# Presentation: 840441

## Projects of National and Regional SignificanceProgram

## PNRS Background

- SAFETEA-LU Section 1301 established a program to fund critical, national or regional freight or passenger transportation needs
- Funded at $1.78 Billion over 5 years
- Modeled after FTA “New Starts” Program
- Projects are to be evaluated and rated as “highly recommended,” “recommended,” or “not recommended” based on selection criteria established in regulation
- Required Annual Report to Congress – part of the legislation
- All funds authorized by SAFETEA-LU for the PNRS program were fully designated to 25 projects

## PNRS Rule Making

- SAFETEA-LU required establishment of regulations for program implementation
- Regulations do not apply to current SAFETEA-LU funding for 25 designated projects
- FHWA looked for specific and detailed comments that would assist in defining grant criteria, project eligibility, project ratings, and the nature and form of full funding grant agreements.

## PNRS Rule Making

_***Read the preamble***_
- not just regulatory text.
- It is key to understanding and interpreting the regulations.

## Key Points from NPRM Comments

**Strong Support for**:
- Concept/Program
- Transparency of Process and Selection
- Bringing National Perspective to the Project Selection Process
**Specific Concerns**:
- Degree of Multimodal focus
- Use of Highway Trust Fund

## PNRS Eligibility

**Applicant**
- States or multiple states
- Support for strong local and regional coordination
**Project Cost Eligibility Threshold**
- Legislative requirement $500m/75% of apportionment – whichever is less
- Allow multi-state projects and use largest state’s eligibility

## PNRS Eligibility

**Eligible Project**
- Any ***transportation*** project (including multimodal/rail) that is Title 23 eligible (allowing maximum flexibility)
- Project could be individual project or a group of projects that are integrated in function such as along a corridor (strong interest in seeing projects linked together along a corridor)
**Eligible Project Costs**
- NEPA/PE to construction
- Bond financing

## PNRS Evaluation, Rating & Funding

**Rating Process/Timing**
- Preliminary evaluation and rating any time after development of project concept plan – listed in PNRS report appendix
- Official rating after PE complete – listed in PNRS report
- If a project is not selected, projects must re-apply at the next solicitation (will be rated at that time)
- Inform State of rating prior to listing in report to allow withdrawal

**To accommodate cost of PE**

## PNRS Evaluation, Rating & Funding

**Project Rating**
- Categories
- Highly Recommended
- Recommended
- Not Recommended
- Withdrawn
- Will not rank (as opposed to rate)
**Project selection authority with Secretary of USDOT**
**Full Funding Grant Agreements**
- Only vehicle for this program
- FHWA will coordinate with other FHWA/DOT funding sources and programs if project requires (TIFIA, SEP 15, Executive Order on Streamlining)

## PNRS Selection Criteria

**General**
- Regulations
- Expands the detail and specifics of the basic criteria presented in law
- Specific criteria provide a firm framework and basis for which measurement will be made
- Data and Methodology
- FHWA chose not to dictate a specific methodology for making the measurement or specific weight for each of the criterion.
- Requires use of data that can be made available to the public
- Requires use of methodologies accepted by industry

## PNRS Selection Criteria

- Annual Solicitations
- Program is designed for multiple solicitations (timing currently not known)
- Solicitations would provide:
- specific focus areas related to the current needs of the national transportation system
-  measures to rate enhancements to the system
-  points and weighting, as needed, for these identified criteria to best reflect the current dynamics of the nation’s transportation system
- specific information on procedures

## PNRS Selection Criteria

**Economic Benefits**
- Solving Current Transportation Problem v. Economic Development
- Cost Benefit Analysis
- Formal CBA v. other analytical measures
- Consider Use of FHWA Freight CBA Tools
- Level of Detail/Definitions
- Ability to Compare Across Projects
- The amount and importance of freight and passenger travel served
- Volumes Served
- Capacity
- Type and Level
- Impacts

## PNRS Selection Criteria

**Congestion**
- Reduce congestion, including impacts in the State, Region, and Nation
- Congestion levels, delay and consequences of delay
- Efficiency and effectiveness of congestion mitigation
**Safety **
- Improve transportation safety, including reducing transportation injuries, accidents and fatalities
- Number, rate and consequences of crashes, injuries and fatalities in the affected region and corridor
**National Transportation System Enhancements**
- Left flexible for States and allows DOT to address in solicitation

## PNRS Selection Criteria

**Project Development**
- Based on the results of preliminary engineering
- Political and institutional support - as evidenced by completing the project planning process
**Technology**
- Uses new technologies, including intelligent transportation systems, that enhance the efficiency of the project
**Environment**
- Helps maintain or protect the environment

## PNRS Selection Criteria

**Funding **
- Supported by stable, reliable and available non-federal commitments
- Leverages Federal investment (including public-private partnerships)
- Ability to Guarantee non-Federal sources prior to implementation
- Ability to attract funds beyond minimum
- Allocation of public and private costs and the costs proportion to the share of public and private benefits and risks
**Need for Federal Support **
- Demonstrates that the proposed project cannot be readily and efficiently realized without Federal support and participation (gap funding)

## Questions?