Notice of Funding Availability for the Department of Transportation's National Infrastructure Investments under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, 11854-11863 [2014-04627]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
• Office of the Secretary of Transportation

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 41 (Monday, March 3, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11854-11863]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04627]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary of Transportation

[Docket No. DOT-OST-2014-XXXX]


Notice of Funding Availability for the Department of 
Transportation's National Infrastructure Investments under the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of Transportation, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funding and requests 
proposals for the Department of Transportation's National 
Infrastructure Investments. This notice is addressed to organizations 
that are interested in applying and provides guidance on selection 
criteria and application requirements for the National Infrastructure 
Investments.
    The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (Pub. L. 113-76, January 
17, 2014) (``FY 2014 Appropriations Act'') appropriated $600 million to 
be awarded by the Department of Transportation (``DOT'') for National 
Infrastructure Investments. This appropriation is similar, but not 
identical, to the program funded and implemented pursuant to the 
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the ``Recovery Act'') 
known as the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or 
``TIGER Discretionary Grants,'' program. 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 2014 TIGER program (``TIGER FY 2014'') 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: You must submit final applications through Grants.gov by April 
28, 2014, at 5:00 p.m. EDT (the ``Application Deadline''). The 
Grants.gov ``Apply'' function will open on April 3, 2014, allowing 
applicants to submit applications. You are strongly encouraged to 
submit applications in advance of the deadline. Please be aware that 
you must complete the registration process before submitting an 
application, and that this process usually takes 2-4 weeks to complete. 
If interested parties experience difficulties at any point during the 
registration or application process, please call the Grants.gov 
Customer Support Hotline at 1-800-518-4726, Monday-Friday from 7:00 
a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EDT. Additional information on applying through 
Grants.gov is available in Information about Applying for Federal 
Grants through Grants.gov at www.dot.gov/TIGER.

ADDRESSES: You must submit applications electronically through 
Grants.gov. Only applications received electronically through 
Grants.gov will be deemed properly filed. Instructions for submitting 
applications through Grants.gov can be found on the TIGER Web site 
(www.dot.gov/TIGER).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information concerning 
this notice please contact the TIGER Discretionary Grant program staff 
via 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 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 April 26, 2013.

[[Page 11855]]

However, there are a few significant differences:
    1. Across the Federal Government, the Administration is dedicated 
to enhancing opportunity for all Americans by investing in 
transportation projects that better connect communities to centers of 
employment, education, and services (including for non-drivers) and 
that hold promise to stimulate long-term job growth, especially in 
economically distressed areas. Additional consideration will be given 
to proposals that seek to strengthen opportunities to expand the middle 
class. While the Department will award funds to a variety of project 
types, priority consideration will be given to applications that 
address this objective.
    2. TIGER FY 2014 is authorized to award up to $35 million (of the 
program's $600 million total) for planning grants. Planning grant 
applications must identify themselves as project-level or regional plan 
applications.
    3. In the previous round of TIGER, funding was available for 
obligation for a very short time. Therefore, DOT used project readiness 
as a primary criterion in awarding that funding. TIGER FY 2014 funds, 
in contrast, are available for obligation until the statutory deadline 
of September 30, 2016. This extended schedule allows DOT to encourage 
the submission of applications for complex and multimodal projects that 
may require slightly longer schedules. However, all applicants should 
provide schedules and evidence that they will be able to obligate 
funds, if awarded, by June of 2016 and expend such funds by September 
30, 2021 (31 U.S.C. 1552).
    4. Applications that identify project co-applicants or project 
partners in addition to a lead applicant must be signed by each co-
applicant and/or partner organization.
    Other than the differences above, and minor edits for clarification 
and those made to conform the notice to the statutory circumstances of 
this round of TIGER Discretionary Grant 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 you should read this 
notice in its entirety so that you have the information you need to 
submit eligible and competitive applications.

Table of Contents

I. Background and Outlook
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 Planning Grants
VII. Application Cycle
VIII. Performance Management
IX. Questions and Clarifications

