Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 139 / Thursday, July 19, 2018 / Notices 34283 

burdens; (3) ways for the FHWA to 

enhance the quality, usefulness, and 

clarity of the collected information; and 

(4) ways that the burden could be 

minimized, including the use of 

electronic technology, without reducing 

the quality of the collected information. 

The agency will summarize and/or 

include your comments in the request 

for OMB’s clearance of this information 

collection. 

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act 

of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; 

and 49 CFR 1.48. 

Issued on: July 13, 2018. 

Michael Howell, 

Information Collection Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2018–15426 Filed 7–18–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions 

on Proposed Highway in California 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of Limitation on Claims 

for Judicial Review of Actions by the 

California Department of Transportation 

(Caltrans), pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327. 

SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of 

Caltrans, is issuing this notice to 

announce actions taken by Caltrans that 

are final. The actions relate to a 

proposed highway project, U.S. 101 

between post miles 8.2 and 8.7 in the 

County of Del Norte, State of California. 

Those actions grant licenses, permits, 

and approvals for the project. 

DATES: By this notice, the FHWA, on 

behalf of Caltrans, is advising the public 

of final agency actions subject to 23 

U.S.C. 139(l)(1). A claim seeking 

judicial review of the Federal agency 

actions on the highway project will be 

barred unless the claim is filed on or 

before December 17, 2018. If the Federal 

law that authorizes judicial review of a 

claim provides a time period of less 

than 150 days for filing such claim, then 

that shorter time period still applies. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kellie Eldridge, Environmental Planner, 

Caltrans, 1656 Union Street, Eureka, CA 

95501, kellie.eldridge@dot.ca.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective 

July 1, 2007, the Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA) assigned, and 

the California Department of 

Transportation (Caltrans) assumed, 

environmental responsibilities for this 

project pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327. 

Notice is hereby given that Caltrans has 

taken final agency actions subject to 23 

U.S.C. 139(l)(1) by issuing licenses, 

permits, and approvals for the following 

highway project in the State of 

California: The Hunter and Panther 

Creek Bridges Seismic Restoration 

Project located on U.S. 101 between 

post miles 8.2 and 8.7 in Del Norte 

County, State of California, would 

upgrade Hunter and Panther Creek 

Bridges to current seismic and design 

standards by (1) replacing the existing 

three-span structure with two pier walls 

at Hunter Creek with a two-span 

structure with one pier, and (2) by 

replacing the existing three-span 

structure with two multi-columned 

piers at Panther Creek with a singlespan, steel tied arch structure without 

piers. The project is expected to be 

completed within two years. The 

actions by the Federal agencies, and the 

laws under which such actions were 

taken, are described in the Final 

Environmental Assessment (EA) and 

Finding of No Significant Impact 

(FONSI) for the project, approved July 5, 

2018, and in other documents in the 

Caltrans project records. The EA, 

FONSI, and other project records are 

available by contacting Caltrans at the 

address provided above. The Caltrans 

EA and FONSI can be viewed and 

downloaded from the project website at 

http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist1/d1projects/ 

hunter_panther/. 

This notice applies to all Federal 

agency decisions as of the issuance date 

of this notice and all laws under which 

such actions were taken, including but 

not limited to: 

1. National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) 

2. Clean Water Act 

3. Endangered Species Act 

4. Migratory Bird Treaty Act 

5. Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

6. Civil Rights Act, Title VI 

7. E.O. 11990 Protection of Wetlands 

8. E.O. 11988 Floodplain Management 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning 

and Construction. The regulations 

implementing Executive Order 12372 

regarding intergovernmental consultation on 

Federal programs and activities apply to this 

program.) 

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). 

Tashia J. Clemons, 

Director, Planning and Environment, Federal 

Highway Administration, Sacramento, 

California. 

[FR Doc. 2018–15419 Filed 7–18–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–RY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

Sunshine Act Meetings; Unified Carrier 

Registration Plan Board of Directors 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of Unified Carrier 

Registration Plan Board of Directors 

(UCR Board) and Subcommittee 

Meetings. 

TIME AND DATE: The meetings will occur 

on the following schedule and will take 

place in the Mountain (Daylight) Time 

Zone: 

Thursday, August 23, 2018 

8:15 a.m.–9:00 a.m. Registration 

System Subcommittee 

9:00 a.m.–12:00 Noon. UCR Board 

PLACE: These meetings will be open to 

the public at the Radisson Hotel Salt 

Lake City Downtown, 215 West South 

Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101, and 

via conference call. Those not attending 

the meetings in person may call tollfree; 1–877–422–1931, passcode 

2855443940, to listen and participate in 

the meetings. 

STATUS: Open to the public. 

MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED: The Unified 

Carrier Registration Plan Board of 

Directors (the Board) will continue its 

work in developing and implementing 

the Unified Carrier Registration Plan 

and Agreement and to that end, may 

consider matters properly before the 

Board. An agenda for these meetings 

will be available no later than 5:00 p.m. 

Eastern Daylight Time, August 14, 2018 

at: https://ucrplan.org. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Avelino Gutierrez, Chair, Unified 

Carrier Registration Board of Directors at 

(505) 827–4565. 

Issued on: July 16, 2018. 

Larry W. Minor, 

Associate Administrator, Office of Policy, 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2018–15603 Filed 7–17–18; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

Notice of Funding Opportunity for 

Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and 

Safety Improvements 

AGENCY: Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
34284 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 139 / Thursday, July 19, 2018 / Notices 

1The term ‘‘grant’’ is used throughout this 

document and is intended to reference funding 

awarded through a grant agreement, as well as 

funding awarded through a cooperative agreement. 

ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity 

(NOFO or notice). 

SUMMARY: This notice details the 

application requirements and 

procedures to obtain grant 1 funding for 

eligible projects under the Consolidated 

Rail Infrastructure and Safety 

Improvements (CRISI) Program. CRISI 

Program funding under this notice is 

provided by the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2018, (2018 

Appropriation). Funding for positive 

train control (PTC) systems deployment 

included in the 2018 Appropriation is 

provided under a different NOFO 

published on May 18, 2018 (CRISI PTC 

NOFO). Applicants may apply for 

funding for PTC system elements under 

this NOFO as well if such elements are 

otherwise eligible under the CRISI 

Program. The opportunities described in 

this notice are made available under 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

(CFDA) number 20.325, ‘‘Consolidated 

Rail Infrastructure and Safety 

Improvements.’’ 

DATES: Applications for funding under 

this solicitation are due no later than 

5:00 p.m. EDT, September 17, 2018. 

Applications received after 5:00 p.m. 

EDT on September 17, 2018 will not be 

considered for funding. Incomplete 

applications will not be considered for 

funding. See Section D of this notice for 

additional information on the 

application process. 

ADDRESSES: Applications must be 

submitted via www.Grants.gov. Only 

applicants who comply with all 

submission requirements described in 

this notice and submit applications 

through www.Grants.gov will be eligible 

for award. For any supporting 

application materials that an applicant 

is unable to submit via www.Grants.gov 

(such as oversized engineering 

drawings), an applicant may submit an 

original and two (2) copies to Ms. Amy 

Houser, Office of Program Delivery, 

Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W36–412, 

Washington, DC 20590. However, due to 

delays caused by enhanced screening of 

mail delivered via the U.S. Postal 

Service, applicants are advised to use 

other means of conveyance (such as 

courier service) to assure timely receipt 

of materials before the application 

deadline. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further project or program-related 

information in this notice, please 

contact Ms. Frances Bourne, Office of 

Policy and Planning, Federal Railroad 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Room W38–207, 

Washington, DC 20590; email: 

frances.bourne@dot.gov; phone: 202– 

493–6366. Grant application submission 

and processing questions should be 

addressed to Ms. Amy Houser, Office of 

Program Delivery, Federal Railroad 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Room W36–412, 

Washington, DC 20590; email: 

amy.houser@dot.gov; phone: 202–493– 

0303. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Notice to applicants: FRA 

recommends that applicants read this 

notice in its entirety prior to preparing 

application materials. A list providing 

the definitions of key terms used 

throughout the NOFO is in Section A(2) 

below. These key terms are capitalized 

throughout the NOFO. There are several 

administrative prerequisites and 

specific eligibility requirements 

described herein that applicants must 

comply with to submit an application. 

Additionally, applicants should note 

that the required Project Narrative 

component of the application package 

may not exceed 25 pages in length. 

Table of Contents 

A. Program Description 

B. Federal Award Information 

C. Eligibility Information 

D. Application and Submission Information 

E. Application Review Information 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

A. Program Description 

1. Overview 

This program provides a 

comprehensive solution to leverage 

private, state and local investments to 

support safety enhancements and 

general improvements to infrastructure 

for both intercity passenger and freight 

railroads. The U.S. rail network is 

central to the success of the American 

economy, carrying more than 1.6 billion 

tons of freight valued at nearly $600 

billion annually, and over 31.3 million 

passengers on intercity rail passenger 

transportation services. Both services 

primarily operate over privately-owned 

and maintained infrastructure, allowing 

for strong private, capital market 

investment that generates public benefit, 

including public-private partnerships 

among other models. 

