Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 64 / Friday, April 3, 2015 / Notices 18283 

qualified and certified rail test 

professionals with recordable field 

validation equipment based on GPS 

location and known track features 

identified within the flaw detection 

electronic record. Remedial actions will 

be applied based on the findings per 49 

CFR 213.113 for confirmed rail defect 

locations. 

NS plans to test the Dearborn Division 

Chicago Line approximately every 30 to 

45 days and the extended territories 

within a similar timeframe. The NS 

Engineering Department will also 

provide the FRA Rail Integrity Office 

with rail test reports for review as 

required. NS believes nonstop 

continuous rail testing will provide the 

capability to test track more quickly and 

frequently, and minimize the risk of rail 

service failures. 

A copy of the petition, as well as any 

written communications concerning the 

petition, is available for review online at 

www.regulations.gov and in person at 

the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 

(DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590. The Docket 

Operations Facility is open from 9 a.m. 

to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal Holidays. 

Interested parties are invited to 

participate in these proceedings by 

submitting written views, data, or 

comments. FRA does not anticipate 

scheduling a public hearing in 

connection with these proceedings since 

the facts do not appear to warrant a 

hearing. If any interested party desires 

an opportunity for oral comment, they 

should notify FRA, in writing, before 

the end of the comment period and 

specify the basis for their request. 

All communications concerning these 

proceedings should identify the 

appropriate docket number (e.g., Waiver 

Petition Docket Number FRA–2015– 

0019) and may be submitted by any of 

the following methods: 

• Web site: http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Mail: Docket Operations Facility, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Room W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. 

Communications received by May 18, 

2015 will be considered by FRA before 

final action is taken. Comments received 

after that date will be considered as far 

as practicable. 

Anyone is able to search the 

electronic form of any written 

communications and comments 

received into any of our dockets by the 

name of the individual submitting the 

comment (or signing the document, if 

submitted on behalf of an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). In 

accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT 

solicits comments from the public to 

better inform its processes. DOT posts 

these comments, without edit, including 

any personal information the 

commenter provides, to 

www.regulations.gov, as described in 

the system of records notice (DOT/ALL– 

14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at 

www.dot.gov/privacy. See also http://

www.regulations.gov/#!privacyNotice 

for the privacy notice of regulations.gov. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on March 27, 

2015. 

Ron Hynes, 

Director, Office of Technical Oversight. 

[FR Doc. 2015–07617 Filed 4–2–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Transit Administration 

[FTA Docket No. FTA–2015–0004] 

Special Notice; Correction 

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, 

DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of Correction. 

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit 

Administration (FTA) published a 30- 

Day Notice of Request for Comments in 

the Federal Register on March 17, 2015 

Vol. 80 No. 51 entitled; ‘‘49 U.S.C. 

5335(a) and (b) National Transit 

Database Program.’’ The notice 

contained an incorrect estimated total 

annual burden on respondents. This 

document corrects that error. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tia 

Swain, Office of Administration, Office 

of Management Planning, (202) 366– 

0354. 

Correction 

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 

302,400 hours. 

Matthew M. Crouch, 

Associate Administrator for Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2015–07604 Filed 4–2–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of the Secretary of 

Transportation 

Notice of Funding Availability for the 

Department of Transportation’s 

National Infrastructure Investments 

Under the Consolidated and Further 

Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of 

Transportation, DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of funding availability. 

SUMMARY: The Consolidated and Further 

Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 

(Pub. L. 113–235, December 16, 2014) 

(‘‘FY 2015 Appropriations Act’’ or the 

‘‘Act’’) appropriated $500 million to be 

awarded by the Department of 

Transportation (‘‘DOT’’ or the 

‘‘Department’’) for National 

Infrastructure Investments. This 

appropriation is similar, but not 

identical, to the program funded and 

implemented pursuant to the American 

Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 

(the ‘‘Recovery Act’’) known as the 

Transportation Investment Generating 

Economic Recovery, or ‘‘TIGER 

Discretionary Grants,’’ program. Because 

of the similarity in program structure, 

DOT will continue to refer to the 

program as ‘‘TIGER Discretionary 

Grants.’’ Funds for the FY 2015 TIGER 

program (‘‘TIGER FY 2015’’) are to be 

awarded on a competitive basis for 

projects that will have a significant 

impact on the Nation, a metropolitan 

area, or a region. The purpose of this 

final notice is to solicit applications for 

TIGER Discretionary Grants. 

DATES: Pre-applications must be 

submitted by 11:59 p.m. E.D.T. on May 

4, 2015. Final applications must be 

submitted by 11:59 p.m. E.D.T. on June 

5, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: Pre-applications must be 

submitted electronically through 

www.dot.gov/TIGER. Final applications 

must be submitted through Grants.gov. 

Only applicants who comply with all 

submission requirements described in 

this notice and electronically submit 

both valid pre-applications to DOT and 

final applications through Grants.gov 

will be eligible for award. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information concerning this 

notice, please contact the TIGER 

Discretionary Grant program staff via 

email at TIGERGrants@dot.gov, or call 

Howard Hill at 202–366–0301. A TDD is 

available for individuals who are deaf or 

hard of hearing at 202–366–3993. In 

addition, DOT will regularly post 

answers to questions and requests for 


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clarifications on DOT’s Web site at 

www.dot.gov/TIGER 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

notice is substantially similar to the 

final notice published for the TIGER 

Discretionary Grant program in the 

Federal Register on March 3, 2014. 

However, the FY 2015 Appropriations 

Act does not provide dedicated funding 

for the planning, preparation, or design 

of capital projects (‘‘TIGER Planning 

Grants’’); these activities may be eligible 

to the extent that they are part of an 

overall construction project that 

receives TIGER Discretionary Grant 

funding. Additionally, unlike the past 

two rounds of TIGER Discretionary 

Grants, a pre-application must be 

submitted for an application to be 

considered. The pre-application helps 

DOT allocate staff resources for the 

evaluation process, allows applicants to 

provide identifying information about 

their project, and assists DOT in 

clarifying eligibility questions before the 

final application is submitted. In 

addition to the differences above, and 

minor edits for clarification and those 

made to conform the notice to the 

statutory circumstances of this round of 

TIGER Discretionary Grant funding, this 

notice’s format has changed to conform 

to Appendix I to 2 CFR part 200. Each 

section of this notice contains 

information and instructions relevant to 

the application process for these TIGER 

Discretionary Grants, and you should 

read this notice in its entirety so that 

you have the information you need to 

submit eligible and competitive 

applications. 

Table of Contents 

A. Program Description 

B. Federal Award Information 

C. Eligibility Information 

D. Application and Submission Information 

E. Application Review 

F. Federal Award Administration 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

H. Other Information 

A. Program Description 

Since the TIGER Discretionary Grants 

program was first created, $4.1 billion 

has been awarded for capital 

investments in surface transportation 

infrastructure over six rounds of 

competitive grants. The TIGER 

Discretionary Grant program seeks to 

award projects that advance DOT’s longterm priorities for the nation’s 

transportation system found in DOT’s 

Strategic Plan for FY 2014–FY 2018 

(http://www.dot.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/

docs/2014-2018-strategic-plan_0.pdf). 

Section E, Application Review, of this 

notice describes the TIGER 

Discretionary Grant selection criteria 

based on these priorities. Please see 

DOT’s Web site at www.dot.gov/TIGER 

for background on previous rounds of 

TIGER Discretionary Grants. 

Throughout the TIGER program, 

TIGER Discretionary Grant awards have 

supported innovative projects, 

including multimodal and 

multijurisdictional projects which are 

difficult to fund through traditional 

Federal programs. Successful TIGER 

projects leverage resources, encourage 

partnership, catalyze investment and 

growth, fill a critical void in the 

transportation system or provide a 

substantial benefit to the nation, region 

or metropolitan area in which the 

project is located. The FY 2015 TIGER 

program will continue to make 

transformative surface transportation 

investments that dramatically improve 

the status quo by providing significant 

and measurable improvements over 

existing conditions. Transformative 

improvements anchor broad and longlasting, positive changes in economic 

development, safety, quality of life, 

environmental sustainability, or state of 

good repair. Because each TIGER project 

is unique, applicants are encouraged to 

present, in measurable terms, how 

TIGER investment will lead to 

transformative change(s) in their 

community. 

