Intercity Passenger Rail Grade Crossing Improvements, Positive Train Control Implementation, and Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan Grant Funds, 40195-40204 [2014-16172]
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Issued on: June 30, 2014.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2014–16304 Filed 7–10–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Intercity Passenger Rail Grade
Crossing Improvements, Positive Train
Control Implementation, and
Passenger Rail Corridor Investment
Plan Grant Funds
Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of funding availability.
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AGENCY:
This notice details the
application requirements and
procedures for obtaining funding for
eligible intercity passenger rail grade
SUMMARY:
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crossing improvement projects, positive
train control implementation projects,
and Passenger Rail Corridor Investment
Plan projects. The opportunities
described in this notice are available
under Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) number 20.314,
‘‘Railroad Development.’’
DATES: Applications for funding under
this solicitation are due no later than
5:00 p.m. EDT, September 15, 2014.
Applications for funding received after
5:00 p.m. EDT on September 15, 2014
will not be considered. See Section 4 of
this notice for additional information
regarding the application process.
ADDRESSES: Applications must be
submitted via Grants.gov. For any
required or supporting application
materials that an applicant is unable to
submit via Grants.gov (such as oversized
engineering drawings), an applicant
may submit an original and two (2)
copies to Mary Ann Mcnamara, Office of
Program Delivery, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Mail Stop 20, Washington,
DC 20590. However, due to delays
caused by enhanced screening of mail
delivered via the U.S. Postal Service,
applicants are advised to use other
means of conveyance (such as courier
service) to assure timely receipt of
materials.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information regarding this
notice, please contact Mary Ann
McNamara, Office of Program Delivery,
Federal Railroad Administration, 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 20,
Washington, DC 20590; Email:
maryann.mcnamara@dot.gov; Phone:
(202) 493–6393; Fax: (202) 493–6333.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Notice to applicants: The FRA
recommends applicants read this notice
in its entirety prior to preparing
application materials. There are several
administrative prerequisites described
herein that applicants must comply
with in order to submit an application,
as well as application requirements that
may differ depending on the type of
project and funding sought. The FRA
has also established the FY14 Grant
Application Solicitation homepage on
the FRA Web site, which houses certain
required application materials and
additional guidance for topics
referenced in this notice. The FY14
Grant Application Solicitation
homepage is located at www.fra.dot.gov/
Page/P0701.
Additionally, applicants should note
that the required Project Narrative
component of the application package
may not exceed 25 pages in length
(including any appendices).
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40195
Table of Contents:
1. Funding Opportunity Description
2. Award Information
3. Eligibility and Review Criteria
4. Application and Submission Information
5. Award Administration Information
6. Agency Contact
Section 1: Funding Opportunity
Description
1.1 Background
The purpose of this notice is to solicit
applications for eligible intercity
passenger rail grade crossing
improvement projects, positive train
control implementation projects, and
Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan
projects. The funding available under
this solicitation was appropriated by
Congress over a period of several years.
Most recently, the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2014 (FY14
Omnibus, Pub. L. 113–76, January 17,
2014) made available $41,827,500 in
unobligated funding originally
authorized under the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity
Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA–LU,
Pub. L. 109–59, August 10, 2005; and
later amended under the SAFETEA–LU
Technical Corrections Act, Pub. L. 110–
244, June 6, 2008) and originally
appropriated under the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2008 (Pub. L. 110–
161, December 26, 2007) and Omnibus
Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 111–
8, March 11, 2009). FRA is also making
available at least $16,500,000 in
additional unobligated funds previously
appropriated to FRA under its HighSpeed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR)
Program. These unobligated funds are
available due to projects that were
completed under budget or that were
not completed as originally anticipated.
This notice is also intended to establish
a pool of applications that could receive
any additional eligible funding that may
become available under similar
circumstances in the near future.
1.2 FRA-Led Multi-State Planning
In addition to the funding
opportunities described in this notice,
the FY14 Omnibus also permits the
Secretary of Transportation to retain a
portion of the $41,827,500 in previous
SAFETEA–LU funds to facilitate—at the
Federal level—the preparation of
planning documents for passenger rail
corridors and networks located in
multiple states. The Secretary of
Transportation has exercised this
authority to provide $22,000,000 to
complete the Department’s NEC
FUTURE program, which is a
comprehensive planning effort to
define, evaluate, and prioritize future
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high-speed rail investments along the
Northeast Corridor (additional
information regarding NEC FUTURE is
available at www.NECFUTURE.com). In
addition to NEC FUTURE, the FRA is
soliciting statements of interest from
other groups of states that wish to
participate in an FRA-led planning
process for multi-state passenger rail
Program/funding source
networks. Additional information on
this FRA-led planning process,
including how to submit statements of
interest, is available at www.fra.dot.gov/
Page/P0021.
1.3 Funding Approach
In total, at least $36,327,500 is
available for awards under this
solicitation. The following table
Amount available
New FY14 Omnibus Authority ........................
$19,827,500
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Remaining FY10 HSIPR .................................
Remaining FY08/FY09 HSIPR ........................
Total .........................................................
As the table above indicates, and
unlike the remaining FY08, FY09, and
FY10 HSIPR Program funding, the
$19,827,500 made available by the FY14
Omnibus may fund multiple project
types—intercity passenger rail capital
(49 U.S.C. 24401(2)(A)), railroad safety
technology (49 U.S.C. 20158), highspeed rail corridor planning (49 U.S.C.
26101(b)), and FRA-led multi-state
planning (FY14 Omnibus). Subject to
the type and quality of applications
received, the FRA intends to award/
allocate the funding made available by
the FY14 Omnibus to projects under
each of the eligible project types.
However, the FRA is not predetermining
specific dollar allocations among these
project types.
In order to maximize the benefits of
the amount of funding available, the
FRA is choosing to further focus the
broad project eligibilities allowed for
under the appropriations acts to specific
project types that align with FRA’s
current mission and objectives.
Applications for projects under the
‘‘intercity passenger rail capital’’
category should focus on grade crossing
improvement projects related to
intercity passenger rail service;
applications for projects under the
‘‘railroad safety technology’’ category
should focus on positive train control
(PTC) implementation projects; and
applications for projects under the
‘‘high-speed rail corridor planning’’
category should focus on developing
new or expanded Passenger Rail
1 Statements of interest for FRA-led multi-state
planning are being requested separately and will
not be accepted or considered through this
solicitation. Additional information on this FRA-led
planning process, including how to submit
statements of interest, is available at
www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0021.
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$5,200,000
$11,300,000
36,327,500
Eligible project categories
•
•
•
•
Intercity Passenger Rail Capital ..................
Railroad Safety Technology.
High-Speed Rail Corridor Planning.
FRA-Led Multi-State Planning1 ...................
• Intercity Passenger Rail Capital ..................
• Intercity Passenger Rail Capital ..................
Corridor Investment Plans. Additional
information of these more focused
project types is contained in Section 3
of this notice and on the FY14 Grant
Application Solicitation homepage at
www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
1.4 Legislative Authority
The funding made available under
this notice was appropriated from the
following sources:
• Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2008 (Pub. L. 110–161, December 26,
2007);
• Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009
(Pub. L. 111–8, March 11, 2009);
• Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2010 (Pub. L. 111–117, December 16,
2009); and
• Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2014 (Pub. L. 113–76, January 17, 2014).
The activities under the FY10 and
FY14 funding are authorized by the
Passenger Rail Investment and
Improvement Act, 2008 (Pub. L. 110–
432, October, 16, 2008). The activities
under the FY08 and FY09 funding are
authorized through their respective
appropriations acts and do not have any
underlying statutory authorization.
Section 2: Award Information
2.1 Application Limits
The FRA anticipates making multiple
awards from the funding made available
in this notice and is not predetermining
any minimum or maximum dollar
amounts for awards. However, given the
relatively limited amount of funding
that is currently available, applicants
are encouraged to constrain their
Federal funding requests to a maximum
of $3,000,000 per application. While
this $3,000,000 application limit is a
recommendation and not a firm
requirement, applications exceeding
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summarizes the amount of funding
available per funding source, as well as
the eligible project categories and match
requirements. Section 3 of this notice
provides detailed information and
instructions pertaining to applicant and
project eligibility, cost sharing and
match requirements, and application
review criteria.
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Required federal/non-federal match percentage
80–20.
(100 percent Federal for
FRA-Led Planning).
80–20
50–50
this $3,000,000 threshold must explain
why any requested funding over
$3,000,000 is necessary to implement
the proposed project. Applicants for
grade crossing projects in particular are
advised to subdivide higher-cost
undertakings into separate project
components or discrete phases that
demonstrate operational independence
and public benefits in order to give FRA
maximum flexibility in selecting
projects or project components.
Additionally, the FRA may choose to
award a grant for less than the amount
requested in the application.
FRA will make awards for projects
selected under this notice through
cooperative agreements. Cooperative
agreements allow for greater Federal
involvement in carrying out the agreed
upon investment, including technical
assistance, review of interim work
products, and increased program
oversight. The funding provided under
these cooperative agreements will be
made available to grantees on a
reimbursable basis.
2.2
Application Review Process
Applications will proceed through a
three-part review process:
1. Screening for completeness and
eligibility;
2. Evaluation of eligible applications
by technical panels applying the
evaluation criteria; and
3. Project selection by the FRA
Administrator applying additional
selection criteria.
Each application will first be screened
for eligibility (requirements outlined in
Section 3 of this notice) and
completeness (containing all required
documentation outlined in Section 4 of
this notice).
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Eligible and complete applications
will then be evaluated by technical
panels consisting of subject-matter
experts against the evaluation criteria
(outlined in Section 3 of this notice).
The FRA will not assign specific
numerical scores to applications based
on the evaluation criteria. Rather,
ratings of ‘‘highly recommended,’’
‘‘recommended,’’ ‘‘acceptable,’’ or ‘‘not
recommended’’ will be assigned for
each evaluation criterion upon which
the applications are being reviewed.
The ratings assigned by the technical
panels will not in themselves constitute
the final award determination, as this is
only the second step in the review
process. All eligible and complete
applications, regardless of the ratings
they receive from the technical panels,
will be advanced to the FRA
Administrator for funding
consideration. The FRA Administrator
will also take into consideration several
cross-cutting and comparative selection
criteria (see Section 3.4 of this notice) to
determine awards. The FRA will award
funds to projects that are well-aligned
with one or more of the evaluation and
selection criteria. In addition, FRA will
consider whether a project has a
negative effect on any of the evaluation
and selection criteria, and any such
negative effect may reduce the
likelihood that the project will be
selected for award.
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Section 3: Eligibility and Review
Criteria
This notice solicits applications for
three distinct project types, with
funding appropriated from several
sources. As such, there are varying
minimum requirements that
applications must meet related to
applicant eligibility, project eligibility,
cost sharing, and the fulfillment of other
prerequisites. The differences among the
three project types also necessitate that
they be reviewed against separate
evaluation criteria. Section 3.1 of this
notice will cover the eligibility and
review requirements for intercity
passenger rail grade crossing
improvement projects, Section 3.2 for
positive train control implementation
projects, and Section 3.3 for Passenger
Rail Corridor Investment Plan projects.
Section 3.4 of this notice will cover the
additional selection criteria that will be
applied to all applications by the FRA
Administrator.
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3.1 Intercity Passenger Rail Grade
Crossing Improvement Projects
3.1.1
Applicant Eligibility
The following entities are eligible
applicants for intercity passenger rail
grade crossing improvement projects:
• States (including the District of
Columbia);
• Groups of States;
• Interstate compacts; and
• Public agencies established by one
or more States and having responsibility
for providing intercity passenger rail
service.
3.1.2
Project Eligibility
Eligible grade crossing projects must
involve capital improvements to
highway-rail grade crossings that are
related to intercity passenger rail
service. Applicants must demonstrate
that a proposed project is both a capital
improvement to a highway-rail grade
crossing and that the project improves
intercity passenger rail service. The
following is a non-exhaustive list of
eligible grade crossing projects:
• Safety and/or operational
improvements at public or private grade
crossings;
• Installation of or upgrades to
crossing signal equipment;
• Crossing closures;
• Grade separations;
• Pedestrian crossing improvements;
• Track circuitry improvements to
activate warning devices;
• Integration of crossing warning
systems with advanced train control,
signal preemption, and intelligent
highway traffic control systems; and
• Other civil or utility projects that
improve crossing surfaces, lighting, and
sight distance.
