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How to Apply for FY18 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) GrantsAugust 8, 2018

FRA Rail Program Delivery Webinar
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ObjectiveProvide guidance to applicants on 

how to compete for CRISI grants 

Grant Program InformationNotices of Funding OpportunityHow to Apply and Application Content

 Tips for Preparing Benefit-Cost Analysis 

Key Takeaways
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Grant Program Information 

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Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements

Purpose of Program

To fund projects that improve the safety, efficienreliability of intercity passenger and freight rail sys

Federal Funding

 $318,430,337

 $35.5M for initiation/restoration capital proje At least 25% for rural area projects

Federal Share

 Maximum: 80% Statutory Preference: 50% or less
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Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements

Application Due Date

 September 17, 2018 at 5 PM EDT

Eligible Applicants

 State Entities Public Agencies or Publicly Chartered Authorities  Local Governments Amtrak or other Intercity Passenger Rail Carrier Class II or III railroads Any Rail Carrier or equipment manufacturer in partnership with a

state entity, public agency, and/or local government

 The Transportation Research Board  A University transportation center engaged in rail-related researc A non-profit labor organization 
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Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements

Eligible Projects

 Wide Range of Rail Capital Projects

 Congestion mitigation Ridership growth facilitation  Enhancements to multimodal connections Improvements to short-line or regional railroad infrast

 Railroad Safety Technology – Non PTC Track, Station and Equipment Improvements for Intercity  Grade Crossing Improvements Rail Line Relocation and Improvement  Regional, State, Corridor Planning and Environmental An Safety Programs and Institutes Research, Workforce Development, and Training – NEW f
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Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements

Application Requirements

 Identify private sector, state, and/or local funding Provide benefit-cost analysis FY18 applications can apply for more than one tra

project – NEW for FY18

 Applications should still identify which tracks applic

falls under: 

 (1) Planning (regional, state, corridor planning; not p

specific) 

 (2) PE/NEPA (3) Final Design/Construction  (4) Research, Safety Programs, & Institutes
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Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements

Evaluation Criteria

 Technical Merit:

 Project readiness  Private sector participation Consistent with DOT Planning guidance and 

documents 

 Project Benefits: 

 Effects on system performance, safety, 

competitiveness, reliability, trip or transit time, resilience

 Integration with other modes Ability to meet existing or anticipated demand
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Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements

Selection Criteria

 Preference for higher matching funds from multiple 

maximized net benefits, and private sector particip

 Key departmental objectives

 Supporting Economic Vitality Leveraging Federal Funding Preparing for Future Operations/Maintenance C

More Explicitly Defined for FY18

 Innovative Approaches Accountability 
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Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements

Funding Restrictions

 Pre-award costs incurred prior to selection, without 

NEPA determination, and without prior-FRA written approval are unallowable costs. 

 FRA is prohibited under 49 U.S.C. 24405(f) from prov

CRISI grants for commuter rail passenger transporta
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Consolidated Rail Infrastructure & Safety Improvements

Key Differences from FY17 CRISI & FY18 CRISI PTC

 PTC only eligible for Intercity Passenger Rail and Cla

Railroad projects; Commuter Rail and Class I Railroaprojects not eligible

 Research, workforce development, and training pr

eligible

 Applications can include multiple phases of a proje

single application (Planning, PE/NEPA, FD/Construc

 Greater emphasis on lifecycle asset management  Applicants may resubmit FY17 CRISI and FY18 CRIS

applications for consideration – indicate whether ahas changed since previous submission
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Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs)

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What is a NOFO?A NOFO:

Announces the grant opportunityContains details about the application 

requirements and procedures to request Federal funding for eligible projects 
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Where do I start? 

Check the FRA Website Page on Discretion

Competitive Grant Programs at: https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0997

Click on the link to access the NOFO.
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Where is the CRISI NOFO?
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What information is in a NOFO? 

Program summaryKey DatesAddressesFRA Contact InformationTable of Contents

 Program Description Federal Award Information Eligibility Information Application and Submission Information Application Review Information Federal Award Administration Information Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
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Where I find “how to apply” information?Search grants on Grants.govClick on the Opportunity Number to 

see the Synopsis
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What is the Synopsis?Summary information about the gran

opportunity in Grants.gov
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Application Conte

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How do I apply?Obtain a Dun and Bradstreet numbe

(DUNS)

Register early in the Federal 

government's System for Award Management (SAM) 

For Grants.gov, complete an 

Authorized Organization Representative profile and create a username and password

Submit an application addressing a

requirements outlined in the NOFO 
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What do I include in my application?Required Documents

Project NarrativeStatement of WorkProject Development Supporting 

Documentation

Benefit- Cost AnalysisOther required documents, such as NEPA 

documentation and Planning documen
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What forms are required?SF424 (Application for Federal 

Assistance)

Either: SF 424A or 424C- Budget info fo

Non-Construction OR Construction

Either: SF 424B or 424D – Assurances fo

Non-Construction OR for Construction

FRA’s Additional Assurances and 

Certifications

SF LLL: Disclosure of Lobbying Activitie
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Where is the FRA’s Additional Assurances and Certifications?See the Related Documents in 

Grants.gov
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What do I include in the Project Narrative?

Cover page Brief summary of the project

 Project components, where it is located, and 

projected outcome

Project funding informationApplicant eligibility Project eligibilityDetailed project descriptionProject location/mapProject implementation and management Evaluation and selection criteriaProject readiness
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What table should I include on the Cover Page?

Project TitleApplicant Project Track 1,2,3 andWill this project contribute to the Restoration or Initiation of Intercity Passenger Rail Service?

Yes/no

Was a Federal grant application previously submitted for this project? Yes/noIf yes, state the name of the Federal grant program and title of the project in the previous application.

Federal GProject Tit

If applicable, what stage of NEPA is the project in (e.g., EA, Tier 1 NEPA, Tier 2 NEPA, or CE)? 

NEPA stag

Is this a Rural Project? What percentage of the project cost is based in a Rural Area? 

Yes/noPercentacost:

City(ies), State(s) where the project is locatedUrbanized Area where the project is locatedPopulation of Urbanized AreaIs the project currently programmed in the: State rail plan, State Freight Plan, TIP, STIP, MPO Long Range Transportation Plan, State Long Range Transportation Plan?

Yes/no(If yes, plewhich placurrently 
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How do I organize the Project Narrative?Be sure that the Project Narrative 

headings and corresponding information are exactly as specified in the NOFO

The Project Narrative should clearly 

provide details about the FRA Federal funding requested project 

The Project Narrative must 

sufficiently address the evaluation and selection criteria to be a competitive application 
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What is a Statement of Work (SOW)?Addresses the scope, schedule, and 

budget for the proposed project as 

if it was selected for award 

A Sample SOW Template is located 

at: https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details

/L18661.
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What do I include in the SOW?Organize the scope of work for the 

project into discrete tasks 

Be clear regarding the work to be done in 

each task 

Align tasks with proposed deliverable, 

schedule and budget line items

Use the FRA Standard Cost Categories 

as a way to organize a SOW and Budget

https://www.fra.dot.gov/Elib/Document/16

647
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CRISI BCA Outline1. Specify your base case,

Specify your alternate case,Specify your timeline;

2. Show how alt case will result in 

specific effects (project benefits);

3. Break down effect magnitudes as 

small as possible;

4. Assign values to the effects using 

DOT guidance;

5. Sum the costs and benefits 

separately;

6. Discount;7. Calculate Results.
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BCA: Scope of AnalysisThe base case should reflect the 

status quo, the world as it exists today

See Pg. 7

The alternate case is the proposed 

project; 

Avoided costs of alternatives not taken 

are NOT benefits. See Pg. 25

The Timeline should be appropriate 

for the proposed project: See Pg. 9

Should match the useful life of the 

project, but not longer than 30 yrs.

Projects with UL longer than 30 yrs will 

have residual value; calculate with straight line depreciation.
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BCA: Scope of AnalysisONLY the differences between the 

base case and alt case should be examined.

These changes should reflect reality:

Shippers will not truck product 2000 miles 

when another freight station is only 30 miles away.

Railroads will impose speed/weight 

restrictions before shutting down totally.

Passengers will divert to nearby stations 

(if available) rather than driving the full distance.
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BCA: Benefits & CostsThe marginal effects of the alt case 

are the project benefits. See Pg. 7

Can include undesirable consequences

which should be shown as negative $’s.

The total cost of constructing the 

project as well as operating and maintaining it for the full timeline are 

the project costs:

Reductions to O&M costs should be 

regarded as project benefits. See Pg. 23

Residual value for remaining useful life is 

also a benefit (and not subtracted from costs). 
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BCA: DevelopmentMacro scale effects should be broken 

down into the smallest possible elements.