The FY 2015 TIGER program will 

fund transformative projects of all 

eligible types, including projects that 

promote Ladders of Opportunity, to the 

extent permitted by law. The FY 2014 

TIGER program gave consideration to 

projects that sought to improve access to 

reliable, safe, and affordable 

transportation for disconnected 

communities in urban, suburban, and 

rural areas. This included, but was not 

limited to, capital projects that better 

connected people to jobs, removed 

physical barriers to access, and 

strengthened communities through 

neighborhood redevelopment. The FY 

2015 TIGER program clearly identifies 

this concept as Ladders of Opportunity. 

Ladders of Opportunity projects may 

increase connectivity to employment, 

education, services and other 

opportunities, support workforce 

development, or contribute to 

community revitalization, particularly 

for disadvantaged groups: low income 

groups, persons with visible and hidden 

disabilities, elderly individuals, and 

minority persons and populations. 

B. Federal Award Information 

The FY 2015 Appropriations Act 

appropriated $500 million to be 

awarded by DOT for the TIGER 

Discretionary Grants program. The FY 

2015 TIGER Discretionary Grants are for 

capital investments in surface 

transportation infrastructure and are to 

be awarded on a competitive basis for 

projects that will have a significant 

impact on the Nation, a metropolitan 

area, or a region. The Act also allows 

DOT to use a small portion of the $500 

million for oversight and administration 

of grants. If this solicitation does not 

result in the award and obligation of all 

available funds, DOT may publish 

additional solicitations. 

The FY 2015 Appropriations Act 

specifies that TIGER Discretionary 

Grants may not be less than $10 million 

and not greater than $200 million, 

except that for projects located in rural 

areas (as defined in Section C.3) the 

minimum TIGER Discretionary Grant 

size is $1 million. 

Pursuant to the FY 2015 

Appropriations Act, no more than 25 

percent of the funds made available for 

TIGER Discretionary Grants (or $125 

million) may be awarded to projects in 

a single State. The FY 2015 

Appropriations Act directs that not less 

than 20 percent of the funds provided 

for TIGER Discretionary Grants (or $100 

million) shall be used for projects 

located in rural areas. Further, pursuant 

to the FY 2015 Appropriations Act, DOT 

must take measures to ensure an 

equitable geographic distribution of 

grant funds, an appropriate balance in 

addressing the needs of urban and rural 

areas, and investment in a variety of 

transportation modes. 

The FY 2015 Appropriations Act 

requires that FY 2015 TIGER funds are 

only available for obligation through 

September 30, 2017. No FY 2015 TIGER 

funds may be expended after September 

30, 2022. As part of the review and 

selection process described in Section 

E.2., DOT will consider whether a 

project is ready to proceed with an 

obligation of grant funds from DOT 

within the statutory time provided. 

Under the FY 2015 Appropriations Act, 

no waiver is possible for these 

deadlines. 

The FY 2015 Appropriations Act 

allows for up to 20 percent of available 

funds (or $100 million) to be used by 

the Department to pay the subsidy and 

administrative costs for a project 

receiving credit assistance under the 

Transportation Infrastructure Finance 

and Innovation Act of 1998 (‘‘TIFIA’’) 

program, if it would further the 

purposes of the TIGER Discretionary 

Grant program. 

Recipients of prior TIGER 

Discretionary Grants may apply for 

funding to support additional phases of 

a project awarded funds in earlier 

rounds of this program. However, to be 

competitive, the applicant should 


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1To meet match requirements, the minimum total 

project cost for a project located in an urban area 

must be $12.5 million. 

2Please note that the Department may use a 

TIGER Discretionary Grant to pay for the surface 

transportation components of a broader project that 

has non-surface transportation components, and 

applicants are encouraged to apply for TIGER 

Discretionary Grants to pay for the surface 

transportation components of these projects. 

3For Census 2010, the Census Bureau defined an 

Urbanized Area (UA) as an area that consists of 

densely settled territory that contains 50,000 or 

more people. Updated lists of UAs are available on 

the Census Bureau Web site at http://

www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/UAUC_

RefMap/ua/. Urban Clusters (UCs) are rural areas 

for purposes of the TIGER Discretionary Grant 

program. Please note that while individual 

jurisdictions might have a population of fewer than 

50,000, if they are included as part of an UA, they 

will be classified as urban for purposes of the 

TIGER program. 

demonstrate the extent to which the 

previously funded project phase has 

been able to meet estimated project 

schedules and budget, as well as the 

ability to realize the benefits expected 

for the project. 

DOT expects that each TIGER 

Discretionary Grant will be 

administered by one of the relevant 

modal administrations, pursuant to a 

grant agreement between the TIGER 

Discretionary Grant recipient and the 

relevant modal administration. 

C. Eligibility Information 

To be selected for a TIGER 

Discretionary Grant, an applicant must 

be an Eligible Applicant and the project 

must be an Eligible Project. 

1. Eligible Applicants 

Eligible Applicants for TIGER 

Discretionary Grants are State, local, 

and tribal governments, including U.S. 

territories, transit agencies, port 

authorities, metropolitan planning 

organizations (MPOs), and other 

political subdivisions of State or local 

governments. 

Multiple States or jurisdictions may 

submit a joint application and must 

identify a lead applicant as the primary 

point of contact. Each applicant in a 

joint application must be an Eligible 

Applicant. Joint applications must 

include a description of the roles and 

responsibilities of each applicant and 

must be signed by each applicant. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching 

TIGER Discretionary Grants may be 

used for up to 80 percent of the costs of 

a project. 1 DOT may increase the 

Federal share above 80 percent only for 

projects located in rural areas, in which 

case DOT may fund up to 100 percent 

of the costs of a project. 

DOT will consider non-Federal funds, 

as well as funds from the Tribal 

Transportation Program (23 U.S.C. 202), 

as a local match for purposes of this 

program. DOT cannot consider any 

funds already expended (or otherwise 

encumbered) towards the matching 

requirement. Please note that matching 

funds provided by an applicant will not 

be considered as matching funds if the 

source of those funds is ultimately a 

Federal program, nor can Federal funds 

be used as match for other Federal 

funds, unless authorized in statute. 

Matching funds are subject to the same 

Federal requirements described in 

Section F.2. as awarded funds. 

3. Other 

i. Eligible Projects—Eligible projects 

for TIGER Discretionary Grants are 

capital projects that include, but are not 

limited to: (1) Highway or bridge 

projects eligible under title 23, United 

States Code (including bicycle and 

pedestrian related projects); (2) public 

transportation projects eligible under 

chapter 53 of title 49, United States 

Code; (3) passenger and freight rail 

transportation projects; (4) port 

infrastructure investments (including 

inland port infrastructure); and (5) 

intermodal projects. This description of 

eligible projects is identical to the 

description of eligible projects under 

earlier rounds of the TIGER 

Discretionary Grant program.2 Research, 

demonstration, or pilot projects are 

eligible only if they result in long-term, 

permanent surface transportation 

infrastructure that has independent 

utility as defined in Section C.3.iii. 

ii. Rural/Urban Definition—For 

purposes of this notice, DOT defines 

‘‘rural area’’ as any area not in an 

Urbanized Area, as such term is defined 

by the Census Bureau,3 and will 

consider a project to be in a rural area 

if all or the majority of a project 

(determined by geographic location(s) 

where the majority of project money is 

to be spent) is located in a rural area. In 

this notice ‘‘urban’’ means not rural. 

