81 FR 19705 - FY 2016 Railroad Safety Technology Grant Funds
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 65 (April 5, 2016)
Federal Railroad Administration
Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 65 (April 5, 2016)
| Page Range | 19705-19709 | |
| FR Document | 2016-07780 |
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 5, 2016)] [Notices] [Pages 19705-19709] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2016-07780] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration FY 2016 Railroad Safety Technology Grant Funds AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT). ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: This notice details the application requirements and procedures for obtaining funding for eligible Railroad Safety Technology Grant projects. The opportunities described in this notice are available under Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 20.321, ``Railroad Safety Technology.'' DATES: Applications for funding under this solicitation are due no later than 5:00 p.m. DST May 20, 2016. Applications for funding received after 5:00 p.m. DST on May 20, 2016 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 Mr. Marvin Winston, Office of Program Delivery, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room W36-440, Washington, DC 20590; Email: [email protected]. 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: If you have a project related question, you may contact Dr. Mark Hartong, Scientific and Technical Advisor (Phone: (202) 493-1332; email: [email protected]), or Mr. Devin Rouse, Program Manager (Phone: (202) 493-6185, email: [email protected]). Grant application submission and processing questions should be addressed to Mr. Marvin Winston, Office of Program Delivery, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room W36-440, Washington, DC 20590; Email: [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice to applicants: 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 specific eligibility requirements that must be met. 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 The purpose of this notice is to solicit applications for grants for eligible railroad safety technology projects. Congress appropriated the funding available under this NOFO, $25 million, in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, Division L, Title I (Pub. L. 114-113 (December 18, 2015)), to carry out railroad safety technology grants as set forth in 49 U.S.C. 20158. To maximize the benefits of the funding available, FRA is limiting the eligible projects to those that implement a Positive Train Control (PTC) system or, as described in Section 3, will otherwise benefit overall PTC system implementation on freight, intercity passenger, and commuter railroads. Section 2: Award Information 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 limited amount of funding currently available, applicants are encouraged to [[Page 19706]] limit 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, applicants exceeding this $3,000,000 threshold must explain why any requested funding over $3,000,000 is necessary to implement the proposed project. Collaborative applicants submitting a project that will benefit more than five (5) entities (e.g., one entity implementing back office systems for multiple (five or more) railroads) may request up to the authorized appropriation limit of $25,000,000. Additionally, 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 as grants with an 80% federal/20% non-federal cost share. The funding provided under these grants will be made available to grantees on a reimbursable basis. 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). A technical panel consisting of subject-matter experts will evaluate eligible and complete applications using the evaluation criteria outlined in Section 3 of this notice. 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 it will select the project for award. Section 3: Eligibility and Review Criteria The following entities are eligible applicants for PTC implementation projects:Passenger and freight railroad carriers; Railroad suppliers; and State and local governments for projects that have a public benefit of improved safety and network efficiency. To be eligible for assistance, the above entities subject to 49 U.S.C. 20157(a) must have submitted a revised Positive Train Control Implementation Plan (PTCIP) to FRA as required by 49 U.S.C. 20157(a). FRA considers the development and submission of a revised PTCIP under 49 U.S.C. 20157(a) to meet the eligibility requirement related to submitting a plan required under 49 U.S.C. 20156(e)(2) containing an analysis of the impact, feasibility, costs and benefits of implementing PTC system technology. FRA believes that any submission connected to sec. 20156(e)(2), which has yet to be incorporated into a Federal regulation, would merely be duplicative of what a railroad analyzed when it developed and submitted a revised PTCIP. Thus, FRA considers the submission of a revised PTCIP to meet the eligibility requirements in 49 U.S.C. 20158(b)(3) for purposes of this NOFO. If an applicant is not required to comply with either sec. 20157(a) or sec. 20156(e)(2), the applicant must demonstrate that to FRA's satisfaction in its NOFO application. The FRA is soliciting applications for projects that will benefit overall PTC system implementation on freight, intercity passenger, and commuter railroads. Under 49 U.S.C. 20158(b)(2), the FRA shall give priority to projects that (A) focus on making technologies interoperable between railroad systems, such as train control technologies; (B) accelerate train control technology deployment on high-risk corridors, such as those that have high volumes of hazardous materials shipments or over which commuter or passenger trains operate; or (C) benefit both passenger and freight safety and efficiency. Given that the amount of funding available is not likely sufficient to cover the costs necessary to deploy PTC on any given railroad, FRA will further prioritize projects that not only fall within these areas but also involve: 1. An entity or entities that have submitted a revised PTCIP