3.1.3 Non-Federal Match
Requirements and Other Funding
Restrictions
As outlined in Section 1.3 of this
notice, intercity passenger rail grade
crossing projects are eligible to be
funded from three separate sources of
funding. Both the $19,827,500 made
available by the FY14 Omnibus and the
$5,200,000 in remaining FY10 HSIPR
Program funding allow for up to an 80
percent Federal share of project costs.
However, the remaining $11,300,000 in
FY08/FY09 HSIPR Program funding
limits the Federal share of project costs
to 50 percent. The required 20 percent
or 50 percent non-Federal match,
depending on the funding source, may
be composed of public sector (state or
local) or private sector funding.
However, the FRA cannot consider any
other Federal funds, nor any nonFederal funds already expended (or
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otherwise encumbered), towards the
matching requirement. Additionally,
FRA is limiting the method for
calculating the non-Federal match to
cash contributions only—‘‘in-kind’’
contributions will not be accepted.
Matching funds provided in excess of
the minimum requirements will be
considered in evaluating the merit of an
application.
Applicants that propose a 50 percent
non-Federal match will be more likely
to have their applications selected for
funding, as they will be eligible to
receive funding under each of the three
funding sources contained in this notice
(and specifically the $11,300,000 in 50–
50 match funding that is dedicated to
grade crossing projects). However, these
50–50 match funds contain three
eligibility restrictions that differ from
the 80–20 match funds:
• States are the only eligible
applicant type;
• Proposed projects must be
specifically included in the applicant’s
Statewide Transportation Improvement
Program (STIP) at the time of
application to be eligible; and
• States must include intercity
passenger rail services as an integral
part of statewide transportation
planning as required under 23 U.S.C.
135.
3.1.4 Evaluation Criteria
The FRA intends to award funds to
grade crossing projects that achieve the
maximum public benefits possible,
given the amount of funding available.
Analysis provided by applicants that
quantifies the monetary value
(whenever possible) of the anticipated
public benefits of the proposed project
will be particularly relevant to the FRA
in evaluating applications.2 The
systematic process of comparing
expected benefits and costs helps
decision-makers organize information
about, and evaluate trade-offs between,
alternative transportation investments.
The FRA will consider benefits and
costs using standard data and
qualitative information provided by
applicants and will evaluate
applications in a manner consistent
with Executive Order 12893 (Principles
for Federal Infrastructure Investments,
59 FR 4233), OMB Circular A–94
2 Applicants are encouraged to reference Sections
1 and 2 of the Transportation Investment
Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) BenefitCost Analysis Resource Guide for recommended
values to use in monetizing benefits and costs of
transportation projects. This Resource Guide was
developed by the U.S. Department of
Transportation for use in the TIGER Discretionary
Grant program and can be located on the FY14
Application Solicitation homepage at
www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
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(Guidelines and Discount Rates for
Benefit-Cost Analysis of Federal
Programs), and OMB Circular A–4
(Regulatory Analysis).
The FRA intends to analyze all grade
crossing applications utilizing FRA’s
GradeDec tool to support the evaluation
process. GradeDec is a web-based
application and decision support tool
intended for the identification and
evaluation of highway-rail grade
crossing upgrades, separations, and
closures. The GradeDec tool was
designed for the needs of Federal, state,
and local authority decision makers,
and employs benefit-cost methodologies
to assess grade crossing investment
alternatives at the corridor level or in a
region. The modeling frameworks built
into the GradeDec tool were developed
by the FRA and include research
findings from the Volpe National
Transportation Systems Center and the
National Cooperative Highway Research
Program. Additional information on
GradeDec is available at
www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0337.
Applications for intercity passenger
rail grade crossing projects will be
reviewed by panels of DOT subjectmatter experts against the following
three evaluation criteria.
Safety Benefits
The following factors will be
considered in assessing a proposed
project’s achievement of safety benefits:
• The extent to which the proposed
project will improve safety at a crossing
or series of crossings where safety
incidents have recently occurred or
where a high potential exists for
accidents between pedestrian and/or
vehicle traffic and intercity passenger
rail operations;
• Whether the proposed project will
upgrade a crossing or a series of
crossings to create a ‘‘sealed corridor’’
segment utilizing advanced warning
technology, four-quadrant gates, or
median separators—with preference to
crossing closures;
• The proposed project’s ability to
foster a safe, connected, accessible
transportation system for the
multimodal movement of people and
goods;
• The extent to which the proposed
project conforms with FRA’s ‘‘HighSpeed Passenger Rail Safety Strategy’’
guidance that was published in
November 2009 (https://www.fra.dot.gov/
eLib/Details/L03624); and
• Where applicable, the extent to
which the proposed project will
improve the safety of transporting
energy products on rail routes over
which both intercity passenger rail and
freight rail services operate.
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Transportation Benefits
The following factors will be
considered in assessing a proposed
project’s achievement of non-safety
related transportation benefits:
• The extent to which the proposed
project contributes to other
improvements to intercity passenger rail
operations, as reflected by estimated
increases in operational reliability and
on-time performance, increases in
average and/or top operating speeds,
increases in ridership, reductions in trip
times, additional service frequencies,
and other related factors;
• The extent to which a proposed
project generates cross-modal benefits
for commuter rail, freight rail (including
ports served by freight rail), or highway
operations and safety;
• The extent to which a proposed
project benefits a ‘‘state-supported’’
intercity passenger rail service and
enables state sponsors and their partners
to invest in additional capital projects;
and
• The extent to which the proposed
project will mitigate mobility and access
barriers for all modes of
transportation—including bicycle and
pedestrian enhancements—and 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.
Project Development Approach
The following factors will be
considered in assessing how the
proposed project was planned and
developed to date:
• The applicant’s progress, at the time
of application, in reaching compliance
with the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) for the proposed project.
Although a NEPA decision document
(Record of Decision, Finding of No
Significant Impact, Categorical
Exclusion determination) is not required
at the time of application, projects that
utilize innovative project delivery
approaches to expedite NEPA or are
accompanied by a final NEPA
determination will be looked upon
favorably during the evaluation and
selection process;
• The proposed project’s consistency
with an adopted service development
plan and state rail plan;
• The quality and completeness of the
proposed project’s Statement of Work,
including whether a sufficient level of
detail regarding scope, schedule, and
budget is provided to immediately
advance the project to award;
• The level of support demonstrated
for the application and proposed project
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from key project partners (letters of
support are encouraged), including the
infrastructure owning railroad, railroad
operator, local governments, and other
relevant stakeholders;
• The equitable financial
participation from benefiting entities in
the project’s financing;
• The applicant’s financial, legal, and
technical capacity to implement the
project; and
• Whether the engineering materials
submitted with the application are of
sufficient quality to assess the proposed
project’s design and constructability
risks.
3.2 Positive Train Control
Implementation Projects
3.2.1
Applicant Eligibility
The following entities are eligible
applicants for positive train control
implementation projects:
• Passenger and freight railroad
carriers;
• Railroad suppliers; and
• State and local governments.
To be eligible for assistance, the above
entities must have either received
approval of the Technology
Implementation Plans (TIP) and Positive
Train Control Implementation Plans
(PTCIP) required by 49 U.S.C.
20156(e)(2) and 20157, or demonstrate
to the satisfaction of the FRA that they
are currently developing the required
plans where applicable. Preference will
be given in the following order:
1. Entities that have completed and
received FRA approval of both their TIP
and PTCIP.
2. Entities that have completed and
received FRA approval of their PTCIP.
3. Entities that have submitted their
PTCIP to FRA for approval.
4. Entities that have certified to FRA
progress towards completion of their
PTCIP and TIP.
5. All other eligible entities.
Collaborative project submissions by
freight and passenger carriers, suppliers,
and State and local governments on
eligible projects will be evaluated more
favorably.
3.2.2
Project Eligibility
The FRA is soliciting applications for
projects that will benefit the overall
implementation of positive train control
on freight, intercity passenger, and
commuter railroads. Given that the
amount of funding available is not likely
sufficient to cover the costs necessary to
deploy positive train control on any
given railroad, applications should
focus on the research and development
of technologies that will lower the costs,
speed implementation, increase
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interoperability, and improve the
reliability of positive train control
systems.
The FRA is particularly interested in
advancing research and development on
the following topics related to positive
train control: cybersecurity and wireless
communications security, back-office
reliability, and deployment of an
Interoperable Train Control Messaging
(ITCM/ITCSM) shared network for short
lines and commuter railroads.
Additional information on these
suggested topic areas are located on the
FY14 Application Solicitation
homepage at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/
P0701. Applicants should note that
these topics represent suggested areas of
interest by the FRA, and any otherwise
eligible applications meeting the criteria
above will be evaluated and considered
for award.
3.2.3 Non-Federal Match
Requirements
The $19,827,500 made available by
the FY14 Omnibus is the only source of
funding contained in this notice under
which positive train control
implementation projects may be funded.
The FY14 Omnibus allows for up to an
80 percent Federal share of project
costs. The required 20 percent nonFederal match may be composed of
public sector (state or local) or private
sector funding. However, the FRA
cannot consider any other Federal
funds, nor any non-Federal funds
already expended (or otherwise
encumbered), towards the matching
requirement. Additionally, FRA is
limiting the method for calculating the
non-Federal match to cash contributions
only—‘‘in-kind’’ contributions will not
be accepted. Matching funds provided
in excess of the minimum requirements
will be considered in evaluating the
merit of an application.
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3.2.4 Evaluation and Selection Criteria
The FRA intends to award funds to
positive train control implementation
projects that achieve the maximum
public benefits possible, given the
amount of funding available. Analysis
provided by applicants that quantifies
the monetary value (whenever possible)
of the anticipated public benefits of the
proposed project will be particularly
relevant to the FRA in evaluating
applications.3 The systematic process of
3 Applicants are encouraged to reference Sections
1 and 2 of the TIGER Benefit-Cost Analysis
Resource Guide for recommended values to use in
monetizing benefits and costs of transportation
projects. This Resource Guide was developed by the
U.S. Department of Transportation for use in the
TIGER Discretionary Grant program and can be
located on the FY14 Application Solicitation
homepage at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
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comparing expected benefits and costs
helps decision-makers organize
information about, and evaluate tradeoffs between, alternative transportation
investments. The FRA will consider
benefits and costs using standard data
and qualitative information provided by
applicants and will evaluate
applications in a manner consistent
with Executive Order 12893 (Principles
for Federal Infrastructure Investments,
59 FR 4233), OMB Circular A–94
(Guidelines and Discount Rates for
Benefit-Cost Analysis of Federal
Programs), and OMB Circular A–4
(Regulatory Analysis).
Applications for positive train control
implementation projects will be
reviewed by panels of DOT subjectmatter experts against the following
three evaluation criteria.
PTC Deployment Benefits
The following factors will be
considered in assessing a proposed
project’s achievement of PTC
deployment benefits:
• The degree to which the successful
implementation of the proposed idea
would advance the technical
deployment of PTC, including
improvements to reliability, safety,
security, and maintainability, among
others issues; and
• The degree to which the successful
implementation of the proposed idea
would decrease PTC implementation
and maintenance costs.
Technical Merit
The following factors will be
considered in assessing a proposed
project’s technical merit:
• The degree to which proposed ideas
exhibit a sound scientific and
engineering basis;
• How well the proposed ideas could
be practically applied in, and would be
compatible with, the railroad
environment; and
• The perceived likelihood of
technical and practical success.
Project Development Approach
The following factors will be
considered in assessing how the
proposed project was planned and
developed to date:
• The technical qualifications and
demonstrated experience of key
personnel proposed to lead and perform
the technical efforts, and qualifications
of primary and supporting organizations
to fully and successfully execute the
proposal plan within proposed
timeframe and budget;
• The degree to which proposed effort
is supported by multiple entities (letters
of support are encouraged);
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40199
• The affordability and degree to
which the proposed effort appears to be
a good value for the amount of funding
requested;
• The reasonableness and realism of
the proposed costs; and
• The extent of proposed cost sharing
or cost participation under the proposed
effort (exclusive of the applicant’s prior
investment).
All evaluation criteria, when
combined, are significantly more
important than cost or price alone.
Technical merit is appreciably more
important than cost or price and, as
such, greater consideration will be given
to technical excellence rather than cost
or price alone. An offer must be found
acceptable under all applicable
evaluation factors to be considered
eligible for award. Awards will be made
to applicants whose offers provide the
best value to the Government in terms
of technical excellence, cost or price,
and performance risk to include
consistency and accord with the
objectives of the solicitation and FRA’s
expressed areas of interest.
