Selection of Public Transportation Resilience Projects in Response to Hurricane Sandy, 65762-65765 [2014-26244]

Download as PDF 65762 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 214 / Wednesday, November 5, 2014 / Notices 24783; FMCSA–2008–0231; FMCSA– 2010–0187; FMCSA–2011–0124; FMCSA–2012–0161; FMCSA–2012– 0279’’ in the ‘‘Keyword’’ box and click ‘‘Search.’’ Next, click ‘‘Open Docket Folder’’ button choose the document listed to review. If you do not have access to the Internet, you may view the docket online by visiting the Docket Management Facility in Room W12–140 on the ground floor of the DOT West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., ET., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Issued on: October 27, 2014. Larry W. Minor, Associate Administrator for Policy. [FR Doc. 2014–26273 Filed 11–4–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration Selection of Public Transportation Resilience Projects in Response to Hurricane Sandy Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT. ACTION: Announcement of project selections for resilience projects in response to Hurricane Sandy. AGENCY: The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the selection of public transportation resilience projects in response to Hurricane Sandy under the Emergency Relief Program. These projects are funded under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, which made approximately $10.9 billion available for public transportation systems impacted by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. This amount was subsequently reduced to $10.2 billion by sequestration and intergovernmental transfers of funds to other bureaus and offices within DOT. On December 26, 2013, FTA published a Federal Register SUMMARY: Notice (78 FR 78486) announcing the availability of approximately $3 billion for projects that will reduce the risk of damage from future disasters in the areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy. FTA has allocated the maximum amount available for resilience projects: $3.592 billion. Resilience projects awarded in this notice are subject to the recently issued Final Rule for the Emergency Relief Program, which was published in the Federal Register on October 7, 2014 (79 FR 60349). FTA has published additional guidance on policies and procedures for competitive resilience funding in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQs) at www.fta.dot.gov/emergencyrelief. Recipients are responsible for monitoring this Web site for additional guidance. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact the appropriate FTA Regional Office found at https://www.fta.dot.gov. For program-specific questions, or additional information about project selections, please contact Adam Schildge, Office of Program Management, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590, phone: (202) 366–0778, or email, adam.schildge@ dot.gov. For legal questions, please contact Bonnie Graves, Office of Chief Counsel, same address, phone: (202) 366–4011, or email, Bonnie.Graves@ dot.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Table of Contents A. Overview of Resilience Project Selections B. Award Administration C. Pre-Award Authority D. Grant Requirements E. Reporting Requirements A. Overview of Resilience Project Selections As a result of Hurricane Sandy, and in accordance with the Stafford Act, President Obama declared a major disaster in late 2012 for 12 States and the District of Columbia affected by Hurricane Sandy, making public transportation agencies in specified counties in those States eligible for financial assistance under FTA’s Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program. The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act (Pub. L. 113–2) provides $10.9 billion for FTA’s Emergency Relief Program for recovery, relief and resilience efforts in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy, with approximately $10.2 billion still available after implementation of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 2011 (Pub. L. 112–25) and after intergovernmental transfers to other bureaus and offices within DOT. FTA has allocated approximately $9.27 billion in multiple tiers for response, recovery and rebuilding, for locallyprioritized resilience projects, and, now for competitively selected resilience projects. In addition, FTA has reserved approximately $817 million for remaining unfunded recovery expenses. On March 29, 2013 FTA announced the allocation of $2 billion for response and recovery expenses. On May 29, 2013, FTA announced the allocation of an additional $2.4 billion for response and recovery, including long term rebuilding, and $1.3 billion for locally prioritized resilience improvements. On December 26, 2013, FTA published a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for approximately $3 billion for capital projects to reduce the risk of damage to public transportation systems from future disasters in the areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy. FTA received 61 eligible project proposals from 10 applicants requesting a total of over $6.6 billion. The proposed projects were evaluated based on the criteria and policy priorities described in the NOFA. This notice allocates $3,591,883,625 to 9 applicants for 40 of the 61 proposed resilience projects. The following chart illustrates the overall allocation of funding under the FTA Emergency Relief Program and the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act: Applicants Available funding Eligibility criteria Response, Recovery & Rebuilding. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Award type Affected FTA Recipients ................................. $4.4 billion .................. Locally-Prioritized Resilience. Competitive Resilience MTA, NJT, PANYNJ, NYCDOT ...................... $1.3 billion .................. Damage assessments submitted by affected agencies and reviewed by FTA, and costs incurred by affected agencies. Resilience Projects and Project Components. (1) States, (2) public transportation agencies that receive funding through FTA formula programs, (3) other entities responsible for an eligible public transportation capital project that enter into a subrecipient arrangement with an existing FTA grantee, and (4) entities that provide intercity passenger rail service. $3.6 billion .................. Resilience Projects Announced in this Notice. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:42 Nov 04, 2014 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00148 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\05NON1.SGM 05NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 214 / Wednesday, November 5, 2014 / Notices 65763 Award type Applicants Available funding Eligibility criteria Response, Recovery & Rebuilding. Affected FTA Recipients ................................. Direct Transfer Resilience 1. Eligible DOT grantees/funding recipients implementing programs authorized under titles 23 and 49 U.S.C. $817 million (to be announced in a subsequent notice). $185 million ................ Damage assessments submitted by affected agencies and reviewed by FTA, and costs incurred by affected agencies. Funds allocated for projects intended to be undertaken by entities that are not current FTA recipients may be transferred to other DOT entities for administration. Additional transfers may be requested for resilience projects included in this notice. 1 The Secretary is authorized by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act to transfer emergency relief resilience funding to other DOT operating administrations for eligible projects. Selected resilience projects are shown in Table 1. Allocations may be less than requested if either a scalable scope and amount was provided by the applicant, or if FTA has identified a reduced scope and amount for award. The awarded amounts represent a 75 percent Federal share of the total project cost. Applicants are required to provide a 25 percent matching cost share. The local share may be provided from an undistributed cash surplus, a replacement or depreciation cash fund or reserve, or new capital. In addition to local and State funds, non-Federal match may include the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, including CDBG Disaster Recovery (CDBG–DR) funds that are available for transportation purposes. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES B. Award Administration Recipients are required to submit a grant application electronically via FTA’s Transportation Electronic Award Management system (TEAM), and should work with their FTA Regional Office to develop and submit their application in TEAM so that funds can be obligated expeditiously. Grant applications in TEAM may only include eligible activities under the Emergency Relief program. Upon award, payments to recipients will be made by electronic transfer to the recipient’s financial institution through FTA’s Electronic Clearing House Operation (ECHO) system. A discretionary project identification number has been assigned to each project for tracking purposes and must be used in FTA’s electronic grants management system. Successful intercity rail projects may be transferred to the FRA for administration and oversight at the project sponsor’s request. Although Section 904(c) of the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act requires that funds received under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act be expended within two years of obligation, OMB issued a waiver of this requirement for grants awarded under FTA’s Emergency Relief Program. In VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:42 Nov 04, 2014 Jkt 235001 issuing this waiver, OMB stated an expectation that Federal agencies and grantees will work together to ensure that funds obligated under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act are expended in a timely manner. Recipients are advised to work with their FTA regional office to develop a timeline for project development and award. While there is not a defined timeframe in which these funds must be obligated and expended, all projects should be undertaken and completed in accordance with the project application and grant agreement and all identified milestones. FTA will use the projected milestones at the time of grant award to estimate future program expenditures and to provide information on Hurricane Sandy resilience progress to Congress. There are some cases where the allocated amount is less than the full amount of funding requested. In these cases, the amount allocated will fund either a reduced scope alternative provided by the applicant or identified by FTA. Funds awarded to a resilience project may only be used for the project scope associated with the amount awarded. A recipient may utilize other sources of funding such as local priority resilience funding or FTA formula program funds for the non-funded elements of the proposed project. Recipients that were awarded less than their request should work with their FTA regional office to ensure the funds are obligated for the project scope associated with the amount awarded. C. Pre-Award Authority Pre-award authority allows affected FTA recipients to incur certain project costs before grant approval and retain the eligibility of those costs for subsequent reimbursement after grant approval. Previously, FTA extended pre-award authority for costs associated with the environmental review, as well as design and engineering expenses for selected projects. These costs remain eligible for reimbursement or may count towards the local match, regardless of the date incurred. Pre-award authority PO 00000 Frm 00149 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 for other project costs is extended as of September 22, 2014, if the project costs meet the criteria described below. If a recipient is unsure whether a cost incurred prior to September 22 is eligible for pre-award authority or to be counted as local match, the recipient should contact their FTA regional office. Consistent with FTA policy on preaward authority, a project must have met all applicable Federal requirements prior to incurring expenses. The recipient assumes all risk and is responsible for ensuring that all applicable Federal program and grant requirements are met to retain eligibility. Recipients are also advised that incurring certain project costs prior to NEPA completion may render the entire project ineligible for Federal assistance. Therefore, FTA strongly encourages all recipients to consult with the appropriate FTA regional office regarding the anticipated environmental review requirements and the applicability of Federal conditions and requirements before incurring expenses under pre-award authority with the hope of future reimbursement. Pre-award authority is not a legal or implied commitment that the subject project will be approved for FTA assistance or that FTA will obligate Federal funds. Furthermore, it is not a legal or implied commitment that all items undertaken by the applicant will be eligible for inclusion in the project. The conditions under which preaward authority may be used are specified below: (i) All FTA statutory, procedural, and contractual requirements must be met. (ii) The recipient must take no action that prejudices the legal and administrative findings that the Federal Transit Administrator must make in order to approve a project. (iii) When a grant for the project is subsequently awarded, the Federal Financial Report in TEAM-Web must indicate the use of pre-award authority. Expenses incurred for projects that were not selected may not be reimbursed with competitive resilience funding. If a grantee intends to carry out E:\FR\FM\05NON1.SGM 05NON1 65764 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 214 / Wednesday, November 5, 2014 / Notices a project that was not selected for competitive resilience funding using local priority resilience funding, the grantee should contact the regional office immediately to discuss whether any expenses already incurred for the project are eligible for reimbursement. Expenses incurred for projects that were not selected may be eligible for reimbursement under FTA formula programs such as Section 5307, provided that they comply with the terms of pre-award authority and that all applicable Federal requirements were met prior to incurring costs. D. Grant Requirements Emergency Relief funds may only be used for eligible purposes as defined under 49 U.S.C. 5324 and as described in the Emergency Relief Program Rule (49 CFR part 602). Recipients of section 5324 funds must comply with all applicable Federal requirements, including FTA’s Master Agreement. Each grant for section 5324 funds will include special grant conditions, including but not limited to specific requirements of the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, Federal share, and enhanced oversight. All projects announced in this notice are subject to the labor protection provisions of Section 5333(b). Accordingly, all grants containing resilience projects will be sent to the Department of Labor for certification of transit employee protections prior to FTA approval. Proposals that receive competitive funding allocations must provide evidence of continued progress toward key project milestones, which will be determined cooperatively by FTA and the awardee within 6 months of the announcement of allocations. Projects that cease to make progress towards these milestones within an agreed-upon timeframe may have their funding allocations deobligated or rescinded. Recipients are advised that FTA is implementing an enhanced oversight process for Disaster Relief Appropriation Act funds awarded under the Emergency Relief Program. FTA intends to undertake a risk analysis of each recipient and grant to determine the appropriate level of oversight. Selected resilience projects involving intercity rail may be transferred to the FRA for administration and oversight at the project sponsor’s request. If transferred, such projects will be subject to FRA program requirements. Recipients are advised to contact FTA for additional information. E. Reporting Requirements Post-award reporting requirements include submission of the Federal Financial Report and Milestone Progress Reports in FTA’s electronic grant management system consistent with FTA’s grants management Circular 5010.1D and the special conditions of award for Hurricane Sandy Emergency Relief grants, as well as any other reporting requirements FTA determines are necessary. Therese W. McMillan, Acting Administrator. TABLE 1—PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION RESILIENCE PROJECTS IN RESPONSE TO HURRICANE SANDY Project sponsor Project title Funding ID Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT). Replacement of Norwalk River Railroad Bridge on the Northeast Corridor (Walk Bridge Replacement Project). New Haven Rail Yard Power Upgrade ........... D2013–RESL–001 ..... $160,979,022 D2013–RESL–002 ..... 8,978,750 D2013–RESL–003 ..... 21,673,689 D2013–RESL–004 ..... 13,391,443 D2013–RESL–005 ..... 25,781 D2013–RESL–006 ..... 184,493,910 D2013–RESL–007 ..... 146,548,432 D2013–RESL–008 ..... 446,312,465 D2013–RESL–009 ..... 409,764,814 D2013–RESL–010 ..... 88,903,190 D2013–RESL–011 ..... 37,084,650 D2013–RESL–012 ..... 14,861,400 D2013–RESL–013 ..... D2013–RESL–014 ..... 18,900,000 16,815,975 D2013–RESL–030 ..... 40,200,000 D2013–RESL–031 ..... 84,675,000 D2013–RESL–015 ..... 191,550,000 D2013–RESL–016 ..... 74,950,000 D2013–RESL–017 ..... 617,200,000 Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). City of Nashua, NH ......................................... New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ TRANSIT). New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ TRANSIT). New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ TRANSIT). New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ TRANSIT). New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ TRANSIT). Port Authority of New York and New Jersey .. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey .. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey .. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey .. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Port Authority of New York and New Jersey .. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey .. New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT). New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:42 Nov 04, 2014 Jkt 235001 MBTA Green Line Fenway Portal Flood proofing. MBTA Charlestown Seawall Replacement ..... Nashua Transit Facility Back-up Power Supply. Delco Lead Safe Haven Storage and Re-Inspection Facility Project. Hoboken Long Slip Flood Protection .............. NJ TRANSIT Raritan River Drawbridge Replacement Project. NJ TransitGrid ................................................. Train Controls—Wayside Signals, Power & Communication Resiliency Project. Exchange Place, Newport Station & Grove Street Station Head House Protection. Harrison Car Maintenance Facility Automatic Flood Barrier. Extension of Rail Yards .................................. Concrete Sea Wall East of PATH Harrison Car Maintenance Facility. Penn-Moynihan Station Complex Train-shed Hardening Project. World Trade Center Site and Transit Facilities Flood Mitigation and Resiliency Improvements Program. New York City Comprehensive Ferry Transit Resilience Project. Emergency Communications Enhancements (NYCT). Flood Mitigation in Yards (NYCT) ................... PO 00000 Frm 00150 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\05NON1.SGM 05NON1 Amount 65765 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 214 / Wednesday, November 5, 2014 / Notices TABLE 1—PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION RESILIENCE PROJECTS IN RESPONSE TO HURRICANE SANDY—Continued Project sponsor Project title Funding ID New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Hardening of Substations in Flood Prone Areas and Purchase of Mobile Substations (NYCT). Protection of Tunnel Portals and Internal Tunnel Sealing (NYCT). Flood Resiliency for Long Island City Yard (LIRR). Flood Resiliency for Critical Support Facilities (NYCT). Protection of Street Level Openings in Flood Prone Areas (NYCT). Metro-North Railroad Power and Signals Resiliency Improvements. Internal Station Hardening (NYCT) ................. D2013–RESL–018 ..... 112,050,000 D2013–RESL–019 ..... 43,090,000 D2013–RESL–020 ..... 19,150,000 D2013–RESL–021 ..... 24,320,000 D2013–RESL–022 ..... 300,690,000 D2013–RESL–023 ..... 37,500,000 D2013–RESL–024 ..... 19,730,000 Pumping Capacity Improvements (NYCT) ...... D2013–RESL–025 ..... 24,140,000 Right-of-Way (ROW) Equipment Hardening in Flood-Prone Areas (NYCT). New York-New Jersey River to River Rail Resiliency (R4) Project (LIRR). Rockaway Line Protections (NYCT) ............... D2013–RESL–026 ..... 63,550,000 D2013–RESL–027 ..... 81,007,104 D2013–RESL–028 ..... 136,820,000 D2013–RESL–029 ..... 44,770,000 D2013–RESL–032 ..... 9,003,000 D2013–RESL–033 ..... 18,739,000 D2013–RESL–034 ..... 3,752,000 D2013–RESL–035 ..... 32,026,000 D2013–RESL–036 ..... 14,987,000 D2013–RESL–037 ..... 4,502,000 D2013–RESL–038 ..... 3,749,000 D2013–RESL–039 ..... 13,500,000 D2013–RESL–040 ..... 7,500,000 New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Total ................................................................ [FR Doc. 2014–26244 Filed 11–4–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [U.S. DOT Docket No. NHTSA–2014–0091] Reports, Forms, and Recordkeeping Requirements mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Before a Federal agency can collect certain information from the public, it must receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Under procedures established SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:42 Nov 04, 2014 Jkt 235001 SEPTA Railroad Embankment & Slope Stabilization Project. SEPTA Sharon Hill Line Flood Mitigation Project. SEPTA Railroad Signal Power Reinforcement Project. SEPTA Jenkintown Area Flood Mitigation Project. SEPTA Manayunk/Norristown Line Shoreline Stabilization Project. SEPTA Subway Pump Room Emergency Power Project. Protecting the Subway System by Raising Ventilation Shaft Elevations. Protecting WMATA’s Existing Subway System Investment by Improving Drainage. ..................................................................... by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), before seeking OMB approval, Federal agencies must solicit public comment on proposed collections of information, including extensions and reinstatements of previously approved collections. This document describes an Information Collection Request (ICR) for which NHTSA intends to seek OMB approval. Comments must be submitted on or before January 5, 2015. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by DOT Docket ID Number NHTSA–2014–0091 using any of the following methods: Electronic submissions: Go to https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Mail: Docket Management Facility, M–30, U.S. Department of DATES: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT. ACTION: Request for public comment on proposed collection of information. AGENCY: Flood Resiliency for Critical Bus Depots (NYCT). SEPTA Ancillary Control Center Project ........ PO 00000 Frm 00151 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 ................................ Amount 3,591,883,625 Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, Washington, DC 20590. Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Fax: 1–202–493–2251. Instructions: Each submission must include the Agency name and the Docket number for this Notice. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to https:// www.regulations.gov including any personal information provided. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Wigle, Division Chief, Impaired Driving Division (NTI–111), Office of Impaired Driving and Occupant Protection, National Highway Traffic E:\FR\FM\05NON1.SGM 05NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 214 (Wednesday, November 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65762-65765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-26244]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

Selection of Public Transportation Resilience Projects in
Response to Hurricane Sandy

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Announcement of project selections for resilience projects in
response to Hurricane Sandy.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) announces the selection of public transportation
resilience projects in response to Hurricane Sandy under the Emergency
Relief Program. These projects are funded under the Disaster Relief
Appropriations Act of 2013, which made approximately $10.9 billion
available for public transportation systems impacted by Hurricane Sandy
in October 2012. This amount was subsequently reduced to $10.2 billion
by sequestration and intergovernmental transfers of funds to other
bureaus and offices within DOT. On December 26, 2013, FTA published a
Federal Register Notice (78 FR 78486) announcing the availability of
approximately $3 billion for projects that will reduce the risk of
damage from future disasters in the areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy.
FTA has allocated the maximum amount available for resilience projects:
$3.592 billion. Resilience projects awarded in this notice are subject
to the recently issued Final Rule for the Emergency Relief Program,
which was published in the Federal Register on October 7, 2014 (79 FR
60349). FTA has published additional guidance on policies and
procedures for competitive resilience funding in the form of frequently
asked questions (FAQs) at www.fta.dot.gov/emergencyrelief. Recipients
are responsible for monitoring this Web site for additional guidance.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact the appropriate FTA Regional
Office found at https://www.fta.dot.gov. For program-specific questions,
or additional information about project selections, please contact Adam
Schildge, Office of Program Management, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE.,
Washington, DC 20590, phone: (202) 366-0778, or email,
adam.schildge@dot.gov. For legal questions, please contact Bonnie
Graves, Office of Chief Counsel, same address, phone: (202) 366-4011,
or email, Bonnie.Graves@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

