[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 19 (Tuesday, January 29, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4310-4313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-2091]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Participation in the Fiscal Year 2003 Intelligent Transportation
Systems (ITS) Deployment Program
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. DOT.
ACTION: Notice; request for preliminary applications.
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SUMMARY: The FHWA is requesting preliminary applications from public/
public or public/private partnerships to determine qualifications for
participation in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 Intelligent Transportation
Systems (ITS) Deployment Program. The focus of the FY 2003 ITS
Deployment Program is to provide incentive monies for the deployment
and/or integration of ITS to enhance the security of our surface
transportation systems. Those preliminary applications that demonstrate
an ability to meet the selection criteria will be considered for
funding and will be asked to provide a more detailed technical proposal
and financial plan prior to approval and the receipt of funds.
DATES: Preliminary applications to determine qualifications for
participation in the ITS Deployment Program must be received before 4
p.m., e.t., Friday, April 1, 2002.
ADDRESSES: Preliminary applications to participate in either component
of the ITS Deployment Program should be submitted directly to the FHWA,
ITS Joint Program Office, HOIT, Department of Transportation, 400
Seventh St., SW., Room 3404, Washington, DC 20590.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For the ITS Integration Program: Mr.
Michael Freitas, FHWA, ITS Joint Program Office, (202) 366-9292; Mr.
Ron Boenau, FTA, Office of Mobility Innovation, (202) 366-0195; Mr.
Mark Kehrli, FHWA, Office of Travel Management, (202) 366-5465; or Ms.
Gloria Hardiman-Tobin, FHWA, Office of Chief Counsel, (202) 366-0780,
Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC
20590. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays.
For the Commercial Vehicle ITS Deployment Program: Ms. Katherine
Hartman, FHWA , ITS Joint Program Office, (202) 366-2742; Mr. Jeffrey
Secrist, FMCSA, Office of Research and Technology, (202) 358-5658; or
Ms. Gloria Hardiman-Tobin, FHWA, Office of Chief Counsel, (202) 366-
0780, Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.,
e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Access
An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a modem
and suitable communications software from the Government Printing
Office Electronic Bulletin Board Service at (202) 512-1661. Internet
users may reach the Office of the Federal Register's home page at
http://www.nara.gov/fedreg and the Government Printing Office's Web
page at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara. The document may also be
downloaded using a modem and suitable communications software from the
U.S. DOT's ITS page at http://www.its.dot.gov.
Table Of Contents
I. Background
II. Purpose of the ITS Deployment Program
III. Solicitation Intent
IV. Criteria For Participation in the ITS Deployment Program
V. Limitations on Funding for the ITS Deployment Program
VI. Federal Share of Project Costs
VII. Evaluation of Benefits
VIII. Instructions to ITS Deployment Program Applicants
IX. Selection Criteria
I. Background
The ITS Deployment Program was established by the Transportation
Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21)(Public Law 105-178, 112 Stat.
107, (1998)). The ITS Deployment Program described in sections
5001(a)(6) and (c)(4) of TEA-21 encompasses the ITS Integration Program
and the Commercial Vehicle Intelligent Transportation System
Infrastructure Deployment Program (Commercial Vehicle ITS Deployment
Program). Section 5208 of the TEA-21 establishes the ITS Integration
Program to accelerate the integration and interoperability of
intelligent transportation systems in metropolitan and rural areas.
Section 5209 of the TEA-21 establishes the Commercial Vehicle ITS
Deployment Program to deploy intelligent transportation systems that
improve the safety and productivity of commercial vehicles and drivers,
and to reduce costs associated with commercial vehicle operations and
Federal and State commercial vehicle regulatory requirements.
For FY 2003, the ITS Integration Program provides $85,000,000 in
Federal ITS funding for the integration of multi-modal ITS components
in metropolitan areas, rural areas, or in statewide, multi-State, or
multi-city settings. In FY 2003, the Commercial Vehicle ITS Deployment
Program provides $35,500,000 in Federal ITS funding to improve the
safety and productivity of commercial vehicles and drivers, and reduce
costs associated with commercial vehicle operation and regulatory
requirements.