Replacing a bridge might result in:

Removal of slow orders, improving trave

speed (Travel time savings)

Reduce diversion and congestion on 

nearby track (Travel time savings)

Reduced wait time at the approaches 

(Travel time savings and emissions)

Decreased delays at nearby sidings and 

yards (Travel time savings and emissions)
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BCA: Modal DiversionModal diversion is a marginal choice; 

only count marginal benefits.

New/induced users value the service 

less than existing users. See Pg. 16

Rail diversion to truck could involve:

Increased pavement & bridge damageIncreased harmful emissionsIncreased congestion on highwaysDecreased safetyLost revenues and increased shipper cos

are transfers, not benefits. 

For passenger rail, avoided VOC and 

fares are transfers, not benefits. See Pg. 24
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BCA: Monetizing BenefitsRecommended Values are in 

Appendix A (Pg. 28):

For an injury of unknown severity, u

the value of KABCO “U”.

Commuting to and from work is 

considered “personal local” travel

even if it is between municipalities.

“High Speed” Rail means over 125 

currently only exists on Amtrak’s NE

VOC savings will generally not app

rail projects.
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Calendar Year

Project Year

Value of Travel Time Savings

Emissions Savings

Total Benefits

Discounted Benefits at 7%

Construction Costs

O&M Costs

Total Costs

DisCo

2017 0 $                      ‐ ‐ $            ‐ $            ‐ $ $             ‐ 38,500 $ $ 38,500 $ 

2018 1 $                      ‐ ‐ $            ‐ $            ‐ $ $             ‐ 15,500 $ $ 15,500 $ 

2019 2 23,342 $ $ 1,428 $ 24,770 $             ‐ 21,635 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2020 3 24,570 $ $ 1,562 $ 26,132 $             ‐ 21,331 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2021 4 25,061 $ $ 1,703 $ 26,764 $             ‐ 20,418 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2022 5 26,781 $ $ 1,841 $ 28,622 $             ‐ 20,407 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

Total 99,754 $ $ 6,534 $ 106,288 $ 83,792 $ 54,000 $ 600 $ 54,600 $ 

BCA: Calculations 
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Calendar Year

Project Year

Value of Travel Time Savings

Emissions Savings

Total Benefits

Discounted Benefits at 7%

Construction Costs

O&M Costs

Total Costs

DisCo

2017 0 $                      ‐ ‐ $            ‐ $            ‐ $ $             ‐ 38,500 $ $ 38,500 $ 

2018 1 $                      ‐ ‐ $            ‐ $            ‐ $ $             ‐ 15,500 $ $ 15,500 $ 

2019 2 23,342 $ $ 1,428 $ 24,770 $             ‐ 21,635 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2020 3 24,570 $ $ 1,562 $ 26,132 $             ‐ 21,331 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2021 4 25,061 $ $ 1,703 $ 26,764 $             ‐ 20,418 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2022 5 26,781 $ $ 1,841 $ 28,622 $             ‐ 20,407 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

Total 99,754 $ $ 6,534 $ 106,288 $ 83,792 $ 54,000 $ 600 $ 54,600 $ 

BCA: Calculations 

Add Benefits and Costs Separately
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Total $ / 1.07Project Year

Calendar Year

Project Year

Value of Travel Time Savings

Emissions Savings

Total Benefits

Discounted Benefits at 7%

Construction Costs

O&M Costs

Total Costs

DisCo

2017 0 $                      ‐ ‐ $            ‐ $            ‐ $ $             ‐ 38,500 $ $ 38,500 $ 

2018 1 $                      ‐ ‐ $            ‐ $            ‐ $ $             ‐ 15,500 $ $ 15,500 $ 

2019 2 23,342 $ $ 1,428 $ 24,770 $             ‐ 21,635 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2020 3 24,570 $ $ 1,562 $ 26,132 $             ‐ 21,331 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2021 4 25,061 $ $ 1,703 $ 26,764 $             ‐ 20,418 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2022 5 26,781 $ $ 1,841 $ 28,622 $             ‐ 20,407 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

Total 99,754 $ $ 6,534 $ 106,288 $ 83,792 $ 54,000 $ 600 $ 54,600 $ 

BCA: Calculations 
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Discounted Benefits – Discounted Costs = $

Calendar Year

Project Year

Value of Travel Time Savings

Emissions Savings

Total Benefits

Discounted Benefits at 7%

Construction Costs

O&M Costs

Total Costs

DisCo

2017 0 $                      ‐ ‐ $            ‐ $            ‐ $ $             ‐ 38,500 $ $ 38,500 $ 

2018 1 $                      ‐ ‐ $            ‐ $            ‐ $ $             ‐ 15,500 $ $ 15,500 $ 

2019 2 23,342 $ $ 1,428 $ 24,770 $             ‐ 21,635 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2020 3 24,570 $ $ 1,562 $ 26,132 $             ‐ 21,331 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2021 4 25,061 $ $ 1,703 $ 26,764 $             ‐ 20,418 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2022 5 26,781 $ $ 1,841 $ 28,622 $             ‐ 20,407 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

Total 99,754 $ $ 6,534 $ 106,288 $ 83,792 $ 54,000 $ 600 $ 54,600 $ 

BCA: Calculations 
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Discounted Benefits /

Discounted Costs = BCR

Calendar Year

Project Year

Value of Travel Time Savings

Emissions Savings

Total Benefits

Discounted Benefits at 7%

Construction Costs

O&M Costs

Total Costs

DisCo

2017 0 $                      ‐ ‐ $            ‐ $            ‐ $ $             ‐ 38,500 $ $ 38,500 $ 

2018 1 $                      ‐ ‐ $            ‐ $            ‐ $ $             ‐ 15,500 $ $ 15,500 $ 

2019 2 23,342 $ $ 1,428 $ 24,770 $             ‐ 21,635 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2020 3 24,570 $ $ 1,562 $ 26,132 $             ‐ 21,331 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2021 4 25,061 $ $ 1,703 $ 26,764 $             ‐ 20,418 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

2022 5 26,781 $ $ 1,841 $ 28,622 $             ‐ 20,407 $ $ 150 $ 150 $ 

Total 99,754 $ $ 6,534 $ 106,288 $ 83,792 $ 54,000 $ 600 $ 54,600 $ 

BCA: Calculations 
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CRISI BCA GuidelinesDocument your assumptions 

as much detail as possible.

Explain how the project will le

to the expected outcomes.

Work from the bottom up.
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CRISI BCA GuidelinesIf the project has separate e

ments, report benefits and coof each sub-project separate

If your BCA includes modal 

diversion, include YOUR mix ocommodities and traffic volu
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CRISI BCA GuidelinesInclude an unlocked Ex

spreadsheet that clearly shows your calculations and discounting.
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CRISI BCA GuidelinesFollow USDOT BCA guidance 

(the most recent version can found here.)

 Refer to the BCA FAQs for so

rail specific examples of how apply the BCA Guidance
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CRISI BCA GuidelinesGradeDEC link:

https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0337

GradeDEC documentation:

https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L03761
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Environmental ReviewsAre triggered by a Federal Action Interact with the planning processCan help with good decisionmakingRequired by National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA)
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Types of Environmental ReviewsEIS / ROD: Environmental Impact 

Statement

EA / FONSI: Environmental 

Assessment

CE: Categorical ExclusionTiered Environmental Documents
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Environmental ReadinessDocument NEPA completion or 

review underway

Date of actual or anticipated 

completion and related milestones

Website link to documents

See additional FRA NEPA 

compliance information at:

https://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/

L05286
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Best Practices

FRA Rail Program Delivery Webinar
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Best PracticesRead the NOFO carefully Determine what a "successful" project will lo

like

Register in SAM and Grants.gov earlyApply early enough to meet the application 

deadline

When applying through Grants.gov, use the 

“Track My Application” function

Use the checklist with the application 

requirements in the NOFO as you complete application
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Best PracticesCheck to see that all budget figures match 

corresponding figures on the forms, cover sheet, SOW, and in the Project Narrative

 Numbers in columns and rows should add up 

properly in budget tables

Address all of the evaluation and selection 

criteria on which you will be rated

 By clearly and directly responding to the 

criteria, your application will be easier to read and evaluate. Don’t bury key points!

Name key partners, indicate in-place 

agreements, and include letters of support
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Best PracticesAlign your strategies, activities, 

staffing, and other application content

For grade crossing improvement 

projects, include grade crossing numbers

Only include project costs expected 

to be incurred after selection of the grant
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CRISI: Frances Bourne and Will DyerFrances.Bourne@dot.govBCA: Nate Vomocil and Stephen O’ConnorNathan.Vomocil@dot.govEnvironmental: Michael JohnsenMichael.Johnsen@dot.govGrant Application Processing: Moshe Adamand Amy HouserAmy.Houser@dot.govThank you!