I. Background and Outlook

    The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery or 
``TIGER Discretionary Grants'' program was first created in the 
Recovery Act of 2009. Through the Recovery Act and subsequent four 
appropriations acts, Congress provided DOT with funding for five rounds 
of competitive grants totaling more than $4.1 billion for capital 
investments in surface transportation infrastructure. See DOT's Web 
site at www.dot.gov/TIGER for further background on the disbursement of 
past rounds of TIGER Discretionary Grants.
    The FY 2014 Appropriations Act appropriated $600 million to be 
awarded by DOT for the TIGER Discretionary Grants program. As in 
previous rounds, the FY 2014 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. 
Additionally, as in the 2010 round, the Act allows for up to $35 
million (of the $600 million) to be awarded as grants for the planning 
of eligible transportation facilities. DOT is referring to these TIGER 
Discretionary Grants for planning as TIGER Planning Grants. The Act 
also allows DOT to use a small portion of the $600 million for 
oversight of grants.
    ``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, you must contact DOT directly, rather than through 
intermediaries, to get answers to questions, set up briefings on the 
TIGER Discretionary Grants selection and award process, or receive 
other assistance. Assistance can be obtained by simply contacting 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'') for capital projects include, but are not 
limited to: (1) Highway or bridge projects eligible under title 23, 
United States Code (including bicycle and pedestrian related projects); 
(2) public transportation projects eligible under chapter 53 of title 
49, United States Code; (3) passenger and freight rail transportation 
projects; (4) port infrastructure investments; and (5) intermodal 
projects. Projects that are eligible for TIGER Planning Grants include, 
but are not limited to: Activities related to the planning, 
preparation, or design of a single surface transportation project, or 
activities related to regional transportation investment planning, 
including transportation planning that is coordinated with 
interdisciplinary factors including housing, economic development, 
stormwater and other infrastructure investments, and/or that addresses 
future risks and vulnerabilities, including extreme weather and climate 
change. Federal wage rate requirements included in subchapter IV of 
chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code, apply to all projects 
receiving funds under this program, 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 2014 Appropriations Act, DOT will 
apply the following principles in determining whether a project is 
eligible as a capital investment or a planning study 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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    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 publicly accessible surface 
transportation infrastructure. To be funded, projects or elements of a 
project must have independent utility, which means that the project 
provides transportation

[[Page 11856]]

benefits and is ready for its intended use upon completion of project 
construction.
    Each applicant may submit no more than three applications in each 
category (3 capital applications and 3 planning applications). You 
should focus on applications that are most likely to align well with 
DOT's selection criteria. While applications may include requests to 
fund more than one project, you 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. If you 
submit more than three applications as the lead applicant, only the 
first three received in each category will be considered.
    The FY 2014 Appropriations Act specifies that TIGER Discretionary 
Grants may not be less than $10 million (except in rural areas) and not 
greater than $200 million. For projects located in rural areas (as 
defined in Section V, Projects in Rural Areas), the minimum TIGER 
Discretionary Grant size is $1 million. For TIGER Planning Grants, 
there is no statutory minimum grant size, regardless of location.
    DOT reserves the right to award funds for a part of the project 
included in an application, if a part of the project has independent 
utility and aligns well with the selection criteria specified in this 
notice.
    Pursuant to the FY 2014 Appropriations Act, no more than 25 percent 
of the funds made available for TIGER Discretionary Grants (or $150 
million) may be awarded to projects in a single State.
    The FY 2014 Appropriations Act directs that not less than 20 
percent of the funds provided for TIGER Discretionary Grants (or $120 
million) shall be used for projects located in rural areas. Further, 
pursuant to the FY 2014 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 investment in a variety of transportation modes.
    TIGER Discretionary Grants may be used for up to 80 percent of the 
costs of a project. 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. However, priority will be 
given to projects that use Federal funds to complete an overall 
financing package, and both urban and rural projects can increase their 
competitiveness for purposes of the TIGER program by demonstrating 
significant non-Federal financial contributions. In the first five 
rounds, on average, projects attracted more than 3.5 additional non-
Federal dollars for every TIGER grant dollar. DOT will consider any 
non-Federal funds, as well as funds from the Tribal Transportation 
Program (formerly known as Indian Reservation Roads), 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 any funds already expended (or otherwise encumbered) 
towards the matching requirement. Federal requirements also apply to 
any matching funds in your application. Therefore, the extent that a 
project is already underway or money intended to be matching funds is 
already encumbered, DOT will not consider those funds to be matching 
funds for the purposes of the TIGER Discretionary Grant program. You 
should also take note that even though ``matching'' funding may be 
provided by a State DOT or transit agency, DOT will not consider those 
funds to be matching funds if the source of those funds is ultimately a 
Federal program.
    The FY 2014 Appropriations Act requires that TIGER funds are only 
available for obligation through September 30, 2016. DOT will, 
therefore, consider whether or not a project is ready to proceed with 
obligation of grant funds within the time provided. Under the FY 2014 
Appropriations Act, TIGER funding expires automatically after the 
deadline of September 30, 2016, if grant funds are not obligated. There 
is no waiver possible under the statute for this deadline.
    The FY 2014 Appropriations Act allows for an amount not to exceed 
35 percent of the available funds (or $210 million of the $600 million) 
to be used by the Department 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.
    Recipients of TIGER Discretionary Grants and TIGER Planning Grants 
in prior rounds may apply for funding to support additional phases of a 
project awarded funds in earlier rounds of this program. However, to be 
competitive, the applicant should demonstrate the extent to which the 
previously funded project phase has been able to meet estimated project 
schedules and budget, including the ability to realize the benefits 
expected for the project.
    Transportation plays a critical role in expanding opportunities for 
every American. Recent research has found that economic mobility varies 
by geography, and poor transportation connections are a factor 
preventing some Americans from gaining access to the middle class.\2\ 
This lack of access limits labor mobility and can be a drag on local 
and regional economic growth. Improving transportation infrastructure 
can be one of the easiest ways to address this problem.
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    \2\ https://obs.rc.fas.harvard.edu/chetty/mobility_geo.pdf
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    Recognizing economic mobility as a defining trait of America's 
promise, the 2014 TIGER program will, in part, seek to improve access 
to reliable, safe, and affordable transportation for disconnected 
communities in urban, suburban, and rural areas. Providing opportunity 
to all Americans is a connecting theme that weaves together all of 
DOT's primary criteria. The concept can be found in the explanations of 
the primary criteria in this NOFA and should be addressed in 
applications through the description of how a proposed project 
addresses the primary criteria. This may include, but is not limited 
to, capital projects that better connect people to jobs, remove 
physical barriers to access, and strengthen communities through 
neighborhood redevelopment. Additionally, this objective may include 
capital projects with training opportunities that focus on 
strengthening human capital and workforce opportunities.
    The above examples are not intended to be exhaustive, and project 
sponsors are strongly encouraged to highlight in their applications how 
their proposed capital projects will promote opportunities in ways not 
cited above.
    DOT may consider the extent to which a proposed project strengthens 
access to opportunities through transportation improvements--in 
addition to the statutory requirements for an appropriate geographic, 
modal, and urban/rural distribution--as a factor to differentiate 
meritorious applications from one another. That said, the 2014 TIGER 
program will continue to fund innovative and significant projects of 
all types, and applications of all types are encouraged.
    The purpose of this notice is to solicit applications for TIGER 
Discretionary Grants. This is a final notice.

