September 2009: DOT Issues Fraud Warning The Department of Transportation issued the following notice on its ARRA homepage:
WARNING: DOT is aware of attempts to defraud potential Recovery Act grantees. These attempts occur by written request for confidential financial information that appear to be from DOT. DO NOT RESPOND TO THESE REQUESTS. If you receive such a request, please contact us on 202-366-0747, or e-mail the Senior Procurement Executive at recovery.grantee@dot.gov. DOT is working with domestic and international law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute the persons responsible for this fraudulent activity.
July 2009: Supplemental Guidance on ARRA Formula Funds The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has issued supplemental guidance regarding its transparency and accountability reporting effort for direct recipients of ARRA formula funds. The committee requests that recipients submit updated reports by June 15, 2009, and July 15, 2009. (Data in these reports should reflect what has occurred as of May 31, 2009, and June 30, 2009, respectively.)
Required Certifications Updated State and local governments and agencies must complete several certifications required under ARRA. These include section 1201, Maintenance of Effort; section 1511, Transparency and Oversight; and section 1607, Additional Funding Distribution and Assistance of Appropriate Use of Funds. In the caseof section 1511, the certification must be made and posted before funds are received. The following list makes available the certifications received to date by DOT: http://testimony.ost.dot.gov/ARRAcerts/
Required Certifications State and local governments and agencies must complete several certifications required under ARRA. These include section 1201, Maintenance of Effort; section 1511, Transparency and Oversight; and section 1607, Additional Funding Distribution and Assistance of Appropriate Use of Funds. In the case of section 1511, the certification must be made and posted before funds are received. The following list makes available the certifications received to date by DOT: http://testimony.ost.dot.gov/ARRAcerts/
ARRA Guidance Memo The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released ARRA guidance; see attached.
September 18, 2009: FHA Releases Guidance on Exec Compensation Reporting The Federal Highway Administration released guidance on reporting on executive compensation for the Section 1512 recipient reporting requirements. The guidance is available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/economicrecovery/guidancedexeccomp.htm
August 24, 2009: Economically Distressed Areas The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued guidance to provide additional information on the determination of economically distressed areas under the priority language in the Highway Infrastructure Investment appropriation of ARRA. The FHWA is issuing this guidance after consultation with the Department of Commerce and its Economic Development Administration, which has reviewed the "special need" criteria. States shall give priorityto projects that are located in an economically distressed area and can be completed within the three-year time frame over projects that meet only one of the priorities, provided that such projects also meet the other preferences, conditions, and requirements of ARRA. For more on this program see: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/economicrecovery/guidancedistressed.html
July 28, 2009: DOT Updates ARRA Q&A DOT updated its ARRA Question and Answers document to provide information on issues raised by state DOT's in regards to contracting methods. The updated document is available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/economicrecovery/qandas.htm
July 23, 2009: Highway Infrastructure Funds DOT's Federal Highway Administration posted a notice on redistribution of highway infrastructure investment funds pursuant to ARRA. The notice can be found at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/notices/n4510708.htm
July 10, 2009: DOT Updates Q&A Document DOT updated its Question and Answers document to provide information on issues raised by state DOTs in regards to ARRA and indirect costs. The updated document is available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/economicrecovery/qandas.htm
July 2009: Supplemental Appropriations Act The Supplemental Appropriations Act for 2009, signed by the president on June 24, 2009, includes a provision allowing up to 10% of each amount apportioned in ARRA for the urbanized (Section 5307) and non-urbanized (Section 5311) formula programs to be used for operating assistance. The following information is available on this new provision:
June 17, 2009: TIGER Funding Availability DOT published a revised notice of funding availability (NOFA) for the $1.5 billion TIGER Discretionary Grant program funded by ARRA. The program awards funds to state and local governments that submit applications for capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure, including highway or bridge projects, public transportation projects, passenger and freight rail projects and port infrastructure investments. The revised NOFA provides additional guidance on the economic competitiveness criterion and the required cost-benefit analysis, clarifies several definitions and removes certification requirements among other administrative changes. Grant applications are due by September 15, 2009.
FHA Q&A The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) maintains a Question and Answer document that covers ARRA-related issues raised by state DOTs. The document was last updated on May 20, 2009, and includes additional questions related to collecting and estimating jobs under ARRA. The document is available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/economicrecovery/qandas.htm
TIGER Grants The Department of Transportation published a notice of funding availability (NOFA) for the $1.5 billion Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants Program. Applications must be submitted by September 15, 2009. The NOFA can be found at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-11542.pdf.
November 17, 2009: ARRA "After Action" Webinar on Reporting for FTA Grant Recipients The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will hold a webinar November 20 from 1:00-2:30 PM EST. The webinar will allow ARRA grant recipients the opportunity to provide feedback to FTA on their experiences with 1201(c) and 1512 reporting. In addition, FTA staff will debrief the grant recipients on the agency's experience implementing the ARRA reporting requirements. For more information see: http://www.fta.dot.gov/index_9440_10804.html
October 13, 2009: FTA Announces TIGGER Grants Recipients The Federal Transit Administration issued a notice in the Federal Register that announces recipients of the $100 million in ARRA funds for the Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) grants. The notice also responds to the comments received in response to the request for comments on the program structure and requirements in FTA's Notice of Funding Availability. To view this notice, see: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-24479.htm
September 2009: Section 1512 Webinars On September 22, 23 and 24, the Federal Transit Administration will be conducting three webinars on Section 1512 reporting requirements for FTS grant recipients. Details are available at: http://www.fta.dot.gov/index_9440_10541.html
September 21, 2009: FTA Announces TIGGER Grant Funding The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced $100 million in Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) grant funding for 43 transit agencies that are pursuing cutting-edge environmental technologies to help reduce global warming, lessen America's dependence on oil, and create green jobs. Award amounts are available at: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2009/fta2209.htm
August 2009: Upcoming DOT Transit Deadlines DOT published a reminder of upcoming deadlines on its website: http://www.fta.dot.gov/index_9440_10398.html. Specifically, by September 1, 2009, 50% of the ARRA apportionments for three transportation programs must be obligated to avoid losing the balance of that amount remaining unobligated. These programs are the Section 5307 Urbanized Areas Program ($5.4 billion), the Section 5311 Non-Urbanized Areas Program ($765.8 million), and the Section 5309 Fixed Guideway Modernization Program for urbanized areas ($742.5 million).
The balance of the initial apportionment must be obligated by March 5, 2010. All funds, including balances withdrawn from areas that did not meet the obligation deadlines and redistributed to other areas that met the deadlines, must be obligated by September 30, 2010. Once obligated, funds must be disbursed by September 30, 2015. Any balances remaining after that date will revert to the U.S. Treasury.
August 20, 2009: Grants to Local Transit Systems Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that 132 grants totaling $1.3 billion in ARRA funds will go to improve state and local transit systems. The majority of these grants will be used to purchase new vehicles, increase safety and security initiatives, construct, rehabilitate or maintain the various transit systems. More information is available at: http://www.fta.dot.gov/news/news_events_10477.html
Capital Investment Grants The Department of Transportation published in the Federal Register a notice implementing the Capital Investment Grants Program provisions of ARRA. It provides program and grant application requirements for ARRA funds under the Federal Transit Administration's New Starts and Small Starts programs. It is attached.
Public Transit Grants Of the $8.4 billion appropriated in ARRA for transit capital improvements, $100 million was provided for a new competitive grant program to provide direct funding to public transit agencies for "capital investments that will assist in reducing the energy consumption in greenhouse gas emissions." The Federal Transit Administration has published the rules for applying at the following address: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-6420.pdf.
Transit Notice The Federal Transit Agency published a notice in the Federal Register to implement the transit formula program and grant application requirements for the ARRA: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-4745.pdf.
September 18, 2009: Updated FAA list of ARRA Funding The FAA updated its list of cumulative ARRA grant funding for FAA programs. The updated list of ARRA grants is available at: http://www.faa.gov/airports/aip/
Discretionary Airport Grants Update The FAA recently updated a table that shows FY 2009 funds for discretionary airport grants. ARRA included $1.1 billion for airport-related purposes, with priority given to projectsthat can be awarded by June 17, 2009, and completed by February 16, 2011. As of May 22, 2009, $1.084 billion in funds have been released. Amounts by state and by project can be found on the tab labeled FY 2009 Cumulative Approved ARRA Grants at: http://www.faa.gov/recovery/programs/
August 10, 2009: ARRA Grants Application Q&A Update The Federal Railway Administration updated its Q&A section on the ARRA grants application process: http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/2270
High-Speed Rail Program Guidance DOT published its High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program interim program guidance for states and regions to apply for federal funds for high speed rail as part of ARRA. The guidance provides the application requirements and procedures to guide eligible applicants in seeking funding for high-speed and intercity passenger rail. To view the guidance, click the following link: http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/2243.
August 31, 2009: Funds for DBE The Department of Transportation announced $20 million in recovery funds to create the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Bonding Assistance Program, an initiative that enables small and disadvantaged businesses to be reimbursed for bonding premiums and fees incurred when competing for, or performing on, transportation infrastructure projects funded by ARRA. For more information on this program see: http://www.dot.gov/recovery/ost/osdbu/
July 23, 2009: ARRA Ferry Boat Awards DOT released information on ARRA Ferry Boat Discretionary (FBD) awards to states. An updated table on these awards can be viewed at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/discretionary/fbawrd09_arra.cfm Applicants that applied for ARRA FBD grants but not receive awards may still submit an application for consideration under the FY 2009 program by July 31, 2009, in accordance with the 2009 FBD Program solicitation, available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/discretionary/fbdsol.cfm
July 14, 2009: Ferry Service and ARRA The Department of Transportation announced $60 million in grants to 19 states and one territory to improve ferry service under ARRA. For a list of projects, go to: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/fhwa0921.htm
July 9, 2009: On-the-Job Training Services Grants DOT announced $6.7 million in On-the-Job Training Supportive Service (OJT/SS) grants. These grants were made to organizations in 14 states to fund apprenticeships and training centers for underrepresented or disadvantaged people seeking careers in transportation, engineering or construction. The full announcement and awards by state are available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/fhwa0918.htm
