration of Need:
    1. Project represents a one-time or periodic need that cannot 
reasonably be funded from formula allocations or State and/or local 
revenues.
    2. Other Federal funds have not been made available for this 
project.
    3. The project will have a positive impact on air quality.
    4. The project is consistent with the applicant's bus fleet 
management plan.
    5. The project is a transportation control measure in an approved 
State Implementation Plan (if applicable).
    d. Planning and Local/Regional Prioritization: The extent to which 
the proposed project is consistent with planning documents and local 
priorities. This will involve assessing whether:
    1. Project is consistent with the transit priorities identified in 
the long range plan and/or contingency/illustrative projects. Proposer 
should note if project could not be included in the financially 
constrained Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP)/Statewide 
Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) due to lack of funding (if 
selected, project must be in federally approved STIP before grant 
award).
    2. Local support is demonstrated by availability of local match for 
this and/or related projects and letters of support.
    3. In an area with more than one transit operator, the proposal 
demonstrates coordination with and support of, other transit operators, 
or other related projects within the proposer's Metropolitan Planning 
Organization (MPO) or the geographic region within which the proposed 
project will operate.
    e. Project readiness: The extent to which the project is ready to 
implement. This will involve assessing whether:
    1. Project is a Categorical Exclusion (CE) or requires 
environmental work has been initiated or completed for construction 
projects requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS).
    2. Project implementation plans are ready, including initial design 
of facilities projects.
    3. TIP/STIP can be amended (evidenced by MPO/State endorsement).
    4. Project funds can be obligated and the project implemented 
quickly, if selected.
    5. Applicant demonstrates the ability to carry out the proposed 
project successfully.
    f. Technical, legal, and financial capacity to implement the 
particular project proposed:
    1. The proposer has the technical capacity to administer the 
project.
    2. For fleet replacement, the acquisition is consistent with the 
bus fleet management plan.
    3. There are no outstanding legal, technical, or financial issues 
with the grantee that would make this a high-risk project to implement 
quickly.
    4. The proposer has adequate financial systems in place and has 
identified the source of local match if selected (no deferred local 
share will be allowed).
    5. The grantee is in fundable status for grant-making purposes.
ii. Review and Selection Process
    In addition to other FTA staff that may review the proposals, a 
technical evaluation committee will review proposals under the project 
evaluation criteria. Members of the technical evaluation committee and 
other involved FTA staff reserve the right to screen applications and 
seek clarification from any applicant about

[[Page 6185]]

any statement in its application that FTA finds ambiguous and/or 
request additional documentation to be considered during the evaluation 
process to clarify information contained within the proposal.
    After consideration of the findings of the technical evaluation 
committee, the FTA Administrator will determine the final selection and 
amount of funding for each project. Geographic diversity and the 
applicant's receipt of other discretionary awards may be considered in 
FTA's award decisions. FTA expects to announce the selected projects in 
July 2012 and notify successful applicants.

III. Proposal and Submission Information for All Programs and 
Initiatives

A. Proposal Submission Process

    Project proposals must be submitted electronically through https://www.GRANTS.GOV by the established due date. Mail and fax submissions 
will not be accepted.
    A complete proposal submission will consist of at least two files: 
(1) The SF 424 Mandatory form (downloaded from GRANTS.GOV) and (2) the 
supplemental form targeting the relevant FTA program found on the FTA 
Web site at the program Web site: https://www.fta.dot.gov/bus and https://fta.dot.gov/cleanfuels. The supplemental form provides guidance and a 
consistent format for proposers to respond to the criteria outlined in 
this NOFA. Once completed, the supplemental form must be placed in the 
attachments section of the SF 424 Mandatory form. Proposers must use 
the correct supplemental form and attach it to their submission in 
GRANTS.GOV to successfully complete the application process. A proposal 
submission may contain additional supporting documentation as 
attachments.
    Within 24-48 hours after submitting an electronic application, the 
applicant should receive three email messages from GRANTS.GOV: (1) 
Confirmation of successful transmission to GRANTS.GOV, (2) confirmation 
of successful validation by GRANTS.GOV and (3) confirmation of 
successful validation by FTA. If confirmations of successful validation 
are not received and a notice of failed validation or incomplete 
materials is received, the applicant must address the reason for the 
failed validation, as described in the notice, and resubmit before the 
submission deadline. If making a resubmission for any reason, include 
all original attachments regardless of which attachments were updated 
and check the box on the supplemental form indicating this is a 
resubmission.
    Complete instructions on the application process can be found 
https://www.fta.dot.gov/bus and https://fta.dot.gov/cleanfuels. 
Important: FTA urges proposers to submit their applications at least 72 
hours prior to the due date to allow time to receive the validation 
message and to correct any problems that may have caused a rejection 
notification. Submissions after the stated submission deadlines will 
not be accepted. GRANTS.GOV scheduled maintenance and outage times are 
announced on the GRANTS.GOV Web site https://www.GRANTS.GOV. Deadlines 
will not be extended due to scheduled maintenance or outages.