[[Page 11857]]

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 for capital projects. The 
criteria for TIGER Planning Grants are described in Section VI (D) of 
this notice. 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).
    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.''
    A. Primary Selection Criteria: The five primary selection criteria 
are based on the priorities included in DOT's Strategic Plan for FY 
2012-FY 2016. Applications that do not demonstrate a likelihood of 
significant long-term benefits based on these criteria will not proceed 
in the evaluation process. For more detail on DOT's long-term 
priorities, please refer to the Strategic Plan, which can be found at: 
https://www.dot.gov/sites/dot.dev/files/docs/990_355_DOT_StrategicPlan_508lowres.pdf. DOT does not consider any primary 
selection criterion more important than the others. The primary 
selection criteria, which will receive equal consideration, are:
    1. State of Good Repair: Improving the condition of existing 
transportation facilities and systems, with particular emphasis on 
projects that minimize life-cycle costs and improve resilience. DOT 
will assess whether and to what extent (i) the project is consistent 
with relevant plans to maintain transportation facilities or systems in 
a state of good repair and address current and projected 
vulnerabilities; (ii) if left unimproved, the poor condition of the 
asset will threaten future transportation network efficiency, mobility 
of goods or accessibility and mobility of people, or economic growth; 
(iii) the project is appropriately capitalized up front and uses asset 
management approaches that optimize its long-term cost structure; (iv) 
a sustainable source of revenue is available for operations and 
maintenance of the project; and (v) the project improves the 
transportation asset's ability to withstand probable occurrence or 
recurrence of an emergency or major disaster or other impacts of 
climate change. Additional consideration will be given to the project's 
contribution to improvement in the overall reliability of a multimodal 
transportation system that serves all users.
    2. Economic Competitiveness: Contributing to the economic 
competitiveness of the United States over the medium- to long-term, and 
creating and preserving jobs. DOT will assess whether the project will 
(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; (ii) increase the economic productivity of 
land, capital, or labor at specific locations, particularly in 
Economically Distressed Areas; (iii) result in long-term job creation 
and other economic opportunities, particularly for low-income workers 
or for people in Economically Distressed Areas, and opportunities for 
small businesses and disadvantaged business enterprises, including 
veteran-owned small businesses and service-disabled veteran-owned small 
businesses,\3\ and (iv) improve economic mobility through enhanced 
multimodal connections to centers of employment, education, and 
services or the stimulation of such centers in Economically Distressed 
Areas.
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    \3\ 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 provided 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 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.
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    3. Quality of Life: Like the livability criterion in past rounds, 
quality of life is focused on increasing transportation choices and 
access to transportation services for people in communities across the 
United States. 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.\4\ 
DOT will focus on the first principle, the creation of affordable and 
convenient transportation choices.\5\ Projects that demonstrate this 
principle by providing transportation choices to connect economically 
disadvantaged populations, non-drivers, senior citizens, and persons 
with disabilities with employment, training and education will receive 
particular consideration. Further, DOT will prioritize projects 
developed in coordination with land-use planning and economic 
development decisions, including through programs like 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 quality of life or economic development 
planning.
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    \4\ https://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/.
    \5\ 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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    4. Environmental Sustainability: Improving energy efficiency, 
reducing dependence on oil, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, 
addressing stormwater through natural means, avoiding and mitigating 
environmental impacts and otherwise benefitting the environment. DOT 
will assess the project's ability to (i) reduce energy use and air or 
water pollution; (ii) avoid adverse environmental impacts to air or 
water quality, wetlands, and endangered species; (iii) provide 
environmental benefits, such as brownfield redevelopment, ground water 
recharge in areas of water scarcity, wetlands creation or improved 
habitat connectivity, and stormwater mitigation, including green 
infrastructure or (iv) improve the resilience of a transportation asset 
or the transportation system. Applicants are encouraged to provide 
quantitative information, including baseline information, that 
demonstrates how the project will reduce energy consumption, stormwater 
runoff, or achieve other benefits for the environment.

