Ohio Grantee Meeting

Large, Small Urban and Rural Systems

SAFETEA-LU Update

September 19, 2006

Marisol SimonRegional Administrator

Dwight SinksRegional Civil Rights Officer

Donald GismondiDeputy Regional Administrator

Nancy-Ellen ZusmanRegional Counsel

Melody Hopson, P.E.Cyrell McLemoreAndrea Orr

General Engineers

Derek DavisLisa JoinerOscar Waller

Transportation Program Specialists

Rhonda Reed--DirectorOffice of Planning & Program Development

Dominick Gatto, P.E.--DirectorOffice of Program Management & Oversight

Vanessa AdamsVictor AustinStewart McKenzieDavid WernerBill Wheeler

Community Planners

Linda GloverAndrew Minyo

Transportation Representatives

Region 5 Organization

Office of Planning and Program Development

• Planning – TIP/STIP reviews, planning certification reviews

• Grant development and approval• Environmental reviewsOffice of Program Management • Post grant award activities • Oversight activities

Job Access and Reverse Commute Program

• Supports the development and maintenance of transportation programs that offer job access and reverse commute services to people with lower incomes

• Includes capital and operating costs • Now formula program instead of discretionary• States and designated recipients must select grantees

competitively• Formula-Funds Apportioned to States• Direct Apportionment to UZA >200,000• Operating Match is 50-50• Capital/Planning Match is 80-20• 10% for Administration, Planning, and Technical

Assistance

New Freedom

• New formula program• Enhances transportation for people

with disabilities• “New” public transportation

services • Alternatives to public

transportation “beyond the ADA”

New Freedom

• Based on Population of People with Disabilities-identified by US Census (over age 5)

• Apportioned to the State• Direct Apportionment to UZA > 200,000• Operating at 50-50/Capital at 80-20• 10% for Administration, Planning, and

Technical Assistance

New Freedom

• New Fixed Route– New Routes or Services – All New Service has to meet ADA

requirements

• Environmental Modifications – beyond what is required in ADA– Enhancements including signage,

curb cuts, technologies to enhance customer access

New Freedom

PARATRANSIT: • Expanded Hours for Paratransit• Paratransit Beyond ¾ mile• Same Day Service• Door THROUGH Door• Flex Route for Commuter bus or

rail access

New Freedom

• Accessible Taxi• Administration of Volunteer

Programs• Travel Training• Mobility Management

Elderly Persons and Persons with Disabilities

• Grants to states for capital costs for services for elderly persons and persons with disabilities

• No change in formula based on number of elderly persons and persons with disabilities

• States must select grantees competitively

Human Service Transportation Coordinated Plan

Three programs must be included: • Elderly Persons and Persons with

Disabilities (Section 5310) • Job Access and Reverse Commute

(Section 5316)• New Freedom (Section 5317)

Coordinated Plan

• Coordinate services so as to minimize the duplication of efforts, enhance services and service options for people with disabilities, people with lower incomes, and seniors

• Must be developed through a process that includes representatives of public, private, and non-profit transportation and human services providers, as well as the public

• Coordinated plans are created for entire regions or jurisdictions

Coordinated Plan Elements

• Assessment of available services (public, private, non-profit)

• Strategies to address gaps and achieve efficiencies

• Priorities for implementation

Coordinated Plan Partners

• Transportation providers - public and private and non-profit

• Human service agencies• MPOs• Consumers/Advocates• Others

The Plan Lists Both Objectives and Outcomes for Coordination

The process of building a coordinated plan involves several important steps:

• CollaborationCollaboration• Public Involvement Public Involvement • Assessment of Needs and ResourcesAssessment of Needs and Resources• Identification of StrategiesIdentification of Strategies

Designated Recipient

• Responsible for implementing a competitive selection process and managing the program

• A state agency designated by the Governor to administer the JARC and NFP in small urban and rural areas

• A public entity designated by the Governor in coordination with local officials in urban areas over 200,000 in population

Designated Recipient

• Elderly program funds are allocated to the states

• States may make grants to private non-profit organizations and to public agencies if they are designated to provide coordinated service

Competitive Selection

• Designated Recipients in large urban areas must coordinate with the MPOs in conducting the competitive selection process