B. Proposal Content

    Proposers may submit one proposal for each project or one proposal 
containing multiple projects. Proposers submitting multiple projects in 
one proposal must be sure to clearly define each project by completing 
a supplemental form for each project. Supplemental forms must be added 
within the proposal by clicking the ``add project'' button in Section 
II of the supplemental form.
    Information such as proposer name, federal amount requested, local 
match amount, description of areas served, etc. may be requested in 
varying degrees of detail on both the SF 424 form and supplemental 
form. All fields are required unless stated otherwise on the forms. Use 
both the ``Check Package for Errors'' and the ``Validate Form'' 
validation buttons on both forms to check all required fields on the 
forms. Ensure that the federal and local amounts specified are 
consistent.
1. Applicant Information
    This provides basic sponsor identifying information:
    i. Applicant name and FTA recipient ID number.
    ii. Applicant eligibility information, including Air Quality status 
(for the Clean Fuels Program only).
    iii. A general description of services provided by the agency 
including ridership, fleet size, areas served, etc.
2. Project Information/Evaluation Criteria
    For complete and up to date guidance on the project information and 
project evaluation criteria that must be documented, refer to the 
applicable program on the FTA Web site: https://fta.dot.gov/bus and 
https://fta.dot.gov/cleanfuels. At a minimum, every proposal must:
    i. Submit an SF-424 with the correct supplemental form attached.
    ii. Describe concisely, but completely, the project scope to be 
funded. As FTA may elect to fund only part of some project proposals. 
If applicable, the scope should be declared as ``scalable'' with 
specific components of independent utility clearly identified.
    iii. Address each of the evaluation criteria separately, 
demonstrating how the project responds to each criterion.
    iv. Provide a line-item budget for the total project, with enough 
detail to indicate the various key components of the project. As FTA 
may elect to fund only part of some project proposals, the budget 
should provide for the minimum amount necessary to fund specific 
project components of independent utility.
    v. Provide the Federal amount requested.
    vi. Document the matching funds, including amount and source of the 
match, demonstrating strong local or private sector financial 
participation in the project.
    vii. Provide support documentation, including financial statements, 
bond-ratings, and documents supporting the commitment of non-federal 
funding to the project, or a timeframe upon which those commitments 
would be made.
    viii. Provide a project time-line, including significant milestones 
such as the date anticipated to issue a request for proposals for 
vehicles, or contract for purchase of vehicle(s), and actual or 
expected delivery date of vehicles, or notice of request for proposal 
and notice to proceed for capital construction/rehabilitation projects.

C. Submission Dates and Times

    Complete proposals for the State of Good Repair Initiative must be 
submitted electronically through the GRANTS.GOV Web site by 11:59 p.m. 
EDT on March 22, 2012. Complete proposals for the Bus Livability 
Initiative must be submitted electronically through GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 
p.m. EDT March 29, 2012. Complete proposals for the Clean Fuels Grant 
Program must be submitted electronically through GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 
p.m. EDT April 5, 2012. Proposers are encouraged to begin the process 
of registration on the GRANTS.GOV site well in advance of the 
submission deadline. Registration is a multi-step process, which may 
take several weeks to complete before an application can be submitted. 
Registered proposers may still be required to take steps to keep their 
registration up to date before submissions can be made successfully: 
(1) Registration in the Central Contractor

[[Page 6186]]

Repository (CCR) is renewed annually and (2) persons making submissions 
on behalf of the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) must be 
authorized in GRANTS.GOV by the AOR to make submissions.