and demonstrated progress in implementing PTC in accordance with its PTCIP and have shown good faith in attempting to timely complete PTC implementation; 2. Collaboration between freight and passenger railroad carriers, railroad suppliers, and State and local governments, particularly related to interoperability and other industry-wide PTC technical and management issues; 3. The development and deployment of technologies that will lower costs, accelerate implementation, increase interoperability between host and tenant operations, and improve reliability of PTC systems; and 4. The development and deployment of technologies that will eliminate PTC communications interference, provide solutions to configuration management of multi-railroad PTC software and firmware deployments, eliminate PTC communications interference; provide configuration management of multi-railroad PTC software and firmware deployments; and provide host-tenant railroad PTC interoperability/ system certification. Examples of eligible projects include the following: Costs for implementation, installation, and testing of PTC systems; Costs for shared PTC infrastructure (e.g., back office systems, CAD systems); and Costs to advance PTC interoperability, such as pilot programs, standardization committees, development of standard processes, and spectrum acquisition, sharing, and desensitization. Applicants should note that these aspects represent suggested areas of interest by the FRA, and any otherwise eligible applications meeting the criteria above will be evaluated and considered for award. By statute, 49 U.S.C. 20158 allows for up to an 80 percent Federal share of project costs. The required 20 percent non-Federal match may be comprised 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 requirement will be considered in evaluating the merit of an application. FRA intends to award funds to PTC projects that achieve the maximum public benefits possible. 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. The systematic process of comparing expected benefits and costs helps decision-makers organize information about, and evaluate tradeoffs between, alternative transportation investments. 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), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) [[Page 19707]] Circular A-94 (Guidelines and Discount Rates for Benefit-Cost Analysis of Federal Programs), and OMB Circular A-4 (Regulatory Analysis). Applications for PTC projects will be reviewed by DOT subject matter experts against the following three evaluation criteria: PTC Deployment Benefits; Technical Merit; and Project Development approach. 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 project would advance the technical deployment of PTC, including improvements to reliability, safety, security, and maintainability; The degree to which the successful implementation of the proposed project would decrease PTC implementation and maintenance costs; and The degree to which the project maximizes the return on investment (ROI) towards industry-wide implementation efforts. Technical Merit The following factors will be considered in assessing a proposed project's technical merit: The degree to which the proposed project exhibits a sound scientific and engineering basis; The degree to which the proposed project could be practically applied in and compatible with the railroad's operating environment and infrastructure; and The perceived likelihood of technical and practical success. Project Development Approach The following factors will be considered in assessing the proposed project's planning and development 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 the 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. Good value is defined as believing or concluding that the goods/services received were worth the price paid. Examples of the types of factors that may be considered include, but are not limited to, suitability, quality, skills, price, and life-cycle cost. The mix of these and other factors and the relevant importance of each will vary on a case by case basis; The reasonableness and realism of the proposed costs; The extent of proposed cost sharing or cost participation under the proposed effort (exclusive of the applicant's prior investment); and Preference will be given to projects that can demonstrate an ability to substantially complete work, or otherwise provide benefits to industry, prior to December 31, 2018. All evaluation criteria, when combined, are significantly more important than cost or price alone. While cost or price will be a factor that is considered, technical merit is appreciably more important and, as such, greater consideration will be given to technical excellence. An offer must be found acceptable under all applicable evaluation factors to be considered eligible for award. Selection Criteria In addition to the evaluation criteria outlined above, 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; Enhancing quality of life; and Building ladders of opportunity to expand the middle class. Proposed projects 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 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; and 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. Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) Review Before making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold (see 2 CFR 200.88 Simplified Acquisition Threshold), FRA will review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through the System for Award Management (SAM) (currently the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313). An applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM. FRA will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 [[Page 19708]] CFR 200.205 (Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed by Applicants). Section 4: Application and Submission Information Complete applications must be submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. DST, May 20, 2016. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early to ensure that all materials are received before this deadline. 