[[Page 11858]]

    5. Safety: Improving the safety of U.S. transportation facilities 
and systems for all modes of transportation and users. DOT will assess 
the project's ability to reduce the number, rate, and consequences of 
surface transportation-related accidents, serious injuries, and 
fatalities among operators, 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, or the prevention of unintended releases of hazardous 
materials. DOT will consider the project's ability to foster a safe, 
connected, accessible transportation system for the multimodal movement 
of goods and people.

B. Secondary Selection Criteria

    1. Innovation: Use of innovative strategies to pursue the long-term 
outcomes outlined above. DOT will assess the extent to which the 
project uses innovative technology (such as intelligent transportation 
systems, dynamic pricing, value capture, rail wayside or on-board 
energy recovery, smart cards, active traffic management or radio 
frequency identification) 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 in transportation 
funding and finance and leverages both existing and new sources of 
funding through both traditional and innovative means. Further, DOT 
will consider the extent to which the project utilizes innovative 
practices in contracting, congestion management, safety management, 
asset management, or long-term operations and maintenance. DOT is 
particularly interested in projects that apply innovative strategies to 
improve the efficiency of project development or improve overall 
project delivery in the area.
    2. Partnership: Demonstrating strong collaboration among a broad 
range of participants, integration of transportation with other public 
service efforts, and/or projects that are the product of a robust 
planning process.
    (a) Jurisdictional and Stakeholder Collaboration: DOT will consider 
the extent to which projects involve multiple partners in project 
development and funding, such as State and local governments, other 
public entities, and/or private or nonprofit entities. 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. In the context of public 
private partnerships, DOT will assess the extent to which partners are 
incentivized to ensure long-term asset performance, such as through pay 
for success approaches. Multiple States or jurisdictions may submit a 
joint application and must identify a lead applicant as the primary 
point of contact. Joint applications must include a description of the 
roles and responsibilities of each project party and must be signed by 
each project party.
    (b) Disciplinary Integration: DOT will consider the extent to which 
projects include partnerships that bring together diverse 
transportation agencies and/or 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 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 
DOT's various planning programs and initiatives, the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development's Regional Planning Grants and Choice 
Neighborhood 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.

C. Demonstrated Project Readiness

    Projects that receive funding in this round of TIGER will have to 
obligate funds by September 30, 2016, or the funding will expire. 
Therefore, DOT will assess every application to determine whether the 
project is likely to proceed to obligation within the statutory 
deadline upon receipt of a TIGER Discretionary Grant (see Additional 
Information on Project Readiness Guidelines located at www.dot.gov/TIGER for further details), as evidenced by:
    1. Technical Feasibility: The technical feasibility of the project 
should be demonstrated by 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 and describes in detail the project to be constructed;
    2. Financial Feasibility: The viability and completeness of the 
project's financing package (assuming the availability of the requested 
TIGER Discretionary Grant funds) should be demonstrated including 
evidence of stable and reliable capital and (as appropriate) operating 
fund 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. You must include a detailed project budget in this 
section of your application or applications containing 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. Budget spending 
categories must be broken down between TIGER, other Federal, and non-
Federal sources, and identify how each funding source will share in 
each activity.
    3. Project Schedule: You must include a detailed project schedule 
that includes all major project milestones--such as start and 
completion of environmental reviews and approvals; design; right of way 
acquisition; approval of plan, specification and estimate (PS&E); 
procurement; and construction--in this section of your application with 
sufficiently detailed information to demonstrate that:
    (a) all necessary pre-construction activities will be complete to 
allow for any potential grant funding awarded to be obligated no later 
than June 30, 2016, to give DOT reasonable assurance that the TIGER 
Discretionary Grant funds will likely to be obligated sufficiently in 
advance of the September 30, 2016, statutory deadline, and that any 
unexpected delays will not put TIGER Discretionary Grant funds at risk 
of expiring before they are obligated;
    (b) the project can begin construction quickly upon receipt of a 
TIGER Discretionary Grant, and that the grant funds will be spent 
steadily and

[[Page 11859]]

expeditiously once construction starts; \6\ and
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    \6\ 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.
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    (c) 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 acquisition can and will be completed expeditiously.
    4. Assessment of Project Risks and Mitigation Strategies: You 
should identify the material risks to the project and the strategies 
that the lead applicant and any project partners have undertaken or 
will undertake in order to mitigate those risks. In past rounds of 
TIGER Discretionary Grants, certain projects have been affected by 
procurement delays, environmental uncertainties, and increases in real 
estate acquisition costs. You must assess the greatest risks to your 
projects and identify how those risks will be mitigated by the project 
parties.
    Applicants, to the extent they are unfamiliar with the Federal 
program, should contact DOT modal field or headquarters offices for 
information on what steps are pre-requisite to the obligation of 
Federal funds in order to ensure that their project schedule is 
reasonable and that there are no risks of delays in satisfying federal 
requirements. Contacts for the Federal Highway Administration Division 
offices--which are located in all 50 States, Washington, DC, and Puerto 
Rico--can be found at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/about/field.cfm. Contacts 
for the ten Federal Transit Administration regional offices can be 
found at https://www.fta.dot.gov/12926.html.