3.3 Passenger Rail Corridor Investment
Plans
3.3.1
Applicant Eligibility
The following entities are eligible
applicants for Passenger Rail Corridor
Investment Plan projects:
• States (including the District of
Columbia);
• Groups of States;
• Interstate compacts; and
• Public agencies established by one
or more States and having responsibility
for providing intercity passenger rail
service.
3.3.2
Project Eligibility
Passenger Rail Corridor Investment
Plans consist of two distinct
components: (1) A service development
plan and (2) corridor-wide
environmental documentation.
Applicants requesting funding to
develop a Passenger Rail Corridor
Investment Plan must apply for any
necessary work to develop both
elements, the service development plan
and corridor-wide environmental
documentation. If the applicant has
already completed one of these
documents or a component thereof, FRA
must have accepted that document as
meeting the minimum requirements in
order for the applicant to receive a grant
to complete the remaining
component(s). Similarly, applicants that
have either already completed or are in
the process of developing elements of a
Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan
through an FRA grant may request
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additional Federal funding to expand
the scope or geographic study area of
the existing planning effort. However,
any additional funding requested must
result in a fully completed Passenger
Rail Corridor Investment Plan.
Additionally, pursuant to the FY14
Omnibus, corridor planning
improvements grants are only available
for passenger rail corridors that are not
covered by a Tier 1 Environmental
Impact Statement completed within the
last ten years (since January 17, 2004).
Further guidance on the required
elements of a Passenger Rail Corridor
Investment Plan is available on the
FY14 Grant Application Solicitation
homepage at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/
P0701.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
3.3.3 Non-Federal Match
Requirements
The $19,827,500 made available by
the FY14 Omnibus is the only source of
funding contained in this notice under
which Passenger Rail Corridor
Investment Plans may be funded. The
FY14 Omnibus required that the
Secretary of Transportation make no
less than $20,000,000 available for
corridor planning. Although this
requirement has already been met by the
Department allocating $22,000,000 to
complete NEC FUTURE (as described in
Section 1.2 of this notice), the FRA
intends to award funds from the
$19,827,500 remaining for additional
meritorious planning projects. The FY14
Omnibus allows for an up to 80 percent
Federal share of project costs. The
required 20 percent non-Federal match
may be composed of public sector (state
or local) or private sector funding.
However, the FRA cannot consider any
other Federal funds, nor any nonFederal funds already expended (or
otherwise encumbered), towards the
matching requirement. Additionally,
FRA is limiting the method for
calculating the non-Federal match to
cash contributions only—‘‘in-kind’’
contributions will not be accepted.
Matching funds provided in excess of
the minimum requirements will be
considered in evaluating the merit of an
application.
3.3.4 Evaluation and Selection Criteria
The FRA intends to award funds to
Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan
projects that achieve the maximum
public benefits possible, given the
amount of funding available. Analysis
provided by applicants that quantifies
the monetary value (whenever possible)
of the anticipated public benefits of the
underlying projects of the Passenger
Rail Corridor Investment Plan will be
particularly relevant to the FRA in
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evaluating applications.4 The systematic
process of comparing expected benefits
and costs helps decision-makers
organize information about, and
evaluate trade-offs between, alternative
transportation investments. The FRA
will consider benefits and costs using
standard data and qualitative
information provided by applicants and
will evaluate applications in a manner
consistent with Executive Order 12893
(Principles for Federal Infrastructure
Investments, 59 FR 4233), OMB Circular
A–94 (Guidelines and Discount Rates
for Benefit-Cost Analysis of Federal
Programs), and OMB Circular A–4
(Regulatory Analysis).
Applications for Passenger Rail
Corridor Investment Plan projects will
be reviewed by panels of DOT subjectmatter experts against the following two
evaluation criteria:
Potential Transportation and Other
Public Benefits
The following factors will be
considered in assessing a proposed
project’s potential achievement of
transportation and other public benefits:
• The clarity and detail with which
the applicant has identified the need to
be addressed by the proposed service;
• The market potential of the corridor
being studied, taking into consideration
such factors as population
demographics, density, economic
activity, and travel patterns;
• The potential for the corridor
investment to deliver high-speed and
intercity passenger rail service benefits,
including ridership, on-time
performance reliability, travel time,
service frequencies, safety, and other
factors;
• The extent to which the Passenger
Rail Corridor Investment Plan will
examine and evaluate nontransportation issues that could provide
public benefits, including but not
limited to land use, economic
development, energy efficiency and
environmental quality, transportation
network resilience, social equity and
environmental justice, and
strengthening opportunities for upward
socioeconomic mobility; and
• The consideration and integration
of other transportation modes in the
planning process and the proposed
service’s ability to foster a safe,
4 Applicants are encouraged to reference Sections
1 and 2 of the TIGER Benefit-Cost Analysis
Resource Guide for recommended values to use in
monetizing benefits and costs of transportation
projects. This Resource Guide was developed by the
U.S. Department of Transportation for use in the
TIGER Discretionary Grant program and can be
located on the FY14 Application Solicitation
homepage at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
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connected, accessible transportation
system for the multimodal movement of
people and goods.
Future Program Viability and
Sustainability
The following factors will be
considered in assessing the potential
viability and sustainability of the
intercity passenger rail service under
consideration in the Passenger Rail
Corridor Investment Plan:
• The likelihood that the final
deliverables (service development plan
and environmental decision document)
will be completed and of sufficient
quality to be implemented upon
completion of the proposed cooperative
agreement;
• The demonstrated institutional
commitment of the State and all other
key stakeholders to quickly execute the
program once planning is complete;
• The degree to which the planning
process meaningfully incorporates input
from affected communities, local
governments, regional councils and
planning organizations, neighboring
States, railroads, transportation modal
partners, environmental interests,
workforce investment boards, the public
and other stakeholders—early and
throughout the process;
• The level of support demonstrated
for the application, proposed study, and
underlying projects from key project
partners (letters of support are
encouraged);
• The likelihood that the corridor(s)
being studied can yield measurable
service and public benefits in a
reasonable period of time; and
• The demonstrated ability of the
applicant and other project partners to
support the future capital and operating
needs of the corridor(s) being studied.
3.4
Selection Criteria
In addition to the evaluation criteria
outlined above that is unique for each
of the three project types covered by this
notice, the FRA Administrator will
apply the following selection criteria to
further ensure that the projects selected
for funding advance FRA’s current
mission and key priorities
Alignment with the DOT Strategic Goals
and Priorities
• Improving transportation safety;
• Maintaining transportation
infrastructure in a state of good repair;
• Promoting economic
competitiveness;
• Advancing environmentally
sustainable transportation policies;
• Furthering the six ‘‘Livability
Principles’’ developed by DOT with the
Department of Housing and Urban
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Development and the Environmental
Protection Agency as part of the
Partnership for Sustainable
Communities;5
• Enhancing quality of life; and
• Building ladders of opportunity to
expand the middle class. Proposed
projects and planning studies that
demonstrate the ability to provide
reliable, safe and affordable
transportation choices to connect
economically disadvantaged
populations, non-drivers, senior
citizens, and persons with disabilities in
disconnected communities with
employment, training and education
will receive particular consideration
during project selection.
Project Delivery Performance
• The applicant’s track record in
successfully delivering previous FRA
and DOT grants on time, on budget, and
for the full intended scope;
• The applicant’s means for achieving
satisfactory continuing control over
project assets in a timely manner,
including, but not limited to, public
ownership of project assets or
agreements with railroad operators and
infrastructure owners at the time of
application; and
• The extent to which the proposed
project complements previous FRA or
DOT awards.
Region/Location
• The extent to which the proposed
project increases the economic
productivity of land, capital, or labor at
specific locations, particularly in
economically distressed areas;
• Ensuring appropriate level of
regional balance across the country;
• Ensuring consistency with national
transportation and rail network
objectives; and
• Ensuring integration with other rail
services and transportation modes.
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Innovation/Resource Development
• Pursuing new rail technologies that
result in favorable public return on
investment and ensure delivery of
project benefits;
• Promoting innovations that
demonstrate the value of new
approaches to, among other things,
transportation funding and finance,
contracting, project delivery, congestion
management, safety management, asset
management, or long-term operations
and maintenance;
• Advancing the state of the art in
modeling techniques for assessing costs
and benefits;
5 https://www.sustainablecommunities.gov.
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• Promoting domestic manufacturing,
supply, and industrial development;
and
• Developing professional railroad
engineering, operating, planning, and
management capacity.
Partnerships
• For projects that span multiple
jurisdictions (States or local
governments), emphasizing those that
have organized multi-jurisdictional
partnerships with joint planning and
prioritization of investments;
• Strengthening human capital and
workforce opportunities, particularly for
low-income workers or for people in
economically distressed areas;
• Employing creative approaches to
ensure workforce diversity and use of
disadvantaged and minority business
enterprises, including opportunities for
small businesses and disadvantaged
business enterprises, including veteranowned small businesses and servicedisabled veteran-owned small
businesses; and
• Engaging local communities and
other stakeholder groups in the project
in a way that offers an opportunity for
meaningful engagement in the process.
Section 4: Application and Submission
Information
4.1 Submission Dates and Times
Complete applications must be
submitted to Grants.gov no later than
5:00 p.m. EDT, September 15, 2014.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to
apply early to ensure that all materials
are received before this deadline.
4.2 Application Procedures
To apply for funding through
Grants.gov, applicants must be properly
registered. Complete instructions on
how to register and submit an
application can be found at Grants.gov.
Registering with Grants.gov is a onetime process; however, it can take up to
several weeks for first-time registrants to
receive confirmation and a user
password. FRA recommends that
applicants start the registration process
as early as possible to prevent delays
that may preclude submitting an
application package by the application
deadline. Applications will not be
accepted after the due date. Delayed
registration is not an acceptable
justification for an application
extension.
In order to apply for funding under
this announcement and to apply for
funding through Grants.gov, all
applicants are required to complete the
following:
1. Acquire a DUNS Number. A Data
Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
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40201
number is required for Grants.gov
registration. The Office of Management
and Budget requires that all businesses
and nonprofit applicants for Federal
funds include a DUNS number in their
applications for a new award or renewal
of an existing award. A DUNS number
is a unique nine-digit sequence
recognized as the universal standard for
identifying and keeping track of entities
receiving Federal funds. The identifier
is used for tracking purposes and to
validate address and point of contact
information for Federal assistance
applicants, recipients, and sub
recipients. The DUNS number will be
used throughout the grant life cycle.
Obtaining a DUNS number is a free,
one-time activity. Applicants may
obtain a DUNS number by calling 1–
866–705–5711 or by applying online at
https://www.dnb.com/us.
2. Acquire or Renew Registration with
the System for Award Management
(SAM) Database. All applicants for
Federal financial assistance must
maintain current registrations in the
System for Award Management (SAM)
database. An applicant must be
registered in SAM to successfully
register in Grants.gov. The SAM
database is the repository for standard
information about Federal financial
assistance applicants, recipients, and
sub recipients. Organizations that have
previously submitted applications via
Grants.gov are already registered with
SAM, as it is a requirement for
Grants.gov registration. Please note,
however, that applicants must update or
renew their SAM registration at least
once per year to maintain an active
status, so it is critical to check
registration status well in advance of the
application deadline. Information about
SAM registration procedures can be
accessed at www.sam.gov.
3. Acquire an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR) and
a Grants.gov Username and Password.
Applicants must complete an AOR
profile on Grants.gov and create a
username and password. Applicants
must use the organization’s DUNS
number to complete this step.
Additional information about the
registration process is available at
www.grants.gov/applicants/get_
registered.jsp.
4. Acquire Authorization for your
AOR from the E-Business Point of
Contact (E-Biz POC). The Applicant’s EBiz POC must log in to Grants.gov to
confirm a representative as an AOR.
Please note that there can be more than
one AOR at an organization.
5. Search for the Funding Opportunity
on Grants.gov. The Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for
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this opportunity is 20.314, titled
‘‘Railroad Development.’’
6. Submit an Application Addressing
All of the Requirements Outlined in this
Funding Availability Announcement.
After submitting the application through
Grants.gov, a confirmation screen will
appear on the applicant’s computer
screen. This screen will confirm that the
applicant has submitted an application
and provide a tracking number to track
the status of the submission. Within 24
to 48 hours after submitting an
electronic application, an applicant
should receive an email validation
message from Grants.gov. The validation
message will explain whether the
application has been received and
validated or rejected, with an
explanation. Applicants are urged to
submit an application at least 72 hours
prior to the due date of the application
to allow time to receive the validation
message and to correct any problems
that may have caused a rejection
notification.
If an applicant experiences difficulties
at any point during this process, please
call the Grants.gov Customer Center
Hotline at 1–800–518–4726, 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week (closed on Federal
holidays).
Note: Please use generally accepted
formats such as .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls,
.xlsx and .ppt, when uploading
attachments. While applicants may
imbed picture files, such as .jpg, .gif,
and .bmp, in document files, please do
not submit attachments in these formats.
Additionally, the following formats will
not be accepted: .com, .bat, .exe, .vbs,
.cfg, .dat, .db, .dbf, .dll, .ini, .log, .ora,
.sys, and .zip.
4.3 Content of Application
Required documents for the
application package are outlined in the
checklist below. Applicants are
encouraged to visit the FY14 Grant
Application Solicitation homepage on
the FRA Web site to download the
required Statement of Work template,
FRA’s Additional Assurances and
Certifications, and the OMB Standard
Forms. The FY14 Application
Solicitation homepage also contains
additional guidance on the application
package and other relevant topics. The
FY14 Grant Application Solicitation
homepage is located at www.fra.dot.gov/
Page/P0701. Detailed requirements for
completing the Project Narrative are
located below in Section 4.3.1. Brief
overviews of the Statement of Work and
Spatial Data submission requirements
are provided in Sections 4.3.2 and 4.3.3,
respectively.
Project Type
Documents
Grade Crossing
improvements
PTC
Corridor investment plans
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
..............................
✓
✓
✓
Optional
✓
✓
..............................
..............................
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
..............................
..............................
✓
✓
✓
✓
..............................
..............................
✓
FRA Forms
b
b
b
b
Project Narrative (see 4.3.1) ................................................................................
Statement of Work (see 4.3.2) .............................................................................
Spatial Data (see 4.3.3) ........................................................................................
FRA’s Additional Assurances and Certifications ..................................................
OMB Standard Forms
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
b
b
b
b
b
b
SF
SF
SF
SF
SF
SF
424: Application for Federal Assistance .........................................................
424A: Budget Information-Non Construction ..................................................
424B: Assurances-Non Construction ..............................................................
424C: Budget Information-Construction .........................................................
424D: Assurances-Construction .....................................................................
LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities ............................................................
Applicants must complete and submit
all components of the application
package. FRA welcomes the submission
of other relevant supporting
documentation that may have been
developed by the applicant (planning,
NEPA, engineering and design
documentation, letters of support, etc.).
In particular, applications accompanied
by completed feasibility studies,
environmental determinations, and cost
estimates may be more favorably
considered during the evaluation
process, as they demonstrate that an
applicant has a greater understanding of
the scope and cost of the project.
Applicants should submit all
application materials through
Grants.gov. For any required or
supporting application materials that an
applicant is unable to submit via
Grants.gov (such as oversized
engineering drawings), an applicant
may submit an original and two (2)
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copies to Mary Ann Mcnamara, Office of
Program Delivery, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE., Mail Stop 20, Washington,
DC 20590. However, due to delays
caused by enhanced screening of mail
delivered via the U.S. Postal Service,
applicants are advised to use other
means of conveyance (such as courier
service) to assure timely receipt of
materials.
4.3.1
Project Narrative
The following points describe the
minimum content which will be
required in the Project Narrative
component of grant applications
(additionally, FRA recommends that the
Project Narrative generally adhere to the
following outline). These requirements
must be satisfied through a narrative
statement submitted by the applicant,
and may be supported by spreadsheet
documents, tables, maps, drawings, and
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other materials, as appropriate. The
Project Narrative may not exceed 25
pages in length (including any
appendices). Applications containing
Project Narratives that exceed this 25
page limitation will not be reviewed or
considered for award.
The FRA recommends that applicants
read this section carefully and submit
all required information. In addition to
the following nine standard elements
that must be included in all Project
Narratives, applications for intercity
passenger rail grade crossing
improvement projects have additional
unique requirements that must be
addressed in the Project Narrative.
These additional requirements are
outlined following the standard Project
Narrative elements below:
1. Include a title page that lists the
following elements in either a table or
formatted list: project title, location
(city, State, district), type of application
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(e.g. grade crossing improvement,
positive train control implementation,
Passenger Rail Corridor Investment
Plan), the applicant organization name,
the name of any co-applicants, and the
amount of Federal funding requested
and the proposed non-Federal match.
2. Designate a point of contact for the
applicant and provide his or her name
and contact information, including
phone number, mailing address and
email address. The point of contact
must be an employee of an eligible
applicant.
3. Indicate the amount of Federal
funding requested, the proposed nonFederal match, and total project cost.
Additionally, identify any other sources
of Federal funds committed to the
project, as well as any pending Federal
requests. Make sure to also note if the
requested Federal funding must be
obligated or expended by a certain date
due to dependencies or relationships
with other Federal or non-Federal
funding sources, related projects, or
other factors. Finally, specify whether
Federal funding has ever previously
been sought for the project and not
secured, and name the Federal program
and fiscal year from which the funding
was requested.
4. Explain how the applicant meets
the respective applicant eligibility
criteria for the type of funding
requested, as outlined in Section 3 of
this notice.
5. Provide a brief 4–6 sentence
summary of the proposed project,
capturing the transportation challenges
the proposed project aims to address, as
well as the intended outcomes and
anticipated benefits that will result from
the proposed project.
6. Include a detailed project
description that expands upon the brief
summary required above. This detailed
description should provide, at a
minimum, additional background on the
transportation challenges the project
aims to address, the expected users and
beneficiaries of the project, the specific
components and elements of the project,
and any other information the applicant
deems necessary to justify the proposed
project. The detailed description should
also clearly explain how the proposed
project meets the respective project
eligibility criteria for the type of funding
requested, as outlined in Section 3 of
this notice.
7. Include a thorough discussion of
how the project meets all of the
evaluation criteria for the respective
project type, as outlined in Section 3 of
this notice. Applicants should note that
FRA reviews applications based upon
the evaluation criteria. If an application
does not sufficiently address the
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evaluation criteria, it is unlikely to be a
competitive application. In responding
to the criteria, applicants are reminded
to clearly identify, quantify, and
compare expected benefits and costs of
proposed projects. The FRA
understands that the level of detail and
sophistication of analysis that should be
expected for relatively small projects
(i.e., those encouraged to be limited to
under $3,000,000 in this notice) is less
than for larger, multi-million dollar,
investments.
8. Describe proposed project
implementation and project
management arrangements. Include
descriptions of the expected
arrangements for project contracting,
contract oversight, change-order
management, risk management, and
conformance to Federal requirements
for project progress reporting.
9. Describe anticipated environmental
or historic preservation impacts
associated with the proposed project (or
underlying projects for Passenger Rail
Corridor Investment Plans), any
environmental or historic preservation
analyses that have been prepared, and
progress toward completing any
environmental documentation or
clearance required for the proposed
project under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
National Historic Preservation Act
(NHPA), section 4(f) of the DOT Act, the
Clean Water Act, or other applicable
Federal or State laws. Applicants and
grantees under FRA’s financial
assistance programs are encouraged to
contact FRA and obtain preliminary
direction regarding the appropriate
NEPA class of action and required
environmental documentation.
Generally, projects will be ineligible to
receive funding if they have begun
construction activities prior to the
applicant/grantee receiving written
approval from FRA that all
environmental and historical analyses
have been completed. Additional
information regarding FRA’s
environmental processes and
requirements can be located on the
FY14 Grant Application Solicitation
homepage at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/
P0701.
Additional Project Narrative
Requirements for Intercity Passenger
Rail Grade Crossing Improvement
Applications
In addition to the nine standard
Project Narrative elements required
above, applicants for intercity passenger
rail grade crossing improvement
projects must specify the following
location and crossing characteristics of
the proposed grade crossing project (if
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40203
the proposed project involves multiple
crossings, the following information
must be provided for each crossing):
• Locality—City/town, county, and
cross streets;
• Right-of-Way Owner—Railroad
right-of-way owner/host railroad,
railroad milepost number, and DOT
crossing inventory number;
• Crossing Characteristics—Number
of railroad tracks, number of roadway
traffic lanes, existing traffic control
devices, average annual daily traffic
(and year calculated), volume of truck
traffic, and the history of train-vehicle
and train-pedestrian accidents at the
crossing (including fatalities);
• Rail Service Characteristics—
Existing and planned rail services
within the project boundaries (freight,
commuter, and intercity passenger rail
service), name of the corresponding
service operators, existing and planned
top operating speeds, and average
number of daily one-way train
operations (i.e. one daily round trip
should be counted as two daily one-way
operations); and
• Areas of significant concern—
Schools, hospitals, first responders, or
other emergency services providers in
the vicinity of the crossing.
4.3.2 Statement of Work
Applicants are required to submit a
Statement of Work (SOW) that addresses
the scope, schedule, and budget for the
proposed project if it were to be selected
for award. The SOW should contain
sufficient detail so that both FRA and
the applicant can understand the
expected outcomes of the proposed
work to be performed and monitor
progress toward completing project
tasks and deliverables during a
prospective grant’s period of
performance. The FRA has developed
SOW templates for each of the three
project types covered under this notice
that applicants must adhere to if they
wish to be considered for award. The
SOW templates are located on the FY14
Grant Application Solicitation
homepage at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/
P0701.
4.3.3 Spatial Data
Applicants for intercity passenger rail
grade crossing improvement projects are
required to submit spatial data
concerning their proposed projects to
the FRA. This data allows the FRA to
quickly orient the locations of grade
crossings on the railroad and
surrounding environment, and will
assist the FRA in the review of
applications. While not required,
applicants for Passenger Rail Corridor
Investment Plans are also encouraged to
E:\FR\FM\11JYN1.SGM
11JYN1
40204
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 133 / Friday, July 11, 2014 / Notices
submit spatial data for any potential
routes under consideration in the
planning study, if known. Spatial data
must be submitted to the FRA through
grants.gov in either shapefile or Keyhole
Markup Language (KML) file formats,
utilizing the World Geodetic System
(WGS) 84 datum standard. Additional
guidance and instructions concerning
the submission of spatial data is
available on the FY14 Grant Application
Solicitation homepage at
www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
Section 5: Award Administration
Information
5.1
5.2 Administrative and National
Policy Requirements
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
The grantee and any subgrantee must
comply with all applicable laws and
regulations. A non-exclusive list of
administrative and national policy
requirements that grantees must follow
includes: Procurement standards,
compliance with Federal civil rights
laws and regulations, disadvantaged
business enterprises (DBE), debarment
and suspension, drug-free workplace,
FRA’s and OMB’s Assurances and
Certifications, Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), labor standards,
safety oversight, environmental
protection, National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA), environmental
justice, and Buy America or Buy
American provisions (as applicable).
General Requirements
The grantee must comply with all
post-award reporting, auditing,
monitoring, and close-out requirements,
as described on the FY14 Grant
Application Solicitation homepage at
www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
20:23 Jul 10, 2014
Jkt 232001
Authority: Sec. 192, Pub. L. 113–76, 128
Stat. 603; Pub. L. 111–117, 123 Stat. 3056–
57; Pub. L. 111–8, 123 Stat. 934–5; Pub. L.
110–161, 121 Stat. 2393–4.
Corey Hill,
Director, Office of Program Delivery.
Award Notices
Applications selected for funding will
be announced after the application
review period. FRA will contact
applicants with successful applications
after announcement with information
and instructions about the award
process. Notification of a selected
application is not an authorization to
begin proposed project activities.
The period of performance for grants
awarded under this notice is dependent
upon the project and will be determined
on a grant-by-grant basis. Extensions to
the period of performance will be
considered only through written
requests to the FRA with specific and
compelling justifications for why an
extension is required. Any obligated
funding that has not been spent by the
grantee and reimbursed by the FRA
upon completion of the grant will be
deobligated.
5.3
Section 6: Agency Contact
For further information regarding this
notice and the grants program, please
contact Mary Ann McNamara, Office of
Program Delivery, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE., Mail Stop 20, Washington,
DC 20590; Email: maryann.mcnamara@
dot.gov; Phone: (202) 493–6393; Fax:
(202) 493–6333.
[FR Doc. 2014–16172 Filed 7–10–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[Docket No. FD 35820]
Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C.—
Acquisition Exemption—Norfolk
Southern Railway Company
Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C.