This definition affects three aspects of 

the program. First, the FY 2015 

Appropriations Act directs that not less 

than $100 million of the funds provided 

for TIGER Discretionary Grants are to be 

used for projects in rural areas. Second, 

for a project in a rural area the 

minimum award is $1 million instead of 

$10 million. Third, up to 100 percent of 

the costs of a project in a rural area may 

be paid for with Federal funds. 

To the extent more than a de minimis 

portion of a project is located in an 

Urbanized Area, applicants should 

identify the estimated percentage of 

project costs that will be spent in 

Urbanized Areas and the estimated 

percentage that will be spent in rural 

areas. 

iii. Project Components—An 

application may describe a project that 

contains more than one component. 

DOT may award funds for a component, 

instead of the larger project, if that 

component (1) meets minimum award 

amounts described in Section B and all 

eligibility requirements described in 

Section C; (2) has independent utility; 

and (3) independently aligns well with 

the selection criteria specified in 

Section E.1 (Selection Criteria). 

Independent utility means that the 

component provides transportation 

benefits in and of itself and will be 

ready for intended use upon completion 

of the component’s construction. All 

project components that are presented 

in a single application must 

demonstrate a strong relationship or 

connection between them (please see 

Section E.1.iii.d. for Required 

Approvals.) 

DOT strongly encourages applicants 

to identify in their applications the 

project components that have 

independent utility and separately 

detail the costs and requested TIGER 

funding for those components. If the 

application identifies an independent 

project component, the application must 

clearly identify the benefits that the 

component would produce on its own, 

in addition to describing the benefits 

from the full proposal. 

iv. Limit on Number of 

Applications—Each lead applicant may 

submit no more than three applications. 

Unrelated project components should 

not be bundled in an application for the 

purpose of avoiding the three 

applications per lead applicant limit. 

Please note that the three-application 

limit applies only to applications where 

the applicant is the lead applicant. 

There is no limit on applications for 

which an applicant can be listed as a 

partnering agency. If a lead applicant 

submits more than three applications as 

the lead applicant, only the first three 

received will be considered. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address 

Pre-application instructions and 

information will be available at 

www.dot.gov/TIGER, and will include 

details for submitting the preapplication electronically to DOT. Final 

applications must be submitted to 

Grants.gov. Instructions for submitting 

pre-applications and final applications 

through Grants.gov can be found at 

www.dot.gov/TIGER. 


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2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

i. Pre-Application: The preapplication requires applicants to 

submit identifying information about 

their project and qualifies applicants to 

submit a final application. If an 

applicant does not submit a preapplication, the final application will 

not be considered. Pre-applications will 

not be reviewed until after the preapplication deadline. 

Applicants must complete the preapplication form and send it to DOT 

electronically on or prior to the preapplication deadline, in accordance 

with the instructions specified at 

www.dot.gov/TIGER. 

ii. Final Application: Final 

applications will not be considered 

unless a pre-application is submitted by 

the applicant. Any changes from the 

pre-application should be clearly 

identified in the final application. DOT 

may ask any applicant to supplement 

data in its application, but expects 

applications to be complete upon 

submission. To the extent practicable, 

applicants should provide data and 

evidence of project merits in a form that 

is verifiable or publicly available. The 

final application must include the 

Standard Form 424 (Application for 

Federal Assistance) and the Project 

Narrative. Additional clarifying 

guidance and FAQs to assist applicants 

in completing the SF–424 will be 

available at www.dot.gov/TIGER by May 

5, 2015, when the ‘‘Apply’’ function 

within Grants.gov opens to accept 

applications under this notice. 

The Project Narrative (attachment to 

SF–424) must respond to the 

application requirements outlined 

below. The application must include 

information required for DOT to assess 

each of the criteria specified in Section 

E.1 (Selection Criteria). Applicants must 

demonstrate the responsiveness of a 

project to any pertinent selection 

criteria with the most relevant 

information that you can provide, 

regardless of whether such information 

has been specifically requested, or 

identified, in this notice. An application 

should provide evidence of the 

feasibility of achieving project 

milestones, and of financial capacity 

and commitment in order to support 

project readiness. 

An application should also include a 

description of how the project addresses 

the needs of the area, creates economic 

opportunity, and sparks community 

revitalization, particularly for 

disadvantaged groups. 

DOT recommends that the project 

narrative adhere to the following basic 

outline and, in addition to a detailed 

statement of work, detailed project 

schedule, and detailed project budget, 

should include a table of contents, 

maps, and graphics as appropriate that 

make the information easier to review: 

a. Project Description (including a 

description of what TIGER funds will 

support, information on the expected 

users of the project, a description of the 

transportation challenges that the 

project aims to address, how the project 

will address these challenges, and if, 

and how, the project promotes Ladders 

of Opportunity. The description should 

include relevant data, such as passenger 

or freight volumes, congestion levels, 

infrastructure condition, and safety 

experience.); 

b. Project Location (a detailed 

description of the proposed project and 

geospatial data for the project, including 

a map of the project’s location and its 

connections to existing transportation 

infrastructure, as well as a description 

of the national, regional, or metropolitan 

area in which the project is located, 

including economic information such as 

population size, median income for 

transportation facility users, or major 

industries affected, and project map); 

c. Project Parties (information about 

the grant recipient and other project 

parties); 

d. Grant Funds and Sources/Uses of 

Project Funds (information about the 

amount of grant funding requested, 

availability/commitment of fund 

sources and uses of all project funds, 

total project costs, percentage of project 

costs that would be paid with TIGER 

Discretionary Grant funds, and the 

identity of all parties providing funds 

for the project and their percentage 

shares.) Include any other pending or 

past Federal funding requests for the 

project as well as Federal funds already 

provided under other programs and the 

size, nature/source of the required 

match for those funds, to clarify that 

these are not the same funds counted 

under the matching requirement for this 

grant request; 

e. Selection Criteria (information 

about how the project aligns with each 

of the primary and secondary selection 

criteria): 

(i) Primary Selection Criteria 

(a) State of Good Repair 

(b) Economic Competitiveness 

(c) Quality of Life 

(d) Environmental Sustainability 

(e) Safety 

(ii) Secondary Selection Criteria 

(a) Innovation 

(b) Partnership 

f. Results of Benefit-Cost Analysis; 

g. Project Readiness, including 

planning approvals, NEPA and other 

environmental reviews/approvals, 

(including information about 

permitting, legislative approvals, State 

and local planning, and project 

partnership and implementation 

agreements); and 

h. Federal Wage Rate Certification (an 

application must include a certification, 

signed by the applicant(s), stating that it 

will comply with the requirements of 

subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, 

United States Code [Federal wage rate 

requirements], as required by the FY 

2015 Appropriations Act). 

The purpose of this recommended 

format is to ensure that applications 

clearly address the program 

requirements and make critical 

information readily apparent. 

DOT recommends that the project 

narrative be prepared with standard 

formatting preferences (i.e., a singlespaced document, using a standard 12- 

point font, such as Times New Roman, 

with 1-inch margins). The project 

narrative may not exceed 30 pages in 

length. Documentation supporting the 

assertions made in the narrative portion 

may also be provided, but should be 

limited to relevant information. Cover 

pages, tables of contents, and the federal 

wage rate certification do not count 

towards the 30-page limit for the 

narrative portion of the application. 

Otherwise, the only substantive portions 

of the application that may exceed the 

30-page limit are any supporting 

documents (including a more detailed 

discussion of the benefit-cost analysis) 

provided to support assertions or 

conclusions made in the 30-page 

narrative section. If possible, Web site 

links to supporting documentation 

(including a more detailed discussion of 

the benefit-cost analysis) should be 

provided rather than copies of these 

materials. Otherwise, supporting 

documents should be included as 

appendices to the application. It is 

helpful if applicants’ references to 

supporting documentation clearly 

identify the relevant portion of that 

document. At the applicant’s discretion, 

relevant materials provided previously 

to a relevant modal administration in 

support of a different DOT discretionary 

financial assistance program (for 

example, New Starts or TIFIA) may be 

referenced and described as unchanged. 