• In regions under 200,000 in population, the State is the recipient of funding and is solely responsible for conducting the competitive selection process

Competitive Selection

• Develop Process for Competition– Frequency of competition– Selection process– Public notification – Open competition– Evaluation criteria and project

selection• Certification of Fair and Equitable

Distribution

Relation to Metropolitan and Statewide Planning

• May occur within the context of the metropolitan transportation planning process or it may outside the confines of that process, depending on local choice

• Projects selected from the coordinated plan must be included in the Transportation Plan, TIP and the STIP

JARC/New Freedom/Sec. 5310

September 6, Federal Register Notice

• Draft Program Circulars - JARC, New Freedom, Section 5310 available for public comment

• Includes guidance for implementing the coordinated plan

United We Ride

• Use the United We Ride Framework for Action for creating the coordinated plan

• www.unitedweride.gov

New Starts

• New Small Starts Program• New Discretionary Program for

Alternatives Analysis (Sec. 5339) $25 million in FY 06

• Ratings – Five Levels (formerly three)• Revised Criteria• Revised Project Development and

Project Evaluation Procedures

Small Starts

• Capital Grants for New Fixed Guideway Systems and Extension and Bus Corridor Improvements – For projects requesting less than $75 million

in New Starts Funds– Total project cost must be less than $250

million

– Streamlined criteria and process • Separate funding category beginning in

FY 07 ($100 million proposed)

Small Starts Definition

• Must be a fixed guideway; or• Have at least 50% of the project in fixed

guideway during peak periods; or• Be a corridor-based BRT with stations,

signal priority, low floor vehicles, corridor branding, 10 minute peak/15 minute off-peak headways

Small Starts

• Non-Fixed Guideway Corridor Improvements (e.g., Bus Rapid Transit) allowed

• Large Starts projects may not be sub-divided into several “Small Starts” projects

• Exemption for Projects Under $25 Million Eliminated– All projects receiving funding must be

analyzed and rated

Small Starts

Simplified Development Process– Planning and Alternatives Analysis– Project Development

• Eliminates separate approval into PE and FD

– Construction • Multi-year Project Construction Grant Agreement

Very Small Starts

• Proposed minimum current ridership requirement - 3000 average weekday

• Less than $50 million in cost or less than $3 million per mile

• “Small Starts” projects may not be sub-divided into several “Very Small Starts” projects

Very Small Starts

• Simplified technical approaches to estimating costs and benefits.

• Develop project “warrants” based on the nature of the project and effect on mobility and land use benefits.

New Starts/Small Starts

• Guidance on New Starts Polices and Procedures - May 16, 2006

• Proposed Small Starts Interim Guidance June 5, 2006

• Small Starts Interim Guidance – August 8, 2006

• New Starts NPRM – Fall 2006• Final Rule - 2007

Non Urbanized Area Formula Program Sec. 5311

• For public transportation in rural areas and small urban areas under 50,000 in population

• State administered program• Funds apportioned on a formula basis to

the states for transportation services in rural areas

Section 5311 cont

• The Program of Projects must provide maximum feasible coordination with transportation services funded by other Federal sources

• State must expend at least 15% for intercity bus including activities such as:– Coordinating rural connections between

transit operators and intercity bus carriers, or certify that needs are met

• The 15% allowed for state administration can support, coordination, planning, and technical assistance

Section 5311 continued

• Recipients must submit data on service levels, costs, and revenues to the National Transit Database (NTD)– total annual revenue– sources of revenue – annual operating and capital costs– fleet size – type and related facilities – revenue vehicle miles – ridership

National Transit Database

• FTA's primary national database for statistics on the transit industry

• State DOT provides a consolidated report to NTD for Section 5311

• www.ntdprogram.com

Transportation Cooperative Research Program Reports

• Effective Approaches to Meeting Rural Intercity Bus Transportation Needs, Report 79

• Toolkit for Rural Community Coordinated Transportation Services, Report 101

• www.tcrponline.org• www.trb.org

5307 Urbanized Area Program

• Transit enhancement activities are no longer a “set-aside”.

• All recipients must certify that 1% is being used for security.