D. Award Information

    Federal transit funds are available to State or local governmental 
authorities as recipients and other public transportation providers as 
subrecipients. There is no monetary floor or upper limit for any single 
grant award; however, FTA intends to fund as many meritorious projects 
as possible. In addition, geographic diversity and the applicant's 
receipt of other discretionary awards may be considered in FTA's award 
decisions.
    Consistent with 49 U.S.C. Section 5309(m)(8), the Secretary shall 
consider the age and condition of buses, bus fleets, and bus-related 
facilities and equipment of proposers in its award of State of Good 
Repair, Bus Livability and Clean Fuels grants.

E. Funding Restrictions

    Only proposals from eligible recipients for eligible activities 
will be considered for funding. Due to funding limitations, proposers 
that are selected for funding may receive less than the amount 
originally requested.

IV. Award Administration

A. Award Notices

    At the time the project selections are announced, FTA will extend 
pre-award authority for the selected projects. There is no blanket pre-
award authority for these projects before announcement.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

1. Grant Requirements
    If selected, applicants will apply for a grant through TEAM and 
adhere to the customary FTA grant requirements of the Section 5309 Bus 
and Bus Facilities program, including those of FTA Circular 9300.1B, 
Circular 5010.1D, and the labor protections of 49 U.S.C. 5333(b). All 
discretionary grants, regardless of award amount, will be subject to 
the Congressional Notification and release process. Technical 
assistance regarding these requirements is available from each FTA 
regional office.
2. Planning
    FTA encourages proposers to notify the appropriate State 
Departments of Transportation and MPO in areas likely to be served by 
the project funds made available under these initiatives and programs. 
Selected projects must be incorporated into the long-range plans and 
transportation improvement programs of States and metropolitan areas 
before they are eligible for FTA funding.
3. Standard Assurances
    The applicant assures that it will comply with all applicable 
Federal statutes, regulations, executive orders, FTA circulars, and 
other Federal administrative requirements in carrying out any project 
supported by the FTA grant. The applicant acknowledges that it is under 
a continuing obligation to comply with the terms and conditions of the 
grant agreement issued for its project with FTA. The applicant 
understands that Federal laws, regulations, policies, and 
administrative practices might be modified from time to time and may 
affect the implementation of the project. The applicant agrees that the 
most recent Federal requirements will apply to the project, unless FTA 
issues a written determination otherwise. The applicant must submit the 
Certifications and Assurances before receiving a grant if it does not 
have current certifications on file.
4. Reporting
    Post-award reporting requirements include submission of Federal 
Financial Reports and Milestone Reports in TEAM on a quarterly basis 
for all projects. Documentation is required for payment. In addition, 
project sponsors receiving grants for asset management systems and 
innovative technologies may be required to report on the performance of 
these systems and technologies.

V. Agency Contacts and Technical Assistance

    Contact the appropriate FTA Regional Office at https://www.fta.dot.gov for proposal-specific information and issues. For 
general program information, please use the contacts for each program 
identified in the front of this notice.
    For additional technical assistance, FTA will post answers to 
commonly asked questions about the SGR and Bus Livability Initiatives 
at https://www.fta.dot.gov/bus, and for the Clean Fuels Grant Program at 
https://www.fta.dot.gov/cleanfuels. FTA also expects to conduct Webinars 
during the application period and will post this information on its Web 
site.

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 2nd day of February, 2012.
Peter Rogoff,
Administrator.
BILLING CODE P

[[Page 6187]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN07FE12.026


[[Page 6188]]


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN07FE12.027


[[Page 6189]]


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN07FE12.028


[[Page 6190]]


[FR Doc. 2012-2752 Filed 2-6-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE C