Transcript Proposed Interim Guidance – Small Starts

FTA’s Small Starts Program
Charlotte, North Carolina
October 11, 2007
Small Starts Program Overview
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Program funding at $200m/yr
Simplified Process
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Alternatives Analysis
Project Development
Construction
Simplified Project Construction Grant Agreement
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Scope
Cost
Schedule
Federal Funding Maximum Amount and Schedule
Local Funding Sources
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Eligibility - Costs
• Total cost < $250 million
• Small Starts share < $75 million
• Exempt projects (< $25 million New Starts
share) may:
– Remain exempt until Final Rule – then be
evaluated and rated if construction not started
or
– Be evaluated and rated now as Small Starts
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Program Goal
Fund meritorious projects
• Develop reliable information on project benefits and
costs
• Ensure projects treated equitably nationally
• Facilitate communication between FTA, transit
industry and Congress
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Guiding Principles for Development
of Small Starts Interim Guidance
• Evaluation process should not change
dramatically from existing process to minimize
rating changes given those anticipated in the
NPRM
• Requirements should ensure level playing field
for all projects
• Requirements should be mode-neutral
• Costs, benefits and impacts should be developed
using established methodologies
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Eligibility - Project Definition
• Project a fixed guideway for 50% or more of its
length during peak, or
• Project a corridor bus project including at least:
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Transit stations
Traffic signal priority or pre-emption
Low floor buses or level boarding
Premium service branding
10 min peak/15 min off-peak headways at least 14
hours a day
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Eligibility – Additional Features for Very
Small Starts
• Simple, low-cost projects that qualify for
streamlined process
• Very Small Starts eligibility criteria:
– Existing daily riders over 3,000
– Total cost under $50 million
– Under $3 million per mile, excluding rolling stock
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Interim Guidance
Evaluation of Small Starts Project
Justification
Subset of Existing New Starts Criteria:
- Land-use
- Cost-effectiveness
- Other factors, including economic
development, congestion and pricing
strategies, and the case for the project
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Interim Guidance
Evaluation of Local Financial Commitment
• Projects receive “medium” for local financial commitment
if:
– Reasonable plan to secure local share (all non-New Starts
funding committed for PCGA)
– Project O&M under 5 percent of agency operating budget
– Agency in solid financial condition
• Projects that cannot meet the conditions above submit a
financial plan
– According to FTA guidance
– Covering period up to and including opening year
– Evaluated based on criteria used for New Starts
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Simplification of Small Starts Program
Requirements Compared to New Starts
Very Small Starts
– AA could contain two alternatives and require no more information
than developed for a project funded only with local funds
– Project justification evaluation requires meeting easily developed
information on costs and existing ridership
– Local financial commitment evaluation could require meeting 3
easily demonstrated conditions; otherwise financial plan extends
only to opening year
– No final design approval
– Simplified PMP and cost reviews
– Simplified PCGA
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Simplification of Small Starts Program
Requirements Compared to New Starts
Small Starts
– AA could contain few alternatives, use forecasts of transportation
benefits with simplified methods and address project opening, not
20-year forecasts
– Land use submission reduced for project justification
– Local financial commitment evaluation could require meeting 3
easily demonstrated conditions; otherwise financial plan extends
only to opening year
– No final design approval
– Simplified PMP and cost reviews
– Simplified PCGA
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Projects in Project Development
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Los Angeles Metro Rapid Bus Closure
Kansas City Troost Corridor BRT
Springfield (OR) Pioneer Parkway BRT
King Co (WA) Pacific Highway South BRT
Portland Streetcar Loop
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Pending Project Development Requests
Projects
• Mason (CO) Transportation Corridor BRT
• Fitchburg (MA) Commuter Rail
• South Corridor BRT in Grand Rapids, MI
• Perris Valley (CA) Metrolink Commuter Rail Extension
• Others in St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Tucson, San Diego,
San Francisco, Oakland, Reno, Des Moines, and Aspen
Common Issues
• AA not completed
• Finances not identified
• Project not in metro plan
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Planned Schedule for Rulemaking
• July 2007: Publication of the Notice of Propose
Rulemaking for New and Small Starts
• July 2007: Publication of Measures document for
NPRM
• Early Summer 2008: Publication of the Final Rule
for New and Small Starts
• Early Summer 2008: Publication of Weights and
Measures document for Final Rule
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No Longer FTA’s Presentation!
David Vozzolo, HDR
October 11, 2007
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Emerging Industry Comments
• Due Nov 1 (yikes!)
• Working Draft comments by APTA, Community
Streetcar Coalition, New Starts Working Group
• Encourage comments from individual agencies
and organizations!
• Volume does matter!
• Comments also set stage for New Authorization
in 2009.
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Emerging Industry Comments
• Suggest a more simplified project rating and
project development process
• Increased consideration of land use and
economic development benefits
• Reduced (or no) consideration of user benefits travel time savings measures
• Reduced time and cost required for project
milestones and grant agreement
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