Feb. 19, 2008, Cap Grants NOFA

9162

Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 33 / Tuesday, February 19, 2008 / Notices

public docket are also available for
inspection and copying on the Internet
at the docket facility’s Web site at
http://www.regulations.gov.
FRA wishes to inform all potential
commenters that anyone is able to
search the electronic form of all
comments received into any of our
dockets by the name of the individual
submitting the comment (or signing the
comment, if submitted on behalf of an
association, business, labor union, etc.).
You may review DOT’s complete
Privacy Act Statement in the Federal
Register published on April 11, 2000
(Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477–
78) or you may visit http://
www.regulations.gov.
Issued in Washington, DC on February 12,
2008.
Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety
Standards and Program Development.
[FR Doc. E8–3026 Filed 2–15–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Solicitation of Applications and Notice
of Funding Availability for the Capital
Assistance to States—Intercity
Passenger Rail Service Program
Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of funding availability;
solicitation for applications.

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

AGENCY:

SUMMARY: Under this Notice, the FRA
encourages interested State departments
of transportation to submit applications
for grants to fund capital improvements
and planning activities necessary to
support improved or new intercity
passenger rail service.
DATES: FRA will begin accepting grant
applications on Monday, March 18,
2008. Applications may be submitted
until the earlier of Wednesday,
September 30, 2009, or the date on
which all available funds will have been
committed under this program. The lastmentioned date will be announced in
the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Applications must be
submitted electronically to http://
www.grants.gov (‘‘Grants.Gov’’).
Grants.Gov allows organizations
electronically to find and apply for
competitive grant opportunities from all
Federal grant-making agencies. Any
State wishing to submit an application
pursuant to this notice should
immediately initiate the process of
registering with Grants.Gov at http://

VerDate Aug<31>2005

16:52 Feb 15, 2008

Jkt 214001

www.grants.gov. Please confirm all
Grants.Gov submissions by e-mailing
paxrail@dot.gov.
For application materials that an
applicant is unable to submit via
Grants.Gov (such as oversized
engineering drawings), applicants may
submit an original and two (2) copies to
the Federal Railroad Administration at
the following address: Federal Railroad
Administration, Attention: Peter
Schwartz, Office of Railroad
Development (RDV–11), Mail Stop #20,
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.,
Washington, DC 20590.
Due to delays caused by enhanced
screening of mail delivered via the U.S.
Postal Service, applicants are
encouraged to use other means to assure
timely receipt of materials.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Peter Schwartz, Office of Railroad
Development (RDV–11), Federal
Railroad Administration, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC
20590. Phone: (202) 493–6360; Fax:
(202) 493–6333, or Desmond Brown,
Grants Officer, Office of Acquisition and
Grants Services (RAD–30), Federal
Railroad Administration, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC
20590. Phone: (202) 493–6152; Fax:
(202) 493–6171.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Capital Assistance to States—Intercity
Passenger Rail Service Program (Catalog
of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA)
Program Number 20.317) will be
supported with $30,000,000 of Federal
funds provided to FRA as part of the
Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2008 (Division K of
Pub. L. 110–161 (December 26, 2007)).
Funds provided under this program may
constitute no more than 50 percent of
the total cost of a selected project, with
the remaining cost funded from other
sources. FRA anticipates awarding
grants to multiple eligible participants.
Eligible projects include capital
improvements (fixed facilities and
rolling stock) necessary to support
improved or new intercity passenger rail
services, and planning activities that
lead directly to the development of a
passenger rail corridor investment plan.
FRA anticipates that no further public
notice will be made with respect to
selecting grantees under this program.
Purpose: In 2002, then-Secretary of
Transportation, Norman Y. Mineta,
announced a number of principles to
guide the future of intercity passenger
rail in the United States. One of these
principles was to ‘‘establish a long-term
partnership between States and the
Federal Government to support intercity

PO 00000

Frm 00077

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

passenger rail.’’ In furtherance of that
principle, the President’s Fiscal Year
(FY) 2008 Budget proposed, and the
Congress enacted, a program that would
increase the States’ role in intercity
passenger rail development by
establishing Federal-State partnerships
for intercity passenger rail investment
along the model of those that currently
exist for other modes of transportation.
This program makes $30,000,000 in
Federal funding available directly to
States through grants to fund up to 50
percent of the cost of capital
investments and planning activities
necessary to achieve tangible
improvements to, or institute new,
intercity passenger rail service.
Examples of such improvements
include (but are not strictly limited to)
the purchase of passenger rolling stock,
the improvement of existing track to
allow for higher maximum speeds, the
addition or lengthening of passing
tracks to increase capacity, the
improvement of interlockings to
increase capacity and reliability, and the
improvement of signaling systems to
increase capacity and maximum speeds,
and improve safety.
Authority: The authority for the
Program can be found in the
Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2008 (Division K of
Pub. L. 110–161 (December 26, 2007)).
Funding: The Transportation, Housing
and Urban Development, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008,
provides $30,000,000, and directs FRA
to award one or more grants covering up
to 50 percent of the cost of capital
investments (and limited planning
activities) necessary to support
improved intercity passenger rail
services. The funding provided under
these grants will be made available to
grantees on a reimbursement basis. It is
anticipated that the available funding
could support the projects proposed by
multiple applicants. FRA may choose to
award a grant or grants within the
available funds in any amount. Funding
made available through grants provided
under this program, together with
funding from other sources that is
committed by a grantee as part of a grant
agreement, must be sufficient to
complete the funded project and
achieve the anticipated improvement to
intercity passenger rail service.
Schedule for Capital Grant Program:
FRA will begin accepting grant
applications on Monday, March 18,
2008. Applications must be submitted
by Wednesday, September 30, 2009 or
the date (to be announced) on which all
available funds will have been
committed. Due to the limited funding

E:\FR\FM\19FEN1.SGM

19FEN1

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 33 / Tuesday, February 19, 2008 / Notices
available under this program: (1)
Applicants are encouraged to submit
their applications at the earliest date
practicable in order to maximize the
consideration of their application in the
competition; and (2) FRA may request
that an applicant submit a revised
application reflecting a refined scope of
work and budget. FRA anticipates
making the first award(s) pursuant to
this notice during FY 2008.
Eligible Participants: The department
of transportation of any State (including,
for the purposes of this program, the
District of Columbia) is eligible to apply
for funding under this Notice, provided
that the applicant State includes
intercity passenger rail service as an
integral part of statewide transportation
planning as required under section 135
of title 23, United States Code. If the
proposed project is in more than one
State, a single State department of
transportation should apply on behalf of
all the participating States.
Eligible Projects: Eligible projects
must be for the primary benefit of
intercity passenger rail service. Only
new projects will be eligible; projects
that have either commenced before the
time of award or have been completed
will not be considered. Proposed
projects must be specifically included in
the applicant State’s Statewide
Transportation Improvement Plan at the
time of application to be eligible.
Matching funding must be in the form
of new financial commitments toward
the proposed project by the applicant
and/or its partners. Expenditures which
occurred prior to the passage into law of
the Transportation, Housing and Urban
Development, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2008, and
expenditures on unrelated projects will
not be considered.
Eligible Planning Projects: Congress
has allowed up to ten percent
($3,000,000) of the funding available
under the program to be used for
planning activities that lead directly to
the development of a passenger rail
corridor investment plan. Only
proposed planning projects that
incorporate the methodologies set forth
in FRA’s publication, entitled ‘‘Railroad
Corridor Transportation Plans: A
Guidance Manual,’’ available at http://
www.fra.dot.gov/Downloads/RRdev/
corridor_planning.pdf, will be given
priority for consideration, subject to the
Selection Criteria outlined below.
Selection Criteria: The following will
be considered to be positive selection
factors in evaluating applications for
grants under this program:
1. The ability of the proposed project
to result directly in appreciable benefits
to intercity passenger rail services,

VerDate Aug<31>2005

16:52 Feb 15, 2008

Jkt 214001

including, but not limited to, improved
safety (particularly at railroad-highway
at-grade crossings), and improved
intercity passenger rail reliability
(particularly involving a commitment by
host freight railroads to an enforceable
on-time performance standard of 80
percent or greater).
2. The extent to which, following the
completion of the proposed project, the
total, fully allocated operating expenses
of the intercity passenger rail service
benefiting from the project are projected
to be offset by the total of (a) revenues
attributable to the service, and (b)
committed state financial support, with
little or no need for Federal operating
support.
3. The extent to which the proposed
project involves a commitment by States
or railroads of financial resources to
improve the safety of highway/rail grade
crossings over which the passenger
service operates.
4. The relative emphasis of the
proposed project on the implementation
of tangible capital improvements, rather
than planning.
5. The ability of the proposed project
to result in reduced and reliable linehaul and/or total travel times for
intercity rail passengers, increased
intercity passenger service frequencies,
and/or enhanced service quality for
intercity train passengers.
6. The extent to which the project
promotes seamless intermodal
connections between passenger rail
service and other modes of
transportation, such as mass transit and
commercial air service.
7. The extent to which the proposed
project has stand-alone value as a
transportation improvement, and the
extent to which the benefits resulting
from the project are not contingent upon
future additional Federal funding, or on
additional capital investments other
than those to which the applicant or the
applicant’s partners have committed at
the time of the submission of the grant
application.
8. For proposed grant-funded projects
involving improvements or alterations
to, or use of, assets owned or used by
other entities (such as freight or
commuter railroads), the extent to
which the applicant has completed
written agreements (covering issues
including, but not limited to, project
design, project implementation, and
assurance and/or enforcement of
achievement of anticipated project
benefits) between the applicant and the
other affected entities.
9. The existence and quality of a
comprehensive, realistic transportation
plan (a) covering the rail line(s),
facilities, and services employed or

PO 00000

Frm 00078

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

9163

affected by the benefiting project and (b)
reflecting the improved operation of the
benefiting service.
10. The progress toward completing
any environmental documentation or
clearance required for the proposed
project under the National
Environmental Policy Act, the National
Historic Preservation Act, section 4(f) of
the DOT Act, the Clean Water Act, or
other applicable Federal or State laws
and regulations (federal environmental
and historic preservation review
requirements will apply to all projects
funded through the Capital Assistance
to States—Intercity Passenger Rail
Service Program).
11. The projected lapse in time
between a grant award and the initiation
and completion of, and realization of
the benefits resulting from, the proposed
project, and the veracity of such
projections.
12. The extent to which the State
commits funds or contributions as a
match for the funds potentially available
under this program for the project of a
value in excess of 50 percent of the total
cost of the project, and the extent to
which such funds are from non-Federal
sources. For purposes of this criterion,
all monetary and other resources of the
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
(Amtrak) are considered to be Federal
sources.
13. The extent to which matching
funds or contributions committed by the
State would be contributions from
private or other non-State entities, such
as host freight railroads and local
governments, and the extent to which
the commitment by the host freight
railroad of financial resources is
commensurate with the benefit expected
to their operations.
Requirements for Grant Applications:
The following points describe the
minimum content which will be
required in grant applications. These
requirements may be satisfied through a
narrative statement submitted by the
applicant, supported by spreadsheet
documents, tables, drawings, and other
materials, as appropriate. Each grant
application will:
1. Designate a point of contact for the
applicant and provide their name and
contact information, including phone
number, mailing address and e-mail
address.
2. Include a complete Standard Form
424, ‘‘Application for Federal
Assistance’’, and, as applicable,
Standard Form 424B, ‘‘Assurances—
Non-Construction Programs’’ or
Standard Form 424D, ‘‘Assurances—
Construction Programs.’’ Also include
signed copies of FRA’s Additional
Assurances and Certifications, available

E:\FR\FM\19FEN1.SGM

19FEN1

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

9164

Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 33 / Tuesday, February 19, 2008 / Notices

at http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/
admin/assurancesandcertifications.pdf.
3. Identify and provide background
information on the intercity passenger
rail services that the proposed project is
intended primarily to benefit. The
required content under this heading will
differ according to the purpose of the
project:
a. Grant applications related to
projects that are targeted toward
improving existing intercity passenger
rail services. Describe in detail the
current state of the benefiting services.
Include descriptions of the geographic
markets served, the current operating
characteristics of the services (including
timetables, consist diagrams, and
measures of service reliability), and the
financial characteristics of the service
(including profit and loss statements
and descriptions of past and/or current
state financial support for operations
and capital investments). Describe the
current annual passenger utilization of
the service (train ridership; passengermile volumes; and train boardings plus
alightings at each station), any existing
contractual arrangements for the
operation of the service, the
characteristics of other rail service (e.g.
commuter and freight) currently
operating on the route, and the extent to
which the benefiting service falls within
the geographic scope of one or more
Federally-designated high-speed rail
corridors. In addition, describe and
compare the existing transportation
facilities and service offerings
(including travel times, frequencies,
prices or perceived costs, reliability, and
service quality) afforded by other public
and private modes of transportation, as
well as intercity passenger rail, in the
geographic market area.
b. For grant applications related to
projects that are targeted toward the
introduction of new intercity passenger
rail service. Describe the characteristics,
including trip time and frequencies, of
any past intercity passenger rail service
that has served the same general
geographic markets as the proposed
service. Describe the characteristics of
other rail service (e.g. commuter and
freight) currently operating on the route.
Describe the geographic market to be
served by the new service, the current
level of completion and nature of the
planning for the new service, the extent
to which the benefiting service falls
within the geographic scope of one or
more Federally-designated high-speed
rail corridors, and the existing
transportation facilities and service
offerings (including travel times,
frequencies, prices or perceived costs,
reliability, and service quality) afforded
by other public and private modes of

VerDate Aug<31>2005

16:52 Feb 15, 2008

Jkt 214001

transportation in the geographic market
area.
4. Define the scope of work for the
proposed project and the anticipated
project schedule. Describe the proposed
project’s physical location (as
applicable), and the extent to which the
proposed project consists of planning
and/or implementation of capital
improvements. Include any drawings,
plans, or schematics that have been
prepared relating to the proposed
project.
5. Present a detailed budget for the
proposed project. At a minimum, the
budget should separate total cost of the
project into the following categories: (1)
Administrative and legal expenses; (2)
Land, structures, rights-of-way, and
appraisals; (3) Relocation expenses and
payments; (4) Architectural and
engineering fees; (5) Project inspection
fees; (6) Site work; (7) Demolition and
removal; (8) Construction labor,
supervision, and management; (9)
Materials, by type (e.g. ties, rail, signals,
switches, rolling stock; (10) Equipment;
(11) Miscellaneous; and (12)
Contingencies. For each cost category,
specify (as defined under OMB Circular
A–87, ‘‘Cost Principles for State, Local
and Indian Tribal Governments’’) the
amount of costs that are allowable for
participation, and the amount of nonallowable costs. Also specify the
amount of allowable costs in each
category that are proposed to be funded
under this program, and the amount to
be funded by non-program matching
funds.
6. Describe the operating changes to
the target intercity passenger rail
services that are anticipated to result
from the project, and assess the
operational feasibility of the proposed
project. The required level of detail for
the descriptions of anticipated operating
changes and the feasibility assessment
will depend upon the nature of the
project, as follows:
a. Projects intended to improve the
reliability of existing intercity passenger
rail services, but which are not intended
to affect the trip times, service
frequencies, or passenger capacity of the
benefiting services. Describe, in
quantitative terms, the delays that
would be incurred by the benefiting
intercity passenger rail service were the
proposed project not to be completed.
Describe, in quantitative terms, the
delays that would be avoided as a result
of the completion of the proposed
project. Address proposed means for
ensuring and/or enforcing that the
anticipated reliability improvements
will be realized following the
completion of the proposed project.

PO 00000

Frm 00079

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

b. Projects, particularly those
involving the purchase of rolling stock,
intended to increase capacity on
existing intercity passenger rail services,
but which are not intended to affect the
trip times or service frequencies of the
benefiting services. Describe evidence of
current under-capacity of the benefiting
services, and the extent to which such
under-capacity conditions are projected
to change in the future. Include results
of modeling performed using train
performance calculators demonstrating
that current schedules may be
maintained following the introduction
of the proposed new equipment.
Address the adequacy of existing
infrastructure (e.g. station platforms,
maintenance facilities, passing tracks,
and wyes) to accommodate any
proposed increased consist lengths.
Present evidence that the proposed new
equipment meets the clearance
requirements of the infrastructure over
which it is intended to operate, or
provide details of what infrastructure
modifications will be required to
achieve the physical clearances required
for the operation of the proposed new
equipment. Present evidence that
existing or anticipated future station
access limitations (e.g. lack of transit
access, shortage of parking), will not
create a capacity constraint that would
limit the utility of additional on-train
capacity.
c. Projects which, either by design or
otherwise as a direct consequence
thereof, would affect trip times and
frequencies of existing intercity
passenger rail services, or which are
related to the introduction of new
intercity passenger rail service. Describe
the operating plan intended for the
benefiting service following completion
of the grant-funded project. Include
operating details, such as proposed
timetables, equipment consists, track
charts of the proposed route,
descriptions of maintenance of
equipment and maintenance of way
arrangements, station access plans, and
quantitative projections of operating
reliability. Include the outputs, such as
stringline (time and distance) diagrams,
of train performance calculator
modeling and dispatching modeling
undertaken as part of the preparation of
the proposed operating plan. These
outputs shall include all other rail
services—intercity, freight, and
commuter—that will share facilities
with, or otherwise impact or be
impacted by, the services that will
benefit from the improvements
proposed in the application. Such
coverage of other services shall address
both current conditions and projected

E:\FR\FM\19FEN1.SGM

19FEN1

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 33 / Tuesday, February 19, 2008 / Notices
service levels in the time horizon year
adopted in the application. Address the
operating feasibility of the proposed
service, and summarize any identified
risks associated with the operating plan.
Describe any contractual arrangements
that will be in place for the operation of
the service. Include a description of the
methodology employed in developing
the operating plan. Operating plans
developed in accordance with FRA’s
publication, entitled ‘‘Railroad Corridor
Transportation Plans: A Guidance
Manual,’’ available at http://
www.fra.dot.gov/Downloads/RRdev/
corridor_planning.pdf, will be
considered to fulfill these requirements.
Address proposed means for ensuring
and/or enforcing that the anticipated
operating plan will be implemented
with a high degree of reliability
following the completion of the
proposed project.
7. Describe any additional planning
activities or capital improvements,
beyond those project elements included
in the grant proposal, that would be
required in order to realize the operating
benefits intended to be generated by the
proposed project. Indicate the extent to
which funding from other sources has
been committed to and/or work has
commenced on these additional
requirements.
8. Describe proposed project
implementation and project
management provisions. Include
descriptions of expected arrangements
for project contracting, contract
oversight, change-order management,
risk management, and conformance to
Federal requirements for project
progress reporting.
9. Present a financial plan reflecting
the anticipated financial performance of
the benefiting service following
completion of the grant-funded project.
Include a detailed projected profit and
loss statement, along with forecasts for
revenues, ridership, passenger-miles,
and expenses generated by the proposed
service. Demonstrate the extent to
which the benefiting service will not
require Federal financial assistance to
support its operation following the
completion of the grant-funded project.
10. Describe the benefits forecasted to
result from the proposed project,
specifically as they relate to
improvements in safety (particularly at
railroad-highway grade crossings) and
increases in intercity passenger rail
reliability (particularly to the extent the
proposed project would result in a
commitment by host freight railroads to
an enforceable on-time performance
standard of 80 percent or greater).
11. Describe the extent to which the
proposed project will result in reduced

VerDate Aug<31>2005

16:52 Feb 15, 2008

Jkt 214001

line-haul and/or total travel times for
intercity rail passengers, increased
intercity passenger service frequencies,
and/or enhanced service quality for
intercity train passengers.
12. Describe the source(s) and
amount(s) of matching funding to be
committed to the project by the
applicant.
13. Describe the anticipated
ownership arrangement for the project
following completion.
14. Describe any written agreements
(or progress in negotiations) between the
applicant and other entities regarding
proposed grant-funded projects
involving improvements or alterations
to, or use of, assets owned or used by
other entities.
15. Describe progress toward
completing any environmental
documentation or clearance required for
the proposed project under the National
Environmental Policy Act, the National
Historic Preservation Act, section 4(f) of
the DOT Act, the Clean Water Act, or
other applicable Federal or State laws.
16. Describe the degree to which
intercity passenger rail is included as an
integral part of the applicant State’s
statewide transportation planning, as
required under section 135 of title 23,
United States Code, and present
evidence that the specific proposed
project is included or mentioned in the
applicant State’s Statewide
Transportation Improvement Plan.
Format: Excluding spreadsheets,
drawings, and tables, the narrative
statement for grant applications may not
exceed fifty pages in length. With the
exclusion of oversized engineering
drawings (which may be submitted in
hard copy to the FRA at the address
above), all application materials should
be submitted as attachments through
Grants.Gov.
Spreadsheets consisting of budget or
financial information should be
submitted via Grants.Gov as Microsoft
Excel (or compatible) documents.
Issued in Washington, DC, on February 12,
2008.
Mark E. Yachmetz,
Associate Administrator for Railroad
Development.
[FR Doc. E8–3018 Filed 2–15–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

PO 00000

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Ex Parte No. 670 (Sub-No. 1)]

Notice of Rail Energy Transportation
Advisory Committee Meeting
Surface Transportation Board,
Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice of Rail Energy
Transportation Advisory Committee
meeting.
AGENCY:

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of a
meeting of the Rail Energy
Transportation Advisory Committee
(RETAC), pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of
the Federal Advisory Committee Act,
Public Law 92–463, as amended (5
U.S.C., App. 2).
DATES: The meeting will be held on
March 6, 2008, beginning at 9 a.m.,
E.S.T.

The meeting will be held in
the 1st floor hearing room at the Surface
Transportation Board’s headquarters at
Patriot’s Plaza, 395 E Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20423–0001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Scott M. Zimmerman (202) 245–0202.
[Assistance for the hearing impaired is
available through the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at: 1–
800–877–8339].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RETAC
arose from a proceeding instituted by
the Board, in Establishment of a Rail
Energy Transportation Advisory
Committee, STB Ex Parte No. 670.
RETAC was formed to provide advice
and guidance to the Board, and to serve
as a forum for discussion of emerging
issues regarding the transportation by
rail of energy resources, particularly, but
not necessarily limited to, coal, ethanol,
and other biofuels. The purpose of this
meeting is to continue discussions
regarding issues such as rail
performance, capacity constraints,
infrastructure planning and
development, and effective coordination
among suppliers, carriers, and users of
energy resources.
The meeting, which is open to the
public, will be conducted pursuant to
RETAC’s charter and Board procedures.
Further communications about this
meeting may be announced through the
Board’s Web site at http://
www.stb.dot.gov.
This action will not significantly
affect either the quality of the human
environment or the conservation of
energy resources.
ADDRESSES:

Decided: February 12, 2008.

Frm 00080

Fmt 4703

Sfmt 4703

9165

E:\FR\FM\19FEN1.SGM

19FEN1