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 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. (Please note that if a Dun &Bradstreet (DUNS) number must be obtained, this may take a significant amount of time to complete.) Required documents for the application package are outlined in the following paragraphs. 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, engineering and design documentation, and letters of support). In particular, applications accompanied by completed feasibility studies 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 Mr. Marvin Winston, Office of Program Delivery, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room W36-440, Washington, DC 20590; Email: [email protected]. 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. Additionally, if documents can be obtained online, direction to access files on a referenced Web site may also be sufficient. The following points describe the minimum content which are 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. Applicants should read this section carefully and must submit all required information. 1. Include a title page that lists the following elements in either a table or formatted list: Project title, location (i.e., city, State, district), 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 for funding request. 4. Explain how the applicant meets the applicant eligibility criteria, 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 project eligibility criteria, 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 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. Additional Application Elements Applicants must: [cir] 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 must 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. FRA has developed a standard SOW template that applicants must use to be considered for award. The SOW templates and other required forms are located at www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0701; [cir] Describe anticipated environmental and historic preservation impacts associated with the proposed project, any environmental or historic preservation analyses that have been prepared, and progress toward [[Page 19709]] completing any environmental documentation or clearance required for the proposed project under National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act, section 4(f) of the U.S. DOT Act, the Clean Water Act, and other applicable Federal or State laws. Applicants are encouraged to contact FRA and obtain preliminary direction regarding the appropriate NEPA action and required environmental documentation. Generally, projects will be ineligible to receive funding if they have begun construction activities prior to the applicant receiving written approval from FRA that all environmental and historical analyses have been completed. Additional information regarding FRA's environmental processes and requirements are located at https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L05286; [cir] Submit the FRA's Additional Assurances and Certifications; [cir] Submit an SF 424A--Budget Information for Non-Construction or SF 424C--Budget Information for Construction; [cir] Submit an SF 424B--Assurances for Non-Construction or SF 424D--Assurances for Construction; and [cir] Submit an SF LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activities. Section 5: Award Administration Award Notices for applications selected for funding will be announced after the application review period. FRA will contact successful applicants 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 de-obligated. The grantee and any sub-grantee must comply with all applicable laws and regulations. A non-exclusive list of administrative and national policy requirements that grantees must follow includes: 2 CFR part 200, 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, NEPA, environmental justice, and Buy America or Buy American provisions (as applicable). Reporting Requirements The applicant will be required to comply with all standard FRA reporting requirements, including quarterly progress reports, quarterly Federal financial reports, and interim and final performance reports. Reports may be submitted electronically. The applicant must comply with all relevant requirements of 2 CFR 180.335 and 180.350. The grantee must comply with all post-award reporting, auditing, monitoring, and close-out requirements. Section 6: Agency Contact If you have a project related question, you may call Dr. Mark Hartong, Scientific and Technical Advisor (Phone: (202) 493-1332; email: [email protected]), or Mr. Devin Rouse, Program Manager (Phone: (202) 493-6185, email: [email protected]). Grant application submission and processing questions should be addressed to Mr. Marvin Winston, Office of Program Delivery, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room W36-440, Washington, DC 20590; Email: [email protected]. Information Collection: OMB has approved the information collection associated with the Rail Safety Technology Grants Program. The approval number for this collection of information is OMB No. 2130-0587. Issued in Washington, DC on March 31, 2016. Mary Ann McNamara, Chief, Grant Management Division. [FR Doc. 2016-07780 Filed 4-4-16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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Mr. Vardis Gaus wrote ‘‘I believe this period of one year for the CLP. The FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If
extension to be valid.’’ maximum time allowed between taking you have a project related question, you
Mr. Daniel Tucker commented ‘‘As a the knowledge tests and obtaining the may contact Dr. Mark Hartong,
CDL driver, instructor and state-certified CDL is 12 months under the current rule Scientific and Technical Advisor
third-party evaluator I believe this and under the exemption. The (Phone: (202) 493–1332; email:
proposal/request makes all the sense in exemption avoids the necessity of Mark.Hartong@dot.gov), or Mr. Devin
the world. Allowing up-to a year obtaining a renewal of the CLP after 6 Rouse, Program Manager (Phone: (202)
practice and development for an entry months if the State chooses to allow 493–6185, email: devin.rouse@dot.gov).
level driver candidate or re-entering that. FMCSA determined that the Grant application submission and
driver allows them to take as much time exemption would maintain a level of processing questions should be
necessary to build (or rebuild) skills.’’ safety equivalent to, or greater than, the addressed to Mr. Marvin Winston,
Four comments opposing the level achieved without the exemption Office of Program Delivery, Federal
exemption were from the Commercial (49 CFR 381.305(a)). Railroad Administration, 1200 New
Vehicle Training Association (CVTA) Issued on: March 25, 2016. Jersey Avenue SE., Room W36–440,
and three individuals. T.F. Scott Darling, III, Washington, DC 20590; Email:
The CVTA summarized its opposition marvin.winston@dot.gov.
to the exemption by stating ‘‘We urge Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2016–07730 Filed 4–4–16; 8:45 am] SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
FMCSA to deny ODOT’s request for an Notice to applicants: FRA
exemption from the 180-day CLP BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P
recommends applicants read this notice
renewal requirement. Granting such an in its entirety prior to preparing
exemption carries serious safety application materials. There are several
concerns and sends the wrong message DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
administrative prerequisites described
regarding FMCSA’s willingness to Federal Railroad Administration herein that applicants must comply
accommodate underfunded CDL with in order to submit an application,
programs across the Country. Granting FY 2016 Railroad Safety Technology as well as specific eligibility
this exemption would signal to states Grant Funds requirements that must be met.
that FMCSA will not only tolerate state Additionally, applicants should note
practices of underfunding CDL AGENCY: Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA), Department of that the required Project Narrative
programs, but will accommodate them. component of the application package
Moreover, granting this exemption Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity
may not exceed 25 pages in length
would undercut Congress’ recent efforts (including any appendices).
to put greater pressure on FMCSA and (NOFO).
states to ensure that state CDL programs Table of Contents
SUMMARY: This notice details the
are more adequately funded and application requirements and 1. Funding Opportunity Description
efficiently administered.’’ procedures for obtaining funding for 2. Award Information
Josh Anonymous wrote ‘‘Don’t do it. eligible Railroad Safety Technology 3. Eligibility and Review Criteria
Six months is plenty.’’ Grant projects. The opportunities 4. Application and Submission Information
Mr. Roland Doe wrote ‘‘Send a 5. Award Administration Information
described in this notice are available
message to such an unfriendly 6. Agency Contact
under Catalog of Federal Domestic
bureaucracy: NO dice on the waiver Section 1: Funding Opportunity
Assistance number 20.321, ‘‘Railroad
request. If other states can meet the Description
Safety Technology.’’
Federal requirement—and the majority
DATES: Applications for funding under The purpose of this notice is to solicit
of them are much easier to do business
with—even California—so can ODOT.’’ this solicitation are due no later than applications for grants for eligible
Mr. Gary Scott commented that ‘‘A 5:00 p.m. DST May 20, 2016. railroad safety technology projects.
learner’s permit should only be valid for Applications for funding received after Congress appropriated the funding
6 months. If a person cannot achieve a 5:00 p.m. DST on May 20, 2016 will not available under this NOFO, $25 million,
level of proficiency within that time be considered. See Section 4 of this in the Consolidated Appropriations Act,
period to acquire a permanent CDL then notice for additional information 2016, Division L, Title I (Pub. L. 114–
maybe they should consider another regarding the application process. 113 (December 18, 2015)), to carry out
line of work.’’ ADDRESSES: Applications must be railroad safety technology grants as set
All comments are available for review submitted via Grants.gov. For any forth in 49 U.S.C. 20158. To maximize
in the docket for this notice. required or supporting application the benefits of the funding available,
materials that an applicant is unable to FRA is limiting the eligible projects to
V. FMCSA Response and Decision submit via Grants.gov (such as oversized those that implement a Positive Train
The FMCSA has evaluated ODOT’s engineering drawings), an applicant Control (PTC) system or, as described in
application on its merits following full may submit an original and two (2) Section 3, will otherwise benefit overall
consideration of the comments copies to Mr. Marvin Winston, Office of PTC system implementation on freight,
submitted to the docket, and has Program Delivery, Federal Railroad intercity passenger, and commuter
decided to grant the exemption from 49 Administration, 1200 New Jersey railroads.
CFR 383.25(c) for a period of 2 years. Avenue SE., Room W36–440,
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
The exemption covers ODOT and all Washington, DC 20590; Email: Section 2: Award Information
SDLAs. Extending the exemption to marvin.winston@dot.gov. However, due FRA anticipates making multiple
cover all SDLAs, at their discretion, will to delays caused by enhanced screening awards from the funding made available
preclude the need for other SDLAs of mail delivered via the U.S. Postal in this notice and is not predetermining
choosing to use the exemption to file Service, applicants are advised to use any minimum or maximum dollar
identical exemption requests. FMCSA other means of conveyance (such as amounts for awards. However, given the
believes that safety would not be courier service) to assure timely receipt limited amount of funding currently
diminished by allowing a validity of materials. available, applicants are encouraged to
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completing any environmental Assurances and Certifications, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to
documentation or clearance required for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), request the Office of Management and
the proposed project under National labor standards, safety oversight, Budget (OMB) to approve the revision of
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the environmental protection, NEPA, the currently approved information
National Historic Preservation Act, environmental justice, and Buy America collection:
section 4(f) of the U.S. DOT Act, the or Buy American provisions (as 49 U.S.C. Sections 5310 and 5311—Capital
Clean Water Act, and other applicable applicable). Assistance Program for Elderly Persons and
Federal or State laws. Applicants are Persons with Disabilities and Non-Urbanized
encouraged to contact FRA and obtain Reporting Requirements
Area Formula Program
preliminary direction regarding the The applicant will be required to OMB Control No.: 2132–0500
appropriate NEPA action and required comply with all standard FRA reporting DATES: Comments must be submitted
environmental documentation. requirements, including quarterly before June 6, 2016.
Generally, projects will be ineligible to progress reports, quarterly Federal
ADDRESSES: To ensure that your
receive funding if they have begun financial reports, and interim and final
comments are not entered more than
construction activities prior to the performance reports. Reports may be
once into the docket, submit comments
applicant receiving written approval submitted electronically. The applicant
identified by the docket number by only
from FRA that all environmental and must comply with all relevant
one of the following methods:
historical analyses have been requirements of 2 CFR 180.335 and 1. Web site: www.regulations.gov.
completed. Additional information 180.350. Follow the instructions for submitting
regarding FRA’s environmental The grantee must comply with all
comments on the U.S. Government
processes and requirements are located post-award reporting, auditing,
electronic docket site. (Note: The U.S.
at https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/ monitoring, and close-out requirements.
Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s)
L05286; Section 6: Agency Contact electronic docket is no longer accepting
Æ Submit the FRA’s Additional
If you have a project related question, electronic comments.) All electronic
Assurances and Certifications;
Æ Submit an SF 424A—Budget you may call Dr. Mark Hartong, submissions must be made to the U.S.
Information for Non-Construction or SF Scientific and Technical Advisor Government electronic docket site at
424C—Budget Information for (Phone: (202) 493–1332; email: www.regulations.gov. Commenters
Construction; Mark.Hartong@dot.gov), or Mr. Devin should follow the directions below for
Æ Submit an SF 424B—Assurances Rouse, Program Manager (Phone: (202) mailed and hand-delivered comments.
for Non-Construction or SF 424D— 493–6185, email: devin.rouse@dot.gov). 2. Fax: 202–493–2251.
Assurances for Construction; and Grant application submission and 3. Mail: U.S. Department of
Æ Submit an SF LLL: Disclosure of processing questions should be Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Lobbying Activities. addressed to Mr. Marvin Winston, Avenue SE., Docket Operations, M–30,
Office of Program Delivery, Federal West Building, Ground Floor, Room
Section 5: Award Administration W12–140, Washington, DC 20590–0001.
Railroad Administration, 1200 New
Award Notices for applications Jersey Avenue SE., Room W36–440, 4. Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of
selected for funding will be announced Washington, DC 20590; Email: Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
after the application review period. FRA marvin.winston@dot.gov. Avenue SE., Docket Operations, M–30,
will contact successful applicants after Information Collection: OMB has West Building, Ground Floor, Room
announcement with information and approved the information collection W12–140, Washington, DC 20590–0001
instructions about the award process. associated with the Rail Safety between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.,
Notification of a selected application is Technology Grants Program. The Monday through Friday, except federal
not an authorization to begin proposed approval number for this collection of holidays.
project activities. The period of information is OMB No. 2130–0587. Instructions: You must include the
performance for grants awarded under agency name and docket number for this
Issued in Washington, DC on March 31,
this notice is dependent upon the 2016.
notice at the beginning of your
project, and will be determined on a comments. Submit two copies of your
Mary Ann McNamara,
grant-by-grant basis. Extensions to the comments if you submit them by mail.
Chief, Grant Management Division. For confirmation that FTA has received
period of performance will be
considered only through written [FR Doc. 2016–07780 Filed 4–4–16; 8:45 am] your comments, include a self-
requests to the FRA with specific and BILLING CODE 4910–06–P addressed stamped postcard. Note that
compelling justifications for why an all comments received, including any
extension is required. Any obligated personal information, will be posted
funding that has not been spent by the DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION and will be available to Internet users,
grantee and reimbursed by the FRA without change, to www.regulations.gov.
Federal Transit Administration
upon completion of the grant will be de- You may review DOT’s complete
obligated. [FTA Docket No. 2016–0018] Privacy Act Statement in the Federal
The grantee and any sub-grantee must Register published April 11, 2000, (65
comply with all applicable laws and Notice of Request for Extension of a FR 19477), or you may visit
regulations. A non-exclusive list of Currently Approved Information www.regulations.gov. Docket: For access
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
administrative and national policy Collection to the docket to read background
requirements that grantees must follow AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, documents and comments received, go
includes: 2 CFR part 200, procurement DOT. to www.regulations.gov at any time.
standards, compliance with Federal ACTION: Notice of request for comments. Background documents and comments
civil rights laws and regulations, received may also be viewed at the U.S.
disadvantaged business enterprises SUMMARY: In accordance with the Department of Transportation, 1200
(DBE), debarment and suspension, drug- Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this New Jersey Avenue SE., Docket
free workplace, FRA’s and OMB’s notice announces the intention of the Operations, M–30, West Building,
VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:18 Apr 04, 2016 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00161 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\05APN1.SGM 05APN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/81_FR_19770/page/5.svg)
Document Created: 2018-02-07 13:53:31
Document Modified: 2018-02-07 13:53:31
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). | |
| Dates | Applications for funding under this solicitation are due no later than 5:00 p.m. DST May 20, 2016. Applications for funding received after 5:00 p.m. DST on May 20, 2016 will not be considered. See Section 4 of this notice for additional information regarding the application process. | |
| Contact | If you have a project related question, you may contact Dr. Mark Hartong, Scientific and Technical Advisor (Phone: (202) 493-1332; email: [email protected]), or Mr. Devin Rouse, Program Manager (Phone: (202) 493-6185, email: [email protected]). Grant application submission and processing | |
| FR Citation | 81 FR 19705 |
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