D. Additional Guidance on Evaluation

1. Project Costs and Benefits
    Applicants for TIGER Discretionary Grants are generally required to 
identify, quantify, and compare expected benefits and costs, subject to 
the following qualifications: \7\
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    \7\ 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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    Applicants will be expected to prepare and submit an analysis of 
benefits and costs; however, DOT understands that the level of detail 
of analysis that should be expected (for items such as surveys, travel 
demand forecasts, market forecasts, and statistical analyses) is less 
for smaller projects than for larger projects. The level of 
sophistication of the benefit-cost analysis (BCA) 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 appropriate evidence 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 another quantitative estimate (in physical, non-monetary terms, 
such as crash rates, ridership estimates, emissions levels, energy 
efficiency improvements, etc.) should be provided.
    Based on feedback over previous rounds of TIGER, DOT recognizes 
that the benefit-cost analysis can be particularly burdensome on Tribal 
governments. Therefore, the Department is providing additional 
flexibility to Tribal governments for the purposes of this notice. At 
their discretion, Tribal applicants may elect to provide raw data to 
support the need for a project (such as crash rates, ridership 
estimates, and the number of people who will benefit from the project), 
without additional analysis. This data will then be used to allow DOT 
economists to make the best estimates they can develop (given the data 
provided) of benefits and costs. Examples of BCAs by successful Tribal 
applicants are also available online.\8\
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    \8\ https://www.dot.gov/policy-initiatives/tiger/tribal-tiger-bca-examples.
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    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. 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 the 2014 Benefit-Cost Analyses Guidance for TIGER Grant 
Applicants and in the BCA Resource Guide (available at www.dot.gov/TIGER). A recording of the Benefit-Cost Analysis Practitioner's 
Workshop (2010) and two BCA-related webinars are also available for 
viewing at www.dot.gov/TIGER, along with examples of benefit-cost 
analyses that have been submitted in previous rounds of TIGER.
    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 2014, 
and calculations should be presented for discounted values of both the 
stream of benefits and the stream of costs. 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. The 
requirement to conduct an economic analysis is not applicable to 
applicants seeking TIGER Planning Grants; however, such applicants 
should describe the expected benefits of the underlying project(s) that 
the planning activities will help advance.
2. Other Environmental Reviews and Approvals
    (a) National Environmental Policy Act: An application for a TIGER 
Discretionary Grant must detail whether the project will significantly 
impact the natural, social and/or economic environment. The application 
should demonstrate 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. 
You should submit the information listed below with your application:
    (i) Information about the NEPA status of the project. If the NEPA 
process is completed, an applicant must indicate the date of, and 
provide a Web site link or other reference to, the final Categorical 
Exclusion, Finding of No Significant Impact or Record of Decision. If 
the NEPA process is underway but not complete, the application must 
detail the type of NEPA review underway, where the project is in the 
process, and indicate the anticipated date of completion. You must 
provide a Web site link or other reference to copies of any NEPA 
documents prepared.
    (ii) Information on reviews by other agencies. An application for a 
TIGER Discretionary Grant must indicate whether the proposed project 
requires reviews or approval actions by other agencies, indicate the 
status of such actions, and provide detailed information about the 
status of those reviews or approvals and/or

[[Page 11860]]

demonstrate compliance with any other applicable Federal, State, or 
local requirements.
    (iii) Environmental studies or other documents--preferably by way 
of a Web site link--that describe in detail known project impacts, and 
possible mitigation for those impacts.
    (iv) A description of discussions with the appropriate DOT modal 
administration field or headquarters office regarding compliance with 
NEPA and other applicable environmental reviews and approvals.
    (b) 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. Support from all relevant State and local officials is not 
required; however, you should demonstrate that the project is broadly 
supported.
    (c) State and Local Planning: The planning requirements of the 
operating administration administering the TIGER project will apply.\9\ 
You 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. If the project is not included in the 
relevant planning documents at the time the application is submitted, 
you should submit a certification from the appropriate planning agency 
that actions are underway to include the project in the relevant 
planning document. DOT reserves the right to revoke any award of TIGER 
Discretionary Grant funds and to award such funds to another project to 
the extent either that such funds cannot be timely expended and/or that 
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 the relevant modal 
administration administering the grant. 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 (a)(i) through 
(iv) above.
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    \9\ All regionally significant projects requiring an action by 
the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) or the Federal Transit 
Administration (FTA) must be in the metropolitan transportation 
plan, transportation improvement program (TIP) and statewide 
transportation improvement program (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 by the State and metropolitan planning 
organization (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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III. Evaluation and Selection Process