A. Overview of Resilience Project Selections
B. Award Administration
C. Pre-Award Authority
D. Grant Requirements
E. Reporting Requirements

A. Overview of Resilience Project Selections

As a result of Hurricane Sandy, and in accordance with the Stafford
Act, President Obama declared a major disaster in late 2012 for 12
States and the District of Columbia affected by Hurricane Sandy, making
public transportation agencies in specified counties in those States
eligible for financial assistance under FTA's Public Transportation
Emergency Relief Program.
The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act (Pub. L. 113-2) provides
$10.9 billion for FTA's Emergency Relief Program for recovery, relief
and resilience efforts in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy, with
approximately $10.2 billion still available after implementation of the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 2011 (Pub. L. 112-
25) and after intergovernmental transfers to other bureaus and offices
within DOT. FTA has allocated approximately $9.27 billion in multiple
tiers for response, recovery and rebuilding, for locally-prioritized
resilience projects, and, now for competitively selected resilience
projects. In addition, FTA has reserved approximately $817 million for
remaining unfunded recovery expenses.
On March 29, 2013 FTA announced the allocation of $2 billion for
response and recovery expenses. On May 29, 2013, FTA announced the
allocation of an additional $2.4 billion for response and recovery,
including long term rebuilding, and $1.3 billion for locally
prioritized resilience improvements.
On December 26, 2013, FTA published a Notice of Funding
Availability (NOFA) for approximately $3 billion for capital projects
to reduce the risk of damage to public transportation systems from
future disasters in the areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy. FTA received
61 eligible project proposals from 10 applicants requesting a total of
over $6.6 billion. The proposed projects were evaluated based on the
criteria and policy priorities described in the NOFA. This notice
allocates $3,591,883,625 to 9 applicants for 40 of the 61 proposed
resilience projects.
The following chart illustrates the overall allocation of funding
under the FTA Emergency Relief Program and the Disaster Relief
Appropriations Act:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Award type Applicants Available funding Eligibility criteria
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Response, Recovery & Rebuilding...... Affected FTA Recipients $4.4 billion........... Damage assessments
submitted by affected
agencies and reviewed
by FTA, and costs
incurred by affected
agencies.
Locally-Prioritized Resilience....... MTA, NJT, PANYNJ, $1.3 billion........... Resilience Projects and
NYCDOT. Project Components.
Competitive Resilience............... (1) States, (2) public $3.6 billion........... Resilience Projects
transportation Announced in this
agencies that receive Notice.
funding through FTA
formula programs, (3)
other entities
responsible for an
eligible public
transportation capital
project that enter
into a subrecipient
arrangement with an
existing FTA grantee,
and (4) entities that
provide intercity
passenger rail service.

