Federal Transit Administration - FTA Announces Launch of Livable and Sustainable Communities Website

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The Federal Transit Administration recently launched a new Livable and Sustainable Communities Website -- an important step in FTA’s efforts to advance the Department of Transportation’s Livability Initiative and the Interagency Sustainable Communities Partnership. This website can be viewed at: www.fta.dot.gov/livability.

The website provides information about the Department of Transportation’s role in livability and sustainable communities, the interagency partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency and Housing and Urban Development, and how FTA is supporting these exciting new initiatives. Specifically, FTA has reworked its transit-oriented and joint development webpage, included information on transit and environmental sustainability, highlighted efforts on affordable housing near transit, and provided case studies that can be used by transit agencies and communities around the nation as they plan to make their cities and towns livable.

FTA is uniquely positioned to contribute to these initiatives as many of its programs inherently support livability and sustainable communities. Transit provides critical services that connect all members of the community, rural and urban, with employment, health, educational, and other important opportunities and services. On the website, FTA has provided a key webpage that lists FTA’s grant programs as they relate to livability. This list includes major grant programs, such the Urbanized Area Formula Program, as well as programs that focus on specialized services, such as those serving seniors and people with disabilities.

FTA will continue to expand on the assistance we provide the transportation industry to build the principles of livability and sustainability into communities around our Nation.

Obama administration shifting transportation priorities to include livibility, environment — Autoblog Green

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The idea is that limited transportation funds will be spent on projects that improve "livability issues such as economic development opportunities and environmental benefits," instead of just low cost and time saved. Think of it as a holistic approach to moving people around. What this means in practice going forward is not exactly clear, but the U.S. Federal Transit Administration will "immediately rescind budget restrictions issued by the Bush Administration in March of 2005 that focused primarily on how much a project shortened commute times in comparison to its cost."

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FTA issues notice of proposed policy and request for comment

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The U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, has issued a "Proposed Policy Statement on the Eligibility of Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Under Federal Transit Law." The notice describes the eligibility of pedestrian and bicycle improvements for FTA funding and proposes a formal policy on the catchment area for pedestrians and bicyclists in relationship to public transportation stops and stations. FTA seeks comment from all interested parties. After consideration of the comments, FTA will issue a second Federal Register notice responding to comments and noting any changes made to the policy statement as a result of comments received. Comments must be received by Jan. 12, 2010. Federal Register Notice

Policy on Reporting of Coordinated Human Services Transportation Data

Notice of Final Policy on Reporting of Coordinated Human Services Transportation Data
to the National Transit Database.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) policy on the
reporting of coordinated human services transportation data to the National Transit Database (NTD).
On August 12, 2008, FTA proposed a new policy clarifying how transit providers reporting to
the NTD may include sponsored trips in their reports. FTA received two comments on the proposed
policy and is now formally adopting the new policy.

DATES: Effective Date: March 4, 2009.

Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the selection of projects to be funded under Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 appropriations for the Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program; Tribal Transit Program (TTP), a program authorized by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). This announcement contains a list of grantees and the amounts awarded.

FTA Fiscal Year 2009 Apportionments, Allocations, and Program Information

SUMMARY: Division A of the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009, (Pub. L. 110-329) signed into law by President Bush on September 30, 2008, continues to fund the Federal transit programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT) at the same levels that were available under Division K of the ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008'' (Pub. L. 110-161) until a DOT Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 is enacted or March 6, 2009, whichever occurs first. This notice provides information on funding amounts that are currently available for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) assistance programs; provides program guidance and requirements; and provides information on several program issues important in the current year. The notice also includes tables that show certain discretionary programs unobligated (carryover) funding from previous years that will be available for obligation during FY 2009.