This information need not be 

resubmitted for the TIGER Discretionary 

Grant application but may be referenced 

as described above; Web site links to the 

materials are highly recommended. DOT 

recommends using appropriately 

descriptive file names (e.g., ‘‘Project 

Narrative,’’ ‘‘Maps,’’ ‘‘Memoranda of 

Understanding and Letters of Support,’’ 

etc.) for all attachments. 


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4Pre-Construction activities are activities related 

to the planning, preparation, or design of surface 

transportation projects. These activities include but 

are not limited to environmental analysis, 

feasibility studies, design, and engineering of 

surface transportation projects as described in 

Section C.3. 

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System 

for Award Management (SAM) 

DOT may not make a TIGER 

Discretionary Grant award to an 

applicant until the applicant has 

complied with all applicable DUNS and 

SAM requirements. If an applicant has 

not fully complied with the 

requirements by the submission 

deadline, the application will not be 

considered. To submit an application 

through Grants.gov, applicants must: 

i. Obtain a Data Universal Numbering 

System (DUNS) number; 

ii. Register with the System for Award 

Management (SAM) at www.SAM.gov; 

iii. Create a Grants.gov username and 

password; and 

iv. The E-Business Point of Contact 

(POC) at your organization must 

respond to the registration email from 

Grants.gov and login at Grants.gov to 

authorize you as an Authorized 

Organization Representative (AOR). 

Please note that there can be more than 

one AOR for an organization. 

For information and instructions on 

each of these processes, please see 

instructions at http://www.grants.gov/

web/grants/applicants/applicantfaqs.html. 

If an applicant is selected for an 

award, the applicant will be required to 

maintain an active SAM registration 

with current information throughout the 

period of the award. 

4. Submission Dates and Times 

i. Deadline: Pre-applications must be 

submitted by 11:59 p.m. E.D.T. on May 

4, 2015. Final applications must be 

submitted by 11:59 p.m. E.D.T. on June 

5, 2015. The Grants.gov ‘‘Apply’’ 

function will open on May 5, 2015. 

The Department has determined that 

a pre-application deadline fewer than 60 

days after this notice is appropriate 

because (1) this notice is substantially 

similar to notices used for previous 

rounds of TIGER Discretionary Grants, 

(2) minimal work is required to submit 

the pre-application, and (3) the 

accelerated timeframe helps the 

Department ensure that it can timely 

obligate the available funds. 

ii. Only applicants who comply with 

all submission deadlines described in 

this notice and electronically submit 

valid pre-applications to DOT and final 

applications through Grants.gov will be 

eligible for award. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

make submissions in advance of the 

deadline. Please be aware that you must 

complete the Grants.gov registration 

process before submitting the final 

application, and that this process 

usually takes 2–4 weeks to complete. If 

interested parties experience difficulties 

at any point during the registration or 

application process, please call the 

Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 

1–800–518–4726, Monday-Friday from 

7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EDT. 

iii. Late Applications: Applications 

received after the deadline will not be 

considered except in the case of 

unforeseen technical difficulties 

outlined in Section 4.iv. Late 

applications that are the result of failure 

to register or comply with Grants.gov 

applicant requirements in a timely 

manner will not be considered. 

iv. a. Pre-Application 

Applicants experiencing technical 

issues due to the pre-application 

submission site that are beyond the 

applicant’s control must contact 

TIGERGrants@dot.gov or Howard Hill at 

202–366–0301 prior to the preapplication deadline with the user name 

of the registrant and details of the 

technical issue experienced. 

DOT will consider late preapplications on a case-by-case basis. 

DOT encourages applicants to submit 

additional information documenting the 

reason for the late submissions. 

b. Final Application 

Applicants experiencing technical 

issues with Grants.gov that are beyond 

the applicant’s control must contact 

TIGERGrants@dot.gov or Howard Hill at 

202–366–0301 prior to the 

corresponding deadline with the user 

name of the registrant and details of the 

technical issue experienced. The 

applicant must provide: 

(i) Details of the technical issue 

experienced. 

(ii) Screen capture(s) of the technical 

issue experienced along corresponding 

‘‘Grant tracking number’’ (Grants.Gov). 

(iii) The ‘‘Legal Business Name’’ for 

the applicant that was provided in the 

SF–424 or pre-application. 

(iv) The AOR name submitted in the 

SF–424 (Grants.gov). 

(v) The DUNS number associated with 

the pre-application/application. 

(vi) The Grants.gov or Pre-Application 

Help Desk Tracking Number. 

To ensure a fair competition for 

limited discretionary funds, the 

following conditions are not valid 

reasons to permit late submissions: (1) 

Failure to complete the registration 

process before the deadline date; (2) 

failure to follow Grants.gov instructions 

on how to register and apply as posted 

on its Web site; (3) failure to follow all 

of the instructions in this notice of 

funding availability; and (4) technical 

issues experienced with the applicant’s 

computer or information technology (IT) 

environment. After DOT staff review all 

of the information submitted and 

contacted the Grants.gov Help Desk to 

validate the technical issues you 

reported, DOT staff will contact you to 

either approve or deny your request to 

submit a late application through 

Grants.gov. If the technical issues you 

reported cannot be validated, your 

application will be rejected as untimely. 

5. Funding Restrictions 

There is no specific set aside funding 

solely for pre-construction activities 4 in 

the FY 2015 TIGER Discretionary Grant 

program. However, these activities may 

be eligible to the extent that they are 

part of an overall construction project 

that receives TIGER Discretionary Grant 

funding. For TIGER funds to be 

considered for pre-construction 

activities, the applicant must clearly 

state, in the application, the preconstruction activity and amount of 

TIGER funds that will be expended on 

the activity. 

E. Application Review 

1. Selection Criteria 

This section specifies the criteria that 

DOT will use to evaluate and award 

applications for TIGER Discretionary 

Grants. The criteria incorporate the 

statutory eligibility requirements for this 

program, which are specified in this 

notice as relevant. There are two 

categories of selection criterion, 

‘‘Primary Selection Criteria’’ and 

‘‘Secondary Selection Criteria.’’ Within 

each relevant selection criteria, 

applicants are encouraged to present in 

measurable terms how TIGER 

investment will lead to transformative 

change(s) in their community. Projects 

will also be evaluated for demonstrated 

project readiness, benefits and costs, 

and cost share. 

i. Primary Selection Criteria 

Applications that do not demonstrate 

a likelihood of significant long-term 

benefits based on these criteria will not 

proceed in the evaluation process. DOT 

does not consider any primary selection 

criterion more important than the 

others. The primary selection criteria, 

which will receive equal consideration, 

are: 

a. Safety. Improving the safety of U.S. 

transportation facilities and systems for 

all modes of transportation and users. 

DOT will assess the project’s ability to 


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5http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/

index.html. 

6 In full, this principle reads: ‘‘Provide more 

transportation choices. Develop safe, reliable and 

economical transportation choices to decrease 

household transportation costs, reduce our nations’ 

dependence on foreign oil, improve air quality, 

reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote 

public health.’’ 

reduce the number, rate, and 

consequences of surface transportationrelated accidents, serious injuries, and 

fatalities among transportation users, 

the project’s contribution to the 

elimination of highway/rail grade 

crossings, and the project’s contribution 

to preventing unintended releases of 

hazardous materials. DOT will consider 

the project’s ability to foster a safe, 

connected, accessible transportation 

system for the multimodal movement of 

goods and people. 

b. State of Good Repair. Improving the 

condition and resilience of existing 

transportation facilities and systems. 