The Department is committed to 

addressing the unmet transportation 

infrastructure needs of rural areas. 

Underinvestment in rural transportation 

systems has allowed a slow and steady 

decline in the transportation routes that 

connect rural American communities to 

each other and to the rest of the country, 

fraying the fabric of American 

interconnectivity. A majority of the 

nation’s rail route miles are in rural 

America. Investment is necessary to 

grow rural economies, facilitate freight 

movement, improve access to reliable 

and affordable transportation options 

and enhance health access and safety for 

residents. 

The Department also recognizes the 

importance of applying life cycle asset 

management principles throughout 

America’s infrastructure. It is important 

for rail infrastructure owners and 

operators, as well as those who may 

apply on their behalf, to plan for the 

maintenance and replacement of assets 

and the associated costs. In light of 

recent fatal passenger rail accidents, the 

Department particularly recognizes the 

opportunity to enhance safety in both 

track and equipment through this grant 

program. 

Congress authorized this grant 

program for the Secretary to invest in a 

wide range of projects within the United 

States to improve railroad safety, 

efficiency, and reliability; mitigate 

congestion at both intercity passenger 

and freight rail chokepoints; enhance 

multi-modal connections; and lead to 

new or substantially improved Intercity 

Passenger Rail Transportation corridors. 

Additionally, the program includes rail 

safety projects, such as grade crossing 

enhancements, and rail line relocations 

and improvements. Applicable work 

also includes: rail regional and corridor 

planning, environmental analyses, and 

research, workforce development, and 

training. The purpose of this notice is to 

solicit applications for the competitive 

CRISI Program funding provided in the 

2018 Appropriation that was not 

included in the CRISI PTC NOFO. The 

CRISI Program is authorized under 

Section 11301 of the Fixing America’s 

Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, 

Public Law 114–94 (2015); 49 U.S.C. 

24407 and funds made available in this 

NOFO are provided in the 2018 

Appropriation. 

2. Definitions of Key Terms 

a. ‘‘Benefit-Cost Analysis’’ (or ‘‘CostBenefit Analysis’’) is a systematic, data 

driven, and transparent analysis 

comparing monetized project benefits 

and costs, using a no-build baseline and 

properly discounted present values, 

including concise documentation of the 

assumptions and methodology used to 

produce the analysis; a description of 

the baseline, data sources used to 

project outcomes, and values of key 

input parameters; basis of modeling 

including spreadsheets, technical 


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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 139 / Thursday, July 19, 2018 / Notices 34285 

1See 74 FR 53030, 53043 (August 24, 2011) 

available at https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/ 

reference/fedreg/fedregv76n164.pdf. 

memos, etc.; and presentation of the 

calculations in sufficient detail and 

transparency to allow the analysis to be 

reproduced and for sensitivity of results 

evaluated by FRA. Please refer to the 

Benefit-Cost Analysis Guidance for 

Discretionary Grant Programs prior to 

preparing a BCA at https://

www.transportation.gov/office-policy/ 

transportation-policy/benefit-costanalysis-guidance. In addition, please 

also refer to the BCA FAQs on FRA’s 

website for some rail specific examples 

of how to apply the BCA Guidance for 

Discretionary Grant Programs to CRISI 

applications. 

b. ‘‘Capital Project’’ means a project 

for: Acquiring, constructing, improving, 

or inspecting rail equipment, track and 

track structures, or a rail facility; 

expenses incidental to the acquisition or 

Construction including pre-construction 

activities (such as designing, 

engineering, location surveying, 

mapping, acquiring rights-of-way) and 

related relocation costs, environmental 

studies, and all work necessary for FRA 

to approve the project under the 

National Environmental Policy Act and 

related environmental laws and 

regulations; highway-rail grade crossing 

improvements; communication and 

signalization improvements; and 

rehabilitating, remanufacturing or 

overhauling rail rolling stock and 

facilities. 

c. ‘‘Construction’’ means the 

production of fixed works and 

structures or substantial alterations to 

such structures or land and associated 

costs. 

d. ‘‘Final Design (FD)’’ means design 

activities following Preliminary 

Engineering, and at a minimum, 

includes the preparation of final 

Construction plans, detailed 

specifications, and estimates sufficiently 

detailed to inform project stakeholders 

(designers, reviewers, contractors, 

suppliers, etc.) of the actions required to 

advance the project from design through 

completion of Construction. 

e. ‘‘Improvement’’ means repair or 

enhancement to existing Rail 

Infrastructure, or Construction of new 

Rail Infrastructure, that results in 

efficiency of the rail system and the 

safety of those affected by the system. 

f. ‘‘Initiation’’ or ‘‘Initiate’’ means 

commencing service on a route that did 

not previously operate Intercity Rail 

Passenger Transportation. 

g. ‘‘Intercity Rail Passenger 

Transportation’’ means rail passenger 

transportation, except commuter rail 

passenger transportation. See 49 U.S.C. 

24401(3). In this notice, ‘‘Intercity 

Passenger Rail Service’’ and ‘‘Intercity 

Passenger Rail Transportation’’ are 

equivalent terms to ‘‘Intercity Rail 

Passenger Transportation.’’ 

h. ‘‘National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA)’’ is a Federal law that 

requires Federal agencies to assess the 

environmental impacts of a proposed 

action in consultation with appropriate 

federal, state, and local authorities, and 

with the public. The NEPA class of 

action depends on the nature of the 

proposed action, its complexity, and the 

potential impacts. For purposes of this 

NOFO, NEPA also includes all related 

Federal laws and regulations including 

Section 4(f) of the Department of 

Transportation Act, Section 7 of the 

Endangered Species Act, and Section 

106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act. (See FRA’s 

Environmental Procedures at: https://

www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/details/L02561.) 

i. ‘‘Planning’’ means activities that 

support the development of a state or 

regional rail plan or a corridor service 

development plan. 

j. ‘‘Positive Train Control (PTC) 

system’’ is defined by 49 CFR 270.5 to 

mean a system designed to prevent 

train-to-train collisions, overspeed 

derailments, incursions into established 

work zone limits, and the movement of 

a train through a switch left in the 

wrong position, as described in 49 CFR 

part 236, subpart I. 

k. ‘‘Preliminary Engineering (PE)’’ 

means engineering design to: (1) Define 

a project, including identification of all 

environmental impacts, design of all 

critical project elements at a level 

sufficient to assure reliable cost 

estimates and schedules, (2) complete 

project management and financial plans, 

and (3) identify procurement 

requirements and strategies. The PE 

development process starts with specific 

project design alternatives that allow for 

the assessment of a range of rail 

improvements, specific alignments, and 

project designs—to be used concurrent 

with project or service level NEPA and 

related analyses. PE occurs prior to FD 

and Construction. 

l. ‘‘Rail Carrier’’ means a person 

providing common carrier railroad 

transportation for compensation, but 

does not include street, suburban, or 

interurban electric railways not 

operated as part of the general system of 

rail transportation. See 49 U.S.C. 

10102(5). 

m. ‘‘Railroad Infrastructure’’ means 

intermodal or rail facilities, including 

track, bridges, tunnels, rail yards, 

buildings, passenger stations, and 

maintenance and repair shops. In this 

NOFO, ‘‘Rail Infrastructure’’ is an 

equivalent term to ‘‘Railroad 

Infrastructure.’’ 

n. ‘‘Relocation’’ is defined by 49 CFR 

262.3 to mean moving a rail line 

vertically or laterally to a new location. 

Vertical Relocation refers to raising 

above the current ground level or 

sinking below the current ground level 

of a rail line. Lateral Relocation refers to 

moving a rail line horizontally to a new 

location. 

o. ‘‘Restoration’’ means reinstating 

service to a route that formerly operated 

Intercity Rail Passenger Transportation. 

p. ‘‘Rural Project’’ means a project in 

which all or the majority of the project 

(determined by the geographic location 

or locations where the majority of the 

project funds will be spent) is located in 

a Rural Area. 

q. ‘‘Rural Area’’ is defined in 49 

U.S.C. 24407(g)(2) to mean any area not 

in an urbanized area as defined by the 

Census Bureau. The Census Bureau 

defines Urbanized Area (UA) as an area 

with a population of 50,000 or more 

people.1 Updated lists of UAs as defined 

by the Census Bureau are available on 

the Census Bureau website at http://

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

UAUC_RefMap/ua/. 

r. ‘‘Tier 1 NEPA’’ includes the 

analysis and evaluation of the potential 

environmental impacts of an action at a 

broad level, such as a program concept 

for an entire corridor, and typically does 

not lead directly to project construction. 