[[Page 65763]]

Response, Recovery & Rebuilding...... Affected FTA Recipients $817 million (to be Damage assessments
announced in a submitted by affected
subsequent notice). agencies and reviewed
by FTA, and costs
incurred by affected
agencies.
Direct Transfer Resilience \1\....... Eligible DOT grantees/ $185 million........... Funds allocated for
funding recipients projects intended to
implementing programs be undertaken by
authorized under entities that are not
titles 23 and 49 U.S.C. current FTA recipients
may be transferred to
other DOT entities for
administration.
Additional transfers
may be requested for
resilience projects
included in this
notice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Secretary is authorized by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act to transfer emergency relief
resilience funding to other DOT operating administrations for eligible projects.

Selected resilience projects are shown in Table 1. Allocations may
be less than requested if either a scalable scope and amount was
provided by the applicant, or if FTA has identified a reduced scope and
amount for award. The awarded amounts represent a 75 percent Federal
share of the total project cost. Applicants are required to provide a
25 percent matching cost share. The local share may be provided from an
undistributed cash surplus, a replacement or depreciation cash fund or
reserve, or new capital. In addition to local and State funds, non-
Federal match may include the use of Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) funds, including CDBG Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds that are
available for transportation purposes.

B. Award Administration

Recipients are required to submit a grant application
electronically via FTA's Transportation Electronic Award Management
system (TEAM), and should work with their FTA Regional Office to
develop and submit their application in TEAM so that funds can be
obligated expeditiously. Grant applications in TEAM may only include
eligible activities under the Emergency Relief program. Upon award,
payments to recipients will be made by electronic transfer to the
recipient's financial institution through FTA's Electronic Clearing
House Operation (ECHO) system. A discretionary project identification
number has been assigned to each project for tracking purposes and must
be used in FTA's electronic grants management system. Successful
intercity rail projects may be transferred to the FRA for
administration and oversight at the project sponsor's request.
Although Section 904(c) of the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act
requires that funds received under the Disaster Relief Appropriations
Act be expended within two years of obligation, OMB issued a waiver of
this requirement for grants awarded under FTA's Emergency Relief
Program. In issuing this waiver, OMB stated an expectation that Federal
agencies and grantees will work together to ensure that funds obligated
under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act are expended in a timely
manner. Recipients are advised to work with their FTA regional office
to develop a timeline for project development and award. While there is
not a defined timeframe in which these funds must be obligated and
expended, all projects should be undertaken and completed in accordance
with the project application and grant agreement and all identified
milestones. FTA will use the projected milestones at the time of grant
award to estimate future program expenditures and to provide
information on Hurricane Sandy resilience progress to Congress.
There are some cases where the allocated amount is less than the
full amount of funding requested. In these cases, the amount allocated
will fund either a reduced scope alternative provided by the applicant
or identified by FTA. Funds awarded to a resilience project may only be
used for the project scope associated with the amount awarded. A
recipient may utilize other sources of funding such as local priority
resilience funding or FTA formula program funds for the non-funded
elements of the proposed project. Recipients that were awarded less
than their request should work with their FTA regional office to ensure
the funds are obligated for the project scope associated with the
amount awarded.

C. Pre-Award Authority

Pre-award authority allows affected FTA recipients to incur certain
project costs before grant approval and retain the eligibility of those
costs for subsequent reimbursement after grant approval. Previously,
FTA extended pre-award authority for costs associated with the
environmental review, as well as design and engineering expenses for
selected projects. These costs remain eligible for reimbursement or may
count towards the local match, regardless of the date incurred. Pre-
award authority for other project costs is extended as of September 22,
2014, if the project costs meet the criteria described below. If a
recipient is unsure whether a cost incurred prior to September 22 is
eligible for pre-award authority or to be counted as local match, the
recipient should contact their FTA regional office.
Consistent with FTA policy on pre-award authority, a project must
have met all applicable Federal requirements prior to incurring
expenses. The recipient assumes all risk and is responsible for
ensuring that all applicable Federal program and grant requirements are
met to retain eligibility. Recipients are also advised that incurring
certain project costs prior to NEPA completion may render the entire
project ineligible for Federal assistance. Therefore, FTA strongly
encourages all recipients to consult with the appropriate FTA regional
office regarding the anticipated environmental review requirements and
the applicability of Federal conditions and requirements before
incurring expenses under pre-award authority with the hope of future
reimbursement.
Pre-award authority is not a legal or implied commitment that the
subject project will be approved for FTA assistance or that FTA will
obligate Federal funds. Furthermore, it is not a legal or implied
commitment that all items undertaken by the applicant will be eligible
for inclusion in the project.
The conditions under which pre-award authority may be used are
specified below:
(i) All FTA statutory, procedural, and contractual requirements
must be met.
(ii) The recipient must take no action that prejudices the legal
and administrative findings that the Federal Transit Administrator must
make in order to approve a project.
(iii) When a grant for the project is subsequently awarded, the
Federal Financial Report in TEAM-Web must indicate the use of pre-award
authority.
Expenses incurred for projects that were not selected may not be
reimbursed with competitive resilience funding. If a grantee intends to
carry out

[[Page 65764]]

a project that was not selected for competitive resilience funding
using local priority resilience funding, the grantee should contact the
regional office immediately to discuss whether any expenses already
incurred for the project are eligible for reimbursement.
Expenses incurred for projects that were not selected may be
eligible for reimbursement under FTA formula programs such as Section
5307, provided that they comply with the terms of pre-award authority
and that all applicable Federal requirements were met prior to
incurring costs.

D. Grant Requirements

Emergency Relief funds may only be used for eligible purposes as
defined under 49 U.S.C. 5324 and as described in the Emergency Relief
Program Rule (49 CFR part 602).
Recipients of section 5324 funds must comply with all applicable
Federal requirements, including FTA's Master Agreement. Each grant for
section 5324 funds will include special grant conditions, including but
not limited to specific requirements of the Disaster Relief
Appropriations Act of 2013, Federal share, and enhanced oversight.
All projects announced in this notice are subject to the labor
protection provisions of Section 5333(b). Accordingly, all grants
containing resilience projects will be sent to the Department of Labor
for certification of transit employee protections prior to FTA
approval.
Proposals that receive competitive funding allocations must provide
evidence of continued progress toward key project milestones, which
will be determined cooperatively by FTA and the awardee within 6 months
of the announcement of allocations. Projects that cease to make
progress towards these milestones within an agreed-upon timeframe may
have their funding allocations deobligated or rescinded.
Recipients are advised that FTA is implementing an enhanced
oversight process for Disaster Relief Appropriation Act funds awarded
under the Emergency Relief Program. FTA intends to undertake a risk
analysis of each recipient and grant to determine the appropriate level
of oversight.
Selected resilience projects involving intercity rail may be
transferred to the FRA for administration and oversight at the project
sponsor's request. If transferred, such projects will be subject to FRA
program requirements. Recipients are advised to contact FTA for
additional information.

E. Reporting Requirements

Post-award reporting requirements include submission of the Federal
Financial Report and Milestone Progress Reports in FTA's electronic
grant management system consistent with FTA's grants management
Circular 5010.1D and the special conditions of award for Hurricane
Sandy Emergency Relief grants, as well as any other reporting
requirements FTA determines are necessary.

Therese W. McMillan,
Acting Administrator.

Table 1--Public Transportation Resilience Projects in Response to Hurricane Sandy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Project sponsor Project title Funding ID Amount
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connecticut Department of Replacement of Norwalk D2013-RESL-001......... $160,979,022
Transportation (CTDOT). River Railroad Bridge
on the Northeast
Corridor (Walk Bridge
Replacement Project).
Connecticut Department of New Haven Rail Yard D2013-RESL-002......... 8,978,750
Transportation (CTDOT). Power Upgrade.
Massachusetts Bay Transportation MBTA Green Line Fenway D2013-RESL-003......... 21,673,689
Authority (MBTA). Portal Flood proofing.
Massachusetts Bay Transportation MBTA Charlestown D2013-RESL-004......... 13,391,443
Authority (MBTA). Seawall Replacement.
City of Nashua, NH................... Nashua Transit Facility D2013-RESL-005......... 25,781
Back-up Power Supply.
New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Delco Lead Safe Haven D2013-RESL-006......... 184,493,910
TRANSIT). Storage and Re-
Inspection Facility
Project.
New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Hoboken Long Slip Flood D2013-RESL-007......... 146,548,432
TRANSIT). Protection.
New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ NJ TRANSIT Raritan D2013-RESL-008......... 446,312,465
TRANSIT). River Drawbridge
Replacement Project.
New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ NJ TransitGrid......... D2013-RESL-009......... 409,764,814
TRANSIT).
New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Train Controls--Wayside D2013-RESL-010......... 88,903,190
TRANSIT). Signals, Power &
Communication
Resiliency Project.
Port Authority of New York and New Exchange Place, Newport D2013-RESL-011......... 37,084,650
Jersey. Station & Grove Street
Station Head House
Protection.
Port Authority of New York and New Harrison Car D2013-RESL-012......... 14,861,400
Jersey. Maintenance Facility
Automatic Flood
Barrier.
Port Authority of New York and New Extension of Rail Yards D2013-RESL-013......... 18,900,000
Jersey.
Port Authority of New York and New Concrete Sea Wall East D2013-RESL-014......... 16,815,975
Jersey. of PATH Harrison Car
Maintenance Facility.
Port Authority of New York and New Penn-Moynihan Station D2013-RESL-030......... 40,200,000
Jersey. Complex Train-shed
Hardening Project.
Port Authority of New York and New World Trade Center Site D2013-RESL-031......... 84,675,000
Jersey. and Transit Facilities
Flood Mitigation and
Resiliency
Improvements Program.
New York City Department of New York City D2013-RESL-015......... 191,550,000
Transportation (NYCDOT). Comprehensive Ferry
Transit Resilience
Project.
New York Metropolitan Transportation Emergency D2013-RESL-016......... 74,950,000
Authority (MTA). Communications
Enhancements (NYCT).
New York Metropolitan Transportation Flood Mitigation in D2013-RESL-017......... 617,200,000
Authority (MTA). Yards (NYCT).

[[Page 65765]]

New York Metropolitan Transportation Hardening of D2013-RESL-018......... 112,050,000
Authority (MTA). Substations in Flood
Prone Areas and
Purchase of Mobile
Substations (NYCT).
New York Metropolitan Transportation Protection of Tunnel D2013-RESL-019......... 43,090,000
Authority (MTA). Portals and Internal
Tunnel Sealing (NYCT).
New York Metropolitan Transportation Flood Resiliency for D2013-RESL-020......... 19,150,000
Authority (MTA). Long Island City Yard
(LIRR).
New York Metropolitan Transportation Flood Resiliency for D2013-RESL-021......... 24,320,000
Authority (MTA). Critical Support
Facilities (NYCT).
New York Metropolitan Transportation Protection of Street D2013-RESL-022......... 300,690,000
Authority (MTA). Level Openings in
Flood Prone Areas
(NYCT).
New York Metropolitan Transportation Metro-North Railroad D2013-RESL-023......... 37,500,000
Authority (MTA). Power and Signals
Resiliency
Improvements.
New York Metropolitan Transportation Internal Station D2013-RESL-024......... 19,730,000
Authority (MTA). Hardening (NYCT).
New York Metropolitan Transportation Pumping Capacity D2013-RESL-025......... 24,140,000
Authority (MTA). Improvements (NYCT).
New York Metropolitan Transportation Right-of-Way (ROW) D2013-RESL-026......... 63,550,000
Authority (MTA). Equipment Hardening in
Flood-Prone Areas
(NYCT).
New York Metropolitan Transportation New York-New Jersey D2013-RESL-027......... 81,007,104
Authority (MTA). River to River Rail
Resiliency (R4)
Project (LIRR).
New York Metropolitan Transportation Rockaway Line D2013-RESL-028......... 136,820,000
Authority (MTA). Protections (NYCT).
New York Metropolitan Transportation Flood Resiliency for D2013-RESL-029......... 44,770,000
Authority (MTA). Critical Bus Depots
(NYCT).
Southeastern Pennsylvania SEPTA Ancillary Control D2013-RESL-032......... 9,003,000
Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Center Project.
Southeastern Pennsylvania SEPTA Railroad D2013-RESL-033......... 18,739,000
Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Embankment & Slope
Stabilization Project.
Southeastern Pennsylvania SEPTA Sharon Hill Line D2013-RESL-034......... 3,752,000
Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Flood Mitigation
Project.
Southeastern Pennsylvania SEPTA Railroad Signal D2013-RESL-035......... 32,026,000
Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Power Reinforcement
Project.
Southeastern Pennsylvania SEPTA Jenkintown Area D2013-RESL-036......... 14,987,000
Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Flood Mitigation
Project.
Southeastern Pennsylvania SEPTA Manayunk/ D2013-RESL-037......... 4,502,000
Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Norristown Line
Shoreline
Stabilization Project.
Southeastern Pennsylvania SEPTA Subway Pump Room D2013-RESL-038......... 3,749,000
Transportation Authority (SEPTA). Emergency Power
Project.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Protecting the Subway D2013-RESL-039......... 13,500,000
Authority (WMATA). System by Raising
Ventilation Shaft
Elevations.
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Protecting WMATA's D2013-RESL-040......... 7,500,000
Authority (WMATA). Existing Subway System
Investment by
Improving Drainage.
Total................................ ....................... ....................... 3,591,883,625
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[FR Doc. 2014-26244 Filed 11-4-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P

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