(BLU)1, a noncarrier, has filed a verified
notice of exemption under 49 CFR
1150.31 to acquire from Norfolk
Southern Railway Company (NSR), and
to operate, three rail lines in the State
of North Carolina comprising a total
distance of approximately 91.8 miles
extending between (1) milepost T0.0 at
Murphy Jct., and milepost T47.0 at
Dillsboro; (2) milepost W1.0 at
Asheville, and milepost W26.0 at East
Flat Rock; and (3) milepost TR0.0 at
Henderson, and milepost TR19.8 at
Pisgah Forest.
This transaction is related to a
concurrently filed verified notice of
exemption in Watco Holdings, Inc.—
Continuance in Control Exemption—
Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C.,
Docket No. FD 35821, wherein Watco
Holdings, Inc. seeks Board approval
under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(2) to continue
in control of BLU, upon BLU’s
becoming a Class III rail carrier.
BLU states that the agreement
between BLU and NSR does not contain
any provision that prohibits BLU or may
limit future interchange traffic with a
third-party connecting carrier.
BLU has certified that its projected
annual revenues as a result of this
transaction will not result in BLU’s
becoming a Class II or Class I rail
carrier. Because BLU’s projected annual
revenues will exceed $5 million, BLU
1 BLU is a wholly owned subsidiary of Watco
Holdings, Inc.
PO 00000
Frm 00147
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
certified to the Board on May 9, 2014,
that it had complied with the
requirements of 49 CFR 1150.32(e) by
providing notice to employees and their
labor union on the affected 91.8-mile
line.
This transaction may be
consummated on or after July 25, 2014,
the effective date of the exemption (30
days after the exemption was filed).
If the notice contains false or
misleading information, the exemption
is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the
exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d)
may be filed at any time. The filing of
a petition to revoke will not
automatically stay the effectiveness of
the exemption. Petitions for stay must
be filed no later than July 18, 2014 (at
least seven days before the exemption
becomes effective).
An original and 10 copies of all
pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD
35820 must be filed with the Surface
Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW.,
Washington, DC 20423–0001. In
addition, one copy of each pleading
must be served on Karl Morell, Ball
Janik LLP, 655 Fifteenth Street NW.,
Suite 225,Washington, DC 20005.
Board decisions and notices are
available on our Web site at
WWW.STB.DOT.GOV
Decided: July 8, 2014.
By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell,
Director, Office of Proceedings.
Raina S. White,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2014–16276 Filed 7–10–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[Docket No. FD 35821]
Watco Holdings, Inc.—Continuance in
Control Exemption—Blue Ridge
Southern Railroad, L.L.C.
Watco Holdings, Inc. (Watco), a
noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of
exemption pursuant to 49 CFR
1180.2(d)(2) to continue in control of
Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, L.L.C.
(BLU), upon BLU’s becoming a Class III
rail carrier. Watco owns, indirectly, 100
percent of the issued and outstanding
stock of BLU, a limited liability
company.
This transaction is related to a
concurrently filed verified notice of
exemption in Blue Ridge Southern
Railroad, L.L.C.—Acquisition
Exemption—Norfolk Southern Railway
Company, Docket No. FD 35820,
wherein BLU seeks Board approval to
acquire and operate approximately 91.8
E:\FR\FM\11JYN1.SGM
11JYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 133 (Friday, July 11, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40195-40204]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-16172]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Intercity Passenger Rail Grade Crossing Improvements, Positive
Train Control Implementation, and Passenger Rail Corridor Investment
Plan Grant Funds
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of funding availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice details the application requirements and
procedures for obtaining funding for eligible intercity passenger rail
grade crossing improvement projects, positive train control
implementation projects, and Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan
projects. The opportunities described in this notice are available
under Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number 20.314,
``Railroad Development.''
DATES: Applications for funding under this solicitation are due no
later than 5:00 p.m. EDT, September 15, 2014. Applications for funding
received after 5:00 p.m. EDT on September 15, 2014 will not be
considered. See Section 4 of this notice for additional information
regarding the application process.
ADDRESSES: Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov. For any
required or supporting application materials that an applicant is
unable to submit via Grants.gov (such as oversized engineering
drawings), an applicant may submit an original and two (2) copies to
Mary Ann Mcnamara, Office of Program Delivery, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Mail Stop 20, Washington, DC
20590. However, due to delays caused by enhanced screening of mail
delivered via the U.S. Postal Service, applicants are advised to use
other means of conveyance (such as courier service) to assure timely
receipt of materials.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding this
notice, please contact Mary Ann McNamara, Office of Program Delivery,
Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop
20, Washington, DC 20590; Email: maryann.mcnamara@dot.gov; Phone: (202)
493-6393; Fax: (202) 493-6333.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Notice to applicants: The FRA recommends applicants read this
notice in its entirety prior to preparing application materials. There
are several administrative prerequisites described herein that
applicants must comply with in order to submit an application, as well
as application requirements that may differ depending on the type of
project and funding sought. The FRA has also established the FY14 Grant
Application Solicitation homepage on the FRA Web site, which houses
certain required application materials and additional guidance for
topics referenced in this notice. The FY14 Grant Application
Solicitation homepage is located at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
Additionally, applicants should note that the required Project
Narrative component of the application package may not exceed 25 pages
in length (including any appendices).
Table of Contents:
1. Funding Opportunity Description
2. Award Information
3. Eligibility and Review Criteria
4. Application and Submission Information
5. Award Administration Information
6. Agency Contact
Section 1: Funding Opportunity Description
1.1 Background
The purpose of this notice is to solicit applications for eligible
intercity passenger rail grade crossing improvement projects, positive
train control implementation projects, and Passenger Rail Corridor
Investment Plan projects. The funding available under this solicitation
was appropriated by Congress over a period of several years. Most
recently, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (FY14 Omnibus, Pub.
L. 113-76, January 17, 2014) made available $41,827,500 in unobligated
funding originally authorized under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible,
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU,
Pub. L. 109-59, August 10, 2005; and later amended under the SAFETEA-LU
Technical Corrections Act, Pub. L. 110-244, June 6, 2008) and
originally appropriated under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008
(Pub. L. 110-161, December 26, 2007) and Omnibus Appropriations Act,
2009 (Pub. L. 111-8, March 11, 2009). FRA is also making available at
least $16,500,000 in additional unobligated funds previously
appropriated to FRA under its High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail
(HSIPR) Program. These unobligated funds are available due to projects
that were completed under budget or that were not completed as
originally anticipated. This notice is also intended to establish a
pool of applications that could receive any additional eligible funding
that may become available under similar circumstances in the near
future.
1.2 FRA-Led Multi-State Planning
In addition to the funding opportunities described in this notice,
the FY14 Omnibus also permits the Secretary of Transportation to retain
a portion of the $41,827,500 in previous SAFETEA-LU funds to
facilitate--at the Federal level--the preparation of planning documents
for passenger rail corridors and networks located in multiple states.
The Secretary of Transportation has exercised this authority to provide
$22,000,000 to complete the Department's NEC FUTURE program, which is a
comprehensive planning effort to define, evaluate, and prioritize
future
[[Page 40196]]
high-speed rail investments along the Northeast Corridor (additional
information regarding NEC FUTURE is available at www.NECFUTURE.com). In
addition to NEC FUTURE, the FRA is soliciting statements of interest
from other groups of states that wish to participate in an FRA-led
planning process for multi-state passenger rail networks. Additional
information on this FRA-led planning process, including how to submit
statements of interest, is available at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0021.
1.3 Funding Approach
In total, at least $36,327,500 is available for awards under this
solicitation. The following table summarizes the amount of funding
available per funding source, as well as the eligible project
categories and match requirements. Section 3 of this notice provides
detailed information and instructions pertaining to applicant and
project eligibility, cost sharing and match requirements, and
application review criteria.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eligible project Required federal/non-federal match
Program/funding source Amount available categories percentage
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New FY14 Omnibus Authority....... $19,827,500 Intercity 80-20.
Passenger Rail
Capital.
Railroad
Safety Technology.
High-Speed
Rail Corridor
Planning.
FRA-Led (100 percent Federal for FRA-Led
Multi-State Planning).
Planning\1\.
Remaining FY10 HSIPR............. $5,200,000 Intercity 80-20
Passenger Rail
Capital.
Remaining FY08/FY09 HSIPR........ $11,300,000 Intercity 50-50
Passenger Rail
Capital.
Total........................ 36,327,500
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the table above indicates, and unlike the remaining FY08, FY09,
and FY10 HSIPR Program funding, the $19,827,500 made available by the
FY14 Omnibus may fund multiple project types--intercity passenger rail
capital (49 U.S.C. 24401(2)(A)), railroad safety technology (49 U.S.C.
20158), high-speed rail corridor planning (49 U.S.C. 26101(b)), and
FRA-led multi-state planning (FY14 Omnibus). Subject to the type and
quality of applications received, the FRA intends to award/allocate the
funding made available by the FY14 Omnibus to projects under each of
the eligible project types. However, the FRA is not predetermining
specific dollar allocations among these project types.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Statements of interest for FRA-led multi-state planning are
being requested separately and will not be accepted or considered
through this solicitation. Additional information on this FRA-led
planning process, including how to submit statements of interest, is
available at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0021.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In order to maximize the benefits of the amount of funding
available, the FRA is choosing to further focus the broad project
eligibilities allowed for under the appropriations acts to specific
project types that align with FRA's current mission and objectives.
Applications for projects under the ``intercity passenger rail
capital'' category should focus on grade crossing improvement projects
related to intercity passenger rail service; applications for projects
under the ``railroad safety technology'' category should focus on
positive train control (PTC) implementation projects; and applications
for projects under the ``high-speed rail corridor planning'' category
should focus on developing new or expanded Passenger Rail Corridor
Investment Plans. Additional information of these more focused project
types is contained in Section 3 of this notice and on the FY14 Grant
Application Solicitation homepage at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
1.4 Legislative Authority
The funding made available under this notice was appropriated from
the following sources:
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 (Pub. L. 110-161,
December 26, 2007);
Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 111-8, March 11,
2009);
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117,
December 16, 2009); and
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (Pub. L. 113-76,
January 17, 2014).
The activities under the FY10 and FY14 funding are authorized by
the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, 2008 (Pub. L. 110-
432, October, 16, 2008). The activities under the FY08 and FY09 funding
are authorized through their respective appropriations acts and do not
have any underlying statutory authorization.
Section 2: Award Information
2.1 Application Limits
The FRA anticipates making multiple awards from the funding made
available in this notice and is not predetermining any minimum or
maximum dollar amounts for awards. However, given the relatively
limited amount of funding that is currently available, applicants are
encouraged to constrain their Federal funding requests to a maximum of
$3,000,000 per application. While this $3,000,000 application limit is
a recommendation and not a firm requirement, applications exceeding
this $3,000,000 threshold must explain why any requested funding over
$3,000,000 is necessary to implement the proposed project. Applicants
for grade crossing projects in particular are advised to subdivide
higher-cost undertakings into separate project components or discrete
phases that demonstrate operational independence and public benefits in
order to give FRA maximum flexibility in selecting projects or project
components. Additionally, the FRA may choose to award a grant for less
than the amount requested in the application.
FRA will make awards for projects selected under this notice
through cooperative agreements. Cooperative agreements allow for
greater Federal involvement in carrying out the agreed upon investment,
including technical assistance, review of interim work products, and
increased program oversight. The funding provided under these
cooperative agreements will be made available to grantees on a
reimbursable basis.
2.2 Application Review Process
Applications will proceed through a three-part review process:
1. Screening for completeness and eligibility;
2. Evaluation of eligible applications by technical panels applying
the evaluation criteria; and
3. Project selection by the FRA Administrator applying additional
selection criteria.
Each application will first be screened for eligibility
(requirements outlined in Section 3 of this notice) and completeness
(containing all required documentation outlined in Section 4 of this
notice).
[[Page 40197]]
Eligible and complete applications will then be evaluated by
technical panels consisting of subject-matter experts against the
evaluation criteria (outlined in Section 3 of this notice). The FRA
will not assign specific numerical scores to applications based on the
evaluation criteria. Rather, ratings of ``highly recommended,''
``recommended,'' ``acceptable,'' or ``not recommended'' will be
assigned for each evaluation criterion upon which the applications are
being reviewed.
The ratings assigned by the technical panels will not in themselves
constitute the final award determination, as this is only the second
step in the review process. All eligible and complete applications,
regardless of the ratings they receive from the technical panels, will
be advanced to the FRA Administrator for funding consideration. The FRA
Administrator will also take into consideration several cross-cutting
and comparative selection criteria (see Section 3.4 of this notice) to
determine awards. The FRA will award funds to projects that are well-
aligned with one or more of the evaluation and selection criteria. In
addition, FRA will consider whether a project has a negative effect on
any of the evaluation and selection criteria, and any such negative
effect may reduce the likelihood that the project will be selected for
award.
Section 3: Eligibility and Review Criteria
This notice solicits applications for three distinct project types,
with funding appropriated from several sources. As such, there are
varying minimum requirements that applications must meet related to
applicant eligibility, project eligibility, cost sharing, and the
fulfillment of other prerequisites. The differences among the three
project types also necessitate that they be reviewed against separate
evaluation criteria. Section 3.1 of this notice will cover the
eligibility and review requirements for intercity passenger rail grade
crossing improvement projects, Section 3.2 for positive train control
implementation projects, and Section 3.3 for Passenger Rail Corridor
Investment Plan projects. Section 3.4 of this notice will cover the
additional selection criteria that will be applied to all applications
by the FRA Administrator.
3.1 Intercity Passenger Rail Grade Crossing Improvement Projects
3.1.1 Applicant Eligibility
The following entities are eligible applicants for intercity
passenger rail grade crossing improvement projects:
States (including the District of Columbia);
Groups of States;
Interstate compacts; and
Public agencies established by one or more States and
having responsibility for providing intercity passenger rail service.
3.1.2 Project Eligibility
Eligible grade crossing projects must involve capital improvements
to highway-rail grade crossings that are related to intercity passenger
rail service. Applicants must demonstrate that a proposed project is
both a capital improvement to a highway-rail grade crossing and that
the project improves intercity passenger rail service. The following is
a non-exhaustive list of eligible grade crossing projects:
Safety and/or operational improvements at public or
private grade crossings;
Installation of or upgrades to crossing signal equipment;
Crossing closures;
Grade separations;
Pedestrian crossing improvements;
Track circuitry improvements to activate warning devices;
Integration of crossing warning systems with advanced
train control, signal preemption, and intelligent highway traffic
control systems; and
Other civil or utility projects that improve crossing
surfaces, lighting, and sight distance.
3.1.3 Non-Federal Match Requirements and Other Funding Restrictions
As outlined in Section 1.3 of this notice, intercity passenger rail
grade crossing projects are eligible to be funded from three separate
sources of funding. Both the $19,827,500 made available by the FY14
Omnibus and the $5,200,000 in remaining FY10 HSIPR Program funding
allow for up to an 80 percent Federal share of project costs. However,
the remaining $11,300,000 in FY08/FY09 HSIPR Program funding limits the
Federal share of project costs to 50 percent. The required 20 percent
or 50 percent non-Federal match, depending on the funding source, may
be composed of public sector (state or local) or private sector
funding. However, the FRA cannot consider any other Federal funds, nor
any non-Federal funds already expended (or otherwise encumbered),
towards the matching requirement. Additionally, FRA is limiting the
method for calculating the non-Federal match to cash contributions
only--``in-kind'' contributions will not be accepted. Matching funds
provided in excess of the minimum requirements will be considered in
evaluating the merit of an application.
Applicants that propose a 50 percent non-Federal match will be more
likely to have their applications selected for funding, as they will be
eligible to receive funding under each of the three funding sources
contained in this notice (and specifically the $11,300,000 in 50-50
match funding that is dedicated to grade crossing projects). However,
these 50-50 match funds contain three eligibility restrictions that
differ from the 80-20 match funds:
States are the only eligible applicant type;
Proposed projects must be specifically included in the
applicant's Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) at the
time of application to be eligible; and
States must include intercity passenger rail services as
an integral part of statewide transportation planning as required under
23 U.S.C. 135.
3.1.4 Evaluation Criteria
The FRA intends to award funds to grade crossing projects that
achieve the maximum public benefits possible, given the amount of
funding available. Analysis provided by applicants that quantifies the
monetary value (whenever possible) of the anticipated public benefits
of the proposed project will be particularly relevant to the FRA in
evaluating applications.\2\ The systematic process of comparing
expected benefits and costs helps decision-makers organize information
about, and evaluate trade-offs between, alternative transportation
investments. The FRA will consider benefits and costs using standard
data and qualitative information provided by applicants and will
evaluate applications in a manner consistent with Executive Order 12893
(Principles for Federal Infrastructure Investments, 59 FR 4233), OMB
Circular A-94
[[Page 40198]]
(Guidelines and Discount Rates for Benefit-Cost Analysis of Federal
Programs), and OMB Circular A-4 (Regulatory Analysis).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Applicants are encouraged to reference Sections 1 and 2 of
the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER)
Benefit-Cost Analysis Resource Guide for recommended values to use
in monetizing benefits and costs of transportation projects. This
Resource Guide was developed by the U.S. Department of
Transportation for use in the TIGER Discretionary Grant program and
can be located on the FY14 Application Solicitation homepage at
www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The FRA intends to analyze all grade crossing applications
utilizing FRA's GradeDec tool to support the evaluation process.
GradeDec is a web-based application and decision support tool intended
for the identification and evaluation of highway-rail grade crossing
upgrades, separations, and closures. The GradeDec tool was designed for
the needs of Federal, state, and local authority decision makers, and
employs benefit-cost methodologies to assess grade crossing investment
alternatives at the corridor level or in a region. The modeling
frameworks built into the GradeDec tool were developed by the FRA and
include research findings from the Volpe National Transportation
Systems Center and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program.
Additional information on GradeDec is available at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0337.
Applications for intercity passenger rail grade crossing projects
will be reviewed by panels of DOT subject-matter experts against the
following three evaluation criteria.
Safety Benefits
The following factors will be considered in assessing a proposed
project's achievement of safety benefits:
The extent to which the proposed project will improve
safety at a crossing or series of crossings where safety incidents have
recently occurred or where a high potential exists for accidents
between pedestrian and/or vehicle traffic and intercity passenger rail
operations;
Whether the proposed project will upgrade a crossing or a
series of crossings to create a ``sealed corridor'' segment utilizing
advanced warning technology, four-quadrant gates, or median
separators--with preference to crossing closures;
The proposed project's ability to foster a safe,
connected, accessible transportation system for the multimodal movement
of people and goods;
The extent to which the proposed project conforms with
FRA's ``High-Speed Passenger Rail Safety Strategy'' guidance that was
published in November 2009 (https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L03624); and
Where applicable, the extent to which the proposed project
will improve the safety of transporting energy products on rail routes
over which both intercity passenger rail and freight rail services
operate.
Transportation Benefits
The following factors will be considered in assessing a proposed
project's achievement of non-safety related transportation benefits:
The extent to which the proposed project contributes to
other improvements to intercity passenger rail operations, as reflected
by estimated increases in operational reliability and on-time
performance, increases in average and/or top operating speeds,
increases in ridership, reductions in trip times, additional service
frequencies, and other related factors;
The extent to which a proposed project generates cross-
modal benefits for commuter rail, freight rail (including ports served
by freight rail), or highway operations and safety;
The extent to which a proposed project benefits a ``state-
supported'' intercity passenger rail service and enables state sponsors
and their partners to invest in additional capital projects; and
The extent to which the proposed project will mitigate
mobility and access barriers for all modes of transportation--including
bicycle and pedestrian enhancements--and 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.
Project Development Approach
The following factors will be considered in assessing how the
proposed project was planned and developed to date:
The applicant's progress, at the time of application, in
reaching compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
for the proposed project. Although a NEPA decision document (Record of
Decision, Finding of No Significant Impact, Categorical Exclusion
determination) is not required at the time of application, projects
that utilize innovative project delivery approaches to expedite NEPA or
are accompanied by a final NEPA determination will be looked upon
favorably during the evaluation and selection process;
The proposed project's consistency with an adopted service
development plan and state rail plan;
The quality and completeness of the proposed project's
Statement of Work, including whether a sufficient level of detail
regarding scope, schedule, and budget is provided to immediately
advance the project to award;
The level of support demonstrated for the application and
proposed project from key project partners (letters of support are
encouraged), including the infrastructure owning railroad, railroad
operator, local governments, and other relevant stakeholders;
The equitable financial participation from benefiting
entities in the project's financing;
The applicant's financial, legal, and technical capacity
to implement the project; and
Whether the engineering materials submitted with the
application are of sufficient quality to assess the proposed project's
design and constructability risks.
3.2 Positive Train Control Implementation Projects
3.2.1 Applicant Eligibility
The following entities are eligible applicants for positive train
control implementation projects:
Passenger and freight railroad carriers;
Railroad suppliers; and
State and local governments.
To be eligible for assistance, the above entities must have either
received approval of the Technology Implementation Plans (TIP) and
Positive Train Control Implementation Plans (PTCIP) required by 49
U.S.C. 20156(e)(2) and 20157, or demonstrate to the satisfaction of the
FRA that they are currently developing the required plans where
applicable. Preference will be given in the following order:
1. Entities that have completed and received FRA approval of both
their TIP and PTCIP.
2. Entities that have completed and received FRA approval of their
PTCIP.
3. Entities that have submitted their PTCIP to FRA for approval.
4. Entities that have certified to FRA progress towards completion
of their PTCIP and TIP.
5. All other eligible entities.
Collaborative project submissions by freight and passenger
carriers, suppliers, and State and local governments on eligible
projects will be evaluated more favorably.
3.2.2 Project Eligibility
The FRA is soliciting applications for projects that will benefit
the overall implementation of positive train control on freight,
intercity passenger, and commuter railroads. Given that the amount of
funding available is not likely sufficient to cover the costs necessary
to deploy positive train control on any given railroad, applications
should focus on the research and development of technologies that will
lower the costs, speed implementation, increase
[[Page 40199]]
interoperability, and improve the reliability of positive train control
systems.
The FRA is particularly interested in advancing research and
development on the following topics related to positive train control:
cybersecurity and wireless communications security, back-office
reliability, and deployment of an Interoperable Train Control Messaging
(ITCM/ITCSM) shared network for short lines and commuter railroads.
Additional information on these suggested topic areas are located on
the FY14 Application Solicitation homepage at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701. Applicants should note that these topics represent suggested
areas of interest by the FRA, and any otherwise eligible applications
meeting the criteria above will be evaluated and considered for award.
3.2.3 Non-Federal Match Requirements
The $19,827,500 made available by the FY14 Omnibus is the only
source of funding contained in this notice under which positive train
control implementation projects may be funded. The FY14 Omnibus allows
for up to an 80 percent Federal share of project costs. The required 20
percent non-Federal match may be composed of public sector (state or
local) or private sector funding. However, the FRA cannot consider any
other Federal funds, nor any non-Federal funds already expended (or
otherwise encumbered), towards the matching requirement. Additionally,
FRA is limiting the method for calculating the non-Federal match to
cash contributions only--``in-kind'' contributions will not be
accepted. Matching funds provided in excess of the minimum requirements
will be considered in evaluating the merit of an application.
3.2.4 Evaluation and Selection Criteria
The FRA intends to award funds to positive train control
implementation projects that achieve the maximum public benefits
possible, given the amount of funding available. Analysis provided by
applicants that quantifies the monetary value (whenever possible) of
the anticipated public benefits of the proposed project will be
particularly relevant to the FRA in evaluating applications.\3\ The
systematic process of comparing expected benefits and costs helps
decision-makers organize information about, and evaluate trade-offs
between, alternative transportation investments. The FRA will consider
benefits and costs using standard data and qualitative information
provided by applicants and will evaluate applications in a manner
consistent with Executive Order 12893 (Principles for Federal
Infrastructure Investments, 59 FR 4233), OMB Circular A-94 (Guidelines
and Discount Rates for Benefit-Cost Analysis of Federal Programs), and
OMB Circular A-4 (Regulatory Analysis).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Applicants are encouraged to reference Sections 1 and 2 of
the TIGER Benefit-Cost Analysis Resource Guide for recommended
values to use in monetizing benefits and costs of transportation
projects. This Resource Guide was developed by the U.S. Department
of Transportation for use in the TIGER Discretionary Grant program
and can be located on the FY14 Application Solicitation homepage at
www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications for positive train control implementation projects
will be reviewed by panels of DOT subject-matter experts against the
following three evaluation criteria.
PTC Deployment Benefits
The following factors will be considered in assessing a proposed
project's achievement of PTC deployment benefits:
The degree to which the successful implementation of the
proposed idea would advance the technical deployment of PTC, including
improvements to reliability, safety, security, and maintainability,
among others issues; and
The degree to which the successful implementation of the
proposed idea would decrease PTC implementation and maintenance costs.
Technical Merit
The following factors will be considered in assessing a proposed
project's technical merit:
The degree to which proposed ideas exhibit a sound
scientific and engineering basis;
How well the proposed ideas could be practically applied
in, and would be compatible with, the railroad environment; and
The perceived likelihood of technical and practical
success.
Project Development Approach
The following factors will be considered in assessing how the
proposed project was planned and developed to date:
The technical qualifications and demonstrated experience
of key personnel proposed to lead and perform the technical efforts,
and qualifications of primary and supporting organizations to fully and
successfully execute the proposal plan within proposed timeframe and
budget;
The degree to which proposed effort is supported by
multiple entities (letters of support are encouraged);
The affordability and degree to which the proposed effort
appears to be a good value for the amount of funding requested;
The reasonableness and realism of the proposed costs; and
The extent of proposed cost sharing or cost participation
under the proposed effort (exclusive of the applicant's prior
investment).
All evaluation criteria, when combined, are significantly more
important than cost or price alone. Technical merit is appreciably more
important than cost or price and, as such, greater consideration will
be given to technical excellence rather than cost or price alone. An
offer must be found acceptable under all applicable evaluation factors
to be considered eligible for award. Awards will be made to applicants
whose offers provide the best value to the Government in terms of
technical excellence, cost or price, and performance risk to include
consistency and accord with the objectives of the solicitation and
FRA's expressed areas of interest.
3.3 Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plans
3.3.1 Applicant Eligibility
The following entities are eligible applicants for Passenger Rail
Corridor Investment Plan projects:
States (including the District of Columbia);
Groups of States;
Interstate compacts; and
Public agencies established by one or more States and
having responsibility for providing intercity passenger rail service.
3.3.2 Project Eligibility
Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plans consist of two distinct
components: (1) A service development plan and (2) corridor-wide
environmental documentation. Applicants requesting funding to develop a
Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan must apply for any necessary
work to develop both elements, the service development plan and
corridor-wide environmental documentation. If the applicant has already
completed one of these documents or a component thereof, FRA must have
accepted that document as meeting the minimum requirements in order for
the applicant to receive a grant to complete the remaining
component(s). Similarly, applicants that have either already completed
or are in the process of developing elements of a Passenger Rail
Corridor Investment Plan through an FRA grant may request
[[Page 40200]]
additional Federal funding to expand the scope or geographic study area
of the existing planning effort. However, any additional funding
requested must result in a fully completed Passenger Rail Corridor
Investment Plan. Additionally, pursuant to the FY14 Omnibus, corridor
planning improvements grants are only available for passenger rail
corridors that are not covered by a Tier 1 Environmental Impact
Statement completed within the last ten years (since January 17, 2004).
Further guidance on the required elements of a Passenger Rail Corridor
Investment Plan is available on the FY14 Grant Application Solicitation
homepage at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
3.3.3 Non-Federal Match Requirements
The $19,827,500 made available by the FY14 Omnibus is the only
source of funding contained in this notice under which Passenger Rail
Corridor Investment Plans may be funded. The FY14 Omnibus required that
the Secretary of Transportation make no less than $20,000,000 available
for corridor planning. Although this requirement has already been met
by the Department allocating $22,000,000 to complete NEC FUTURE (as
described in Section 1.2 of this notice), the FRA intends to award
funds from the $19,827,500 remaining for additional meritorious
planning projects. The FY14 Omnibus allows for an up to 80 percent
Federal share of project costs. The required 20 percent non-Federal
match may be composed of public sector (state or local) or private
sector funding. However, the FRA cannot consider any other Federal
funds, nor any non-Federal funds already expended (or otherwise
encumbered), towards the matching requirement. Additionally, FRA is
limiting the method for calculating the non-Federal match to cash
contributions only--``in-kind'' contributions will not be accepted.
Matching funds provided in excess of the minimum requirements will be
considered in evaluating the merit of an application.
3.3.4 Evaluation and Selection Criteria
The FRA intends to award funds to Passenger Rail Corridor
Investment Plan projects that achieve the maximum public benefits
possible, given the amount of funding available. Analysis provided by
applicants that quantifies the monetary value (whenever possible) of
the anticipated public benefits of the underlying projects of the
Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan will be particularly relevant
to the FRA in evaluating applications.\4\ The systematic process of
comparing expected benefits and costs helps decision-makers organize
information about, and evaluate trade-offs between, alternative
transportation investments. The FRA will consider benefits and costs
using standard data and qualitative information provided by applicants
and will evaluate applications in a manner consistent with Executive
Order 12893 (Principles for Federal Infrastructure Investments, 59 FR
4233), OMB Circular A-94 (Guidelines and Discount Rates for Benefit-
Cost Analysis of Federal Programs), and OMB Circular A-4 (Regulatory
Analysis).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Applicants are encouraged to reference Sections 1 and 2 of
the TIGER Benefit-Cost Analysis Resource Guide for recommended
values to use in monetizing benefits and costs of transportation
projects. This Resource Guide was developed by the U.S. Department
of Transportation for use in the TIGER Discretionary Grant program
and can be located on the FY14 Application Solicitation homepage at
www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applications for Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan projects
will be reviewed by panels of DOT subject-matter experts against the
following two evaluation criteria:
Potential Transportation and Other Public Benefits
The following factors will be considered in assessing a proposed
project's potential achievement of transportation and other public
benefits:
The clarity and detail with which the applicant has
identified the need to be addressed by the proposed service;
The market potential of the corridor being studied, taking
into consideration such factors as population demographics, density,
economic activity, and travel patterns;
The potential for the corridor investment to deliver high-
speed and intercity passenger rail service benefits, including
ridership, on-time performance reliability, travel time, service
frequencies, safety, and other factors;
The extent to which the Passenger Rail Corridor Investment
Plan will examine and evaluate non-transportation issues that could
provide public benefits, including but not limited to land use,
economic development, energy efficiency and environmental quality,
transportation network resilience, social equity and environmental
justice, and strengthening opportunities for upward socioeconomic
mobility; and
The consideration and integration of other transportation
modes in the planning process and the proposed service's ability to
foster a safe, connected, accessible transportation system for the
multimodal movement of people and goods.
Future Program Viability and Sustainability
The following factors will be considered in assessing the potential
viability and sustainability of the intercity passenger rail service
under consideration in the Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan:
The likelihood that the final deliverables (service
development plan and environmental decision document) will be completed
and of sufficient quality to be implemented upon completion of the
proposed cooperative agreement;
The demonstrated institutional commitment of the State and
all other key stakeholders to quickly execute the program once planning
is complete;
The degree to which the planning process meaningfully
incorporates input from affected communities, local governments,
regional councils and planning organizations, neighboring States,
railroads, transportation modal partners, environmental interests,
workforce investment boards, the public and other stakeholders--early
and throughout the process;
The level of support demonstrated for the application,
proposed study, and underlying projects from key project partners
(letters of support are encouraged);
The likelihood that the corridor(s) being studied can
yield measurable service and public benefits in a reasonable period of
time; and
The demonstrated ability of the applicant and other
project partners to support the future capital and operating needs of
the corridor(s) being studied.
3.4 Selection Criteria
In addition to the evaluation criteria outlined above that is
unique for each of the three project types covered by this notice, the
FRA Administrator will apply the following selection criteria to
further ensure that the projects selected for funding advance FRA's
current mission and key priorities
Alignment with the DOT Strategic Goals and Priorities
Improving transportation safety;
Maintaining transportation infrastructure in a state of
good repair;
Promoting economic competitiveness;
Advancing environmentally sustainable transportation
policies;
Furthering the six ``Livability Principles'' developed by
DOT with the Department of Housing and Urban
[[Page 40201]]
Development and the Environmental Protection Agency as part of the
Partnership for Sustainable Communities;\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ https://www.sustainablecommunities.gov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enhancing quality of life; and
Building ladders of opportunity to expand the middle
class. Proposed projects and planning studies that demonstrate the
ability to provide reliable, safe and affordable transportation choices
to connect economically disadvantaged populations, non-drivers, senior
citizens, and persons with disabilities in disconnected communities
with employment, training and education will receive particular
consideration during project selection.
Project Delivery Performance
The applicant's track record in successfully delivering
previous FRA and DOT grants on time, on budget, and for the full
intended scope;
The applicant's means for achieving satisfactory
continuing control over project assets in a timely manner, including,
but not limited to, public ownership of project assets or agreements
with railroad operators and infrastructure owners at the time of
application; and
The extent to which the proposed project complements
previous FRA or DOT awards.
Region/Location
The extent to which the proposed project increases the
economic productivity of land, capital, or labor at specific locations,
particularly in economically distressed areas;
Ensuring appropriate level of regional balance across the
country;
Ensuring consistency with national transportation and rail
network objectives; and
Ensuring integration with other rail services and
transportation modes.
Innovation/Resource Development
Pursuing new rail technologies that result in favorable
public return on investment and ensure delivery of project benefits;
Promoting innovations that demonstrate the value of new
approaches to, among other things, transportation funding and finance,
contracting, project delivery, congestion management, safety
management, asset management, or long-term operations and maintenance;
Advancing the state of the art in modeling techniques for
assessing costs and benefits;
Promoting domestic manufacturing, supply, and industrial
development; and
Developing professional railroad engineering, operating,
planning, and management capacity.
Partnerships
For projects that span multiple jurisdictions (States or
local governments), emphasizing those that have organized multi-
jurisdictional partnerships with joint planning and prioritization of
investments;
Strengthening human capital and workforce opportunities,
particularly for low-income workers or for people in economically
distressed areas;
Employing creative approaches to ensure workforce
diversity and use of disadvantaged and minority business enterprises,
including opportunities for small businesses and disadvantaged business
enterprises, including veteran-owned small businesses and service-
disabled veteran-owned small businesses; and
Engaging local communities and other stakeholder groups in
the project in a way that offers an opportunity for meaningful
engagement in the process.
Section 4: Application and Submission Information
4.1 Submission Dates and Times
Complete applications must be submitted to Grants.gov no later than
5:00 p.m. EDT, September 15, 2014. Applicants are strongly encouraged
to apply early to ensure that all materials are received before this
deadline.
4.2 Application Procedures
To apply for funding through Grants.gov, applicants must be
properly registered. Complete instructions on how to register and
submit an application can be found at Grants.gov. Registering with
Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, it can take up to several
weeks for first-time registrants to receive confirmation and a user
password. FRA recommends that applicants start the registration process
as early as possible to prevent delays that may preclude submitting an
application package by the application deadline. Applications will not
be accepted after the due date. Delayed registration is not an
acceptable justification for an application extension.
In order to apply for funding under this announcement and to apply
for funding through Grants.gov, all applicants are required to complete
the following:
1. Acquire a DUNS Number. A Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number is required for Grants.gov registration. The Office of
Management and Budget requires that all businesses and nonprofit
applicants for Federal funds include a DUNS number in their
applications for a new award or renewal of an existing award. A DUNS
number is a unique nine-digit sequence recognized as the universal
standard for identifying and keeping track of entities receiving
Federal funds. The identifier is used for tracking purposes and to
validate address and point of contact information for Federal
assistance applicants, recipients, and sub recipients. The DUNS number
will be used throughout the grant life cycle. Obtaining a DUNS number
is a free, one-time activity. Applicants may obtain a DUNS number by
calling 1-866-705-5711 or by applying online at https://www.dnb.com/us.
2. Acquire or Renew Registration with the System for Award
Management (SAM) Database. All applicants for Federal financial
assistance must maintain current registrations in the System for Award
Management (SAM) database. An applicant must be registered in SAM to
successfully register in Grants.gov. The SAM database is the repository
for standard information about Federal financial assistance applicants,
recipients, and sub recipients. Organizations that have previously
submitted applications via Grants.gov are already registered with SAM,
as it is a requirement for Grants.gov registration. Please note,
however, that applicants must update or renew their SAM registration at
least once per year to maintain an active status, so it is critical to
check registration status well in advance of the application deadline.
Information about SAM registration procedures can be accessed at
www.sam.gov.
3. Acquire an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and a
Grants.gov Username and Password. Applicants must complete an AOR
profile on Grants.gov and create a username and password. Applicants
must use the organization's DUNS number to complete this step.
Additional information about the registration process is available at
www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
4. Acquire Authorization for your AOR from the E-Business Point of
Contact (E-Biz POC). The Applicant's E-Biz POC must log in to
Grants.gov to confirm a representative as an AOR. Please note that
there can be more than one AOR at an organization.
5. Search for the Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. The Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for
[[Page 40202]]
this opportunity is 20.314, titled ``Railroad Development.''
6. Submit an Application Addressing All of the Requirements
Outlined in this Funding Availability Announcement. After submitting
the application through Grants.gov, a confirmation screen will appear
on the applicant's computer screen. This screen will confirm that the
applicant has submitted an application and provide a tracking number to
track the status of the submission. Within 24 to 48 hours after
submitting an electronic application, an applicant should receive an
email validation message from Grants.gov. The validation message will
explain whether the application has been received and validated or
rejected, with an explanation. Applicants are urged to submit an
application at least 72 hours prior to the due date of the application
to allow time to receive the validation message and to correct any
problems that may have caused a rejection notification.
If an applicant experiences difficulties at any point during this
process, please call the Grants.gov Customer Center Hotline at 1-800-
518-4726, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (closed on Federal holidays).
Note: Please use generally accepted formats such as .pdf, .doc,
.docx, .xls, .xlsx and .ppt, when uploading attachments. While
applicants may imbed picture files, such as .jpg, .gif, and .bmp, in
document files, please do not submit attachments in these formats.
Additionally, the following formats will not be accepted: .com, .bat,
.exe, .vbs, .cfg, .dat, .db, .dbf, .dll, .ini, .log, .ora, .sys, and
.zip.
4.3 Content of Application
Required documents for the application package are outlined in the
checklist below. Applicants are encouraged to visit the FY14 Grant
Application Solicitation homepage on the FRA Web site to download the
required Statement of Work template, FRA's Additional Assurances and
Certifications, and the OMB Standard Forms. The FY14 Application
Solicitation homepage also contains additional guidance on the
application package and other relevant topics. The FY14 Grant
Application Solicitation homepage is located at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701. Detailed requirements for completing the Project Narrative are
located below in Section 4.3.1. Brief overviews of the Statement of
Work and Spatial Data submission requirements are provided in Sections
4.3.2 and 4.3.3, respectively.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project Type
-----------------------------------------------------------
Documents Grade Crossing Corridor
improvements PTC investment plans
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FRA Forms
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ballot] Project Narrative (see 4.3.1).............. [check] [check] [check]
[ballot] Statement of Work (see 4.3.2).............. [check] [check] [check]
[ballot] Spatial Data (see 4.3.3)................... [check] .................. Optional
[ballot] FRA's Additional Assurances and [check] [check] [check]
Certifications.....................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OMB Standard Forms
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ballot] SF 424: Application for Federal Assistance. [check] [check] [check]
[ballot] SF 424A: Budget Information-Non .................. [check] [check]
Construction.......................................
[ballot] SF 424B: Assurances-Non Construction....... .................. [check] [check]
[ballot] SF 424C: Budget Information-Construction... [check] .................. ..................
[ballot] SF 424D: Assurances-Construction........... [check] .................. ..................
[ballot] SF LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.. [check] [check] [check]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applicants must complete and submit all components of the
application package. FRA welcomes the submission of other relevant
supporting documentation that may have been developed by the applicant
(planning, NEPA, engineering and design documentation, letters of
support, etc.). In particular, applications accompanied by completed
feasibility studies, environmental determinations, and cost estimates
may be more favorably considered during the evaluation process, as they
demonstrate that an applicant has a greater understanding of the scope
and cost of the project.
Applicants should submit all application materials through
Grants.gov. For any required or supporting application materials that
an applicant is unable to submit via Grants.gov (such as oversized
engineering drawings), an applicant may submit an original and two (2)
copies to Mary Ann Mcnamara, Office of Program Delivery, Federal
Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop 20,
Washington, DC 20590. However, due to delays caused by enhanced
screening of mail delivered via the U.S. Postal Service, applicants are
advised to use other means of conveyance (such as courier service) to
assure timely receipt of materials.
4.3.1 Project Narrative
The following points describe the minimum content which will be
required in the Project Narrative component of grant applications
(additionally, FRA recommends that the Project Narrative generally
adhere to the following outline). These requirements must be satisfied
through a narrative statement submitted by the applicant, and may be
supported by spreadsheet documents, tables, maps, drawings, and other
materials, as appropriate. The Project Narrative may not exceed 25
pages in length (including any appendices). Applications containing
Project Narratives that exceed this 25 page limitation will not be
reviewed or considered for award.
The FRA recommends that applicants read this section carefully and
submit all required information. In addition to the following nine
standard elements that must be included in all Project Narratives,
applications for intercity passenger rail grade crossing improvement
projects have additional unique requirements that must be addressed in
the Project Narrative. These additional requirements are outlined
following the standard Project Narrative elements below:
1. Include a title page that lists the following elements in either
a table or formatted list: project title, location (city, State,
district), type of application
[[Page 40203]]
(e.g. grade crossing improvement, positive train control
implementation, Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plan), the applicant
organization name, the name of any co-applicants, and the amount of
Federal funding requested and the proposed non-Federal match.
2. Designate a point of contact for the applicant and provide his
or her name and contact information, including phone number, mailing
address and email address. The point of contact must be an employee of
an eligible applicant.
3. Indicate the amount of Federal funding requested, the proposed
non-Federal match, and total project cost. Additionally, identify any
other sources of Federal funds committed to the project, as well as any
pending Federal requests. Make sure to also note if the requested
Federal funding must be obligated or expended by a certain date due to
dependencies or relationships with other Federal or non-Federal funding
sources, related projects, or other factors. Finally, specify whether
Federal funding has ever previously been sought for the project and not
secured, and name the Federal program and fiscal year from which the
funding was requested.
4. Explain how the applicant meets the respective applicant
eligibility criteria for the type of funding requested, as outlined in
Section 3 of this notice.
5. Provide a brief 4-6 sentence summary of the proposed project,
capturing the transportation challenges the proposed project aims to
address, as well as the intended outcomes and anticipated benefits that
will result from the proposed project.
6. Include a detailed project description that expands upon the
brief summary required above. This detailed description should provide,
at a minimum, additional background on the transportation challenges
the project aims to address, the expected users and beneficiaries of
the project, the specific components and elements of the project, and
any other information the applicant deems necessary to justify the
proposed project. The detailed description should also clearly explain
how the proposed project meets the respective project eligibility
criteria for the type of funding requested, as outlined in Section 3 of
this notice.
7. Include a thorough discussion of how the project meets all of
the evaluation criteria for the respective project type, as outlined in
Section 3 of this notice. Applicants should note that FRA reviews
applications based upon the evaluation criteria. If an application does
not sufficiently address the evaluation criteria, it is unlikely to be
a competitive application. In responding to the criteria, applicants
are reminded to clearly identify, quantify, and compare expected
benefits and costs of proposed projects. The FRA understands that the
level of detail and sophistication of analysis that should be expected
for relatively small projects (i.e., those encouraged to be limited to
under $3,000,000 in this notice) is less than for larger, multi-million
dollar, investments.
8. Describe proposed project implementation and project management
arrangements. Include descriptions of the expected arrangements for
project contracting, contract oversight, change-order management, risk
management, and conformance to Federal requirements for project
progress reporting.
9. Describe anticipated environmental or historic preservation
impacts associated with the proposed project (or underlying projects
for Passenger Rail Corridor Investment Plans), any environmental or
historic preservation analyses that have been prepared, and progress
toward completing any environmental documentation or clearance required
for the proposed project under the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), section 4(f) of
the DOT Act, the Clean Water Act, or other applicable Federal or State
laws. Applicants and grantees under FRA's financial assistance programs
are encouraged to contact FRA and obtain preliminary direction
regarding the appropriate NEPA class of action and required
environmental documentation. Generally, projects will be ineligible to
receive funding if they have begun construction activities prior to the
applicant/grantee receiving written approval from FRA that all
environmental and historical analyses have been completed. Additional
information regarding FRA's environmental processes and requirements
can be located on the FY14 Grant Application Solicitation homepage at
www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
Additional Project Narrative Requirements for Intercity Passenger Rail
Grade Crossing Improvement Applications
In addition to the nine standard Project Narrative elements
required above, applicants for intercity passenger rail grade crossing
improvement projects must specify the following location and crossing
characteristics of the proposed grade crossing project (if the proposed
project involves multiple crossings, the following information must be
provided for each crossing):
Locality--City/town, county, and cross streets;
Right-of-Way Owner--Railroad right-of-way owner/host
railroad, railroad milepost number, and DOT crossing inventory number;
Crossing Characteristics--Number of railroad tracks,
number of roadway traffic lanes, existing traffic control devices,
average annual daily traffic (and year calculated), volume of truck
traffic, and the history of train-vehicle and train-pedestrian
accidents at the crossing (including fatalities);
Rail Service Characteristics--Existing and planned rail
services within the project boundaries (freight, commuter, and
intercity passenger rail service), name of the corresponding service
operators, existing and planned top operating speeds, and average
number of daily one-way train operations (i.e. one daily round trip
should be counted as two daily one-way operations); and
Areas of significant concern--Schools, hospitals, first
responders, or other emergency services providers in the vicinity of
the crossing.
4.3.2 Statement of Work
Applicants are required to submit a Statement of Work (SOW) that
addresses the scope, schedule, and budget for the proposed project if
it were to be selected for award. The SOW should contain sufficient
detail so that both FRA and the applicant can understand the expected
outcomes of the proposed work to be performed and monitor progress
toward completing project tasks and deliverables during a prospective
grant's period of performance. The FRA has developed SOW templates for
each of the three project types covered under this notice that
applicants must adhere to if they wish to be considered for award. The
SOW templates are located on the FY14 Grant Application Solicitation
homepage at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
4.3.3 Spatial Data
Applicants for intercity passenger rail grade crossing improvement
projects are required to submit spatial data concerning their proposed
projects to the FRA. This data allows the FRA to quickly orient the
locations of grade crossings on the railroad and surrounding
environment, and will assist the FRA in the review of applications.
While not required, applicants for Passenger Rail Corridor Investment
Plans are also encouraged to
[[Page 40204]]
submit spatial data for any potential routes under consideration in the
planning study, if known. Spatial data must be submitted to the FRA
through grants.gov in either shapefile or Keyhole Markup Language (KML)
file formats, utilizing the World Geodetic System (WGS) 84 datum
standard. Additional guidance and instructions concerning the
submission of spatial data is available on the FY14 Grant Application
Solicitation homepage at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
Section 5: Award Administration Information
5.1 Award Notices
Applications selected for funding will be announced after the
application review period. FRA will contact applicants with successful
applications after announcement with information and instructions about
the award process. Notification of a selected application is not an
authorization to begin proposed project activities.
The period of performance for grants awarded under this notice is
dependent upon the project and will be determined on a grant-by-grant
basis. Extensions to the period of performance will be considered only
through written requests to the FRA with specific and compelling
justifications for why an extension is required. Any obligated funding
that has not been spent by the grantee and reimbursed by the FRA upon
completion of the grant will be deobligated.
5.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements
The grantee and any subgrantee must comply with all applicable laws
and regulations. A non-exclusive list of administrative and national
policy requirements that grantees must follow includes: Procurement
standards, compliance with Federal civil rights laws and regulations,
disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE), debarment and suspension,
drug-free workplace, FRA's and OMB's Assurances and Certifications,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), labor standards, safety
oversight, environmental protection, National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), environmental justice, and Buy America or Buy American
provisions (as applicable).
5.3 General Requirements
The grantee must comply with all post-award reporting, auditing,
monitoring, and close-out requirements, as described on the FY14 Grant
Application Solicitation homepage at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701.
Section 6: Agency Contact
For further information regarding this notice and the grants
program, please contact Mary Ann McNamara, Office of Program Delivery,
Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Mail Stop
20, Washington, DC 20590; Email: maryann.mcnamara@dot.gov; Phone: (202)
493-6393; Fax: (202) 493-6333.
Authority: Sec. 192, Pub. L. 113-76, 128 Stat. 603; Pub. L. 111-
117, 123 Stat. 3056-57; Pub. L. 111-8, 123 Stat. 934-5; Pub. L. 110-
161, 121 Stat. 2393-4.
Corey Hill,
Director, Office of Program Delivery.
[FR Doc. 2014-16172 Filed 7-10-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