It identifies the potential environmental 

impacts of the alternatives being 

considered for the program, as well as 

the mitigations that may be needed to 

address the impacts. The potential 

environmental impacts and mitigations 

must be incorporated into each 

alternative that is evaluated. These are 

generally Environmental Impact 

Statements (EISs) that result in the 

identification of a preferred alternative. 

s. ‘‘Tier 2 NEPA’’ includes the 

required analysis and evaluation of the 

potential environmental impacts of an 

action at a project-specific level of 

detail. Tier 2 NEPA should be sufficient 

to support Final Design and 

Construction activities and may include 

an EIS, an environmental assessment 

(EA), or a categorical exclusion (CE). 

B. Federal Award Information 

1. Available Award Amount 

The total funding available for awards 

under this NOFO is $318,430,337 of 

which $35,547,000 will be for projects 

under 49 U.S.C. 24407(c)(2) that 

contribute to the Initiation or 

Restoration of Intercity Passenger Rail 

Service consistent with the 2018 


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2See Section D(2)(a)(iv) for supporting 

documentation required to demonstrate eligibility 

under this eligibility category. 

3See Section D(2)(a)(iv) for supporting 

information required to demonstrate eligibility 

under this eligibility category. 

Appropriation. Of the CRISI funding 

made available in the 2018 

Appropriation (including amounts 

available under this NOFO and the 

CRISI PTC NOFO) at least 25 percent, 

will be made available for Rural Projects 

as authorized under 49 U.S.C. 24407(g). 

After $5,925,470 is set aside for FRA 

award and program oversight, the 

balance of the 2018 Appropriation CRISI 

Program funding includes $250,000,000 

set aside for certain PTC projects and 

$18,191,193 set aside for Special 

Transportation Circumstances. These 

funds were announced under separate 

NOFOs. 

2. Award Size 

There are no predetermined minimum 

or maximum dollar thresholds for 

awards. FRA anticipates making 

multiple awards with the available 

funding. FRA may not be able to award 

grants to all eligible applications, nor 

even to all applications that meet or 

exceed the stated evaluation criteria (see 

Section E, Application Review 

Information). Projects may require more 

funding than is available. FRA 

encourages applicants to propose 

projects or components of projects that 

have operational independence and that 

can be completed and implemented 

with CRISI funding as a piece of the 

total project cost together with other, 

non-federal sources. 

FRA strongly encourages applicants to 

identify and include other state, local, 

public, or private funding or financing 

to support the proposed project in order 

to maximize competitiveness. 

3. Award Type 

FRA will make awards for projects 

selected under this notice through grant 

agreements and/or cooperative 

agreements. Grant agreements are used 

when FRA does not expect to have 

substantial Federal involvement in 

carrying out the funded activity. 

Cooperative agreements allow for 

substantial Federal involvement in 

carrying out the agreed upon 

investment, including technical 

assistance, review of interim work 

products, and increased program 

oversight. The funding provided under 

these cooperative agreements will be 

made available to grantees on a 

reimbursable basis. Applicants must 

certify that their expenditures are 

allowable, allocable, reasonable, and 

necessary to the approved project before 

seeking reimbursement from FRA. 

Additionally, the grantee is expected to 

expend matching funds at the required 

percentage alongside Federal funds 

throughout the life of the project. See an 

example of standard terms and 

conditions for FRA grant awards at: 

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

L19057. 

4. Concurrent Applications 

As DOT and FRA are concurrently 

soliciting applications for transportation 

infrastructure projects for several 

financial assistance programs, 

applicants may submit applications 

requesting funding for a particular 

project to one or more of these 

programs. In the application for CRISI 

Program funding under this NOFO, 

applicants must indicate the other 

programs, and if applicable the other 

CRISI NOFOs, to which they submitted 

or plan to submit an application for 

funding the entire project or certain 

project components, as well as highlight 

new or revised information in the 

application responsive to this NOFO 

that differs from the application(s) for 

other federal financial assistance 

programs or other CRISI NOFOs. 

C. Eligibility Information 

This section of the notice explains 

applicant eligibility, cost sharing and 

matching requirements, project 

eligibility, and project component 

operational independence. Applications 

that do not meet the requirements in 

this section will be ineligible for 

funding. Instructions for submitting 

eligibility information to FRA are 

detailed in Section D of this NOFO. 

1. Eligible Applicants 

The following entities are eligible 

applicants for all project types 

permitted under this notice: 

a. A State; 

b. A group of States; 

c. An Interstate Compact; 

d. A public agency or publicly 

chartered authority established by one 

or more States; 2

e. A political subdivision of a State; 

f. Amtrak or another Rail Carrier that 

provides Intercity Rail Passenger 

Transportation (as defined in 49 U.S.C. 

24102); 

g. A Class II railroad or Class III 

railroad (as those terms are defined in 

49 U.S.C. 20102); 

h. Any Rail Carrier or rail equipment 

manufacturer in partnership with at 

least one of the entities described in 

paragraph (a) through (e); 3

i. The Transportation Research Board 

together with any entity with which it 

contracts in the development of railrelated research, including cooperative 

research programs; 

j. A University transportation center 

engaged in rail-related research; or 

k. A non-profit labor organization 

representing a class or craft of 

employees of Rail Carriers or Rail 

Carrier contractors. 

Applications must identify an eligible 

applicant as the lead applicant. The lead 

applicant serves as the primary point of 

contact for the application, and if 

selected, as the recipient of the CRISI 

Program grant award. Eligible applicants 

may reference entities that are not 

eligible applicants in an application as 

a project partner. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching 

The Federal share of total costs for 

projects funded under this notice will 

not exceed 80 percent, though FRA will 

provide selection preference to 

applications where the proposed 

Federal share of total project costs is 50 

percent or less. The estimated total cost 

of a project must be based on the best 

available information, including 

engineering studies, studies of economic 

feasibility, environmental analyses, and 

information on the expected use of 

equipment and/or facilities. 

Additionally, in preparing estimates of 

total project costs, applicants should 

refer to FRA’s cost estimate guidance 

documentation, ‘‘Capital Cost 

Estimating: Guidance for Project 

Sponsors,’’ which is available at: 

https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0926. 

The minimum 20 percent non-Federal 

match may be comprised of public 

sector (e.g., state or local) and/or private 

sector funding. FRA will not consider 

any Federal financial assistance, nor any 

non-Federal funds already expended (or 

otherwise encumbered) that do not 

comply with 2 CFR 200.458, as 

applicable, toward the matching 

requirement. FRA is limiting the first 20 

percent of the non-Federal match to 

cash contributions only. FRA will not 

accept ‘‘in-kind’’ contributions for the 

first 20 percent in matching funds. 

Eligible in-kind contributions may be 

accepted for any non-Federal matching 

beyond the first 20 percent. In-kind 

contributions, including the donation of 

services, materials, and equipment, may 

be credited as a project cost, in a 

uniform manner consistent with 2 CFR 

200.306. Moreover, FRA encourages 

applicants to broaden their funding 

table in applications. Non-federal shares 

consisting of funding from multiple 

sources (e.g., a state, county, railroad, 

and university contributing to a grade 

crossing improvement) to demonstrate 

broad participation and cost sharing 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
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5Only FD and Construction costs are eligible 

within this project eligibility category. Funding for 

PTC projects under 49 U.S.C. 24407(c)(1) are 

eligible under the CRISI PTC NOFO published on 

May 18, 2018, and such projects are not eligible for 

funding under this NOFO. 

4The scope, schedule, and budget necessary to 

implement a project, as well as the definition of the 

project’s potential benefits, are typically informed 

by the work conducted in prior phases of project 

development (e.g., the specific elements of an FD/ 

Construction project and their cost estimates are 

developed and refined through PE.) The evaluation 

criteria for the CRISI program (see Section E of this 

NOFO) considers the level of detail contained in the 

applicant’s proposed scope of work and readiness 

for the project to be implemented. 

from affected stakeholders, will be given 

preference. 

Amtrak or another Rail Carrier may 

use ticket and other non-Federal 

revenues generated from its operations 

and other sources as matching funds. 

Applicants must identify the source(s) 

of its matching and other funds, and 

must clearly and distinctly reflect these 

funds as part of the total project cost. 

Before applying, applicants should 

carefully review the principles for cost 

sharing or matching in 2 CFR 200.306. 

See Section D(2)(a)(iii) for required 

application information on non-Federal 

match and Section E for further 

discussion of FRA’s consideration of 

matching funds in the review and 

selection process. FRA will approve preaward costs consistent with 2 CFR 

200.458, as applicable. See Section D(6). 

3. Other 

a. Project Eligibility 

The following rail projects within the 

United States that improve the safety, 

efficiency, and/or reliability of 

passenger and/or freight rail 

transportation systems are eligible for 

funding under 49 U.S.C. 24407 and this 

NOFO. 

i. Under 49 U.S.C. 24407(c)(1) 

deployment of non-PTC railroad safety 

technology and rail integrity inspection 

systems. Examples include: Broken rail 

detection and warning systems; track 

intrusion systems; and hot box 

detectors, wheel impact load detectors, 

and other safety improvements.5

ii. A capital project as defined in 49 

U.S.C. 24401(2) relating to Intercity 

Passenger Rail Service, except that such 

projects under this NOFO are not 

required to be in a State rail plan. 

Examples include: Acquisition, 

improvement, or rehabilitation of 

railroad equipment (locomotives and 

rolling stock); Railroad Infrastructure 

(grade crossings, catenary, and signals); 

and rail facilities (yards, passenger 

stations, or maintenance and repair 

shops). 

iii. A Capital Project necessary to 

address congestion challenges affecting 

rail service. Examples include: Projects 

addressing congestion that increase rail 

capacity; add or upgrade the condition, 

clearances, and capacity of rail 

mainlines; enhance capacity and service 

with less conflict between freight and 

intercity passenger rail; reduce delays 

and risks associated with highway-rail 

grade crossings; and provide more 

effective rail equipment. 

iv. A Capital Project necessary to 

reduce congestion and facilitate 

ridership growth in Intercity Passenger 

Rail Transportation along heavily 

traveled rail corridors. Examples 

include: Projects addressing congestion 

that improve stations; increase rail 

capacity; reduce conflict between freight 

and intercity passenger rail; reduce 

delays and risks associated with 

highway-rail grade crossings; and 

provide more effective rail equipment. 

v. A highway-rail grade crossing 

improvement project, including 

installation, repair, or improvement of 

grade separations, railroad crossing 

signals, gates, and related technologies; 

highway traffic signalization; highway 

lighting and crossing approach signage; 

roadway improvements such as medians 

or other barriers; railroad crossing 

panels and surfaces; and safety 

engineering improvements to reduce 

risk in quiet zones or potential quiet 

zones. 

vi. A rail line Relocation and 

Improvement project. Examples include 

projects that: Improve the route or 

structure of a rail line by replacing 

degraded track; enhance/relocate 

railroad switching operations; add or 

lengthen passing tracks to increase 

capacity; improve interlockings; and 

relocate rail lines to alleviate 

congestion, and eliminate frequent rail 

service interruptions. 

vii. A Capital Project to improve 

short-line or regional Railroad 

Infrastructure. 

viii. The preparation of regional rail 

and corridor service development plans 

and corresponding environmental 

analyses. (See the examples under Track 

1 and 2 below in Subsections C(3)(b)(i)– 

(ii) as they apply to regional and 

corridor rail Planning.) 

ix. A project necessary to enhance 

multimodal connections or facilitate 

service integration between rail service 

and other modes, including between 

Intercity Rail Passenger Transportation 

and intercity bus service or commercial 

air service. Examples include: 

Intermodal transportation facilities 

projects that encourage joint scheduling, 

ticketing, and/or baggage handling; 

freight rail intermodal connections; and 

rail projects improving access to ports. 

x. The development and 

implementation of a safety program or 

institute designed to improve rail safety. 

Examples include: Employee training; 

and public safety outreach and 

education. 

xi. Any research that the Secretary 

considers necessary to advance any 

particular aspect of rail related capital, 

operations, or safety improvements. 

xii. Workforce development and 

training activities, coordinated to the 

extent practicable with the existing local 

training programs supported by the 

Department of Transportation, the 

Department of Labor, and the 

Department of Education. 

b. Project Tracks for Eligible Projects 

Applicants are not limited in the 

number of projects for which they seek 

funding. FRA will not limit eligible 

projects from consideration for funding 

for planning, environmental, 

engineering, design, and construction 

elements of the same project in the same 

application. Applicants are allowed to 

include multiple phases of a project in 

the same application. However, 

depending on the project, applications 

for multiple phases of project 

development may not contain sufficient 

detail with regards to scope, schedule, 

or budget for all phases of the 

application to compete well in the 

application review process.4

An applicant must identify one or 

more of the following four tracks for an 

eligible project: Track 1—Planning; 

Track 2—PE/NEPA; Track 3—FD/ 

Construction; or Track 4—Research, 

Safety Programs and Institutes. 

i. Track 1—Planning 

Track 1 consists of eligible rail 

Planning projects. Examples include the 

technical analyses and associated 

environmental analyses that support the 

development of state rail plans, regional 

rail plans, and corridor service 

development plans, including: 

Identification of alternatives, rail 

network Planning, market analysis, 

travel demand forecasting, revenue 

forecasting, railroad system design, 

railroad operations analysis and 

simulation, equipment fleet Planning, 

station and access analysis, conceptual 

engineering and capital programming, 

operating and maintenance cost 

forecasting, capital replacement and 

renewal analysis, railroad industry 

governance and organization, and 

economic analysis. 

ii. Track 2—PE/NEPA 

Track 2 consists of eligible PE/NEPA 

projects. PE examples include: PE 

drawings and specifications (scale 


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drawings at the 30% design level, 

including track geometry as 

appropriate); design criteria, schematics 

and/or track charts that support the 

development of PE; and work that can 

be funded in conjunction with 

developing PE, such as operations 

modeling, surveying, project work/ 

management plans, preliminary cost 

estimates, and preliminary project 

schedules. NEPA examples include 

analysis and documentation related to a 

Tier 2 NEPA EIS, EA or CE. PE/NEPA 

projects funded under this NOFO must 

result in sufficiently developed 

product(s) to support FD or 

Construction activities. 

iii. Track 3—FD/Construction 

Track 3 consists of eligible projects 

consisting of FD, Construction, and 

project implementation and deployment 

activities. Applicants must complete all 

necessary Planning, PE and NEPA 

requirements for FD/Construction 

projects. FD funded under this track 

must: Resolve remaining uncertainties 

or risks associated with changes to 

design scope; address procurement 

processes; and update and refine plans 

for financing the project or program to 

reflect accurately the expected year-ofexpenditure costs and cash flow 

projections. Applicants selected for 

funding for FD/Construction must 

demonstrate the following to FRA’s 

satisfaction: 

(A) PE is completed for the proposed 

project, resulting in project designs that 

are reasonably expected to conform to 

all regulatory, safety, security, and other 

design requirements, including those 

under the Americans with Disabilities 

Act (ADA); 

(B) NEPA is completed for the 

proposed project; 

(C) Signed agreements with key 

project partners, including 

infrastructure-owning entities; and 

(D) A project management plan is inplace for managing the implementation 

of the proposed project, including the 

management and mitigation of project 

risks. 

FD examples include: Drawings at the 

100% Design Level, interim design 

drawings that support development 

(e.g., drawings at the 60% Design Level), 

project work/project management plan, 

cost estimates, project schedules, and 

right-of-way acquisition and relocation 

plans. Construction examples include: 

Additions, improvements, 

replacements, renovations and/or 

repairs to track, bridge, station, rail 

yard, signal, and communication system 

infrastructure, or other railroad safety 

technology. 

iv. Track 4—Research, Safety 

Programs and Institutes (Non-Railroad 

Infrastructure) 

Track 4 consists of projects not falling 

within Tracks 1–3 and for the 

development and implementation of 

workforce development activities, 

research, safety programs or institutes 

designed to improve rail safety that 

clearly demonstrate the expected 

positive impact on rail safety. Sufficient 

detail must be provided on what the 

project will accomplish, as well as the 

applicant’s capability to achieve the 

proposed outcomes. Examples include: 

Initiatives for improving rail safety, 

training, public outreach, and 

education. 

c. Project Component Operational 

Independence 

If an applicant requests funding for a 

project that is a component or set of 

components of a larger project, the 

project component(s) must be attainable 

with the award amount, together with 

other funds as necessary, obtain 

operational independence, and must 

comply with all eligibility requirements 

described in Section C. 

In addition, the component(s) must be 

capable of independent analysis and 

decision making, as determined by FRA, 

under NEPA (i.e., have independent 

utility, connect logical termini, if 

applicable, and not restrict the 

consideration of alternatives for other 

reasonably foreseeable rail projects.) 

d. Rural Project 

FRA will consider a project to be in 

a Rural Area if all or the majority of the 

project (determined by geographic 

location(s) where the majority of the 

project funds will be spent) is located in 

a Rural Area. However, in the event 

FRA elects to fund a component of the 

project, then FRA will reexamine 

whether the project is in a Rural Area. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

Required documents for the 

application are outlined in the following 

paragraphs. Applicants must complete 

and submit all components of the 

application. See Section D(2) for the 

application checklist. FRA welcomes 

the submission of additional relevant 

supporting documentation, such as 

planning, engineering and design 

documentation, and letters of support 

from partnering organizations that will 

not count against the Project Narrative 

25-page limit. 

1. Address To Request Application 

Package 

Applicants must submit all 

application materials in their entirety 

through www.Grants.gov no later than 

5:00 p.m. EDT, on September 17, 2018. 