A. Evaluation Process

    TIGER Discretionary Grant applications will be evaluated in 
accordance with the evaluation process discussed below. 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 of 
Transportation and will include members from each of the Relevant Modal 
Administrations and, in some cases, staff from other Federal agencies 
with relevant expertise, including freight, resilience, quality of 
life, environmental review, and permitting expertise. The evaluation 
teams will be responsible for evaluating and rating all of the projects 
and making funding recommendations to the Secretary.
    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. 
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.
    DOT will give more consideration to the Primary Selection Criteria 
than to the two Secondary Selection Criteria (Innovation and 
Partnership), which will also be considered equally
    Projects that are recommended by the evaluation teams for further 
review will have their benefit-cost analyses evaluated by an Economic 
Analysis Team, and will have their project readiness evaluated by a 
Project Readiness Team. The Economic Analysis Team will assess the 
likelihood that the project's benefits will exceed its costs, and the 
Project Readiness Team will assess the likelihood that the project will 
be able to obligate any grant awarded to it by the obligation deadline 
of September 30, 2016. The results of these evaluations will also be 
taken into account in the recommendations made to the Secretary.
    Upon completion of this rating process, DOT will analyze the 
preliminary list and determine whether highly-rated projects are 
consistent with the distributional requirements of the FY 2014 
Appropriations Act, including an equitable geographic distribution of 
grant funds, an appropriate balance in addressing the needs of urban 
and rural areas, and investment in a variety of transportation modes. 
If necessary, DOT will adjust the list of recommended projects to 
satisfy the statutory distributional requirements while remaining as 
consistent as possible with the competitive ratings. The Secretary of 
Transportation will make the final project selections.

B. Evaluation of Eligibility

    To be selected for a TIGER Discretionary Grant, a project must be 
an Eligible Project and the applicant must be an Eligible Applicant. 
DOT may consider one or more components of a large project to be an 
Eligible Project, but only to the extent that the components have 
independent utility, meaning the components themselves, not the project 
of which they are a part, are Eligible Projects and satisfy the 
selection criteria identified above in Section II(A) (Selection 
Criteria). For these projects, the benefits described in an application 
must be related to the components of the project for which funding is 
requested, not the full project of which they are a part. DOT will not 
fund individual phases of a project if the benefits of completing only 
these phases would not align well with the selection criteria specified 
in this notice because the overall project would still be incomplete.

IV. Grant Administration

    DOT expects that each TIGER Discretionary Grant will be 
administered by one of the Relevant Modal Administrations, pursuant to 
a grant agreement between the TIGER

[[Page 11861]]

Discretionary Grant recipient and the Relevant Modal Administration. 
Service Outcome Agreements, Stakeholder Agreements, Buy America 
compliance, and other requirements under DOT's other highway, transit, 
rail, and port grant programs will be incorporated into the TIGER grant 
agreements, where appropriate. The Secretary has the discretion to 
delegate such responsibilities to the appropriate Relevant Modal 
Administration.
    Applicable Federal laws, rules, and regulations of the Relevant 
Modal Administration administering the project will apply to projects 
that receive TIGER Discretionary Grants.

V. Projects in Rural Areas

    The FY 2014 Appropriations Act directs that not less than $120 
million of the funds provided for TIGER Discretionary Grants are to be 
used for projects in rural areas. For purposes of this notice, DOT is 
defining ``rural area'' as any area not in an Urbanized Area, as such 
term is defined by the Census Bureau,\10\ and will consider a project 
to be in a rural area if all or the majority of a project (determined 
by geographic location(s) where the majority of project money is to be 
spent) is located in a rural area. Therefore, if all or the majority of 
a project is located in a rural area, such a project is eligible to 
apply for less than $10 million, but at least $1 million in TIGER 
Discretionary Grant funds, and up to 100 percent of the project's costs 
may be paid for with Federal funds. To the extent more than a de 
minimis portion of a project is located in an Urbanized Area, you 
should identify the estimated percentage of project costs that will be 
spent in Urbanized Areas and the estimated percentage that will be 
spent in rural areas.
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    \10\ For Census 2010, the Census Bureau defined an Urbanized 
Area (UA) as an area that consists of densely settled territory that 
contains 50,000 or more people. Updated lists of UAs are available 
on the Census Bureau Web site. Urban Clusters (UCs) will be 
considered rural areas for purposes of the TIGER Discretionary Grant 
program.
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VI. TIGER Planning Grants

A. Background

    On December 16, 2009, the President signed the Fiscal Year (FY) 
2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which appropriated $600 million 
to DOT for National Infrastructure Investments, including up to $35 
million for planning.
    That round of planning grants was conducted in conjunction with $40 
million in HUD Community Challenge grants. Thirty-three total DOT 
planning grants were made, including 14 joint grants with HUD. In this 
round, DOT will not be able to pair TIGER planning grants with HUD 
Community Challenge grants due to the lack of available HUD funds. 
However, those applicants seeking to fund regional transportation 
planning grants should show strong coordination with housing, land use, 
economic development, stormwater, and other infrastructure needs, 
including identifying risks from extreme weather and climate change, 
and plans to mitigate that risk.