DOT will assess whether and to what 

extent: (1) The project is consistent with 

relevant plans to maintain 

transportation facilities or systems in a 

state of good repair and address current 

and projected vulnerabilities; (2) if left 

unimproved, the poor condition of the 

asset will threaten future transportation 

network efficiency, mobility of goods or 

accessibility and mobility of people, or 

economic growth; (3) the project is 

appropriately capitalized up front and 

uses asset management approaches that 

optimize its long-term cost structure; (4) 

a sustainable source of revenue is 

available for operations and 

maintenance of the project; and (5) the 

project improves the transportation 

asset’s ability to withstand probable 

occurrence or recurrence of an 

emergency or major disaster or other 

impacts of climate change. Additional 

consideration will be given to a project’s 

contribution to improve the overall 

reliability of a multimodal 

transportation system that serves all 

users, and to projects that offer 

significant transformational 

improvements to the condition of 

existing transportation systems and 

facilities. 

c. Economic Competitiveness. 

Contributing to the economic 

competitiveness of the United States 

over the medium- to long-term, 

revitalizing communities, and creating 

and preserving jobs. DOT will assess 

whether the project will (1) Decrease 

transportation costs and improve access 

for Americans with transportation 

disadvantages through reliable and 

timely access to employment centers, 

education and training opportunities, 

and other basic needs of workers; (2) 

improve long-term efficiency, reliability 

or costs in the movement of workers or 

goods; (3) increase the economic 

productivity of land, capital, or labor at 

specific locations, and through 

community revitalization efforts; (4) 

result in long-term job creation and 

other economic opportunities; or (5) 

help the United States compete in a 

global economy by facilitating efficient 

and reliable freight movement, 

including border infrastructure and 

projects that have a significant effect on 

reducing the costs of transporting export 

cargoes. DOT will prioritize projects 

that exhibit strong leadership and 

vision, and are part of a larger strategy 

to significantly revitalize communities 

and increase economic opportunities. 

d. Quality of Life. Increasing 

transportation choices and access to 

essential services for people in 

communities across the United States, 

particularly for disadvantaged groups. 

DOT will assess whether the project 

furthers the six ‘‘Livability Principles’’ 

developed by DOT with the Department 

of Housing and Urban Development 

(HUD) and the Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) as part of the 

Partnership for Sustainable 

Communities.5 DOT will focus on the 

first principle, the creation of affordable 

and convenient transportation choices.6

Further, DOT will prioritize projects 

developed in coordination with landuse planning and economic 

development decisions, including 

through programs like TIGER Planning 

Grants, the Department of Housing and 

Urban Development’s Regional Planning 

Grants, the Environmental Protection 

Agency’s Brownfield Area-Wide 

Planning Pilot Program, and technical 

assistance programs focused on quality 

of life or economic development 

planning. DOT will assess the extent to 

which the project will anchor 

transformative, positive and long-lasting 

quality of life changes at the national, 

regional or metropolitan level. 

e. Environmental Sustainability. 

Improving energy efficiency, reducing 

dependence on oil, reducing greenhouse 

gas emissions, improving water quality, 

avoiding and mitigating environmental 

impacts and otherwise benefitting the 

environment. DOT will assess the 

project’s ability to: (i) Reduce energy use 

and air or water pollution; (ii) avoid 

adverse environmental impacts to air or 

water quality, wetlands, and endangered 

species; or (iii) provide environmental 

benefits, such as brownfield 

redevelopment, ground water recharge 

in areas of water scarcity, wetlands 

creation or improved habitat 

connectivity, and stormwater 

mitigation, including green 

infrastructure. Applicants are 

encouraged to provide quantitative 

information, including baseline 

information that demonstrates how the 

project will reduce energy consumption, 

stormwater runoff, or achieve other 

benefits for the environment. 

ii. Secondary Selection Criteria 

a. Innovation. Use of innovative 

strategies to pursue the long-term 

outcomes outlined above. DOT will also 

assess the extent to which the project 

uses innovative technology to pursue 

one or more of the long-term outcomes 

outlined above or to significantly 

enhance the operational performance of 

the transportation system. DOT will also 

assess the extent to which the project 

incorporates innovations in 

transportation funding and finance and 

leverages both existing and new sources 

of funding through both traditional and 

innovative means. Further, DOT will 

consider the extent to which the project 

utilizes innovative practices in 

contracting, congestion management, 

safety management, asset management, 

or long-term operations and 

maintenance. DOT is interested in 

projects that apply innovative strategies 

to improve the efficiency of project 

development or to improve project 

delivery. 

b. Partnership. Demonstrating strong 

collaboration among a broad range of 

stakeholders, and the product of a 

robust, inclusive planning process. 

(i) Jurisdictional and Stakeholder 

Collaboration. DOT will consider the 

extent to which projects involve 

multiple partners in project 

development and funding, such as State 

and local governments, other public 

entities, and/or private or nonprofit 

entities. DOT will also assess the extent 

to which the project application 

demonstrates collaboration among 

neighboring or regional jurisdictions to 

achieve national, regional, or 

metropolitan benefits. In the context of 

public-private partnerships, DOT will 

assess the extent to which partners are 

encouraged to ensure long-term asset 

performance, such as through pay-forsuccess approaches. 

(ii) Disciplinary Integration. DOT will 

consider the extent to which projects 

include partnerships that bring together 

diverse transportation agencies and/or 

are supported, financially or otherwise, 

by non-transportation public agencies 

that are pursuing similar objectives. For 

example, DOT will give priority to 

transportation projects that are 

coordinated with economic 

development, housing, water 

infrastructure, and land use plans and 

policies or other public service efforts. 


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7Non-Federal sources include State funds 

originating from State revenue funded programs, 

local funds originating from State or local revenue 

funded programs, private funds or other funding 

sources of non-Federal origins. 

8Projects that may impact protected resources 

such as wetlands, species habitat, cultural or 

historic resources require review and approval by 

Federal and State agencies with jurisdiction over 

those resources. Examples of these reviews and 

approvals can be found at www.dot.gov/TIGER. 

Similarly, DOT will give priority to 

transportation projects that are 

coordinated with housing, social 

services, or education agencies. Projects 

that grow out of a robust planning 

process—such as those conducted with 

DOT’s various planning programs and 

initiatives, the Department of Housing 

and Urban Development’s Regional 

Planning Grants and Choice 

Neighborhood Planning Grants, or the 

Environmental Protection Agency’s 

Brownfield Area-Wide Planning Pilot 

Program, as well as technical assistance 

programs focused on livability or 

economic development planning—will 

also be given priority. 

iii. Demonstrated Project Readiness 

Projects that receive funding in this 

round of TIGER must obligate funds by 

September 30, 2017, or the funding will 

expire. Therefore, DOT will assess every 

application to determine whether the 

project is likely to proceed to obligation 

by the statutory deadline (see 

Additional Information on Project 

Readiness Guidelines located at 

www.dot.gov/TIGER for further details), 

as evidenced by: 

a. Technical Feasibility. The technical 

feasibility of the project should be 

demonstrated by engineering and design 

studies and activities; the development 

of design criteria and/or a basis of 

design; the basis for the cost estimate 

presented in the TIGER application, 

including the identification of 

contingency levels appropriate to its 

level of design; and any scope, 

schedule, and budget risk-mitigation 

measures. Applicants must include a 

detailed statement of work that focuses 

on the technical and engineering aspects 

of the project and describes in detail the 

project to be constructed; 

b. Financial Feasibility. The viability 

and completeness of the project’s 

financing package (assuming the 

availability of the requested TIGER 

Discretionary Grant funds) should be 

demonstrated including evidence of 

stable and reliable capital and (as 

appropriate) operating fund 

commitments sufficient to cover 

estimated costs; the availability of 

contingency reserves should planned 

capital or operating revenue sources not 

materialize; evidence of the financial 

condition of the project sponsor; and 

evidence of the grant recipient’s ability 

to manage grants. The applicant must 

include a detailed project budget in this 

section of the application containing a 

breakdown of how the funds will be 

spent. That budget must estimate—both 

dollar amount and percentage of cost— 

the cost of work for each project 

component and provide examples. If the 

project will be completed in individual 

segments or phases, a budget for each 

individual segment or phase must be 

included. Budget spending categories 

must be broken down between TIGER, 

other Federal, and non-Federal 

sources 7, and identify how each 

funding source will share in each 

activity. 