FRA reserves the right to modify this 

deadline. General information for 

submitting applications through 

Grants.gov can be found at: https://

www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0270. 

For any supporting application 

materials that an applicant cannot 

submit via Grants.gov, such as oversized 

engineering drawings, an applicant may 

submit an original and two (2) copies to 

Ms. Amy Houser, Office of Program 

Delivery, Federal Railroad 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Room W36–412, 

Washington, DC 20590. However, due to 

delays caused by enhanced screening of 

mail delivered via the U.S. Postal 

Service, FRA advises applicants to use 

other means of conveyance (such as 

courier service) to assure timely receipt 

of materials before the application 

deadline. Additionally, if documents 

can be obtained online, providing 

instructions to FRA on how to access 

files on a referenced website may also 

be sufficient. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

FRA strongly advises applicants to 

read this section carefully. Applicants 

must submit all required information 

and components of the application 

package to be considered for funding. 

Additionally, applicants selected to 

receive funding must generally satisfy 

the grant readiness checklist 

requirements on https://

www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0268 as a 

precondition to FRA issuing a grant 

award, as well as the requirements in 49 

U.S.C. 24405 explained in part at 

https://www.fra.dot.gov/page/P0185. 

Required documents for an 

application package are outlined in the 

checklist below. 

i. Project Narrative (see D.2.a) 

ii. Statement of Work (see D.2.b.i) 

iii. Benefit-Cost Analysis (see D.2. 

b.ii) 

iv. SF424—Application for Federal 

Assistance 

v. Either: SF 424A—Budget 

Information for Non-Construction 

projects (required for Tracks 1, 2 and 4) 

or SF 424C—Budget Information for 

Construction (required for any 

application that includes Track 3) 

vi. Either: SF 424B—Assurances for 

Non-Construction projects (required for 

Tracks 1, 2 and 4) or SF 424D— 

Assurances for Construction (required 


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for any application that includes Track 

3) 

vii. FRA’s Additional Assurances and 

Certifications 

viii. SF LLL—Disclosure of Lobbying 

Activities 

a. Project Narrative 

This section describes the minimum 

content required in the Project Narrative 

of the grant application. The Project 

Narrative must follow the basic outline 

below to address the program 

requirements and assist evaluators in 

locating relevant information. 

I. Cover Page ..................... See D.2.a.i. 

II. Project Summary ........... See D.2.a.ii. 

III. Project Funding ............ See D.2.a.iii. 

IV. Applicant Eligibility ....... See D.2.a.iv. 

V. Project Eligibility ............ See D.2.a.v. 

VI. Detailed Project Description.See D.2.a.vi. 

VII. Project Location .......... See D.2.a.vii. 

VIII. Evaluation and Selection Criteria.See D.2.a.viii. 

IX. Project Implementation 

and Management.

See D.2.a.ix. 

X. Planning Readiness ...... See D.2.a.x. 

XI. Environmental Readiness.See D.2.a.xi. 

The above content must be provided 

in a narrative statement submitted by 

the applicant. The Project Narrative may 

not exceed 25 pages in length 

(excluding cover pages, table of 

contents, and supporting 

documentation). FRA will not review or 

consider for award applications with 

Project Narratives exceeding the 25-page 

limitation. If possible, applicants should 

submit supporting documents via 

website links rather than hard copies. If 

supporting documents are submitted, 

applicants must clearly identify the 

page number(s) of the relevant portion 

in the Project Narrative supporting 

documentation. The Project Narrative 

must adhere to the following outline. 

i. Cover Page: Include a cover page 

that lists the following elements in a 

table: 

Project Title .......................................................................................................................................................

Applicant ...........................................................................................................................................................

Project Track ...................................................................................................................................................... 1,2,3 and/or 4. 

Will 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/no. 

If yes, state the name of the Federal grant program and title of the project in the previous application. Federal Grant Program:

Project Title: 

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

Is this a Rural Project? What percentage of the project cost is based in a Rural Area? ............................... Yes/no Percentage of total project 

cost: 

City(ies), State(s) where the project is located ................................................................................................

Urbanized Area where the project is located ..................................................................................................

Population of Urbanized Area ..........................................................................................................................

Is 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, please specify in 

which plans the project is currently programmed). 

ii. Project Summary: Provide a brief 

4–6 sentence summary of the proposed 

project and what the project will entail. 

Include challenges the proposed project 

aims to address, and summarize the 

intended outcomes and anticipated 

benefits that will result from the 

proposed project. 

iii. Project Funding: Indicate in table 

format the amount of Federal funding 

requested, the proposed non-Federal 

match, identifying contributions from 

the private sector if applicable, and total 

project cost. Describe the non-Federal 

funding arrangement, including 

multiple sources of non-federal funding 

if applicable. Include funding 

commitment letters outlining funding 

agreements, as attachments or in an 

appendix. Identify any specific project 

components that the applicant proposes 

for partial project funding. If all or a 

majority of a project is located in a Rural 

Area, identify the Rural Area(s) and 

estimated percentage of project costs 

that will be spent in the Rural Area. 

Identify any previously incurred costs, 

as well as other sources of Federal funds 

committed to the project and any 

pending Federal requests. Also, note if 

the requested Federal funding under 

this or other CRISI NOFOs or other 

programs must be obligated or spent by 

a certain date due to dependencies or 

relationships with other Federal or nonFederal funding sources, related 

projects, law, or other factors. If 

applicable, provide the type and 

estimated value of any proposed in-kind 

contributions, and demonstrate how the 

in-kind contributions meet the 

requirements in 2 CFR 200.306. 


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iv. Applicant Eligibility: Explain how 

the applicant meets the applicant 

eligibility criteria outlined in Section C 

of this notice, including references to 

creation or enabling legislation for 

public agencies and publicly chartered 

authorities established by one or more 

States. If the applicant is eligible under 

49 U.S.C. 24407(b)(8) as a rail carrier or 

rail equipment manufacturer in 

partnership with at least one of the 

other eligible entities, the applicant 

should explain the partnership and each 

entity’s contribution to the partnership. 

v. Project Eligibility: Identify which 

project eligibility category the project is 

eligible under in Section C(3) of this 

notice, and explain how the project 

meets the project eligibility criteria. 

vi. Detailed Project Description: 

Include a detailed project description 

that expands upon the brief project 

summary. This detailed description 

should provide, at a minimum, 

background on the challenges the 

project aims to address; the expected 

users and beneficiaries of the project, 

including all railroad operators; the 

specific components and elements of 

the project; and any other information 

the applicant deems necessary to justify 

the proposed project. If applicable, 

explain how the project will benefit 

communities in Rural Areas. 

For all projects, applicants must 

provide information about proposed 

performance measures, as discussed in 

Section F(3)(c) and required in 2 CFR 

200.301 and 49 U.S.C. 24407(f). 

(A) Grade crossing information, if 

applicable: For any project that includes 

grade crossing components, cite specific 

DOT National Grade Crossing Inventory 

information, including the railroad that 

owns the infrastructure (or the crossing 

owner, if different from the railroad), 

the primary railroad operator, the DOT 

crossing inventory number, and the 

roadway at the crossing. Applicants can 

search for data to meet this requirement 

at the following link: http://

safetydata.fra.dot.gov/OfficeofSafety/ 

default.aspx. 

(B) Heavily traveled rail corridor 

information, if applicable: For any 

project eligible under the eligibility 

category in Subsection C(3)(a)(iv), that 

reduces congestion and facilitates 

ridership growth in Intercity Passenger 

Rail Transportation, describe how the 

project is located on a heavily traveled 

rail corridor. 

(C) PTC information, if applicable: 

For any project that includes deploying 

PTC systems, applicants must: 

1. Document submission of a revised 

Positive Train Control Implementation 

Plan (PTCIP) to FRA as required by 49 

U.S.C. 20157(a); 

2. Document that it is a tenant on one 

or more host railroads that submitted a 

revised PTCIP to FRA as required by 49 

U.S.C. 20157(a), which states the tenant 

railroad is equipping its rolling stock 

with a PTC system and provides all 

other information required under 49 

CFR 236.1011 regarding the tenant 

railroad; or 

3. Document why the applicant is not 

required to submit a revised PTCIP as 

required by 49 U.S.C. 20157(a), and 

whether the proposed project will assist 

in the deployment (i.e., installation and/ 

or full implementation) of a PTC system 

required under 49 U.S.C. 20157. 

vii. Project Location: Include 

geospatial data for the project, as well as 

a map of the project’s location. On the 

map, include the Rural Area boundaries, 

if applicable, in which the project will 

take place. 

viii. Evaluation and Selection Criteria: 

Include a thorough discussion of how 

the proposed project meets all the 

evaluation criteria and selection criteria, 

as outlined in Section E of this notice. 

