Justification Statement - Over the Road Bus Program

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION

JUSTIFICATION STATEMENT

Over-the-Road Bus (OTRB) Accessibility Program

(OMB # 2132-0570)

Summary of Submission

This justification statement is associated with a request for a revision of a currently approved information collection. The total number of burden hours associated with this submission and accounted for by FTA is 800.

1. EXPLAIN THE CIRCUMSTANCE THAT MAKE THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION NECESSARY

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) provides financial assistance to providers of intercity fixed-route service, and to other providers of over-the-road bus (OTRB) accessibility services, including local fixed-route service, commuter service, and charter and tour service. These services are an important element of the U.S. transportation system. The program is authorized under Section 3038 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21^st Century (TEA-21), Pub. L. 105-85 as amended by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), Pub. L 109-059, August 10, 2005.

Federal Transit funds are available to intercity fixed-route providers and other OTRB providers at up to 90 percent of the project cost. Successful applicants are awarded grants. Typical grants under this program range from $25,000 to $180,000, with most grants being less than $40,000, for lift equipment for one bus.

Complete applications for Over-the-Road Bus Program grants must be submitted to the appropriate FTA regional office, or submitted electronically through the GRANTS.GOV website. FTA announces grant selections in the Federal Register when the competitive selection process is complete.

APPLICATION STAGE

During the application stage, FTA must determine the applicant’s eligibility to receive program funds. FTA must know who the applicant is, for what purpose the funds are requested, and the amount of federal funds requested.

A description of the application stage follows:

1. Eligible Applicants

FTA must determine the applicant’s eligibility to receive program funds. Grants are made directly to operators of over-the-road buses. Applicants must establish eligibility as intercity fixed-route providers by meeting established criteria on factors identified in the application. OTRB operators who provide both intercity, fixed-route service and another type of service, such as commuter, charter or tour, may apply for both categories with a single application. Private for-profit operators of over-the-road buses are eligible to be direct applicants for this program. This is a departure from most other FTA programs which the direct applicant must be a State or local public body. FTA does not award grants to public entities under this program.

2. Eligible Projects

Projects to finance the incremental capital and training costs of complying with the Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) over-the-road bus accessibility rule (49 CFR Part 37) are eligible for funding. Incremental capital costs eligible for funding include adding lifts, tie-downs, moveable seats, doors and training costs associated with using the accessibility features and serving persons with disabilities. Retrofitting vehicles with such accessibility components is also an eligible expense.

2. INDICATE HOW, BY WHOM, AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE THE INFORMATION IS TO BE USED.

FTA screens all applications to determine whether all required eligibility elements are present. An FTA evaluation team evaluates each application according to the criteria described in the announcement. FTA notifies all applicants, both those selected for funding and those not selected when the competitive selection process is complete. Projects selected for funding are published in a Federal Register notice. Applicants selected for funding must apply to the FTA regional office for the actual grant award, sign Certifications and Assurances, and execute a grant contract before funds can be drawn down.

3. DESCRIBE WHETHER, AND TO WHAT EXTENT, THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION INVOLVES THE USE OF AUTOMATED, ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL, OR OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS TECHNIQUES OR OTHER FORMS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Over-the-Road Bus Accessibility Program grants applicants are able to submit applications electronically through the GRANTS.GOV website by the deadline for submission of applications. Five percent of respondents exercised the electronic submission option.

4. DESCRIBE EFFORTS TO IDENTIFY DUPLICATION. SHOW SPECIFICALLY WHY ANY SIMILAR INFORMATION ALREADY AVAILABLE CANNOT BE USED OR MODIFIED FOR USE FOR THE PURPOSES DESCRIBED IN ITEM 2.

The information collected is project specific and is not available elsewhere. There is no duplication.

5. IF THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION IMPACTS SMALL BUSINESS OR OTHER SMALL ENTITIES, DESCRIBE THE METHODS USED TO MINIMIZE BURDEN.

The information collection does not directly involve small businesses.

6. DESCRIBE CONSEQUENCES TO FEDERAL PROGRAMS OR POLICY ACTIVITIES IF THE COLLECTION WERE CONDUCTED LESS FREQUENTLY AS WELL AS ANY TECHNICAL OR LEGAL OBSTACLES TO REDUCING BURDEN.