c. Project Schedule. The applicant 

must include a detailed project schedule 

that includes all major project 

milestones—such as start and 

completion of environmental reviews 

and approvals; design; right of way 

acquisition; approval of plan, 

specification and estimate (PS&E); 

procurement; and construction— with 

sufficiently detailed information to 

demonstrate that: 

(i) all necessary pre-construction 

activities will be complete to allow 

grant funds to be obligated no later than 

June 30, 2017, to give DOT reasonable 

assurance that the TIGER Discretionary 

Grant funds will be obligated 

sufficiently in advance of the September 

30, 2017, statutory deadline, and that 

any unexpected delays will not put the 

funds at risk of expiring before they are 

obligated; 

(ii) the project can begin construction 

quickly upon receipt of a TIGER 

Discretionary Grant, and that the grant 

funds will be spent steadily and 

expeditiously once construction starts; 

and 

(iii) any applicant that is applying for 

a TIGER Discretionary Grant and does 

not own all of the property or right-ofway required to complete the project 

should provide evidence that the 

property and/or right-of-way acquisition 

can and will be completed 

expeditiously. 

DOT may revoke any award of TIGER 

Discretionary Grant funds and award 

those funds to another project if the 

funds cannot be timely expended or 

construction does not begin in 

accordance with the project schedule 

established in the grant agreement. 

d. Required Approvals 

(i) Environmental Permits and 

Reviews. An application for a TIGER 

Discretionary Grant must detail whether 

the project will significantly impact the 

natural, social and/or economic 

environment. The application should 

demonstrate receipt (or reasonably 

anticipated receipt) of all environmental 

approvals and permits necessary for the 

project to proceed to construction on the 

timeline specified in the project 

schedule and necessary to meet the 

statutory obligation deadline, including 

satisfaction of all Federal, State and 

local requirements and completion of 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

(‘‘NEPA’’) process. Although Section 

C.3.iii (Project Components) of this 

notice encourages applicants to identify 

independent project components, those 

components may not be separable for 

the NEPA process. In such cases, the 

NEPA review for the independent 

project component may have to include 

evaluation of all project components as 

connected, similar, or cumulative 

actions, as detailed at 40 CFR 1508.25. 

The applicant should submit the 

information listed below with your 

application: 

(1) Information about the NEPA status 

of the project. If the NEPA process is 

completed, an applicant must indicate 

the date of, and provide a Web site link 

or other reference to the final 

Categorical Exclusion, Finding of No 

Significant Impact or Record of 

Decision. If the NEPA process is 

underway but not complete, the 

application must detail the type of 

NEPA review underway, where the 

project is in the process, and indicate 

the anticipated date of completion. You 

must provide a Web site link or other 

reference to copies of any NEPA 

documents prepared. 

(2) Information on reviews by other 

agencies. An application for a TIGER 

Discretionary Grant must indicate 

whether the proposed project requires 

reviews or approval actions by other 

agencies,8 indicate the status of such 

actions, and provide detailed 

information about the status of those 

reviews or approvals and/or 

demonstrate compliance with any other 

applicable Federal, State, or local 

requirements. 

(3) Environmental studies or other 

documents—preferably through a Web 

site link—that describe in detail known 

project impacts, and possible mitigation 

for those impacts. 

(4) A description of discussions with 

the appropriate DOT modal 

administration field or headquarters 

office regarding compliance with NEPA 

and other applicable environmental 

reviews and approvals. 

(ii) Legislative Approvals. The 

applicant should demonstrate receipt of 

state and local approvals on which the 

project depends. Additional support 


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9All projects requiring an action by the Federal 

Highway Administration (FHWA) or the Federal 

Transit Administration (FTA) in accordance with 

23 CFR part 450, must be in the metropolitan 

transportation plan, transportation improvement 

program (TIP) and statewide transportation 

improvement program (STIP). Further, in air quality 

non-attainment and maintenance areas, all 

regionally significant projects, regardless of the 

funding source, must be included in the conforming 

metropolitan transportation plan and TIP. To the 

extent a project is required to be on a metropolitan 

transportation plan, TIP, and/or STIP, it will not 

receive a TIGER Discretionary Grant until it is 

included in such plans. Projects not currently 

included in these plans can be amended by the 

State and metropolitan planning organization 

(MPO). Projects that are not required to be in long 

range transportation plans, STIPs, and TIPs will not 

need to be included in such plans in order to 

receive a TIGER Discretionary Grant. Port, freight 

and passenger rail projects are not required to be 

on the State Rail Plans called for in the Passenger 

Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008. This 

is consistent with the exemption for high-speed and 

intercity passenger rail projects under the Recovery 

Act. However, applicants seeking funding for 

freight and passenger rail projects are encouraged 

to demonstrate that they have done sufficient 

planning to ensure that projects fit into a prioritized 

list of capital needs and are consistent with longrange goals. To the extent possible, freight projects 

should be included in a state freight plan and 

supported by a state freight advisory committee (see 

MAP–21 §§ 1117–1118). Further information and 

guidance information on transportation planning 

and is available from the following FHWA and FTA 

sites respectively—http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/

planning and http://www.fta.dot.gov/about/

12347.html. Port planning guidelines are available 

at StrongPorts.gov. 

10 DOT has a responsibility under Executive 

Order 12893, Principles for Federal Infrastructure 

Investments, 59 FR 4233, to base infrastructure 

investments on systematic analysis of expected 

benefits and costs, including both quantitative and 

qualitative measures. 

from relevant State and local officials is 

not required; however, an applicant 

should demonstrate that the project is 

broadly supported. 

(iii) State and Local Planning. The 

planning requirements of the modal 

administration administering the TIGER 

project will apply.9 You should 

demonstrate that a project that is 

required to be included in the relevant 

State, metropolitan, and local planning 

documents has been or will be included. 

If the project is not included in the 

relevant planning documents at the time 

the application is submitted, you should 

submit a certification from the 

appropriate planning agency that 

actions are underway to include the 

project in the relevant planning 

document. Because projects have 

different schedules, the construction 

start date for each TIGER Discretionary 

Grant will be specified in the projectspecific grant agreements signed by 

relevant modal administration and the 

grant recipients and will be based on 

critical path items identified by 

applicants in response to items (i)(1) 

through (4) above. 

e. Assessment of Project Risks and 

Mitigation Strategies. The applicant 

should identify the material risks to the 

project and the strategies that the lead 

applicant and any project partners have 

undertaken or will undertake in order to 

mitigate those risks. In past rounds of 

TIGER Discretionary Grants, certain 

projects have been affected by 

procurement delays, environmental 

uncertainties, and increases in real 

estate acquisition costs. The applicant 

must assess the greatest risks to the 

projects and identify how the project 

parties will mitigate those risks. DOT 

will consider projects that contain risks 

so long as the applicant clearly and 

directly describe achievable mitigation 

strategies. 

The applicant, to the extent they are 

unfamiliar with the Federal program, 

should contact DOT modal field or 

headquarters offices for information on 

what steps are pre-requisite to the 

obligation of Federal funds in order to 

ensure that their project schedule is 

reasonable and that there are no risks of 

delays in satisfying federal 

requirements. 