United We Ride State/Tribal Mobility Management Coordination Grants

This notice solicits proposals from States and tribal associations or consortia for United We Ride (UWR) mobility management grants. This solicitation is issued by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on behalf of the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM). Funding in the amount of $1.5 million is provided by FTA to support grants ranging up to $300,000 each. These grants are intended to assist States and tribal associations in supporting the development of transportation coordination capabilities and capacity within local or regional human service networks to address the individualized customer transportation needs of persons and families with low income, persons with disabilities, older adults and youth. Specifically, these grants seek to address individual customer needs for mobility within workforce development, health care, aging, youth, disability, education, housing, veterans and other social service or human service support networks. State or tribal mobility management proposals may include the development of educational programs, training and technical assistance activities, and mobility management coordination pilots for or within such networks. These grants are not intended to fund the capital or operating costs of specific transportation services or transportation brokerage programs. The projects proposed should represent new or expanded activities, not just the maintenance of existing actions already being funded. FTA-funded technical assistance and training programs are described that may prove helpful to applicants in either developing or implementing proposals. DATES: Proposals must be submitted February 12, 2009.

Web Seminar Focuses on Creating Transportation Options for Older Adults

The National Center on Senior Transportation and the American Society on Aging developed "Mobility Equals Independence," a special pair of free one-hour Web seminars. These seminars will help providers, planners and elder advocates throughout the country gain insight into transportation issues facing older adults and assist them as they create a vision for change.

This hour long Web seminar, recorded in Fall 2008, opens with an overview of mobility issues facing older adults and the role that coordinated transportation plays in providing a range of transportation options by Mary A. Leary, senior director of Easter Seals Project ACTION, the National Center on Senior Transportation, and other Transportation Initiatives. The Honorable Josefina G. Carbonell, longest serving Assistant Secretary of Aging and over 30-year leader in community-based long term care services, and the Honorable James S. Simpson, who has served as Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, Commissioner of the New York State Metropolitan Transit Authority, and who has a long history of supporting entrepreneurship and innovation in public service, are featured speakers.

They discuss current federal government initiatives aimed at meeting the growing need for older adult transportation while advancing better coordination for more effective service. Their remarks are followed by comments from Sandy Markwood, chief executive officer of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, who discusses "A Blueprint for Action". Markwood's presentation is based on findings of "The Maturing of America" study, a comprehensive report on communities’ aging readiness. American Public Transportation Association President William Millar wraps up the Web seminar with comments on the challenges and successes transit agencies have experienced as they work to make public transportation attractive, accessible, convenient, affordable, and a pleasant riding experience. Each presenter outlines a call for local actions to enhance senior mobility.

FTA: FY 2009 Annual List of Certifications and Assurances for Grants/Cooperative Agreements

SUMMARY: Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 5323(n), FTA is authorized to consolidate the certifications and assurances required by Federal law or regulations for its programs into a single document. FTA is also required by 49 U.S.C. 5323(n) to publish a list of those certifications and assurances annually. Appendix A of this Notice contains the comprehensive compilation of FTA's Certifications and Assurances for Federal Fiscal Year (Federal FY) 2009 applicable to the various Federal assistance programs that FTA will administer during that Federal FY. FTA's Certifications and Assurances for Federal FY 2009 reflect Federal statutory, regulatory, and programmatic changes that have now become effective. Effective Date: These FTA Certifications and Assurances are effective on October 1, 2008, the first day of Federal FY 2009.

FTA Publishes Third Party Contracting Guidance: Notice of Final Circular

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has issued FTA Circular 4220.1F, ``Third Party Contracting Guidance'' to provide comprehensive guidance to grantees and recipients of cooperative agreements (recipients) to implement third party contracting requirements that apply to FTA assisted procurements.DATES: Effective Date: The effective date of this circular is November 1, 2008.

FTA Publishes New Grant Management Guidance

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has placed in the docket and on its Web site (http://www.fta.dot.gov) guidance in the form of Circular 5010.1D, Grant Management Requirements, which circular replaces FTA's prior Grant Management Circular 5010.1C. Circular 5010.1D includes information pertaining to new and existing FTA programs; incorporates provisions of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU); discusses the circumstances under which a grantee may request budget revisions and grant amendments; identifies useful life standards for trolleys, ferry boats, and facilities; and increases the threshold that determines whether FTA must approve a real estate appraisal. DATES: The effective date of the circular is November 1, 2008.

State Teams Selected for NHTSA Older Driver Safety Project

The National Center for Senior Transportation (NCST) selected six state teams to participate in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)/Federal Transit Administration (FTA) project to establish and implement statewide older driver safety plans. The teams are from:

• Florida,
• Georgia,
• Minnesota,
• Nebraska,
• North Carolina, and
• Tennessee.

The states will each receive $5,000 to assist in plan implementation, and two states will be awarded an additional $6,000 each to further their efforts.

Each team consists of state government agencies and organizations that represent aging; driver licensing; law enforcement; highway safety; public health; and the state’s department of transportation, both roadways and transit. The goal of such a coalition is to produce a comprehensive and unified approach to senior transportation. The teams will gather in Dallas, Texas on September 16 and 17, and each team will work collaboratively to develop an action plan for their state to improve older driver safety and connections with alternative forms of transportation. While much of the meeting time will be spent in plan development, participants will be given the opportunity to dialogue with team members from other states in order to share information and promising practices in improving the transportation mobility of older adults.

Natural Disaster Adjustments for Urbanized Area Apportionments

SUMMARY: This notice provides interested parties with the opportunity to comment on the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) National Transit Database (NTD) proposed new policy on natural disaster adjustments to NTD data. If a transit provider suffers a marked decrease in transit service due to a natural disaster, FTA proposes to allow that transit provider to be ``held harmless'' in the apportionment of formula grants for urbanized areas. In this case, FTA would use the transit provider's data from the NTD report year before the natural disaster in the apportionment, but use data from the current NTD report year for all other transit providers. Under this proposed policy, FTA would only make this adjustment upon the request of the affected transit provider or the designated recipient for the urbanized area, and FTA would grant this request at its discretion based on the disaster's demonstrated severity and impacts. FTA proposes for this policy to take effect for the 2007 NTD Report Year, which is the data to be used in the FY 2009 apportionment of formula grants for urbanized areas. DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 15, 2008. FTA will consider comments filed after this date to the extent practicable.

Guidelines for Processing Applications for Assistance To Conform With SAFETEA-LU

Final Rule SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (``Department''), through the Office of Labor-Management Standards (``OLMS''), issued proposed changes to its Guidelines for the Department's administration of the Secretary of Labor's (``Secretary'') responsibility under the Federal transit law, 49 U.S.C. 5333(b). This document sets forth the Department's review of and response to comments on the proposed revisions, as well as the changes made to the Guidelines in response to those comments.

Policy on Reporting of Coordinated Human Services Transportation Data

This notice provides interested parties with the opportunity to comment on changes to the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) National Transit Database (NTD) policy on the reporting of coordinated human services transportation data. For many years, it has been FTA's policy to require transit agencies reporting demand response service to the NTD to exclude service data for certain sponsored trips from their reports. These trips were typically arranged and paid for by a third party for a specific group of clients (such as participants in programs like Medicaid, Head Start, sheltered workshops, or assisted living centers), and were often not open to the general public at large. Data for these trips were thus excluded from the calculation of the apportionment of Urbanized Area Formula Grants. In light of FTA's policies and guidance on Coordinated Human Services Transportation, FTA is proposing to clarify this policy for the 2008 NTD Report Year to specify that transit agencies are to report data for all of their demand response service as public transportation, except for those services that are defined as charter service under FTA's recently revised charter rule (49 CFR Part 604, 73 FR 2326, January 14, 2008). FTA also proposes to require transit agencies in urbanized areas to separately report their ``regular unlinked passenger trips'' and their ``sponsored demand response unlinked passenger trips'' for demand response service. FTA invites the public to comment on this proposed policy change. DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 11, 2008. FTA will consider comments filed after this date to the extent practicable.

National Transit Database: Amendments to Urbanized Area Annual Reporting Manual

SUMMARY: This notice announces the adoption of certain amendments for the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) 2008 National Transit Database (NTD) Urbanized Area Annual Reporting Manual (Annual Manual). On February 7, 2008, FTA published a notice in the Federal Register (73 FR 7361) inviting comments on proposed amendments to the 2008 Annual Manual. This notice provides responses to those comments, and announces the adoption of certain amendments for the 2008 Annual Manual, as well as the adoption of some amendments to take effect for the 2009 Report Year. DATES: Effective Date: August 6, 2008.

FTA Rule Related to Charter Service Prohibitions

This document disposes of the petitions for reconsideration filed in response to the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) final rule on charter service published on January 14, 2008. This notice also corrects the final rule by adding an authority citation, revises Appendix B and Appendix C, and corrects Appendix D, which should have appeared in the final rule as a matrix.