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FTA Seeks Public Comment on Grant Consolidation
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on July 12 announced that it is seeking public guidance on a new consolidated circular entitled, “Grant Programs for Urbanized Areas: Program Guidance and Application Instructions.” Comments are due Sept. 11, 2023.
According to FTA, the consolidated circular consolidates and replaces the circulars for the Urbanized Area Formula Grants Program, the State of Good Repair Grants Program, and the Urbanized Area formula component of the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program, and incorporates provisions from the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act; the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL); the Uniform Administrative Requirements for Federal awards to non-Federal entities; and current FTA policies and procedures.
The proposed circular (download below), FTA says, “consolidates and summarizes programmatic information, streamlines pre-existing guidance from the three program circulars, and reduces duplication of information provided between the Urbanized Area Formula Programs circular and FTA’s other topic-specific circulars, including by moving certain text applicable to most or all of FTA’s grant programs to FTA’s Award Management Requirements Circular C 5010.1.”
Additionally, according to the Administration, the proposed circular clarifies several policy issues as interpreted and applied by FTA. These clarifications, FTA says, address topics in the existing program circulars, including: reallocations or transfers of apportionments; consolidation of grants to insular areas; intermodal use of formula funds; eligible projects and activities for each formula program; operating assistance limitations and exceptions; capital cost of contracting; the role of transportation network companies in providing public transportation services; period of availability to obligate funds flexed to the FTA formula programs from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA); planning requirements; pre-award authority; and requirements pertaining to fares charged to seniors and persons with disabilities.
After a review and consideration of the comments provided on the proposed circular, FTA will publish the final circular on its website.