II. Purpose of the ITS Deployment Program
Section 5208 establishes the ITS Integration Program to accelerate
the integration and interoperability of intelligent transportation
systems in metropolitan and rural areas. (emphasis added)
Additionally, section 5208(a) states that projects selected for
funding, through competitive solicitation, will serve as models to
improve transportation efficiency, promote safety (including safe
freight movement), increase traffic flow (including the flow of
intermodal travel at ports of entry), reduce emissions of air
pollutants, improve traveler information, enhance alternative
transportation modes, build on existing intelligent transportation
system projects, or promote tourism.
Section 5209 of the TEA-21 establishes the Commercial Vehicle ITS
Deployment Program to improve the safety and productivity of commercial
[[Page 4311]]
motor vehicles and drivers; and reduce the costs associated with
commercial vehicle operations and Federal and State commercial vehicle
regulatory requirements.
According to section 5209(b), the purpose of the Commercial Vehicle
ITS Deployment Program is to advance the technological capability and
promote the development of intelligent transportation system
applications to commercial vehicle operations, including commercial
vehicle, commercial driver, and carrier-specific information systems.
III. Solicitation Intent
Recent events have focused attention on the need to ensure the
security of our nation's transportation system. ITS technologies offer
the opportunity to significantly improve transportation security in
several ways. First, innovative surveillance technologies and
applications offer the potential to monitor critical infrastructure
elements. These critical elements include critical bridges and tunnels,
key subway stations or multi-modal facilities, multi-modal freight
facilities, and highway or transit operations centers. The technology
monitoring may continuously determine the status of these elements,
identify potential risks to these critical elements, and immediately
report any changes in the status of these critical elements. Second,
these same surveillance systems may be used to better monitor
operations on the surface transportation systems to improve the ability
to identify security related incidents and better locate those
incidents and to assure safe operations during more routing operations.
Third, ITS technologies may provide for improved coordinated responses
to these same incidents through improved traffic management, traveler
information, transit system management, and/or public safety
coordination. Fourth, ITS technologies may ensure the secure operation
of commercial motor vehicles, their drivers, and their cargo. Fifth,
improved communication networks and systems may help to better identify
high risk commercial vehicles or drivers.
For these reasons, the FHWA has determined that there is a critical
need to focus the FY 2003 ITS Deployment Program on the application of
ITS technologies that enhance the security of surface transportation
systems. The objective is to provide incentive monies for the
deployment and/or integration of ITS for the express purpose of
enhancing the security of our surface transportation systems.
IV. Criteria for Participation in the ITS Deployment Program
Section 5208 of TEA-21 states that projects selected for ITS
Integration Program funding shall:
1. Contribute to national deployment goals and objectives outlined
in the National ITS Program Plan; (Note that a synopsis of the National
ITS Program Plan can be downloaded from the ITS Electronic Document
Library (EDL) at http://www.its.dot.gov. The EDL number is 3845.)
2. Demonstrate a strong commitment to cooperation among agencies,
jurisdictions, and the private sector, as evidenced by signed memoranda
of understanding (MOUs) that clearly define the responsibilities and
relations of all parties to a partnership arrangement, including
institutional relationships and financial agreements needed to support
integrated deployment;
3. Encourage private sector involvement and financial commitment,
to the maximum extent practicable, through innovative financial
arrangements, especially public-private partnerships, including
arrangements that generate revenue to offset public investment costs;
4. Demonstrate commitment to a comprehensive plan of fully
integrated ITS deployment in accordance with the national ITS
architecture and standards and protocols;
5. Be part of approved plans and programs developed under
applicable statewide and metropolitan transportation planning processes
and applicable State air quality implementation plans, as appropriate,
at the time at which Federal ITS funds are sought;
6. Minimize the relative percentage and amount of Federal ITS
funding to total project costs;
7. Ensure continued, long-term operations and maintenance without
continued reliance on Federal ITS funding as evidenced by documented
evidence of fiscal capacity and commitment from anticipated public and
private sources;
8. Demonstrate technical capacity for effective operations and
maintenance or commitment to acquiring necessary skills;
9. Mitigate any adverse impacts on bicycle and pedestrian
transportation and safety;
10. In the case of a rural area, meet other safety, mobility,
geographic and regional diversity, or economic development criteria; or
11. Encourage multi-state cooperation and corridor development.
Section 5209 of TEA-21 states that projects selected for Commercial
Vehicle ITS Deployment Program funding shall:
1. Encourage multistate cooperation on corridor development;
2. Improve the safety of commercial vehicle operation and increase
the efficiency of regulatory inspection processes to reduce
administrative burdens by advancing technology to facilitate
inspections and generally increase the effectiveness of enforcement
efforts;
3. Advance electronic processing of registration information,
driver licensing information, fuel tax information, inspection and
crash data, and other safety information and promote communication of
the information among the States; or
4. Enhance the safe passage of commercial vehicles across the
United States and across international borders.