B. Eligible Planning Activities

    Activities eligible for funding under TIGER Planning Grants are 
related to the planning, preparation, or design--including 
environmental analysis, feasibility studies, and other pre-construction 
activities--of surface transportation projects, including, but not 
limited to:
    (1) Highway or bridge projects eligible under Title 23, United 
States Code (including bicycle and pedestrian related projects);
    (2) Public transportation projects eligible under Chapter 53 of 
Title 49, United States Code;
    (3) Passenger and freight rail transportation projects;
    (4) Port infrastructure investments; and
    (5) Intermodal projects.
    In addition, eligible activities related to multidisciplinary 
projects or regional planning may include:
    (1) Development of master plans, comprehensive plans, or corridor 
plans that will provide connection to jobs for disadvantaged 
populations, or include affordable housing components.
    (2) Planning activities related to the development of a multimodal 
freight corridor, including those that seek to reduce conflicts with 
residential areas and with passenger and non-motorized traffic.
    (3) Development of port and regional port planning grants, 
including State-wide or multi-port planning within a single 
jurisdiction or region.
    (4) Planning to encourage multiple projects within a common area to 
engage in programmatic mitigation in order to increase efficiency and 
improve outcomes for communities and the environment.
    (5) Risk assessments and planning to identify vulnerabilities and 
address the transportation system's ability to withstand probable 
occurrence or recurrence of an emergency or major disaster or impacts 
of climate change.

C. Selection Criteria

    Planning grant applications will be evaluated against the same 
criteria as capital grants. For project-level planning, this means 
considering how the project resulting from the plan will ultimately 
further the five primary and two secondary criteria. For regional 
transportation planning efforts, applications should demonstrate how 
the regional plan will help lead to these outcomes.
    Similar to capital grant applications, planning applications will 
be more competitive if they can demonstrate funding support above the 
20 percent match requirement for urban areas, and the 0 percent match 
requirement for rural areas.
    Additionally, applicants should show the capacity to successfully 
implement the proposed activities in a timely manner.

VII. Application Cycle

A. Contents of Applications

    You must include all of the information requested below in your 
application. DOT reserves the right to ask any applicant to supplement 
data in its application, but expects applications to be complete upon 
submission. To the extent practical, you should provide data and 
evidence of project merits in a form that is publicly available or 
verifiable.
1. Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance
    Additional clarifying guidance and FAQs to assist you in completing 
the SF-424 will be available at www.dot.gov/TIGER by April 3, 2014, 
when the ``Apply'' function within Grants.gov opens to accept 
applications under this notice.
2. Title Page
    The title page must include the project title, location (city, 
State, district), type of application (capitol, project planning, or 
regional planning), the applicant organization name, the type of 
eligible applicant (State government, local government, U.S. territory, 
Tribal government, transit agency, port authority, MPO, RDO, other unit 
of government), and the amount of TIGER funding being applied for. The 
information may be presented in a table or formatted list.
3. Project Narrative (Attachment to SF 424)
    The project narrative must respond to the application requirements 
outlined below. DOT recommends that the project narrative be prepared 
with standard formatting preferences (.i.e., a single-spaced document, 
using a standard 12-point font, such as Times New Roman, with 1-inch 
margins).

[[Page 11862]]

    Your application must include information required for DOT to 
assess each of the criteria specified in Section II (A) (Selection 
Criteria), as such criteria are explained in Section II(B) (Additional 
Guidance on Selection Criteria). You must demonstrate the 
responsiveness of a project to any pertinent selection criteria with 
the most relevant information that you can provide, regardless of 
whether such information has been specifically requested, or 
identified, in this notice. You should provide concrete evidence of the 
feasibility of achieving project milestones, and of financial capacity 
and commitment in order to support project readiness. DOT will give 
priority to projects for which a TIGER Discretionary Grant will help to 
complete an overall funding package, so you should clearly demonstrate 
the extent to which the project cannot be readily and efficiently 
completed without a TIGER Discretionary Grant, and the extent to which 
other sources of funds, including Federal, State, or local funding, may 
or may not be readily available for the project. Any such information 
shall be considered part of the application, not supplemental, for 
purposes of the application size limits identified below in Part B 
(Length of Applications). Information provided pursuant to this 
paragraph must be quantified, to the extent possible, to describe the 
project's benefits to the Nation, a metropolitan area, or a region. 
Information provided pursuant to this paragraph should include 
projections for both the build and no-build scenarios for the project 
for each year between the completion of the project and a point in time 
at least 20 years beyond the project's completion date or the lifespan 
of the project, whichever is closer to the present.
    All applications should include a detailed description of the 
proposed project and geospatial data for the project, including a map 
of the project's location and its connections to existing 
transportation infrastructure. An application should also include a 
description of how the project addresses the needs of an urban and/or 
rural area. An application should clearly describe the transportation 
challenges that the project aims to address, the project's potential 
vulnerabilities to extreme weather and climate change throughout its 
projected life, and how the project will address these challenges. The 
description should include relevant data, such as passenger or freight 
volumes, congestion levels, infrastructure condition, and safety 
experience.
    DOT recommends that the project narrative generally adhere to the 
following basic outline and, in addition to a detailed statement of 
work, detailed project schedule, and detailed project budget, you 
should include a table of contents, maps, and graphics that make the 
information easier to review:
    I. Project Description (including information on the expected users 
of the project, a description of the transportation challenges that the 
project aims to address, and how the project will address these 
challenges);
    II. Project Parties (information about the grant recipient and 
other project parties);
    III. Grant Funds and Sources/Uses of Project Funds (information 
about the amount of grant funding requested, availability/commitment of 
funds sources and uses of all project funds, total project costs, 
percentage of project costs that would be paid for with TIGER 
Discretionary Grant funds, and the identity and percentage shares of 
all parties providing funds for the project (including any other 
pending or past Federal funding requests for the project as well as 
Federal funds already provided under other programs and required match 
for those funds);
    IV. Selection Criteria (information about how the project aligns 
with each of the primary and secondary selection criteria and a 
description of the results of the benefit-cost analysis):
    a. Primary Selection Criteria
    i. State of Good Repair
    ii. Economic Competitiveness
    iii. Quality of Life
    iv. Environmental Sustainability
    v. Safety
    b. Secondary Selection Criteria
    i. Innovation
    ii. Partnership
    c. Results of Benefit-Cost Analysis
    V. Project readiness, including planning approvals, NEPA and other 
environmental reviews/approvals, (including information about 
permitting, legislative approvals, State and local planning, and 
project partnership and implementation agreements); and
    VI. Federal Wage Rate Certification (an application must include a 
certification, signed by the applicant(s), stating that it will comply 
with the requirements of subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, 
United States Code (Federal wage rate requirements), as required by the 
FY 2014 Continuing Appropriations Act).
    The purpose of this recommended format is to ensure that 
applications clearly address the program requirements and make critical 
information readily apparent.