If an application does not sufficiently 

address the evaluation and selection 


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criteria, it is unlikely to be a competitive 

application. For the life-cycle cost 

selection criteria, applicants should 

demonstrate a credible plan to maintain 

their asset without having to rely on 

federal funding including a description 

of the applicants’ approach to ensuring 

operations and maintenance will not be 

underfunded in future years. 

ix. Project Implementation and 

Management: Describe proposed project 

implementation and project 

management arrangements. Include 

descriptions of the expected 

arrangements for project contracting, 

contract oversight, change-order 

management, risk management, and 

conformance to Federal requirements 

for project progress reporting (see 

https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0274). 

Describe past experience in managing 

and overseeing similar projects. 

x. Planning Readiness for Tracks 2 

and 3 (PE/NEPA and FD/Construction 

Projects: Provide information about the 

planning process that analyzed the 

investment needs and service objectives 

of the project. If applicable, cite sources 

of this information from a Service 

Development Plan, State or regional rail 

plan, or similar planning document 

where the project has been identified for 

solving a specific existing transportation 

problem, and makes the case for 

investing in the proposed solution. 

xi. Environmental Readiness for Track 

3 FD/Construction Projects: If the NEPA 

process is complete, an applicant 

should indicate the date of completion, 

and provide a website link or other 

reference to the documents 

demonstrating compliance with NEPA, 

which might include a final CE, Finding 

of No Significant Impact, or Record of 

Decision. If the NEPA process is not yet 

underway or is underway, but is not 

complete, the application should detail 

the type of NEPA review underway, 

where the project is in the process, and 

indicate the anticipated date of 

completion of all NEPA and related 

milestones. If the last agency action 

with respect to NEPA documents 

occurred more than three years before 

the application date, the applicant 

should describe why the project has 

been delayed and include a proposed 

approach for verifying, and if necessary, 

updating this information in accordance 

with applicable NEPA requirements. 

Additional information regarding FRA’s 

environmental processes and 

requirements are located at https://

www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L05286. 

b. Additional Application Elements 

Applicants must submit: 

i. A Statement of Work (SOW) 

addressing the scope, schedule, and 

budget for the proposed project if it 

were selected for award. The SOW must 

contain sufficient detail so FRA, and the 

applicant, can understand the expected 

outcomes of the proposed work to be 

performed and monitor progress toward 

completing project tasks and 

deliverables during a prospective grant’s 

period of performance. Applicants must 

use FRA’s standard SOW template to be 

considered for award. The SOW 

template is located at https://

www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L18661. 

When preparing the budget as part of 

the SOW, the total cost of a project must 

be based on the best available 

information as indicated in cited 

references that include engineering 

studies, studies of economic feasibility, 

environmental analyses, and 

information on the expected use of 

equipment or facilities. 

ii. A Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA), as 

an appendix to the Project Narrative for 

each project submitted by an applicant. 

The BCA must demonstrate in economic 

terms the merits of investing in the 

proposed project. The BCA for Track 

2—PE/NEPA projects should be for the 

underlying project, not the PE/NEPA 

work itself. The project narrative should 

summarize the project’s benefits. 

Benefits may apply to existing and 

new rail users, as well as users of other 

modes of transportation. In some cases, 

benefits may be applied to populations 

in the general vicinity of the project 

area. Improvements to multimodal 

connections and shared-use rail 

corridors may benefit all users involved. 

Benefits may be quantified for savings 

in safety costs, reduced costs from 

disruption of service, maintenance 

costs, reduced travel time, emissions 

reductions, and increases in capacity or 

ability to offer new types of freight or 

passenger services. Applicants may also 

describe other categories of benefits that 

are difficult to quantify such as noise 

reduction, environmental impact 

mitigation, improved quality of life, or 

reliability of travel times. All benefits 

claimed for the project must be clearly 

tied to the expected outcomes of the 

project. Please refer to the Benefit-Cost 

Analysis Guidance for Discretionary 

Grant Programs prior to preparing a 

BCA at https://www.transportation.gov/ 

office-policy/transportation-policy/ 

benefit-cost-analysis-guidance. In 

addition, please also refer to the BCA 

FAQs on FRA’s website for some rail 

specific examples of how to apply the 

BCA Guidance for Discretionary Grant 

Programs to CRISI applications. 

iii. For Tracks 1 and 4—Applicants 

are required to document project 

benefits. Any subjective estimates of 

benefits and costs should be quantified 

whenever possible, and applicants 

should provide appropriate evidence to 

support their subjective estimates. 

Estimates of benefits should be 

presented in monetary terms whenever 

possible; if a monetary estimate is not 

possible, then a quantitative estimate (in 

physical, non-monetary terms, such as 

crash or employee casualty rates, 

ridership estimates, emissions levels, 

energy efficiency improvements, etc.) 

should be provided. At a minimum, 

qualitatively describe the project 

benefits. 

iv. SF 424—Application for Federal 

Assistance; 

v. SF 424A—Budget Information for 

Non-Construction or SF 424C—Budget 

Information for Construction; 

vi. SF 424B—Assurances for NonConstruction or SF 424D—Assurances 

for Construction; 

vii. FRA’s Additional Assurances and 

Certifications; and 

viii. SF LLL—Disclosure of Lobbying 

Activities. 

Forms needed for the electronic 

application process are at 

www.Grants.gov. 

c. Post-Selection Requirements 

See subsection F(2) of this notice for 

post-selection requirements. 

3. Unique Entity Identifier, System for 

Award Management (SAM), and 

Submission Instructions 

To apply for funding through 

Grants.gov, applicants must be properly 

registered. Complete instructions on 

how to register and submit an 

application can be found at 

www.Grants.gov. Registering with 

Grants.gov is a one-time process; 

however, it can take up to several weeks 

for first-time registrants to receive 

confirmation and a user password. FRA 

recommends that applicants start the 

registration process as early as possible 

to prevent delays that may preclude 

submitting an application package by 

the application deadline. Applications 

will not be accepted after the due date. 

Delayed registration is not an acceptable 

justification for an application 

extension. 

FRA may not make a grant award to 

an applicant until the applicant has 

complied with all applicable Data 

Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 

and SAM requirements. (Please note 

that if a Dun & Bradstreet DUNS number 

must be obtained or renewed, this may 

take a significant amount of time to 

complete.) Late applications that are the 

result of a failure to register or comply 

with Grants.gov applicant requirements 

in a timely manner will not be 

considered. If an applicant has not fully 


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complied with the requirements by the 

submission deadline, the application 

will not be considered. To submit an 

application through Grants.gov, 

applicants must: 

a. Obtain a DUNS Number 

A DUNS number is required for 

Grants.gov registration. The Office of 

Management and Budget requires that 

all businesses and nonprofit applicants 

for Federal funds include a DUNS 

number in their applications for a new 

award or renewal of an existing award. 

A DUNS number is a unique nine-digit 

sequence recognized as the universal 

standard for the government in 

identifying and keeping track of entities 

receiving Federal funds. The identifier 

is used for tracking purposes and to 

validate address and point of contact 

information for Federal assistance 

applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. The DUNS number will be 

used throughout the grant life cycle. 

Obtaining a DUNS number is a free, 

one-time activity. Applicants may 

obtain a DUNS number by calling 1– 

866–705–5711 or by applying online at 

http://www.dnb.com/us. 

b. Register With the SAM at 

www.SAM.Gov 

All applicants for Federal financial 

assistance must maintain current 

registrations in the SAM database. An 

applicant must be registered in SAM to 

successfully register in Grants.gov. The 

SAM database is the repository for 

standard information about Federal 

financial assistance applicants, 

recipients, and sub recipients. 

Organizations that have previously 

submitted applications via Grants.gov 

are already registered with SAM, as it is 

a requirement for Grants.gov 

registration. Please note, however, that 

applicants must update or renew their 

SAM registration at least once per year 

to maintain an active status. Therefore, 

it is critical to check registration status 

well in advance of the application 

deadline. If an applicant is selected for 

an award, the applicant must maintain 

an active SAM registration with current 

information throughout the period of 

the award. Information about SAM 

registration procedures is available at 

www.sam.gov. 

c. Create a Grants.Gov Username and 

Password 

Applicants must complete an 

Authorized Organization Representative 

(AOR) profile on www.Grants.gov and 

create a username and password. 

Applicants must use the organization’s 

DUNS number to complete this step. 

Additional information about the 

registration process is available at: 

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/ 

applicants/organizationregistration.html. 

d. Acquire Authorization for your AOR 

From the E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) 

The E-Biz POC at the applicant’s 

organization must respond to the 

registration email from Grants.gov and 

login at www.Grants.gov to authorize the 

applicant as the AOR. Please note there 

can be more than one AOR for an 

organization. 

e. Submit an Application Addressing 

All Requirements Outlined in This 

NOFO 

If an applicant experiences difficulties 

at any point during this process, please 

call the Grants.gov Customer Center 

Hotline at 1–800–518–4726, 24 hours a 

day, 7 days a week (closed on Federal 

holidays). For information and 

instructions on each of these processes, 

please see instructions at: http://

www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/ 

apply-for-grants.html. 