V. Limitations on Funding for the ITS Deployment Program
Federal funding authority for the ITS Deployment Program comes from
section 5001(a)(6) of the TEA-21. The preliminary applications
requested through this solicitation will be for funds that are
anticipated to be appropriated for FY 2003. Requests for more detailed
proposals from qualified applicants will depend on, and be shaped by,
the availability of funds for this program in FY 2003.
Section 5208 of the TEA-21 requires that for metropolitan area ITS
Integration Program projects, funding shall be used primarily for
activities necessary to integrate ITS infrastructure elements that are
either deployed (legacy systems) or will be deployed with other sources
of funds. The purchase or construction of hardware is not considered an
integration activity, and should utilize other sources of funds. For
projects outside of metropolitan areas (i.e., statewide or rural
areas), the TEA-21 states that funding may be used for integration
purposes, as well as for limited deployment of ITS infrastructure
components to support integration.
Section 5208 projects of various sizes are eligible. However, the
TEA-21 directs that awards shall be limited to $15 million in a single
metropolitan area, and $2 million in a single rural area. No more than
$35 million shall be awarded within a State. Of the available funding,
not less than 10 percent will be available for non-metropolitan areas.
Section 5209 of the TEA-21 does not limit the use of Commercial
Vehicle ITS Deployment Program funding for integration versus
deployment nor does
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it limit the amount of funding that can be awarded to any region or
State. The proposed project should support the goals of the Commercial
Vehicle ITS Deployment Program, as outlined in section 5209.
VI. Federal Share of Project Costs
The Federal share of the cost of ITS Deployment Program projects
shall not exceed 50 percent. Additionally, the total Federal share of
the cost of a project payable from all eligible sources shall not
exceed 80 percent. The remaining 20 percent of the project cost must be
from non-federally derived funding sources. This 20 percent of the
project cost must consist of either cash, substantial equipment
contributions that are wholly utilized as an integral part of the
project, or personnel services dedicated full-time to the proposed
integrated deployment for a substantial period, as long as such
personnel are not otherwise supported with Federal funds. The non-
federally derived funding may come from State, local government, or
private sector partners.
Funds provided in addition to the required 20 percent minimum may
come from a variety of funding sources, and may include the value of
federally-supported projects directly associated with the integration
project. Note that funding identified to support continued operations,
maintenance, and management of the system will not be considered as
part of the partnership's cost-share contribution.
VII. Evaluation of Benefits
Independent Evaluations
The FHWA may conduct with non-project funds, independent
evaluations of the benefits resulting from specific projects proposed
for funding under the ITS Deployment Program. The decision to evaluate
the benefits of a specific project will be made on a case-by-case
basis, reflecting the information needs of the FHWA. Independent
evaluations will be conducted in accordance with the guidelines,
provisions, and evaluation funding levels as directed by the TEA-21 and
as reflected in the TEA-21 Evaluation Guidelines, which can be found at
the following Internet site, http://www.its.dot.gov/EVAL/evalguidelines.html. The application shall explicitly state that if
selected for independent evaluations, the proposed project shall
cooperate with the independent evaluators and participate in evaluation
planning and progress review meetings to ensure a mutually acceptable,
successful implementation of the independent evaluation.
Local Evaluations
To ensure sound management practice, each project shall perform a
local evaluation funded from project or other resources. The
application shall explicitly state that the proposed project will
develop a Local Evaluation Report. The report shall include a general
overall assessment of the project, other specific evaluation products,
or activities as appropriate, and an executive summary.
VIII. Instructions to ITS Deployment Program Applicants
A preliminary application to participate in the ITS Deployment
Program shall contain the following information:
1. An identification of the project partners and other key
stakeholders in the proposed project. The proposed partnership should
demonstrate, and provide evidence of, a strong commitment to
cooperation among agencies, jurisdictions, and, as appropriate, the
private sector. Partnerships that include a public safety agency (or
agencies) and/or a transit agency (or agencies) are strongly
encouraged. For the purposes of this application, MOUs or other formal
partnership agreements are not required at this time, but copies of
existing MOUs or other partnership agreements should be included with
the preliminary application.
2. A very brief listing of existing and planned ITS deployments,
and a short description of the project that is proposed for funding to
support surface transportation security. The description should clearly
identify and describe the security function(s) that will be provided
and demonstrate a strong commitment to cooperation among agencies,
jurisdictions, and as appropriate, the private sector, on both long-
range ITS planning and investment decisions, and short-range operation
and management issues. Project proposals should also discuss the degree
to which long-term and or day-to-day safety of the surface
transportation system will be enhanced, if any. Any other potential
operational or other benefits of the proposed project should also be
described.
Note: The FHWA has determined that deployment of Commercial
Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) in a State would
enhance transportation security and therefore applications under
section 5209 that propose to advance the deployment of CVISN will be
considered.
3. For each of the TEA-21 selection criteria listed above in
section IV, Criteria for Participation in the ITS Deployment Program,
an assessment of how the proposed project addresses the criteria. Any
criteria that are not applicable to the project should be so
identified.
4. A brief financial summary that includes:
(a). Project cost;
(b). Matching funds and sources; and
(c). How long term operations and maintenance will be supported.
Preliminary applications to determine qualifications for
participation in the ITS Deployment Program may be submitted by
partnerships representing large or small metropolitan areas, regional
areas, rural areas, statewide or multi-State regions. The proposed
projects should meet documented local or State needs, focus on the
integration of ITS technologies, and strengthen institutional ties
across jurisdictions, modes, and operating agencies.
Because this is a preliminary application, we request that the
package not exceed 15 pages in length, including the title page,
tables, maps, appendices, abstracts, and other supporting materials. A
page is defined as one side of an 8\1/2\ by 11 inch paper, with a type
font no smaller than 12 point.
Ten copies, plus an electronic copy, in Microsoft Word format,
shall be submitted to the FHWA, ITS Joint Program Office, HOIT, 400
Seventh St., SW., Room 3416, Washington, DC 20590. The cover sheet or
front page of the preliminary application shall include the name,
address, and phone number of an individual to whom correspondence and
questions about the preliminary application package may be directed.
The application and its contents shall be non-proprietary.
IX. Selection Criteria
Applicants must submit acceptable preliminary application packages
that provide sound evidence that the proposed partnership can
successfully meet the objectives of the ITS Deployment Program.
The following criteria, in order of importance, will be used in
selecting areas for participation in the ITS Deployment Program.
1. Partnerships. The proposed partnership demonstrates and provides
historic evidence of a strong commitment to cooperation among agencies,
jurisdictions, and, as appropriate, the private sector.
2. Technical Approach. The Technical Approach must address how the
proposed deployment and integration of intelligent transportation
infrastructure elements into the region's transportation system will
further the goal of transportation security. For applications under
section 5208 of the TEA-21, the
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ITS Integration Program, elements to be considered include: traffic
management, transit management, incident management, emergency
management services, and regional multi-modal traveler information
services. For applications under section 5209 of the TEA-21, the
Commercial Vehicle ITS Deployment Program, elements to be considered
include: improvements of the safety and productivity of commercial
vehicles and drivers, the reduction of costs associated with commercial
vehicle operations, and Federal and State commercial vehicle regulatory
requirements.
3. TEA-21 Criteria. The application must address how it meets each
of the pertinent TEA-21 criteria listed above in section IV, Criteria
for Participation in the ITS Deployment Program.
4. Financial Summary. The Financial Summary must demonstrate that
sufficient funding, including the required matching funds, is available
to successfully complete all aspects of the proposed deployment or
integration as described in the Technical Plan. The Financial Summary
must provide the financial information described under section VIII,
Instructions to Applicants.
Those preliminary applications that demonstrate an ability to meet
the criteria will be considered as potential candidates for funding in
FY 2003. The number of applicants funded, if any, will depend on the
availability of funding in FY 2003. A more detailed technical proposal
and financial plan will be requested prior to approval and receipt of
funds.
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315, secs. 5001(a)(6) and (c)(4), 5208, and
5209, Pub. L. 105--178, 112 Stat. 107, at 419-421 and 458--461
(1998); and 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: January 22, 2002.
Mary E. Peters,
FHWA Administrator.
[FR Doc. 02-2091 Filed 1-28-02; 8:45 am]
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