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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 31 / Thursday, February 18, 2021 / Notices FTA will evaluate the rate of particulate emissions by the proposed vehicles or vehicles to be supported by the proposed facility, compared to the emissions from the vehicles that will be replaced or moved to the spare fleet as a result of the proposed project, as well as comparable standard buses.
iii. Reduce Direct Carbon Emissions:
Applicants should demonstrate how the proposed vehicles or facility will reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from transit vehicle operations. FTA will evaluate the rate of direct carbon emissions by the proposed vehicles or vehicles to be supported by the proposed facility, compared to the emissions from the vehicles that will be replaced or moved to the spare fleet as a result of the proposed project, as well as comparable standard buses.

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c. Planning and Local/Regional Prioritization Applicants must demonstrate how the proposed project is consistent with local and regional long-range planning documents and local government priorities. FTA will evaluate applications based on the quality and extent to which they assess whether the project is consistent with the transit priorities identified in the long-range plan; and/or contingency/illustrative projects included in that plan; or the locally developed human services public transportation coordinated plan.
Applicants may submit copies of the relevant pages of such plans to support their application. FTA will consider how the project will support regional goals and applicants may submit support letters from local and regional planning organizations attesting to the consistency of the proposed project with these plans.
Evidence of additional local or regional prioritization may include letters of support for the project from local government officials, public agencies, and non-profit or private sector partners.
d. Local Financial Commitment Applicants must identify the source of the local cost share and describe whether such funds are currently available for the project or will need to be secured if the project is selected for funding. FTA will consider the availability of the local cost share as evidence of local financial commitment to the project. Applicants should submit evidence of the availability of funds for the project; for example, by including a board resolution, letter of support from the State, or other documentation of the source of local funds such as a budget document highlighting the line item or
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section committing funds to the proposed project. FTA will note if an applicant proposes to use grant funds only for the incremental cost of new technologies over the cost of replacing vehicles with standard propulsion technologies.
e. Project Implementation Strategy FTA will rate projects higher if grant funds can be obligated within 12
months of selection and the project can be implemented within a reasonable time frame. In assessing when funds can be obligated, FTA will consider whether the project qualifies for a Categorical Exclusion CE, or whether the required environmental work has been initiated or completed for projects that require an Environmental Assessment EA or Environmental Impact Statement EIS
under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 NEPA, as amended.
As such, applicants should submit information describing the projects anticipated path and timeline through the environmental review process. The proposal must state when grant funds can be obligated and indicate the timeframe under which the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program TIP and/or Statewide Transportation Improvement Program STIP can be amended to include the proposed project.
In assessing whether the proposed implementation plans are reasonable and complete, FTA will review the proposed project implementation plan, including all necessary project milestones and the overall project timeline. For projects that will require formal coordination, approvals, or permits from other agencies or project partners, the applicant must demonstrate coordination with these organizations and their support for the project, such as through letters of support.
For project proposals that involve a partnership with a manufacturer, vendor, consultant, or other third party, applicants must identify by name any project partners, including, but not limited to, other transit agencies, bus manufacturers, owners or operators of related facilities, or any expert consultants. FTA will evaluate the experience and capacity of the named project partners to successfully implement the proposed project based on the partners experience and qualifications. Applicants are advised to submit information on the partners qualifications and experience as a part of the application. Entities involved in the project that are not named in the application will be required to be
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selected through a competitive procurement.
f. Technical, Legal, and Financial Capacity Applicants must demonstrate that they have the technical, legal, and financial capacity to undertake the project. FTA will review relevant oversight assessments and records to determine whether there are any outstanding legal, technical, or financial issues with the applicant that would affect the outcome of the proposed project.
2. Review and Selection Process In addition to other FTA staff that may review the proposals, a technical evaluation committee will evaluate proposals based on the published evaluation criteria. Members of the technical evaluation committee and other FTA staff may request additional information from applicants, if necessary. Based on the findings of the technical evaluation committee, the FTA Administrator will determine the final selection of projects for program funding. In determining the allocation of program funds, FTA may consider geographic diversity, diversity in the size of the transit systems receiving funding, and the applicants receipt of other competitive awards. FTA may also consider capping the amount a single applicant may receive.
After applying the above criteria, in support of the Presidents January 20, 2021 Executive Order on Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis, the FTA Administrator will consider applications that may provide other air quality benefits as part of the application review. Applicants should identify any nonattainment or maintenance areas under the Clean Air Act in the proposed service area.
Nonattainment or maintenance areas should be limited to the following applicable National Ambient Air Quality Standards criteria pollutants:
Carbon monoxide, ozone, and particulate matter 2.5 and 10. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agencys Green Book available at https
www.epa.gov/green-book is a publiclyavailable resource for nonattainment and maintenance area data. This consideration will further the goals of the Executive Order, including the goal to prioritize environment justice EJ.
In addition, FTA will consider benefits to EJ communities when reviewing applications received under this program. Applicants should identify any EJ populations located within the proposed service area and
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