The number of projects approved for funding would be limited, thereby impacting FTA’s ability to improve mobility for individuals with disabilities by providing financial assistance to help make vehicles accessible.

7. EXPLAIN ANY SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT REQUIRE THE COLLECTION TO BE CITED IN A MANNER INCONSISTENT WITH THE GUIDELINES IN 5 CFR 1320.6.

The information collected is consistent with the guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.6.

8. DESCRIBE EFFORTS TO CONSULT WITH PERSONS OUTSIDE THE AGENCY.

A 60-day Federal Register notice was published on September 24, 2013 (pages 58601 and 58602), soliciting comments prior to submission to OMB. No comments were received from that notice.

9. EXPLAIN ANY DECISION TO PROVIDE ANY PAYMENT OR GIFT TO RESPONDENTS, OTHER THAN REMUNERATION OF CONTRACTORS OR GRANTEES.

No payment or gift is made to respondents.

10. DESCRIBE ANY ASSURANCE OF CONFIDENTIALITY PROVIDED TO RESPONDENTS AND THE BASIS FOR ASSURANCE IN STATUTE, REGULATIONS, OR AGENCY POLICY.

There is no assurance of confidentiality regarding these submissions.

11. PROVIDE ADDITIONAL JUSTIFICATION FOR ANY QUESTIONS OF SENSITIVE NATURE.

No questions of a sensitive nature are involved.

12. Estimate of the hour burden of the collection of information and annualized cost to respondents

1. Estimate of the burden of the collection of information:

Requirements	Annual Submissions	Burden Hours per Submission	Total Burden Hours
Application Stage
Standard Assurance	100	3	300
Description of System	100	1	100
Project Budget	100	2	200
Subtotal			600
Project Management Stage
Financial Status Report	100	2	200
Subtotal			200
Grand Total			800

The total number of burden hours associated with this submission in FTA’s information collection inventory is 800 hours.

2. Estimate of the cost to respondents.

Requirements	Annual Personnel Hours per Submission from 12a above	Average Salary/Hour of Staff	Total Annual Cost to the Grantee
Application Stage
Standard Assurance	3	$32	$96
Description of System	1	$32	$32
Project Budget	2	$32	$64
Subtotal			$192
Project Management Stage
Financial Status Report	2	$32	$64
Subtotal			$64
Grand Total			$256

It is estimated that the cost to each respondent will be $256. (100 respondents x $256 = $25,600).

13. Estimate of total annual cost burden to respondents or record keepers resulting from the collection of information (not including the cost of any hour burden shown in Items 12 and 14).

The information requested is collected and reviewed in the course of normal business practices; therefore, no additional costs are associated beyond that shown in items 12 and 14.

14. Estimates of the annualized cost to the federal government.

Requirements	Annual Personnel Hours per Submission	Average Salary/ Hour of Headquarters Staff Reviewing Documents	Total Annual Cost to the Federal Government
Application Stage
Standard Assurance	1	$42	$42
Description of System	1	$42	$42
Project Budget	1	$42	$42
Subtotal			$126
Project Management Stage
Financial Status Report	1	$42	$42
Subtotal	1		$42
Grand Total			$168

It is estimated that the annual cost to the federal government will be $168 per respondent and it should be noted that these figures assume that the applications are complete, fundable and non-controversial. More complex projects or programs of projects would consume additional time. (100 respondents x $168 = $16,800)

15. EXPLAIN REASONS FOR CHANGES IN BURDEN, INCLUDING THE NEED FOR ANY INCREASES.

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century Act (MAP-21) repealed the Over-the-Road Bus program. FTA will not conduct competitive application review and project justification.

16. PLANS FOR TABULATION AND PUBLICATION OF COLLECTION OF INFORMATION WHOSE RESULTS WILL BE PUBLISHED.

FTA does not plan to publish the results of the information collected for statistical use.

17. IF SEEKING APPROVAL NOT TO DISPLAY THE EXPIRATION DATE FOR OMB APPROVAL, EXPLAIN THE REASONS.

FTA is not seeking approval not to display the expiration date of OMB approval.

18. EXPLAIN ANY EXCEPTIONS TO THE CERTIFICATION STATEMENT IDENTIFIED IN ITEM 19 OF OMB FORM 83-I.

No exceptions are stated.