Contacts for the Federal Highway 

Administration Division offices—which 

are located in all 50 States, Washington, 

DC, and Puerto Rico—can be found at 

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/about/

field.cfm. Contacts for the ten Federal 

Transit Administration regional offices 

can be found at http://www.fta.dot.gov/ 

12926.html. Contacts for the nine 

Maritime Administration Gateway 

Offices can be found at http://

www.marad.dot.gov/about_us_landing_

page/gateway_offices/Gateway_

Presence.htm. For Federal Railroad 

Administration Contacts, please contact 

TIGER program staff via email at 

TIGERGrants@dot.gov, or call Howard 

Hill at 202–366–0301. 

iv. Project Costs and Benefits 

An applicant for TIGER Discretionary 

Grants is generally required to identify, 

quantify, and compare expected benefits 

and costs, subject to the following 

qualifications: 10

An applicant should prepare and 

submit an analysis of benefits and costs; 

however, DOT understands that the 

appropriate level of detail of analysis 

(for items such as surveys, travel 

demand forecasts, market forecasts, and 

statistical analyses) is less for smaller 

projects than for larger projects. The 

level of sophistication of the benefit-cost 

analysis (BCA) should be reasonably 

related to the size of the overall project 

and the amount of grant funds requested 

in the application. Any subjective 

estimates of benefits and costs should be 

quantified, and the applicant should 

provide appropriate evidence to lend 

credence to their subjective estimates. 

Estimates of benefits should be 

presented in monetary terms whenever 

possible; if a monetary estimate is not 

possible, then at least one non-monetary 

quantitative estimate (in physical, nonmonetary terms, such as crash rates, 

ridership estimates, emissions levels, or 

energy efficiency improvements) should 

be provided. 

Based on feedback over previous 

rounds of TIGER, DOT recognizes that 

the benefit-cost analysis can be 

particularly burdensome on Tribal 

governments. Therefore, the Department 

is providing additional flexibility to 

Tribal governments for the purposes of 

this notice. At their discretion, Tribal 

applicants may elect to provide raw data 

to support the need for a project (such 

as crash rates, ridership estimates, and 

the number of people who will benefit 

from the project), without additional 

analysis. This data will then be used to 

allow DOT economists to make the best 

estimates they can develop (given the 

data provided) of benefits and costs. 

Examples of BCAs by successful Tribal 

applicants are also available online at 

http://www.dot.gov/policy-initiatives/

tiger/tribal-tiger-bca-examples. 

The lack of a useful analysis of 

expected project benefits and costs may 

be the basis for not selecting a project 

for award of a TIGER Discretionary 

Grant. If it is clear to DOT that the total 

benefits of a project are not reasonably 

likely to justify the project’s costs, DOT 

will not award a TIGER Discretionary 

Grant to the project. 

Detailed guidance for the preparation 

of benefit-cost analyses is provided in 

the 2015 Benefit-Cost Analyses 

Guidance for TIGER Grant Applicants 

and in the BCA Resource Guide 

(available at www.dot.gov/TIGER). A 

recording of the Benefit-Cost Analysis 

Practitioner’s Workshop (2010) and two 

BCA-related webinars are also available 

for viewing at www.dot.gov/TIGER, 

along with examples of benefit-cost 

analyses that have been submitted in 

previous rounds of TIGER. 

Spreadsheets supporting the benefitcost analysis should be original Excel 

spreadsheets, not PDFs of those 

spreadsheets. Benefits should be 

presented, whenever possible, in a 

tabular form showing benefits and costs 

in each year for the useful life of the 

project. The application should include 

projections for both the build and nobuild scenarios for the project for each 

year between the completion of the 

project and a point in time at least 20 

years beyond the project’s completion 

date or the lifespan of the project, 

whichever is closer to the present. 


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Benefits and costs should both be 

discounted to the year 2015, and 

calculations should be presented for 

discounted values of both the stream of 

benefits and the stream of costs. If the 

project has multiple components, each 

of which has independent utility, the 

benefits and costs of each component 

should be estimated and presented 

separately. The results of the benefitcost analysis should be summarized in 

the Project Narrative section of the 

application itself, but the details should 

be presented in an attachment to the 

application if the full analysis cannot be 

included within the page limit for the 

project narrative. 

v. Cost Share 

The FY 2015 Appropriations Act 

directs DOT to prioritize projects that 

require a contribution of Federal funds 

to complete an overall financing 

package, and all projects can increase 

their competitiveness for purposes of 

the TIGER program by demonstrating 

significant non-Federal financial 

contributions. The applicant should 

clearly demonstrate the extent to which 

the project cannot be readily and 

efficiently completed without a TIGER 

Discretionary Grant, and the extent to 

which other sources of funds, including 

Federal, State, or local funding, may or 

may not be readily available for the 

project. DOT recognizes that applicants 

have varying abilities and resources to 

contribute non-Federal contributions, 

especially those communities that are 

not routinely receiving and matching 

Federal funds. DOT recognizes certain 

communities with fewer financial 

resources may struggle to provide costshare that exceeds the minimum 

requirements and will, therefore, 

consider an applicant’s broader fiscal 

constraints when evaluating nonFederal contributions. In the first six 

rounds, on average, projects attracted 

more than 3.5 matching dollars for every 

TIGER grant dollar. 

2. Review and Selection Process 

DOT reviews all eligible applications 

received before the deadline. The TIGER 

review and selection process consists of 

three phases: Technical Review, Tier 2 

Analysis consisting of project readiness 

and economic analysis, and Senior 

Review. 

In the Technical Evaluation phase, 

teams comprising staff from the Office 

of the Secretary (OST) and modal 

administrations review all eligible 

applications and rate projects as Highly 

Recommended, Recommended, 

Acceptable, or Not Recommended based 

on how well the projects align with the 

selection criteria. 

Tier 2 Analysis consists of (1) an 

Economic Analysis and (2) a Project 

Readiness Analysis. The Economic 

Analysis Team, comprising OST and 

modal administration economic staff, 

assess whether total benefits of the 

proposed projects are likely to outweigh 

costs. The Project Readiness Team, 

comprising Office of the Secretary 

Office of Policy (OST–P) and modal 

administration staff, evaluates the 

proposed project’s technical and 

financial feasibility, potential risks and 

mitigation strategies, and project 

schedule, including the status of 

environmental approvals and readiness 

to proceed. 

In the third review phase, the Senior 

Review Team, which includes senior 

leadership from OST and the modal 

administrations, consider all projects 

that were rated Acceptable, 

Recommended, or Highly 

Recommended and determine which 

projects to advance to the Secretary as 

Highly Rated. The Secretary selects from 

the Highly Rated projects for final 

award. 

F. Federal Award Administration 

1. Federal Award Notice 

Following the evaluation outlined in 

Section E, the Secretary will announce 

awarded projects by posting a list of 

selected projects at www.dot.gov/TIGER. 

Following the announcement, the 

relevant modal administration will 

contact the point of contact listed in the 

SF 424 to initiate negotiation of the 

grant agreement. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

All awards will be administered 

pursuant to the Uniform Administrative 

Requirements, Cost Principles and 

Audit Requirements for Federal Awards 

found in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted by 

DOT at 2 CFR part. 1201. Additionally, 

applicable Federal laws, rules and 

regulations of the relevant modal 

administration administering the project 

will apply to the projects that receive 

TIGER Discretionary Grant awards, 

including planning requirements, 

Service Outcome Agreements, 

Stakeholder Agreements, Buy America 

compliance, and other requirements 

under DOT’s other highway, transit, rail, 

and port grant programs. 

For projects administered by the 

Federal Highway Administration 

(FHWA), applicable Federal laws, rules, 

and regulations set forth in Title 23 

U.S.C. and Title 23 CFR apply. For an 

illustrative list of the applicable laws, 

rules, regulations, executive orders, 

polices, guidelines, and requirements as 

they relate to a TIGER project 

administered by the FHWA, please see 

[http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/

infrastructure/tiger/fy2014_gr_exhbt_c/

index.htm]. For TIGER projects 

administered by the Federal Transit 

Administration and partially funded 

with Federal transit assistance, all 

relevant requirements under chapter 53 

of title 49 U.S.C. apply. For transit 

projects funded exclusively with TIGER 

discretionary funds, some requirements 

of chapter 53 of title 49 U.S.C. and 

chapter VI of title 49 CFR apply. For 

projects administered by the Federal 

Railroad Administration, FRA 

requirements described in 49 U.S.C. 

Subtitle V, Part C apply. 

Federal wage rate requirements 

included in subchapter IV of chapter 31 

of title 40, United States Code, apply to 

all projects receiving funds under this 

program, and apply to all parts of the 

project, whether funded with TIGER 

Discretionary Grant funds, other Federal 

funds, or non-Federal funds. 

3. Reporting 

i. Performance Reporting—Each 

applicant selected for TIGER 

Discretionary Grant funding must 

collect information and report on the 

project’s performance with respect to 

the relevant long-term outcomes that are 

expected to be achieved through 

construction of the project. Performance 

indicators will not include formal goals 

or targets, but will include baseline 

measures as well as post-project 

outcomes for an agreed-upon timeline, 

and will be used to evaluate and 

compare projects and monitor the 

results that grant funds achieve to 

ensure that grant funds achieve the 

intended long-term outcomes of the 

TIGER Discretionary Grant program. 

ii. Progress Reporting —Each 

applicant selected for TIGER 

Discretionary Grant funding must 

submit quarterly progress reports and 

Federal Financial Report (SF–425) on 

the financial condition of the project 

and the project’s progress, as well as an 

Annual Budget Review and Program 

Plan to monitor the use of Federal funds 

and ensure accountability and financial 

transparency in the TIGER program. 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

For further information concerning 

this notice please contact the TIGER 

Discretionary Grant program staff via 

email at TIGERGrants@dot.gov, or call 

Howard Hill at 202–366–0301. A TDD is 

available for individuals who are deaf or 

hard of hearing at 202–366–3993. In 

addition, DOT will post answers to 

questions and requests for clarifications 

on DOT’s Web site at www.dot.gov/


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
18292 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 64 / Friday, April 3, 2015 / Notices 

TIGER. To ensure applicants receive 

accurate information about eligibility or 

the program, the applicant is 

encouraged to contact DOT directly, 

rather than through intermediaries or 

third parties, with questions. DOT staff 

may also conduct briefings on the 

TIGER Discretionary Grants selection 

and award process upon request. 

H. Other Information 

1. Protection of Confidential Business 

Information 

All information submitted as part of 

or in support of any application shall 

use publicly available data or data that 

can be made public and methodologies 

that are accepted by industry practice 

and standards, to the extent possible. If 

the application includes information 

you consider to be a trade secret or 

confidential commercial or financial 

information, the applicant should do the 

following: (1) Note on the front cover 

that the submission ‘‘Contains 

Confidential Business Information 

(CBI)’’; (2) mark each affected page 

‘‘CBI’’; and (3) highlight or otherwise 

denote the CBI portions. DOT protects 

such information from disclosure to the 

extent allowed under applicable law. In 

the event DOT receives a Freedom of 

Information Act (FOIA) request for the 

information, DOT will follow the 

procedures described in its FOIA 

regulations at 49 CFR 7.17. Only 

information that is ultimately 

determined to be confidential under that 

procedure will be exempt from 

disclosure under FOIA. 

Issued On: March 30, 2015. 

Anthony R. Foxx, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2015–07711 Filed 4–2–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

[Docket Number FRA–2006–24812] 

Petition for Waiver of Compliance and 

Notice of Public Hearing 

In accordance with part 211 of Title 

49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 

this document provides the public 

notice that by a document dated 

February 6, 2015, BNSF Railway 

(BNSF), has petitioned the Federal 

Railroad Administration (FRA) for an 

extension of and modification to its 

waiver of compliance from certain 

provisions of the Federal railroad safety 

regulations contained at 49 CFR part 

232, Brake System Safety Standards for 

Freight and Other Non-Passenger Trains 

and Equipment. Specifically, BNSF 

requests to extend the mileage limits 

specified for certain designated 

extended haul trains (see 49 CFR 

232.213, Extended haul trains). FRA 

assigned the petition Docket Number 

FRA–2006–24812. 

In its petition, BNSF states that it has 

a history of successfully running trains 

under the existing waiver in Docket 

Number FRA–2006–24812, and under 

the conditions of the temporary waiver 

granted in Docket Number FRA–2014– 

0070. BNSF states that it safely 

conducted thousands of loadings and 

millions of ton-miles with a defect ratio 

nearly identical to that of traditional 

operations since the first waiver was 

implemented in 2006. Based on the 

important benefits to safety and network 

fluidity associated with the successful 

implementation of the temporary 1,800- 

mile inspection waiver (Docket Number 

FRA–2014–0070) and BNSF’s extensive 

history running extended haul trains 

under both waivers, BNSF would like to 

continue and modestly extend the 

current BNSF waiver in Docket Number 

FRA–2006–24812 to 1,702 miles, from 

the current mileage of 1,603. BNSF 

states that this modest 99-mile increase 

in distance to 1,702 miles would afford 

a substantial portion of the benefits 

identified at the 1,800-mile distance. 

The incremental increase of 99 miles 

would allow for 68.2 percent of the coal 

and grain trains currently operating 

under the waiver in FRA–2014–0070 to 

be added to BNSF’s waiver in FRA– 

2006–24812. 

BNSF believes that the current waiver 

petition is consistent with meeting 

FRA’s safety focus and is appropriate for 

National commerce concerns. This 

petition would be for current grain and 

coal trains operating within BNSF’s 

network currently running at less than 

1,702 miles between designated 

extended haul inspection points. The 

BNSF trains included in this request 

operate the very same type of equipment 

as the existing waiver trains. BNSF 

states it is very confident that slightly 

increasing the length of the extended 

haul inspection points on these trains 

listed will have no adverse impact on 

safe operations. 

A copy of the petition, as well as any 

written communications concerning the 

petition, is available for review online at 

www.regulations.gov and in person at 

the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 

(DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590. The Docket 

Operations Facility is open from 9 a.m. 

to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal Holidays. 

Interested parties are invited to 

participate in these proceedings by 

submitting written views, data, or 

comments. In addition, FRA has 

determined that the facts of this 

proceeding warrant a public hearing. 

Accordingly, a hearing is hereby 

scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. on May 

21, 2015, at the Alliance Public Library, 

1750 Sweetwater Avenue, Alliance, NE 

69301. Interested parties are invited to 

present oral statements at this hearing. 

For information on facilities or services 

for persons with disabilities, or to 

request special assistance at the hearing, 

contact Mr. Steven Zuiderveen, FRA 

Railroad Safety Specialist, by telephone, 

email, or in writing, at least 5 business 

days before the date of the hearing. Mr. 

Zuiderveen’s contact information is as 

follows: FRA, Office of Railroad Safety, 

Mail Stop 25, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 

SE., Washington, DC 20590; (202) 493– 

6337; Steven.Zuiderveen@dot.gov. The 

informal hearing will be conducted by 

a representative designated by FRA in 

accordance with FRA’s Rules of Practice 

(see specifically 49 CFR 211.25). FRA’s 

representative will make an opening 

statement outlining the scope of the 

hearing, as well as any additional 

procedures for the conduct of the 

hearing. The hearing will be a 

nonadversarial proceeding in which all 

interested parties will be given the 

opportunity to express their views 

regarding the waiver petition without 

cross examination. After all initial 

statements have been completed, those 

individuals wishing to make brief 

rebuttal statements will be given an 

opportunity to do so. 

In addition, FRA is extending the 

comment period for this waiver petition 

to June 21, 2015, to allow adequate time 

for any additional comments to be 

submitted following the public hearing 

on May 17, 2015. 

Communications received by that date 

will be considered by FRA before final 

action is taken. Comments received after 

that date will be considered as far as 

practicable. All communications 

concerning these proceedings should 

identify the appropriate docket number 

and may be submitted by any of the 

following methods: 

• Web site: http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Fax: 202–493–2251. 

• Mail: Docket Operations Facility, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590. 

• Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Room W12–140, 

Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. 


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