B. Length of Applications

    The project narrative may not exceed 30 pages in length. 
Documentation supporting the assertions made in the narrative portion 
may also be provided, but should be limited to relevant information. If 
possible, Web site links to supporting documentation (including a more 
detailed discussion of the benefit-cost analysis) should be provided 
rather than copies of these materials. Spreadsheets supporting the 
benefit-cost analysis should be original Excel spreadsheets, not PDFs 
of those spreadsheets. At your discretion, relevant materials provided 
previously to a Relevant Modal Administration in support of a different 
DOT discretionary program (for example, New Starts or TIFIA) may be 
referenced and described as unchanged. To the extent referenced, this 
information need not be resubmitted for the TIGER Discretionary Grant 
application (although provision of a Web site link would facilitate 
DOT's consideration of the information). DOT recommends use of 
appropriately descriptive file names (e.g., ``Project Narrative,'' 
``Maps,'' ``Memoranda of Understanding and Letters of Support,'' etc.) 
for all attachments. Cover pages and tables of contents do not count 
towards the 30-page limit for the narrative portion of the application, 
and the federal wage rate certification may also be outside of the 30-
page narrative. Otherwise, the only substantive portions of the 
application that should exceed the 30-page limit are any supporting 
documents (including a more detailed discussion of the benefit-cost 
analysis) provided to support assertions or conclusions made in the 30-
page narrative section.

C. Contact Information

    Contact information for a direct employee of the lead applicant 
organization is required as part of the SF-424. DOT will use this 
information to inform parties of DOT's decision regarding selection of 
projects, as well as to contact parties in the event that DOT needs 
additional information about an application. Contact information for a 
contractor, agent, or consultant of the lead applicant organization is 
insufficient for DOT's purposes.

D. Protection of Confidential Business Information

    All information submitted as part of or in support of any 
application shall use publicly available data or data that can be made 
public and methodologies that are accepted by industry practice and 
standards, to the extent possible. If the application includes 
information

[[Page 11863]]

you consider to be a trade secret or confidential commercial or 
financial information, you should do the following: (1) Note on the 
front cover that the submission ``Contains Confidential Business 
Information (CBI);'' (2) mark each affected page ``CBI;'' and (3) 
highlight or otherwise denote the CBI portions. DOT protects such 
information from disclosure to the extent allowed under applicable law. 
In the event DOT receives a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request 
for the information, DOT will follow the procedures described in its 
FOIA regulations at 49 CFR 7.17. Only information that is ultimately 
determined to be confidential under that procedure will be exempt from 
disclosure under FOIA.

VIII. Performance Management

    Each applicant selected for TIGER Discretionary Grant capital 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. 
Each recipient of a TIGER Discretionary Grant will, in accordance with 
its grant agreement, report on specified performance indicators for its 
project. Performance indicators will be negotiated for each project, 
considerate of the individual project's stated goals as well as 
resource constraints of applicants. Performance indicators will not 
include formal goals or targets, but will include baseline measures as 
well as post-project outcomes for an agreed-upon timeline, and will 
inform the TIGER Discretionary Grant program in working towards best 
practices, programmatic performance measures, and future decisionmaking 
guidelines.

IX. Questions and Clarifications

    For further information concerning this notice please contact the 
TIGER Discretionary Grant program staff via 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. DOT will regularly post answers to these questions and other 
important clarifications on DOT's Web site at www.dot.gov/TIGER.

    Issued on February 25, 2014.
Anthony R. Foxx,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2014-04627 Filed 2-28-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P