Note: Please use generally accepted formats 

such as .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx and .ppt, 

when uploading attachments. While 

applicants may embed picture files, such as 

.jpg, .gif, and .bmp, in document files, 

applicants should not submit attachments in 

these formats. Additionally, the following 

formats will not be accepted: .com, .bat, .exe, 

.vbs, .cfg, .dat, .db, .dbf, .dll, .ini, .log, .ora, 

.sys, and .zip. 

4. Submission Dates and Times 

Applicants must submit complete 

applications to www.Grants.gov no later 

than 5:00 p.m.. EDT, September 17, 

2018. FRA reviews www.Grants.gov 

information on dates/times of 

applications submitted to determine 

timeliness of submissions. Late 

applications will be neither reviewed 

nor considered. Delayed registration is 

not an acceptable reason for late 

submission. In order to apply for 

funding under this announcement, all 

applicants are expected to be registered 

as an organization with Grants.gov. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

apply early to ensure all materials are 

received before this deadline. 

To ensure a fair competition of 

limited discretionary funds, the 

following conditions are not valid 

reasons to permit late submissions: (1) 

Failure to complete the Grants.gov 

registration process before the deadline; 

(2) failure to follow Grants.gov 

instructions on how to register and 

apply as posted on its website; (3) 

failure to follow all instructions in this 

NOFO; and (4) technical issues 

experienced with the applicant’s 

computer or information technology 

environment. 

5. Intergovernmental Review 

Executive Order 12372 requires 

applicants from State and local units of 

government or other organizations 

providing services within a State to 

submit a copy of the application to the 

State Single Point of Contact (SPOC), if 

one exists, and if this program has been 

selected for review by the State. 

Applicants must contact their State 

SPOC to determine if the program has 

been selected for State review. 

6. Funding Restrictions 

FRA is prohibited under 49 U.S.C. 

24405(f) from providing CRISI grants for 

commuter rail passenger transportation 

(as defined in 49 U.S.C. 24102(3)) FRA’s 

interpretation of this restriction is 

informed by the language in 49 U.S.C. 

24407. FRA’s primary intent in funding 

passenger rail projects is to make 

reasonable investments in intercity 

passenger rail transportation. Such 

projects may be located on shared 

corridors where Commuter Rail 

Passenger Transportation and/or freight 

rail also benefit from the project. 

Consistent with 2 CFR 200.458, as 

applicable, FRA will only approve preaward costs if such costs are incurred 

pursuant to the negotiation and in 

anticipation of the grant agreement and 

if such costs are necessary for efficient 

and timely performance of the scope of 

work. Under 2 CFR 200.458, grant 

recipients must seek written approval 

from the administering agency for preaward activities to be eligible for 

reimbursement under the grant. 

Activities initiated prior to the 

execution of a grant or without written 

approval may not be eligible for 

reimbursement or included as a 

grantee’s matching contribution. 

7. Other Submission Requirements 

If an applicant experiences difficulties 

at any point during this process, please 

call the Grants.gov Customer Center 

Hotline at 1–800–518–4726, 24 hours a 

day, 7 days a week (closed on Federal 

holidays). For information and 

instructions on each of these processes, 

please see instructions at: http://

www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/ 

apply-for-grants.html. 

E. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria 

a. Eligibility and Completeness Review 

FRA will first screen each application 

for applicant and project eligibility 

(eligibility requirements are outlined in 


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7FRA will not preclude projects for the initiation 

or restoration of Intercity Passenger Rail Service 

under 49 U.S.C. 24407(c)(2) from consideration for 

funding due to a lack of agreement among the 

funding recipients, operator, and host railroad 

regarding access to and use of the host railroad 

facilities, if an agreement or order for the use of 

such facilities may occur under 49 U.S.C. 24308. 

Section C of this notice), completeness 

(application documentation and 

submission requirements are outlined in 

Section D of this notice), and the 20 

percent minimum match in determining 

whether the application is eligible. 

FRA will then consider the 

applicant’s past performance in 

developing and delivering similar 

projects and previous financial 

contributions, and previous competitive 

grant technical evaluation ratings that 

the proposed project received under 

previous competitive grant programs 

administered by the DOT if applicable. 

b. Evaluation Criteria 

FRA subject-matter experts will 

evaluate all eligible and complete 

applications using the evaluation 

criteria outlined in this section to 

determine project benefits and technical 

merit. 

i. Project Benefits: 

FRA will evaluate the Benefit-Cost 

Analysis of the proposed project for the 

anticipated private and public benefits 

relative to the costs of the proposed 

project and the summary of benefits 

provided in response to subsection 

D(2)(a)(ii) including— 

(A) Effects on system and service 

performance; 

(B) Effects on safety, competitiveness, 

reliability, trip or transit time, and 

resilience; 

(C) Efficiencies from improved 

integration with other modes; and 

(D) Ability to meet existing or 

anticipated demand. 

ii. Technical Merit: 

FRA will evaluate application 

information for the degree to which— 

(A) The tasks and subtasks outlined in 

the SOW are appropriate to achieve the 

expected outcomes of the proposed 

project. 

(B) Applications indicate strong 

project readiness and meet requirements 

under the project track(s) designated by 

the applicant. 

(C) The technical qualifications and 

experience of key personnel proposed to 

lead and perform the technical efforts, 

and the qualifications of the primary 

and supporting organizations to fully 

and successfully execute the proposed 

project within the proposed timeframe 

and budget are demonstrated. 

(D) The proposed project’s business 

plan considers potential private sector 

participation in the financing, 

construction, or operation of the 

proposed project. 

(E) The applicant has, or will have the 

legal, financial, and technical capacity 

to carry out the proposed project; 

satisfactory continuing control over the 

use of the equipment or facilities; and 

the capability and willingness to 

maintain the equipment or facilities.7

(F) The proposed project is consistent 

with planning guidance and documents 

set forth by DOT, including those 

required by law or State rail plans 

developed under Title 49, United State 

Code, Chapter 227. 

c. Selection Criteria 

In addition to the eligibility and 

completeness review and the evaluation 

criteria outlined in this subsection, the 

FRA Administrator will select projects 

applying the following selection criteria: 

i. The Administrator will give 

preference to projects for which the: 

(A) Proposed Federal share of total 

project costs is 50 percent or less; 

(B) Proposed non-Federal share is 

comprised of more than one source, 

including private sources, 

demonstrating broad participation by 

affected stakeholders; 

and 

(C) Net benefits of the grant funds will 

be maximized considering the BenefitCost Analysis, including anticipated 

private and public benefits relative to 

the costs of the proposed project, and 

factoring in the other considerations in 

49 U.S.C. 24407(e). 

ii. After applying the above 

preferences, the FRA Administrator will 

take into account the following key 

Departmental objectives: 

(A) Supporting economic vitality at 

the national and regional level; 

(B) Leveraging Federal funding to 

attract other, non-Federal sources of 

infrastructure investment; 

(C) Preparing for future operations 

and maintenance costs associated with 

their project’s life-cycle, as 

demonstrated by a credible plan to 

maintain assets without having to rely 

on future federal funding. 

(D) Using innovative approaches to 

improve safety and expedite project 

delivery; and, 

(E) Holding grant recipients 

accountable for their performance and 

achieving specific, measurable 

outcomes identified by grant applicants. 

2. Review and Selection Process 

FRA will conduct a three-part 

application review process, as follows: 

a. Screen applications for 

completeness and eligibility; 

b. Evaluate eligible applications 

(completed by technical panels applying 

the evaluation criteria); and 

c. Select projects for funding 

(completed by the FRA Administrator 

applying the selection criteria). 

3. Reporting Matters Related to Integrity 

and Performance 

Before making a Federal award with 

a total amount of Federal share greater 

than the simplified acquisition 

threshold of $150,000 (see 2 CFR 200.88 

Simplified Acquisition Threshold), FRA 

will review and consider any 

information about the applicant that is 

in the designated integrity and 

performance system accessible through 

SAM (currently the Federal Awardee 

Performance and Integrity Information 

System (FAPIIS)). See 41 U.S.C. 2313. 

An applicant, at its option, may 

review information in the designated 

integrity and performance systems 

accessible through SAM and comment 

on any information about itself that a 

Federal awarding agency previously 

entered and is currently in the 

designated integrity and performance 

system accessible through SAM. 

FRA will consider any comments by 

the applicant, in addition to the other 

information in the designated integrity 

and performance system, in making a 

judgment about the applicant’s integrity, 

business ethics, and record of 

performance under Federal awards 

when completing the review of risk 

posed by applicants as described in 2 

CFR 200.205. 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notice 

FRA will announce applications 

selected for funding in a press release 

and on the FRA website after the 

application review period. FRA will 

contact applicants with successful 

applications after announcement with 

information and instructions about the 

award process. This notification is not 

an authorization to begin proposed 

project activities. A formal cooperative 

agreement or grant agreement signed by 

both the grantee and the FRA, including 

an approved scope, schedule, and 

budget, is required to obligate the grant. 