Statewide and Metropolitan Planning NPRM

• Safety/Security de-coupled to emphasize each

• Expanded environmental factor to “promote consistency” with planned growth and economic development

• Plans must discuss environmental mitigation

• New consultations• Expanded Participation Plan

Planning NPRM

• Transportation planning should be consistent with regional transit security strategies.

• Plans should incorporate or summarize emergency relief and disaster preparedness plans, strategies, and policies that support homeland security and safeguard the personal security of all motorized and non-motorized users

Planning NPRM

• 4-Year Plan update in nonattainment and maintenance areas for transportation plans, TIPs, and STIPs

• TIPs and STIPs are 4-year programs, funds for first two years must be available and committed

Planning NPRM

• Consistent with Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Transportation Plan

• Annual listing of obligated projects, in cooperation with MPO, state and transit operator

• Visualization techniques to improve understanding of transportation plans and programs

Planning NPRM

• Published June 9, 2006• Target Final Rule Publication: Early

2007• SAFETEA-LU Phase-In Date: July 1,

2007

Environmental Determinations & Grant Requirements

• Categorical Exclusions (CE)

Activities known to have little or no adverse effects

Requirement for grant -Choose applicable citation in the grant application

Environmental Determinations & Grant Requirements

• Documented CEs Activities that may, under certain circumstances, have adverse effects

Grant Requirement – additional information on project site and surrounding land use must be submitted with grant application.

Use FTA CE Checklist & Attach to Grant Application

Environmental Determinations & Grant Requirements

• Environmental Assessment

Activities /projects where the significance of environmental impacts cannot be readily determined

Grant Requirement – complete EA; receipt of FONSI necessary to proceed with grant

Environmental Determinations & Grant Requirements

• Factors to be considered when deciding between a documented CE and an EA

1. The likely level of public interest or controversy associated with a project

2. The need to consider alternatives, and3. The need to mitigate multiple categories

Environmental Determinations & Grant Requirements

• Environmental Impact Statement

Major projects that significantly effect the environment

Grant Requirement – Prepare EIS; Record of Decision required to proceed with grant

SAFETEA-LU Environmental Review Process (Section 6002)

• Changes to existing FHWA & FTA procedures for implementing NEPA

• New review process for projects developed as EIS

• Promote efficient project management by lead agencies

• Enhance coordination with other federal, state, local & tribal government agencies during project development

Grant Processing

• All information must be in TEAM• Certifications and Assurances• Civil Rights Requirements• Recipient Information Updated• Grant Numbers• Project Information• Budget• Milestones• Environmental Findings• Fleet Status

Grant Processing Cont’d

• Planning DocumentationAll project must be in the current

approved STIPInclude in grant application:

Copy of TIP/STIP page(s)Copy of TIP cover pageCopy of FTA approval letter

Grant Processing, Cont’d

• ITS Projects• CMAQ Transfers & Documentation• Toll Revenue Credit Letter• Land Acquisition Documentation

Program Management & Oversight

Annual Grantee Oversight AssessmentRegional Oversight (e.g. Site Visit, Written Guidance,

Meeting, Training)Program Specific Reviews

• Triennial• Financial Management• Procurement • Safety and Security• Civil Rights • State Management • ITS

Triennial Reviews

Mandated by Congressional Law

Important Performance Measure for FTA

Technical Assistance Added to Program

80% of Review Findings Closed Out by Due Date-FTA Core Accountability

Triennial Reviews

Findings Summary– Diligent; Attentive; Knowledgeable– Average number is 6– Key Concerns—Maintenance; ADA; Charter; Drug & Alcohol

Grantee Ideas for Successful Review– Start and maintain File– Study the previous Review – Schedule (flexible) to include agency staff– Garner ideas from Consultant when on-site– Follow-up on Findings before due date

Ohio Reviews in 2006– Ohio DOT State Management Review– Akron Metro; COTA; Sandusky; Stark Area; SORTA; TARTA

Questions and Wrap Up

Contact InformationMarisol R. Simon, Regional AdministratorFederal Transit Administration200 West Adams Street, Suite 320Chicago, IL 60606312-353-2789

Dominick J. Gatto, PEDominick.Gatto@dot.gov

Vanessa AdamsVanessa.Adams@dot.gov

David Werner David.Werner@dot.gov

Oscar WallerOscar.Waller@dot.gov

Website - www.fta.dot.gov