For all projects, obligation occurs 

when a selected applicant and FRA 

enter a written project specific 

cooperative agreement or grant 

agreement and is after the applicant has 

satisfied applicable requirements. For 

Track 2 PE/NEPA projects, these 

requirements may include 

transportation planning. For Track 3 

FD/Construction projects, these 


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requirements may include 

transportation planning, PE and 

environmental reviews. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

Due to funding limitations, projects 

that are selected for funding may receive 

less than the amount originally 

requested. In those cases, applicants 

must be able to demonstrate the 

proposed projects are still viable and 

can be completed with the amount 

awarded. 

Grantees and entities receiving 

funding from the grantee, must comply 

with all applicable laws and regulations. 

Examples of administrative and national 

policy requirements include: 2 CFR part 

200; procurement standards; 

compliance with Federal civil rights 

laws and regulations; requirements for 

disadvantaged business enterprises, 

debarment and suspension 

requirements, and drug-free workplace 

requirements; FRA’s and OMB’s 

Assurances and Certifications; 

Americans with Disabilities Act; safety 

requirements; NEPA; environmental 

justice requirements; performance 

measures under 49 U.S.C. 24407(f); 49 

U.S.C. 24405, including the Buy 

America requirements and the provision 

deeming operators rail carriers for 

certain purposes. 

See an example of standard terms and 

conditions for FRA grant awards at 

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

14426. 

3. Reporting 

a. Progress Reporting on Grant Activity 

Each applicant selected for a grant 

will be required to comply with all 

standard FRA reporting requirements, 

including quarterly progress reports, 

quarterly Federal financial reports, and 

interim and final performance reports, 

as well as all applicable auditing, 

monitoring and close out requirements. 

Reports may be submitted 

electronically. 

b. Additional Reporting 

Applicants selected for funding are 

required to comply with all reporting 

requirements in the standard terms and 

conditions for FRA grant awards 

including 2 CFR 180.335 and 2 CFR 

180.350. See an example of standard 

terms and conditions for FRA grant 

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

Details/L19057. 

If the Federal share of any Federal 

award under this NOFO may include 

more than $500,000 over the period of 

performance, applicants are informed of 

the post award reporting requirements 

reflected in 2 CFR part 200, Appendix 

XII—Award Term and Condition for 

Recipient Integrity and Performance 

Matters. 

c. Performance Reporting 

Each applicant selected for funding 

must collect information and report on 

the project’s performance using 

measures mutually agreed upon by FRA 

and the grantee to assess progress in 

achieving strategic goals and objectives. 

Examples of some rail performance 

measures are listed in the table below. 

The applicable measure(s) will depend 

upon the type of project. Applicants 

requesting funding for the acquisition of 

rolling stock must integrate at least one 

equipment/rolling stock performance 

measure, consistent with the grantee’s 

application materials and program 

goals. 

Rail measures Unit measured Temporal Primary strategic 

goal 

Secondary strategic goal Description 

Slow Order Miles .. Miles ..................... Annual .................. State of Good Repair.Safety ................... The number of miles per year within 

the project area that have temporary speed restrictions (‘‘slow orders’’) imposed due to track condition. This is an indicator of the 

overall condition of track. This 

measure can be used for projects 

to rehabilitate sections of a rail line 

since the rehabilitation should eliminate, or at least reduce the slow orders upon project completion. 

Gross Ton ............. Gross Tons .......... Annual .................. Economic Competitiveness.State of Good Repair.The annual gross tonnage of freight 

shipped in the project area. Gross 

tons include freight cargo minus 

tare weight of the rail cars. This 

measure the volume of freight a 

railroad ships in a year. This measure can be useful for projects that 

are anticipated to increase freight 

shipments. 

Rail Track Grade 

Separation.

Count ................... Annual .................. Economic Competitiveness.Safety ................... The number of annual automobile 

crossings that are eliminated at an 

at-grade crossing as a result of a 

new grade separation. 

Passenger Counts Count ................... Annual .................. Economic Competitiveness.State of Good Repair.Count of the annual passenger 

boardings and alightings at stations 

within the project area. 

Travel Time .......... Time/Trip .............. Annual .................. Economic Competitiveness.Quality of Life ....... Point-to-point travel times between 

pre-determined station stops within 

the project area. This measure 

demonstrates how track improvements and other upgrades improve 

operations on a rail line. It also 

helps make sure the railroad is 

maintaining the line after project 

completion. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 139 / Thursday, July 19, 2018 / Notices 34295 

Rail measures Unit measured Temporal Primary strategic 

goal 

Secondary strategic goal Description 

Track weight capacity.Yes/No ................. One Time ............. State of Good Repair.Economic Competitiveness.If a project is upgrading a line to accommodate heavier rail cars (typically an increase from 263,000 lb. 

rail cars to 286,000 lb. rail cars.) 

Track Miles ........... Miles ..................... One Time ............. State of Good Repair.Economic Competitiveness.The number of track miles that exist 

within the project area. This measure can be beneficial for projects 

building sidings or sections of additional main line track on a railroad. 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

For further information regarding this 

notice and the grants program, please 

contact Ms. Amy Houser, Office of 

Program Delivery, Federal Railroad 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Room W36–412, 

Washington, DC 20590; email: 

amy.houser@dot.gov; phone: 202–493– 

0303, or Ms. Frances Bourne, Office of 

Policy and Planning, Federal Railroad 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Room W38–207, 

Washington, DC 20590; email: 

frances.bourne@dot.gov; phone: 202– 

493–6366. 

H. Other 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 the 

applicant considers 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 in Washington, DC, on July 11, 

2018. 

Ronald Louis Batory, 

Administrator, Federal Railroad 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2018–15412 Filed 7–18–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Maritime Administration 

[Docket No. MARAD–2018–0111] 

Requested Administrative Waiver of 

the Coastwise Trade Laws: Vessel 

ACQUA BLU; Invitation for Public 

Comments 

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Secretary of 

Transportation, as represented by the 

Maritime Administration (MARAD), is 

authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.- 

build requirement of the coastwise laws 

under certain circumstances. A request 

for such a waiver has been received by 

MARAD. The vessel, and a brief 

description of the proposed service, is 

listed below. 

DATES: Submit comments on or before 

August 20, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to 

docket number MARAD–2018–0111. 

Written comments may be submitted by 

hand or by mail to the Docket Clerk, 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 

Docket Operations, M–30, West 

Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 

Washington, DC 20590. You may also 

send comments electronically via the 

internet at http://www.regulations.gov. 

All comments will become part of this 

docket and will be available for 

inspection and copying at the above 

address between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 

p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

federal holidays. An electronic version 

of this document and all documents 

entered into this docket is available at 

http://www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Bianca Carr, U.S. Department of 

Transportation, Maritime 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Room W23–453, 

Washington, DC 20590. Telephone 202– 

366–9309, Email Bianca.carr@dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As 

described by the applicant the intended 

service of the vessel ACQUA BLU is: 

—Intended Commercial Use of Vessel: 

‘‘Day charter operations in Miami, 

Florida’’ 

—Geographic Region: ‘‘Florida’’ 

The complete application is given in 

DOT docket MARAD–2018–0111 at 

http://www.regulations.gov. Interested 

parties may comment on the effect this 

action may have on U.S. vessel builders 

or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.- 

flag vessels. If MARAD determines, in 

accordance with 46 U.S.C. 12121 and 

MARAD’s regulations at 46 CFR part 

388, that the issuance of the waiver will 

have an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.- 

vessel builder or a business that uses 

U.S.-flag vessels in that business, a 

waiver will not be granted. Comments 

should refer to the docket number of 

this notice and the vessel name in order 

for MARAD to properly consider the 

comments. Comments should also state 

the commenter’s interest in the waiver 

application, and address the waiver 

criteria given in section 388.4 of 

MARAD’s regulations at 46 CFR part 

388. 

Privacy Act 

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

DOT/MARAD solicits comments from 

the public to better inform its 

rulemaking process. DOT/MARAD posts 

these comments, without edit, to 

www.regulations.gov, as described in 

the system of records notice, DOT/ALL– 

14 FDMS, accessible through 

www.dot.gov/privacy. In order to 

facilitate comment tracking and 

response, we encourage commenters to 

provide their name, or the name of their 

organization; however, submission of 

names is completely optional. Whether 

or not commenters identify themselves, 

all timely comments will be fully 

considered. If you wish to provide 

comments containing proprietary or 

confidential information, please contact 

the agency for alternate submission 

instructions. 

(Authority: 49 CFR 1.93(a), 46 U.S.C. 55103, 

46 U.S.C. 12121) 

* * * * * 

Dated: July 16, 2018. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES