42426 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 172 / Thursday, September 7, 2017 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of the Secretary of 

Transportation 

Notice of Funding Opportunity for the 

Department of Transportation’s 

National Infrastructure Investments 

Under the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2017 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of 

Transportation, DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of funding opportunity. 

SUMMARY: The Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2017 (Pub. L. 115– 

31, May 5, 2017) (‘‘FY 2017 

Appropriations Act’’ or the ‘‘Act’’) 

appropriated $500 million to be 

awarded by the Department of 

Transportation (‘‘DOT’’ or the 

‘‘Department’’) for National 

Infrastructure Investments. This 

appropriation stems from the program 

funded and implemented pursuant to 

the American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the 

‘‘Recovery Act’’) known as the 

Transportation Investment Generating 

Economic Recovery, or ‘‘TIGER 

Discretionary Grants,’’ program. Because 

of the program’s similarity in structure 

and widespread name recognition, DOT 

will continue to refer to the program as 

‘‘TIGER Discretionary Grants.’’ Funds 

for the FY 2017 TIGER program (‘‘TIGER 

FY 2017’’) are to be awarded on a 

competitive basis for projects that will 

have a significant impact on the Nation, 

a metropolitan area, or a region. The 

purpose of this Final Notice is to solicit 

applications for TIGER Discretionary 

Grants. 

DATES: Applications must be submitted 

by 8:00 p.m. E.D.T. on October 16, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: Applications must be 

submitted through Grants.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information concerning this 

notice, please contact the TIGER 

Discretionary Grants program staff via 

email at TIGERGrants@dot.gov, or call 

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

available for individuals who are deaf or 

hard of hearing at 202–366–3993. In 

addition, DOT will regularly post 

answers to questions and requests for 

clarifications as well as information 

about webinars for further guidance on 

DOT’s Web site at 

www.transportation.gov/TIGER. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

notice is substantially similar to the 

final notice published for the TIGER 

Discretionary Grants program in the 

Federal Register on February 26, 2016 

(81 FR 9935) for fiscal year 2016 funds. 

The selection criteria remain 

fundamentally the same as previous 

rounds of TIGER Discretionary Grants, 

but the description of each criterion was 

updated. The FY 2017 TIGER program 

will give special consideration to 

projects which emphasize improved 

access to reliable, safe, and affordable 

transportation for communities in rural 

areas, such as projects that improve 

infrastructure condition, address public 

health and safety, promote regional 

connectivity, or facilitate economic 

growth or competitiveness. For this 

round of TIGER Discretionary Grants, 

the maximum grant award is $25 

million, and no more than $50 million 

can be awarded to a single State, as 

specified in the FY 2017 Appropriations 

Act. Each section of this notice contains 

information and instructions relevant to 

the application process for these TIGER 

Discretionary Grants, and all applicants 

should read this notice in its entirety so 

that they have the information they 

need to submit eligible and competitive 

applications. 

Table of Contents 

A. Program Description 

B. Federal Award Information 

C. Eligibility Information 

D. Application and Submission Information 

E. Application Review Information 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

H. Other Information 

A. Program Description 

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

2017 (Pub. L. 115–31, May 5, 2017) (‘‘FY 

2017 Appropriations Act’’ or the ‘‘Act’’) 

appropriated $500 million to be 

awarded by the Department of 

Transportation (‘‘DOT’’ or the 

‘‘Department’’) for National 

Infrastructure Investments. Since the 

TIGER Discretionary Grants program 

was first created, $5.1 billion has been 

awarded for capital investments in 

surface transportation infrastructure 

over eight rounds of competitive grants. 

Throughout the TIGER program, TIGER 

Discretionary Grants awards have 

supported projects that have a 

significant impact on the Nation, a 

metropolitan area, or a region. This 

includes, but is not limited to, capital 

projects in areas which repair bridges or 

improve infrastructure to a state of good 

repair; projects that implement safety 

improvements to reduce fatalities and 

serious injuries, including improving 

grade crossings or providing shorter or 

more direct access to critical health 

services; projects that connect 

communities and people to jobs, 

services, and education; and, projects 

that anchor economic revitalization and 

job growth in communities, and 

specifically those that help bring 

manufacturing and other jobs. The 

TIGER program also supports projects 

that demonstrate significant non-Federal 

contributions from State, local, and 

private sector funding sources. The 

Department recognizes the benefits of 

shared responsibility and accountability 

of infrastructure investment, as it 

facilitates increased rigor in decision 

making, provides evidence of support 

for the project, and leverages Federal 

investment. Over eight rounds, on 

average, projects attracted more than 3.6 

matching dollars for every TIGER grant 

dollar, representing the shared 

responsibility for funding infrastructure. 

Rural America is home to many of the 

nation’s most critical infrastructure 

assets, including 444,000 bridges, 2.98 

million miles of roadway, and 30,500 

miles of Interstate Highway. More than 

55 percent of all public roads are 

locally-owned rural roads. While only 

19 percent of the nation’s population 

lives in rural areas, 51 percent of all 

traffic fatalities occurred on rural roads 

(2014). In addition, public 

transportation serving rural areas has 

more than 160 million annual boardings 

(2015). 

B. Federal Award Information 

1. Amount Available 

The FY 2017 Appropriations Act 

appropriated $500 million to be 

awarded by DOT for the TIGER 

Discretionary Grants program. The FY 

2017 TIGER Discretionary Grants are for 

capital investments in surface 

transportation infrastructure and are to 

be awarded on a competitive basis for 

projects that will have a significant 

impact on the Nation, a metropolitan 

area, or a region. The FY 2017 

Appropriations Act also allows DOT to 

retain up to $20 million of the $500 

million for oversight and administration 

of grants and credit assistance made 

under the TIGER Discretionary Grants 

program. If this solicitation does not 

result in the award and obligation of all 

available funds, DOT may publish 

additional solicitations. 

The FY 2017 Appropriations Act 

allows up to 20 percent of available 

funds (or $100 million) to be used by 

the Department to pay the subsidy and 

administrative costs for a project 

receiving credit assistance under the 

Transportation Infrastructure Finance 

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

program, if that use of the FY 2017 

TIGER funds would further the 

purposes of the TIGER Discretionary 

Grants program. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 172 / Thursday, September 7, 2017 / Notices 42427 

1To meet match requirements, the minimum total 

project cost for a project located in an urban area 

must be $6.25 million. 

2Please note that the Department may use a 

TIGER Discretionary Grant to pay for the surface 

transportation components of a broader project that 

has non-surface transportation components, and 

applicants are encouraged to apply for TIGER 

Discretionary Grants to pay for the surface 

transportation components of these projects. 

3Updated lists of UAs as defined by the Census 

Bureau are available on the Census Bureau Web site 

at http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/ 

UAUC_RefMap/ua/. 

4See www.transportation.gov/TIGER for a list of 

UAs. 

2. Award Size 

The FY 2017 Appropriations Act 

specifies that TIGER Discretionary 

Grants may not be less than $5 million 

and not greater than $25 million, except 

that for projects located in rural areas 

(as defined in Section C.3.ii.) the 

minimum TIGER Discretionary Grant 

size is $1 million. 

3. Restrictions on Funding 

Pursuant to the FY 2017 

Appropriations Act, no more than 10 

percent of the funds made available for 

TIGER Discretionary Grants (or $50 

million) may be awarded to projects in 

a single State. The Act also directs that 

not less than 20 percent of the funds 

provided for TIGER Discretionary 

Grants (or $100 million) shall be used 

for projects located in rural areas. 

Further, DOT must take measures to 

ensure an equitable geographic 

distribution of grant funds, an 

appropriate balance in addressing the 

needs of urban and rural areas, and 

investment in a variety of transportation 

modes. 

4. Availability of Funds 

The FY 2017 Appropriations Act 

requires that FY 2017 TIGER funds are 

only available for obligation through 

September 30, 2020. Obligation occurs 

when a selected applicant and DOT 

enter into a written grant agreement and 

is generally after the applicant has 

satisfied applicable administrative 

requirements, including transportation 

planning and environmental review 

requirements. No FY 2017 TIGER funds 

may be expended (actually paid out) 

after September 30, 2025. As part of the 

review and selection process described 

in Section E.2., DOT will consider 

whether a project is ready to proceed 

with an obligation of grant funds from 

DOT within the statutory time provided. 

No waiver is possible for these 

deadlines. 

5. Previous TIGER Awards 

Recipients of prior TIGER 

Discretionary Grants may apply for 

funding to support additional phases of 

a project awarded funds in earlier 

rounds of this program. However, to be 

competitive, the applicant should 

demonstrate the extent to which the 

previously funded project phase has 

been able to meet estimated project 

schedules and budget, as well as the 

ability to realize the benefits expected 

for the project. 

C. Eligibility Information 

To be selected for a TIGER 

Discretionary Grant, an applicant must 

be an Eligible Applicant and the project 

must be an Eligible Project. 

1. Eligible Applicants 

Eligible Applicants for TIGER 

Discretionary Grants are State, local, 

and tribal governments, including U.S. 

territories, transit agencies, port 

authorities, metropolitan planning 

organizations (MPOs), and other 

political subdivisions of State or local 

governments. 

Multiple States or jurisdictions may 

submit a joint application and must 

identify a lead applicant as the primary 

point of contact, and also identify the 

primary recipient of the award. Each 

applicant in a joint application must be 

an Eligible Applicant. Joint applications 

must include a description of the roles 

and responsibilities of each applicant 

and must be signed by each applicant. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching 

This section describes the statutory 

cost share requirements for a TIGER 

award. Cost share will also be evaluated 

according to the evaluation criterion 

described in Section E.1.v. That section 

clarifies that the Department seeks 

applications for projects that exceed the 

minimum non-Federal cost share 

requirement described here. 

Per the FY 2017 Appropriations Act, 

TIGER Discretionary Grants may be 

used for up to 80 percent of a project 

located in an urban area 1 and up to 100 

percent of the costs of a project located 

in a rural area. Urban area and rural area 

are defined in Section C.3.ii of this 

notice. 

For a project located in an urban area, 

the Federal share of the costs for which 

an expenditure is made under a TIGER 

grant may not exceed 80 percent. NonFederal sources include State funds 

originating from programs funded by 

State revenue, local funds originating 

from State or local revenue-funded 

programs, or private funds. Toll credits 

under 23 U.S.C. 120(i) are considered a 

non-Federal source. Unless otherwise 

authorized by statute, local cost-share 

may not be counted as the non-Federal 

share for both the TIGER and another 

Federal grant program. The Department 

will not consider previously-incurred 

costs or previously-expended or 

encumbered funds towards the 

matching requirement for any project. 

Matching funds are subject to the same 

Federal requirements described in 

Section F.2. as awarded funds. Given 

the TIFIA statute, the Department may 

not be able to consider funds from 

TIFIA towards the matching 

requirement. While RRIF credit 

assistance will be counted towards 

match requirements, the Department 

will give greater preference to state, 

local, and private sources of matching 

funds. 

3. Other 

i. Eligible Projects 

Eligible projects for TIGER 

Discretionary Grants are capital projects 

that include, but are not limited to: (1) 

Highway, bridge, or other road projects 

eligible under title 23, United States 

Code; (2) public transportation projects 

eligible under chapter 53 of title 49, 

United States Code; (3) passenger and 

freight rail transportation projects; (4) 

port infrastructure investments 

(including inland port infrastructure 

and land ports of entry); and (5) 

intermodal projects. This description of 

eligible projects is identical to the 

description of eligible projects under 

earlier rounds of the TIGER 

Discretionary Grants program.2

Research, demonstration, or pilot 

projects are eligible only if they result 

in long-term, permanent surface 

transportation infrastructure that has 

independent utility as defined in 

Section C.3.iii. Applicants are strongly 

encouraged to submit applications only 

for eligible award amounts. 

ii. Rural/Urban Definition 

For purposes of this Notice, DOT 

defines ‘‘rural area’’ as an area outside 

an Urbanized Area 3 (UA) as designated 

by the U.S. Census Bureau. In this 

Notice, an ‘‘urban area’’ is defined as an 

area inside a UA as a designated by the 

U.S. Census Bureau.4

The Department will consider a 

project to be in a rural area if the 

majority of the project (determined by 

geographic location(s) where the 

majority of the money is to be spent) is 

located in a rural area. However, if a 

project consists of multiple components, 

as described under Section C.3.iii., then 

for each separate component the 

Department will determine whether that 

component is rural or urban. In some 

circumstances, this component-bycomponent determination may result in 

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TIGER awards that include urban and 

rural funds. Rural and urban definitions 

differ in some other DOT programs, 

including TIFIA and the Nationally 

Significant Freight and Highway 

Projects Program (§ 1105; 23 U.S.C. 117). 

This definition affects three aspects of 

the program. The FY 2017 

Appropriations Act directs that (1) not 

less than $100 million of the funds 

provided for TIGER Discretionary 

Grants are to be used for projects in 

rural areas; (2) for a project in a rural 

area the minimum award is $1 million; 

and (3) the Secretary may increase the 

Federal share above 80 percent to pay 

for the costs of a project in a rural area. 

iii. Project Components 

An application may describe a project 

that contains more than one component, 

and may describe components that may 

be carried out by parties other than the 

applicant. DOT may award funds for a 

component, instead of the larger project, 

if that component (1) independently 

meets minimum award amounts 

described in Section B and all eligibility 

requirements described in Section C; (2) 

independently aligns well with the 

selection criteria specified in Section E; 

and (3) meets National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) requirements with 

respect to independent utility. 

Independent utility means that the 

component will represent a 

transportation improvement that is 

usable and represents a reasonable 

expenditure of DOT funds even if no 

other improvements are made in the 

area, and will be ready for intended use 

upon completion of that component’s 

construction. All project components 

that are presented together in a single 

application must demonstrate a 

relationship or connection between 

them. (See Section D.2.v. for Required 

Approvals). 

Applicants should be aware that, 

depending upon the relationship 

between project components and 

applicable Federal law, DOT funding of 

only some project components may 

make other project components subject 

to Federal requirements as described in 

Section F.2. 

DOT strongly encourages applicants 

to identify in their applications the 

project components that have 

independent utility and separately 

detail costs and requested TIGER 

funding for those components. If the 

application identifies one or more 

independent project components, the 

application should clearly identify how 

each independent component addresses 

selection criteria and produces benefits 

on its own, in addition to describing 

how the full proposal of which the 

independent component is a part 

addresses selection criteria. 

iv. Application Limit 

Each lead applicant may submit no 

more than three applications. Unrelated 

project components should not be 

bundled in an application for the 

purpose of adhering to the limit. Please 

note that the three-application limit 

applies only to applications where the 

applicant is the lead applicant. There is 

no limit on the number of applications 

for which an applicant can be listed as 

a partnering agency. If a lead applicant 

submits more than three applications as 

the lead applicant, only the first three 

received will be considered. The FY 

2017 and 2018 Infrastructure for 

Rebuilding American (INFRA) Grants 

solicitation (82 FR 14042) and the 2017 

TIGER Discretionary Grant program 

have independent application limits. 

Applicants applying to both INFRA 

grants and the 2017 TIGER 

Discretionary Grants program may apply 

for funding for the same project under 

both programs (noted in each 

application), but must timely submit 

separate applications that 

independently address how the project 

satisfies applicable selection criteria for 

the relevant grant program. To the 

extent that an application for the same 

project submitted to both programs 

contains few or no changes to a benefitcost analysis or project readiness 

information, DOT may review and 

incorporate the previously completed 

analysis by Department staff into the 

application’s evaluation when 

considering the project for a FY 2017 

TIGER award. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address 

Applications must be submitted to 

Grants.gov. Instructions for submitting 

applications can be found at 

www.transportation.gov/TIGER along 

with specific instructions for the forms 

and attachments required for 

submission. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

The application must include the 

Standard Form 424 (Application for 

Federal Assistance), Standard Form 

424C (Budget Information for 

Construction Programs), cover page, and 

the Project Narrative. More detailed 

information about the cover pages and 

Project Narrative follows. Applicants 

should also complete and attach to their 

application the ‘‘TIGER 2017 Project 

Information’’ form available at 

www.transportation.gov/TIGER. 

The Department recommends that the 

project narrative follow the basic outline 

below to address the program 

requirements and assist evaluators in 

locating relevant information. 

I. Project Description ............. See D.2.a.i. 

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

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

IV. Grant Funds, Sources 

and Uses of all Project 

Funding.

See D.2.a.iv. 

V. Merit Criteria ..................... See D.2.a.v. 

VI. Project Readiness ........... See D.2.a.vii 

and E.1.c.ii. 

The project narrative should include 

the information necessary for the 

Department to determine that the 

project satisfies project requirements 

described in Sections B and C and to 

assess the selection criteria specified in 

Section E.1. To the extent practicable, 

applicants should provide supporting 

data and documentation in a form that 

is directly verifiable by the Department. 

The Department may ask any applicant 

to supplement data in its application, 

but expects applications to be complete 

upon submission. 

In addition to a detailed statement of 

work, detailed project schedule, and 

detailed project budget, the project 

narrative should include a table of 

contents, maps, and graphics, as 

appropriate to make the information 

easier to review. The Department 

recommends that the project narrative 

be prepared with standard formatting 

preferences (a single-spaced document, 

using a standard 12-point font such as 

Times New Roman, with 1-inch 

margins). The project narrative may not 

exceed 30 pages in length, excluding 

cover pages and table of contents. The 

only substantive portions that may 

exceed the 30-page limit are documents 

supporting assertions or conclusions 

made in the 30-page project narrative. If 

possible, Web site links to supporting 

documentation should be provided 

rather than copies of these supporting 

materials. If supporting documents are 

submitted, applicants should clearly 

identify within the project narrative the 

relevant portion of the project narrative 

that each supporting document 

supports. At the applicant’s discretion, 

relevant materials provided previously 

to an operating administration in 

support of a different DOT financial 

assistance program may be referenced 

and described as unchanged. The 

Department recommends using 

appropriately descriptive file names 

(e.g., ‘‘Project Narrative,’’ ‘‘Maps,’’ 

‘‘Memoranda of Understanding and 

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Letters of Support,’’ etc.) for all 

attachments. DOT recommends 

applications include the following 

sections: 

i. Project Description 

The first section of the application 

should provide a concise description of 

the project, the transportation 

challenges that it is intended to address, 

and how it will address those 

challenges. This section should discuss 

the project’s history, including a 

description of any previously completed 

components. The applicant may use this 

section to place the project into a 

broader context of other infrastructure 

investments being pursued by the 

project sponsor, and, if applicable, how 

it will benefit communities in rural 

areas. 

ii. Project Location 

This section of the application should 

describe the project location, including 

a detailed geographical description of 

the proposed project, a map of the 

project’s location and connections to 

existing transportation infrastructure, 

and geospatial data describing the 

project location. If the project is located 

within the boundary of a Censusdesignated UA, the application should 

identify the UA. 

iii. Grant Funds, Sources and Uses of 

Project Funds 

This section of the application should 

describe the project’s budget. This 

budget should not include any 

previously incurred expenses. At a 

minimum, it should include: 

(A) Project costs; 

(B) For all funds to be used for eligible 

project costs, the source and amount of 

those funds; 

(C) For non-Federal funds to be used 

for eligible project costs, documentation 

of funding commitments should be 

referenced here and included as an 

appendix to the application; 

(D) For Federal funds to be used for 

eligible project costs, the amount, 

nature, and source of any required nonFederal match for those funds; 

(E) A budget showing how each 

source of funds will be spent. The 

budget should show how each funding 

source will share in each major 

construction activity, and present that 

data in dollars and percentages. 

Funding sources should be grouped into 

three categories: Non-Federal; TIGER; 

and other Federal. If the project contains 

individual components, the budget 

should separate the costs of each project 

component. If the project will be 

completed in phases, the budget should 

separate the costs of each phase. The 

budget detail should sufficiently 

demonstrate that the project satisfies the 

statutory cost-sharing requirements 

described in Section C.2; 

In addition to the information 

enumerated above, this section should 

provide complete information on how 

all project funds may be used. For 

example, if a particular source of funds 

is available only after a condition is 

satisfied, the application should identify 

that condition and describe the 

applicant’s control over whether it is 

satisfied. Similarly, if a particular 

source of funds is available for 

expenditure only during a fixed time 

period, the application should describe 

that restriction. Complete information 

about project funds will ensure that the 

Department’s expectations for award 

execution align with any funding 

restrictions unrelated to the Department, 

even if an award differs from the 

applicant’s request. 

iv. Merit Criteria 

This section of the application should 

demonstrate how the project aligns with 

the Merit Criteria described in Section 

E.1 of this Notice. The Department 

encourages applicants to either address 

each criterion or expressly state that the 

project does not address the criterion. 

Applicants are not required to follow a 

specific format, but the outline 

suggested below, which addresses each 

criterion separately, promotes a clear 

discussion that assists project 

evaluators. To minimize redundant 

information in the application, the 

Department encourages applicants to 

cross-reference from this section of their 

application to relevant substantive 

information in other sections of the 

application. The guidance in this 

section is about how the applicant 

should organize their application. 

Guidance describing how the 

Department will evaluate projects 

against the Merit Criteria is in Section 

E.1 of this Notice. Applicants also 

should review that section before 

considering how to organize their 

application. 

(1) Primary Selection Criteria 

(a) Safety 

This section of the application should 

describe the anticipated outcomes of the 

project that support the Safety criterion 

(described in Section E.1.i. of this 

Notice). The applicant should include 

information on, and to the extent 

possible, quantify, how the project 

would improve safety outcomes within 

the project area or wider transportation 

network, to include how the project will 

reduce the number, rate, and 

consequences of transportation-related 

accidents, serious injuries, and fatalities 

among transportation users, or how the 

project will eliminate unsafe grade 

crossings or contribute to preventing 

unintended releases of hazardous 

materials. 

(b) State of Good Repair 

This section of the application should 

describe how the project will contribute 

to a state of good repair by improving 

the condition or resilience of existing 

transportation facilities and system 

(described in Section E.1.i. of this 

Notice), including the project’s current 

condition and how the proposed project 

will improve it, and any estimation of 

impacts on long-term cost structures or 

impacts on overall life-cycle costs. 

(c) Economic Competitiveness 

This section of the application should 

describe how the project will support 

the Economic Competitiveness criterion 

(described in Section E.1.i. of this 

Notice). The applicant should include 

information about expected impacts of 

the project on the movement of goods 

and people, including how the project 

increases the efficiency of movement 

and thereby reduces costs of doing 

business, reduces burdens of 

commuting, and improves overall wellbeing. The applicant should describe 

the extent to which the project 

contributes to the functioning and 

growth of the economy, including the 

extent to which the project addresses 

congestion, bridges service gaps in rural 

areas, or attracts private economic 

development. 

(d) Environmental Sustainability 

This section of the application should 

describe how the project addressed the 

environmental sustainability criterion. 

Applicants are encouraged to provide 

quantitative information, including 

baseline information that demonstrates 

how the project will reduce energy 

consumption, stormwater runoff, or 

achieve other benefits for the 

environment such as brownfield 

redevelopment. 

(e) Quality of Life 

This section should describe how the 

project increases transportation choices 

for individuals to provide more freedom 

on transportation decisions and 

improves access to essential services for 

people in communities across the 

United States, particularly for rural 

communities. 

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5Projects that may impact protected resources 

such as wetlands, species habitat, cultural or 

historic resources require review and approval by 

Federal and State agencies with jurisdiction over 

those resources. 

(2) Secondary Selection Criteria 

(a) Innovation 

This section of the application should 

describe innovative strategies used to 

pursue primary selection criteria and 

the anticipated benefits of using those 

strategies. If an applicant is proposing to 

adopt innovative safety approaches or 

technology, the application should 

demonstrate the applicant’s capacity to 

implement those innovations, the 

applicant’s understanding of whether 

the innovations will require 

extraordinary permitting, approvals, or 

other procedural actions, and the effects 

of those innovations on the project 

delivery timeline. If an applicant plans 

to incorporate innovative funding or 

financing, the applicant should describe 

the funding or financing approach, 

including a description of all activities 

undertaken to pursue private funding or 

financing for the project and the 

outcomes of those activities. 

(b) Partnership 

This section of the application should 

list all project parties, including details 

about the proposed grant recipient and 

other public and private parties who are 

involved in delivering the project. This 

section should also describe efforts to 

collaborate among stakeholders, 

including with the private sector. 

v. Project Readiness 

This section of the application should 

include information that, when 

considered with the project budget 

information presented elsewhere in the 

application, is sufficient for the 

Department to evaluate whether the 

project is reasonably expected to begin 

construction in a timely manner. To 

assist the Department’s project readiness 

assessment, the applicant should 

provide the information requested on 

technical feasibility, project schedule, 

project approvals, and project risks, 

each of which is described in greater 

detail in the following sections. 

Applicants are not required to follow 

the specific format described here, but 

this organization, which addresses each 

relevant aspect of project readiness, 

promotes a clear discussion that assists 

project evaluators. To minimize 

redundant information in the 

application, the Department encourages 

applicants to cross-reference from this 

section of their application to relevant 

substantive information in other 

sections of the application. 

The guidance here is about what 

information applicants should provide 

and how the applicant should organize 

their application. Guidance describing 

how the Department will evaluate a 

project’s readiness is described in 

Section E.1 of this Notice. Applicants 

also should review that section when 

considering how to organize their 

application. 

(A) Technical Feasibility. The 

applicant should demonstrate the 

technical feasibility of the project with 

engineering and design studies and 

activities; the development of design 

criteria and/or a basis of design; the 

basis for the cost estimate presented in 

the TIGER application, including the 

identification of contingency levels 

appropriate to its level of design; and 

any scope, schedule, and budget riskmitigation measures. Applicants should 

include a detailed statement of work 

that focuses on the technical and 

engineering aspects of the project and 

describes in detail the project to be 

constructed. 

(B) Project Schedule. The applicant 

should include a detailed project 

schedule that identifies all major project 

milestones. Examples of such 

milestones include State and local 

planning approvals (programming on 

the Statewide Transportation 

Improvement Program), start and 

completion of NEPA and other Federal 

environmental reviews and approvals 

including permitting; design 

completion; right of way acquisition; 

approval of plans, specifications and 

estimates; procurement; State and local 

approvals; project partnership and 

implementation agreements including 

agreements with railroads; and 

construction. The project schedule 

should be sufficiently detailed to 

demonstrate that: 

(1) All necessary activities will be 

complete to allow TIGER funds to be 

obligated sufficiently in advance of the 

statutory deadline (September 30, 2020 

for FY 2017 funds), and that any 

unexpected delays will not put the 

funds at risk of expiring before they are 

obligated; 

(2) the project can begin construction 

quickly upon obligation of TIGER funds, 

and that the grant funds will be spent 

expeditiously once construction starts; 

and 

(3) all real property and right-of-way 

acquisition will be completed in a 

timely manner in accordance with 49 

CFR part 24, 23 CFR part 710, and other 

applicable legal requirements or a 

statement that no acquisition is 

necessary. 

(C) Required Approvals. 

(1) Environmental Permits and 

Reviews. The application should 

demonstrate receipt (or reasonably 

anticipated receipt) of all environmental 

approvals and permits necessary for the 

project to proceed to construction on the 

timeline specified in the project 

schedule and necessary to meet the 

statutory obligation deadline, including 

satisfaction of all Federal, State and 

local requirements and completion of 

the NEPA process. Specifically, the 

application should include: 

(a) Information about the NEPA status 

of the project. If the NEPA process is 

complete, an applicant should indicate 

the date of completion, and provide a 

Web site link or other reference to the 

final Categorical Exclusion, Finding of 

No Significant Impact, Record of 

Decision, and any other NEPA 

documents prepared. If the NEPA 

process is underway, but 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 

milestones and of the final NEPA 

determination. 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 material in accordance 

with applicable NEPA requirements. 

(b) Information on reviews, approvals, 

and permits by other agencies. An 

application should indicate whether the 

proposed project requires reviews or 

approval actions by other agencies,5

indicate the status of such actions, and 

provide detailed information about the 

status of those reviews or approvals and 

should demonstrate compliance with 

any other applicable Federal, State, or 

local requirements, and when such 

approvals are expected. Applicants 

should provide a Web site link or other 

reference to copies of any reviews, 

approvals, and permits prepared. 

(c) Environmental studies or other 

documents, preferably through a Web 

site link, that describe in detail known 

project impacts, and possible mitigation 

for those impacts. 

(d) A description of discussions with 

the appropriate DOT operating 

administration field or headquarters 

office regarding the project’s compliance 

with NEPA and other applicable Federal 

environmental reviews and approvals. 

(e) A description of public 

engagement about the project that has 

occurred, including details on the 

degree to which public comments and 

commitments have been integrated into 

project development and design. 

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6Under 23 U.S.C. 134 and 135, all projects 

requiring an action by FHWA must be in the 

applicable plan and programming documents (e.g., 

metropolitan transportation plan, transportation 

improvement program (TIP) and statewide 

transportation improvement program (STIP)). 

Further, in air quality non-attainment and 

maintenance areas, all regionally significant 

projects, regardless of the funding source, must be 

included in the conforming metropolitan 

transportation plan and TIP. Inclusion in the STIP 

is required under certain circumstances. To the 

extent a project is required to be on a metropolitan 

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

receive a TIGER grant until it is included in such 

plans. Projects not currently included in these plans 

can be amended by the State and MPO. Projects that 

are not required to be in long range transportation 

plans, STIPs, and TIPs will not need to be included 

in such plans in order to receive a TIGER grant. 

Port, freight rail, and intermodal projects are not 

required to be on the State Rail Plans called for in 

the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement 

Act of 2008, or in a State Freight Plan as described 

in the FAST Act. However, applicants seeking 

funding for freight projects are encouraged to 

demonstrate that they have done sufficient planning 

to ensure that projects fit into a prioritized list of 

capital needs and are consistent with long-range 

goals. Means of demonstrating this consistency 

would include whether the project is in a TIP or 

a State Freight Plan that conforms to the 

requirements Section 70202 of Title 49 prior to the 

start of construction. Port planning guidelines are 

available at StrongPorts.gov. 

7Projects at grant obligated airports must be 

compatible with the FAA-approved Airport Layout 

Plan, as well as aeronautical surfaces associated 

with the landing and takeoff of aircraft at the 

airport. Additionally, projects at an airport: Must 

comply with established Sponsor Grant Assurances, 

including (but not limited to) requirements for nonexclusive use facilities, consultation with users, 

consistency with local plans including 

development of the area surrounding the airport, 

and consideration of the interest of nearby 

communities, among others; and must not adversely 

affect the continued and unhindered access of 

passengers to the terminal. 

(2) State and Local Approvals. The 

applicant should demonstrate receipt of 

State and local approvals on which the 

project depends, such as State and local 

environmental and planning approvals 

and Statewide Transportation 

Improvement Program (STIP) or 

(Transportation Improvement Program) 

TIP funding. Additional support from 

relevant State and local officials is not 

required; however, an applicant should 

demonstrate that the project has broad 

public support. 

(3) Federal Transportation 

Requirements Affecting State and Local 

Planning. The planning requirements 

applicable to the Federal-aid highway 

program apply to all TIGER projects, but 

for port, freight, and rail projects 

planning requirements of the operating 

administration that will administer the 

TIGER project will also apply,6

including intermodal projects located at 

airport facilities.7 Applicants should 

demonstrate that a project that is 

required to be included in the relevant 

State, metropolitan, and local planning 

documents has been or will be included 

in such documents. If the project is not 

included in a relevant planning 

document at the time the application is 

submitted, the applicant should submit 

a statement from the appropriate 

planning agency that actions are 

underway to include the project in the 

relevant planning document. 

To the extent possible, freight projects 

should be included in a State Freight 

Plan and supported by a State Freight 

Advisory Committee (49 U.S.C. 70201, 

70202), if these exist. Applicants should 

provide links or other documentation 

supporting this consideration. 

Because projects have different 

schedules, the construction start date for 

each TIGER grant must be specified in 

the project-specific agreements signed 

by relevant operating administration 

and the grant recipients, based on 

critical path items that applicants 

identify in the application and will be 

consistent with relevant State and local 

plans. 

(D) Assessment of Project Risks and 

Mitigation Strategies. Project risks, such 

as procurement delays, environmental 

uncertainties, increases in real estate 

acquisition costs, uncommitted local 

match, or lack of legislative approval, 

affect the likelihood of successful 

project start and completion. The 

applicant should identify all material 

risks to the project and the strategies 

that the lead applicant and any project 

partners have undertaken or will 

undertake in order to mitigate those 

risks. The applicant should assess the 

greatest risks to the project and identify 

how the project parties will mitigate 

those risks. 

To the extent it is unfamiliar with the 

Federal program, the applicant should 

contact the appropriate DOT operating 

administration field or headquarters 

offices, as found in contact information 

at www.transportation.gov/TIGERgrants, 

for information on the pre-requisite 

steps to obligate Federal funds in order 

to ensure that their project schedule is 

reasonable and that there are no risks of 

delays in satisfying Federal 

requirements. 

vi. Benefit Cost Analysis 

This section describes the 

recommended approach for the 

completion and submission of a benefitcost analysis (BCA) as an appendix to 

the Project Narrative. The results of the 

analysis should be summarized in the 

Project Narrative directly, as described 

in Section D.2. 

Applicants should delineate each of 

their project’s expected outcomes in the 

form of a complete BCA to enable the 

Department to evaluate the project’s 

cost-effectiveness by estimating a 

benefit-cost ratio and calculating the 

magnitude of net benefits and costs for 

the project. In support of each project 

for which an applicant seeks funding, 

that applicant should submit a BCA that 

quantifies the expected benefits of the 

project against a no-build baseline, 

provides monetary estimates of the 

benefits’ economic value, and compares 

the properly-discounted present values 

of these benefits to the project’s 

estimated costs. 

The primary economic benefits from 

projects eligible for TIGER grants are 

likely to include savings in travel time 

costs, vehicle operating costs, and safety 

costs for both existing users of the 

improved facility and new users who 

may be attracted to it as a result of the 

project. Reduced damages from vehicle 

emissions and savings in maintenance 

costs to public agencies may also be 

quantified. Applicants may describe 

other categories of benefits in the BCA 

that are more difficult to quantify and 

value in economic terms, such as 

improving the reliability of travel times 

or improvements to the existing human 

and natural environments (such as 

increased connectivity, improved public 

health, storm water runoff mitigation, 

and noise reduction), while also 

providing numerical estimates of the 

magnitude and timing of each of these 

additional impacts wherever possible. 

Any benefits claimed for the project, 

both quantified and unquantified, 

should be clearly tied to the expected 

outcomes of the project. 

The BCA should include the full costs 

of developing, constructing, operating, 

and maintaining the proposed project, 

as well as the expected timing or 

schedule for costs in each of these 

categories. The BCA may also consider 

the present discounted value of any 

remaining service life of the asset at the 

end of the analysis period (net of future 

maintenance and rehabilitation costs) as 

a deduction from the estimated costs. 

The costs and benefits that are 

compared in the BCA should also cover 

the same project scope. 

The BCA should carefully document 

the assumptions and methodology used 

to produce the analysis, including a 

description of the baseline, the sources 

of data used to project the outcomes of 

the project, and the values of key input 

parameters. Applicants should provide 

all relevant files used for their BCA, 

including any spreadsheet files and 

technical memos describing the analysis 

(whether created in-house or by a 

contractor). The spreadsheets and 

technical memos should present the 

calculations in sufficient detail and 

transparency to allow the analysis to be 

reproduced by DOT evaluators. Detailed 

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guidance for estimating some types of 

quantitative benefits and costs, together 

with recommended economic values for 

converting them to dollar terms and 

discounting to their present values, are 

available in the Department’s guidance 

for conducting BCAs for projects 

seeking funding under the TIGER 

program (see https://

www.transportation.gov/buildamerica/ 

TIGERgrants). 

vii. Cost Share 

The applicant should describe the 

extent to which the project cannot be 

readily and efficiently completed 

without a TIGER Discretionary Grant, 

and describe the extent to which other 

sources of funds, including Federal, 

State, or local funding, may or may not 

be readily available for the project. This 

section of the application should 

include information that, when 

considered with the project budget 

information presented elsewhere in the 

application, is sufficient for the 

Department to evaluate how the project 

addresses the Cost Share criterion, 

including: 

(A) A description of the applicant’s 

activities to maximize the non-Federal 

share of the project funding; 

(B) a description of any fiscal 

constraints that affect the applicant’s 

ability to use non-Federal contributions; 

(C) a description of the non-Federal 

share across the applicant’s 

transportation program, if the applicant 

is a regular recipient of federal 

transportation funding; and 

(D) a description of the applicant’s 

plan to address the full life-cycle costs 

associated with the project, including a 

description of operations and 

maintenance funding commitments 

made by the applicant. 

viii. Federal Wage Rate Certification (a 

Certification, Signed by the 

Applicant(s), Stating That It Will 

Comply With the Requirements of 

Subchapter IV of Chapter 31 of Title 40, 

United States Code [Federal Wage Rate 

Requirements], as Required by the FY 

2017 Appropriations Act) 

The purpose of this recommended 

format is to ensure that applications 

clearly address the program 

requirements and make critical 

information readily apparent. 

DOT recommends that the project 

narrative be prepared with standard 

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

point font, such as Times New Roman, 

with 1-inch margins). The project 

narrative may not exceed 30 pages in 

length. Documentation supporting the 

assertions made in the narrative portion 

may also be provided, but should be 

limited to relevant information. Cover 

pages, tables of contents, and the federal 

wage rate certification do not count 

towards the 30-page limit for the 

narrative portion of the application. The 

only substantive portions of the 

application that may exceed the 30-page 

limit are any supporting documents 

(including a more detailed discussion of 

the benefit-cost analysis) provided to 

support assertions or conclusions made 

in the 30-page narrative section. If 

possible, Web site links to supporting 

documentation (including a more 

detailed discussion of the benefit-cost 

analysis) should be provided rather than 

copies of these materials. Otherwise, 

supporting documents should be 

included as appendices to the 

application. Applicants’ references to 

supporting documentation should 

clearly identify the relevant portion of 

the supporting material. At the 

applicant’s discretion, relevant 

materials provided previously to a 

relevant modal administration in 

support of a different DOT discretionary 

financial assistance program (for 

example, New Starts or TIFIA) may be 

referenced and described as unchanged. 

This information need not be 

resubmitted for the TIGER Discretionary 

Grant application but may be referenced 

as described above; Web site links to the 

materials are highly recommended. DOT 

recommends using appropriately 

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

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

Understanding and Letters of Support,’’ 

etc.) for all attachments. 

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System 

for Award Management (SAM) 

Each applicant must: (1) Be registered 

in SAM before submitting its 

application; (2) provide a valid unique 

entity identifier in its application; and 

(3) continue to maintain an active SAM 

registration with current information at 

all times during which it has an active 

Federal award or an application or plan 

under consideration by a Federal 

awarding agency. The Department may 

not make a TIGER grant to an applicant 

until the applicant has complied with 

all applicable unique entity identifier 

and SAM requirements and, if an 

applicant has not fully complied with 

the requirements by the time the 

Department is ready to make a TIGER 

grant, the Department may determine 

that the applicant is not qualified to 

receive a TIGER grant and use that 

determination as a basis for making a 

TIGER grant to another applicant. 

4. Submission Dates and Times 

i. Deadline 

Applications must be submitted by 

8:00 p.m. EDT on October 16, 2017. The 

Grants.gov ‘‘Apply’’ function will open 

by September 7, 2017. The Department 

has determined that an application 

deadline fewer than 60 days after this 

notice is published is appropriate 

because this notice is substantially 

similar to previous years. 

To submit an application through 

Grants.gov, applicants must: 

(1) Obtain a Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) number; 

(2) Register with the System for 

Award Management (SAM) at 

www.SAM.gov; 

(3) Create a Grants.gov username and 

password; and 

(4) The E-Business Point of Contact 

(POC) at the applicant’s organization 

must respond to the registration email 

from Grants.gov and login at Grants.gov 

to authorize the applicant as the 

Authorized Organization Representative 

(AOR). Please note that there can be 

more than one AOR for an organization. 

Please note that the Grants.gov 

registration process usually takes 2–4 

weeks to complete and that the 

Department will not consider late 

applications that are the result of failure 

to register or comply with Grants.gov 

applicant requirements in a timely 

manner. For information and instruction 

on each of these processes, please see 

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

web/grants/applicants/applicantfaqs.html. If applicants experience 

difficulties at any point during the 

registration or application process, 

please call the Grants.gov Customer 

Service Support Hotline at 1(800) 518– 

4726, Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 

9:00 p.m. EST. 

ii. Consideration of Applications 

Only applicants who comply with all 

submission deadlines described in this 

notice and electronically submit valid 

applications through Grants.gov will be 

eligible for award. Applicants are 

strongly encouraged to make 

submissions in advance of the deadline. 

iii. Late Applications 

Applicants experiencing technical 

issues with Grants.gov that are beyond 

the applicant’s control must contact 

TIGERgrants@dot.gov prior to the 

application deadline with the user name 

of the registrant and details of the 

technical issue experienced. The 

applicant must provide: 

(1) Details of the technical issue 

experienced; 

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(2) Screen capture(s) of the technical 

issues experienced along with 

corresponding Grants.gov ‘‘Grant 

tracking number’’; 

(3) The ‘‘Legal Business Name’’ for the 

applicant that was provided in the 

SF–424; 

(4) The AOR name submitted in the 

SF–424; 

(5) The DUNS number associated with 

the application; and 

(6) The Grants.gov Help Desk 

Tracking Number. 

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 registration 

process before the deadline; (2) failure 

to follow Grants.gov instructions on 

how to register and apply as posted on 

its Web site; (3) failure to follow all 

instructions in this Notice of funding 

opportunity; and (4) technical issues 

experienced with the applicant’s 

computer or information technology 

environment. After the Department 

reviews all information submitted and 

contact the Grants.gov Help Desk to 

validate reported technical issues, DOT 

staff will contact late applicants to 

approve or deny a request to submit a 

late application through Grants.gov. If 

the reported technical issues cannot be 

validated, late applications will be 

rejected as untimely. 

E. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria 

This section specifies the criteria that 

DOT will use to evaluate and award 

applications for TIGER Discretionary 

Grants. The criteria incorporate the 

statutory eligibility requirements for this 

program, which are specified in this 

notice as relevant. There are two 

categories of selection criteria, ‘‘Primary 

Selection Criteria’’ and ‘‘Secondary 

Selection Criteria.’’ Projects will also be 

evaluated for demonstrated project 

readiness, benefits and costs, and cost 

share. 

i. Primary Selection Criteria 

Applications that do not demonstrate 

a likelihood of significant long-term 

benefits based on these criteria will not 

proceed in the evaluation process. DOT 

does not consider any primary selection 

criterion more important than the 

others. The primary selection criteria, 

which will receive equal consideration, 

are: 

a. Safety 

The Department will assess the 

project’s ability to foster a safe 

transportation system for the movement 

of goods and people. The Department 

will consider the projected impacts on 

the number, rate, and consequences of 

crashes, fatalities and injuries among 

transportation users; the project’s 

contribution to the elimination of 

highway/rail grade crossings, or the 

project’s contribution to preventing 

unintended releases of hazardous 

materials. 

b. State of Good Repair 

The Department will assess whether 

and to what extent: (1) The project is 

consistent with relevant plans to 

maintain transportation facilities or 

systems in a state of good repair and 

address current and projected 

vulnerabilities; (2) if left unimproved, 

the poor condition of the asset will 

threaten future transportation network 

efficiency, mobility of goods or 

accessibility and mobility of people, or 

economic growth; (3) the project is 

appropriately capitalized up front and 

uses asset management approaches that 

optimize its long-term cost structure; (4) 

a sustainable source of revenue is 

available for operations and 

maintenance of the project and the 

project will reduce overall life-cycle 

costs; and (5) the project includes a plan 

to maintain the infrastructure in a state 

of good repair. The Department will 

prioritize projects that ensure the good 

condition of infrastructure, including 

rural infrastructure, that support 

commerce and economic growth. 

c. Economic Competitiveness 

The Department will assess whether 

the project will (1) decrease 

transportation costs and improve access, 

especially for rural communities, 

through reliable and timely access to 

employment centers and job 

opportunities; (2) improve long-term 

efficiency, reliability or costs in the 

movement of workers or goods; (3) 

increase the economic productivity of 

land, capital, or labor; (4) result in longterm job creation and other economic 

opportunities; or (5) help the United 

States compete in a global economy by 

facilitating efficient and reliable freight 

movement. 

Projects that address congestion in 

major urban areas, particularly those 

that do so through the use of congestion 

pricing or the deployment of advanced 

technology, projects that bridge gaps in 

service in rural areas, and projects that 

attract private economic development, 

all support national or regional 

economic competitiveness. Projects that 

incorporate private sector contributions, 

including through a public-private 

partnership structure, are likely to be 

more competitive that those that rely 

solely on public non-Federal funding. 

d. Environmental Sustainability 

The Department will consider the 

extent to which the project improves 

energy efficiency, reduces dependence 

on oil, reduces congestion-related 

emissions, improves water quality, 

avoids and mitigates environmental 

impacts and otherwise benefits the 

environment, including through 

alternative right of way uses 

demonstrating innovative ways to 

improve or streamline environmental 

reviews while maintaining the same 

outcomes. The Department will assess 

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

use and air or water pollution through 

congestion mitigation strategies; (ii) 

avoid adverse environmental impacts to 

air or water quality, wetlands, and 

endangered species; or (iii) provide 

environmental benefits, such as 

brownfield redevelopment, ground 

water recharge in areas of water scarcity, 

wetlands creation or improved habitat 

connectivity, and stormwater 

mitigation. 

e. Quality of Life 

The Department will consider the 

extent to which the project increases 

transportation choices for individuals to 

provide more freedom on transportation 

decisions and improves access to 

essential services for people in 

communities across the United States, 

particularly for rural communities. The 

Department will consider the extent to 

which the project improves connectivity 

for citizens to jobs, health care, and 

other critical destinations. 

ii. Secondary Selection Criteria 

a. Innovation 

The Department will assess the use of 

innovative strategies to address the 

primary selection criteria. The 

Department particularly seeks to 

experiment with innovative approaches 

to transportation safety, particularly in 

relation to automated vehicles and the 

detection, mitigation, and 

documentation of safety risks. When 

making TIGER award decisions, the 

Department will consider any 

innovative safety approaches proposed 

by the applicant, particularly projects 

which incorporate innovative design 

solutions, enhance the environment for 

automated vehicles, or use technology 

to improve the detection, mitigation, 

and documentation of safety risks. 

Innovative safety approaches may 

include, but are not limited to: 

• Conflict detection and mitigation 

technologies (e.g., intersection alerts 

and signal prioritization); 

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• Dynamic signaling or pricing 

systems to reduce congestion; 

• Signage and design features that 

facilitate autonomous or semiautonomous vehicle technologies; 

• Applications to automatically 

capture and report safety-related issues 

(e.g., identifying and documenting nearmiss incidents); and 

• Cybersecurity elements to protect 

safety-critical systems. 

For innovative safety proposals, the 

Department will evaluate safety benefits 

that those approaches could produce 

and the broader applicability of the 

potential results. 

DOT will also assess the extent to 

which the project uses innovative 

technology to significantly enhance the 

operational performance of the 

transportation system. Further, DOT 

will consider the extent to which the 

project utilizes innovative practices in 

contracting, congestion management, 

asset management, or long-term 

operations and maintenance. DOT is 

interested in projects that apply 

innovative strategies to improve the 

efficiency of project development or to 

improve project delivery, including by 

using FHWA’s Special Experimental 

Project No. 14 (SEP–14) and Special 

Experimental Project No. 15 (SEP–15). 

DOT will also assess the extent to 

which the project incorporates 

innovations in transportation funding 

and finance and leverages both existing 

and new sources of funding or financing 

through both traditional and innovative 

means, including by using private sector 

funding or financing and recycled 

revenue from the competitive sale or 

lease of publicly owned or operated 

assets. 

b. Partnership 

The Department will consider the 

extent to which projects demonstrate 

strong collaboration among a broad 

range of stakeholders. Projects with 

strong partnership typically involve 

multiple partners in project 

development and funding, such as State 

and local governments, other public 

entities, and/or private or nonprofit 

entities. DOT will also assess the extent 

to which the project application 

demonstrates collaboration among 

neighboring or regional jurisdictions, 

including neighboring rural areas, to 

achieve national, regional, or 

metropolitan benefits. In the context of 

public-private partnerships, DOT will 

assess the extent to which partners are 

encouraged to ensure long-term asset 

performance, such as through pay-forsuccess approaches. 

DOT will also consider the extent to 

which projects include partnerships that 

bring together diverse transportation 

agencies and/or are supported, 

financially or otherwise, by other 

stakeholders that are pursuing similar 

objectives. For example, DOT will 

consider the extent to which 

transportation projects are coordinated 

with economic development, housing, 

water infrastructure, and land use plans 

and policies or other public service 

efforts. 

iii. Demonstrated Project Readiness 

During application evaluation, the 

Department considers project readiness 

to assess the likelihood of successful 

project. The Department will consider 

significant risks to successful 

completion of a project, including risks 

associated with environmental review, 

permitting, technical feasibility, 

funding, and the applicant’s capacity to 

manage project delivery. Risks do not 

disqualify projects from award, but 

competitive applications clearly and 

directly describe achievable risk 

mitigation strategies. A project with 

mitigated risks or with a risk mitigation 

plan is more competitive than a 

comparable project with unaddressed 

risks. 

iv. Project Costs and Benefits 

The Department will consider the 

project’s costs and benefits. To the 

extent possible, the Department will 

rely on quantitative, data-supported 

analysis to assess how well a project 

addresses this criterion, including an 

assessment of the project’s estimated 

benefit-cost ratio and net quantifiable 

benefits based on the applicant-supplied 

BCA described in Section D.2.vi. 

v. Cost Sharing or Matching 

The Department seeks applications for 

projects that exceed the minimum nonFederal cost share requirement 

described in Section C.2. Additionally, 

the FY 2017 Appropriations Act directs 

the Department to prioritize projects 

that require a contribution of Federal 

funds to complete an overall financing 

package, and all projects can increase 

their competitiveness for purposes of 

the TIGER program by demonstrating 

significant non-Federal financial 

contributions. TIGER applications that 

include INFRA Grants program funding 

as part of a proposed financing package 

will be less competitive than those that 

do not. 

DOT recognizes that applicants have 

varying abilities and resources to 

contribute non-Federal contributions, 

especially those communities that are 

not routinely receiving and matching 

Federal funds. DOT recognizes certain 

communities with fewer financial 

resources may struggle to provide costshare that exceeds the minimum 

requirements and will, therefore, 

consider an applicant’s broader fiscal 

constraints when evaluating nonFederal contributions. 

This evaluation criterion is separate 

from the statutory cost share 

requirements for TIGER grants, which 

are described Section C.2. Those 

statutory requirements establish the 

minimum permissible non-Federal 

share; they do not define a competitive 

TIGER project. 

vi. Additional Considerations 

The FY 2017 Appropriations Act 

requires the Department to consider 

contributions to geographic diversity 

among recipients, including the need for 

a balance between the needs of rural 

and urban communities when selecting 

TIGER projects. 

2. Review and Selection Process 

DOT reviews all eligible applications 

received before the deadline. The TIGER 

review and selection process consists of 

three phases: Technical Review, Tier 

Two Analysis consisting of project 

readiness and economic analysis, and 

Senior Review. A Control and 

Calibration Team ensures consistency 

across projects and appropriate 

documentation throughout the review 

and selection process. In the Technical 

Evaluation phase, teams comprising 

staff from the Office of the Secretary 

(OST) and modal administrations 

review all eligible applications and rate 

projects as Highly Recommended, 

Recommended, Acceptable, or Not 

Recommended based on how well the 

projects align with the selection criteria. 

Tier 2 Analysis consists of (1) an 

Economic Analysis and (2) a Project 

Readiness Analysis. The Economic 

Analysis Team, comprising OST and 

modal administration economic staff, 

assess the potential benefits and costs of 

the proposed projects. The Project 

Readiness Team, comprising Office of 

the Secretary Office of Policy (OST–P) 

and modal administration staff, 

evaluates the proposed project’s 

technical and financial feasibility, 

potential risks and mitigation strategies, 

and project schedule, including the 

status of environmental approvals and 

readiness to proceed. 

In the third review phase, the Senior 

Review Team, which includes senior 

leadership from OST and the modal 

administrations, considers all projects 

that were rated Acceptable, 

Recommended, or Highly 

Recommended and determines which 

projects to advance to the Secretary as 

Highly Rated. The Secretary selects from 

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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 172 / Thursday, September 7, 2017 / Notices 42435 

the Highly Rated projects for final 

awards. 

3. Additional Information 

Prior to award, each selected 

applicant will be subject to a risk 

assessment as required by 2 CFR 

200.205. The Department must 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)). 

An applicant may review information in 

FAPIIS and comment on any 

information about itself. The 

Department will consider comments by 

the applicant, in addition to the other 

information in FAPIIS, 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. 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notice 

Following the evaluation outlined in 

Section E, the Secretary will announce 

awarded projects by posting a list of 

selected projects at 

www.transportation.gov/TIGER. Notice 

of selection is not authorization to begin 

performance. Following that 

announcement, the relevant modal 

administration will contact the point of 

contact listed in the SF 424 to initiate 

negotiation of the grant agreement for 

authorization. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

All awards will be administered 

pursuant to the Uniform Administrative 

Requirements, Cost Principles and 

Audit Requirements for Federal Awards 

found in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted by 

DOT at 2 CFR part 1201. Additionally, 

applicable Federal laws, rules and 

regulations of the relevant operating 

administration administering the project 

will apply to the projects that receive 

TIGER Discretionary Grants awards, 

including planning requirements, 

Service Outcome Agreements, 

Stakeholder Agreements, Buy America 

compliance, and other requirements 

under DOT’s other highway, transit, rail, 

and port grant programs. 

For projects administered by FHWA, 

applicable Federal laws, rules, and 

regulations set forth in Title 23 U.S.C. 

and Title 23 CFR apply. For an 

illustrative list of the applicable laws, 

rules, regulations, executive orders, 

polices, guidelines, and requirements as 

they relate to a TIGER project 

administered by the FHWA, please see 

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

infrastructureinfrastructure/tiger/ 

fy2015_gr_exhbt/index.htm. For TIGER 

projects administered by the Federal 

Transit Administration and partially 

funded with Federal transit assistance, 

all relevant requirements under chapter 

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

projects funded exclusively with TIGER 

Discretionary Grants funds, some 

requirements of chapter 53 of title 49 

U.S.C. and chapter VI of title 49 CFR 

apply. For projects administered by the 

Federal Railroad Administration, FRA 

requirements described in 49 U.S.C. 

Subtitle V, part C apply. 

Federal wage rate requirements 

included in subchapter IV of chapter 31 

of title 40, U.S.C., apply to all projects 

receiving funds under this program, and 

apply to all parts of the project, whether 

funded with TIGER Discretionary Grant 

funds, other Federal funds, or nonFederal funds. 

3. Reporting 

i. Progress Reporting on Grant Activities 

Each applicant selected for TIGER 

Discretionary Grants funding must 

submit quarterly progress reports and 

Federal Financial Reports (SF–425) to 

monitor project progress and ensure 

accountability and financial 

transparency in the TIGER program. 

ii. System Performance Reporting 

Each applicant selected for TIGER 

Discretionary Grant funding must 

collect information and report on the 

project’s observed performance with 

respect to the relevant long-term 

outcomes that are expected to be 

achieved through construction of the 

project. Performance indicators will not 

include formal goals or targets, but will 

include observed measures under 

baseline (pre-project) as well as postimplementation outcomes for an agreedupon timeline, and will be used to 

evaluate and compare projects and 

monitor the results that grant funds 

achieve to the intended long-term 

outcomes of the TIGER Discretionary 

Grants program are achieved. To the 

extent possible, performance indicators 

used in the reporting should align with 

the measures included in the 

application and should relate to at least 

one of the primary selection criteria 

defined in Section E. Performance 

reporting continues for several years 

after project construction is completed, 

and DOT does not provide TIGER 

Discretionary Grant funding specifically 

for performance reporting. 

iii. Reporting of Matters Related to 

Recipient Integrity and Performance 

If the total value of a selected 

applicant’s currently active grants, 

cooperative agreements, and 

procurement contracts from all Federal 

awarding agencies exceeds $10,000,000 

for any period of time during the period 

of performance of this Federal award, 

then the applicant during that period of 

time must maintain the currency of 

information reported to the SAM that is 

made available in the designated 

integrity and performance system 

(currently FAPIIS) about civil, criminal, 

or administrative proceedings described 

in paragraph 2 of this award term and 

condition. This is a statutory 

requirement under section 872 of Public 

Law 110–417, as amended (41 U.S.C. 

2313). As required by section 3010 of 

Public Law 111–212, all information 

posted in the designated integrity and 

performance system on or after April 15, 

2011, except past performance reviews 

required for Federal procurement 

contracts, will be publicly available. 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

For further information concerning 

this notice please contact the TIGER 

Discretionary Grants program staff via 

email at TIGERGrants@dot.gov, or call 

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

available for individuals who are deaf or 

hard of hearing at 202–366–3993. In 

addition, DOT will post answers to 

questions and requests for clarifications 

on DOT’s Web site at 

www.transportation.gov/TIGER. To 

ensure applicants receive accurate 

information about eligibility or the 

program, the applicant is encouraged to 

contact DOT directly, rather than 

through intermediaries or third parties, 

with questions. DOT staff may also 

conduct briefings on the TIGER 

Discretionary Grants selection and 

award process upon request. 

H. Other information 

1. Protection of Confidential Business 

Information 

All information submitted as part of 

or in support of any application shall 

use publicly available data or data that 

can be made public and methodologies 

that are accepted by industry practice 

and standards, to the extent possible. If 

the application includes information 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 

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42436 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 172 / Thursday, September 7, 2017 / Notices 

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. 

Elaine L. Chao, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2017–19009 Filed 9–6–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

United States Mint 

Notification of Citizens Coinage 

Advisory Committee September 19, 

2017, Public Meeting 

ACTION: Notification of Citizens Coinage 

Advisory Committee September 19, 

2017, public meeting. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to United States 

Code, Title 31, section 5135(b)(8)(C), the 

United States Mint announces the 

Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee 

(CCAC) public meeting scheduled for 

September 19, 2017. 

Date: September 19, 2017. 

Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

Location: Second Floor Conference 

Room, United States Mint, 801 9th 

Street NW., Washington, DC 20220. 

Subject: Review and discussion of 

candidate designs for the 2019 America 

the Beautiful Quarters Program, review 

and discussion of new and revised 

candidate designs for the Office of 

Strategic Services Congressional Gold 

Medal, and review and approval of 

annual reports. 

Interested members of the public may 

either attend the meeting in person or 

dial in to listen to the meeting at (866) 

564–9287/Access Code: 62956028. 

Interested persons should call the 

CCAC HOTLINE at (202) 354–7502 for 

the latest update on meeting time and 

room location. 

Any member of the public interested 

in submitting matters for the CCAC’s 

consideration is invited to submit them 

by fax to the following number: 202– 

756–6525. 

In accordance with 31 U.S.C. 5135, 

the CCAC: 

D Advises the Secretary of the 

Treasury on any theme or design 

proposals relating to circulating coinage, 

bullion coinage, Congressional Gold 

Medals, and national and other medals. 

D Advises the Secretary of the 

Treasury with regard to the events, 

persons, or places to be commemorated 

by the issuance of commemorative coins 

in each of the five calendar years 

succeeding the year in which a 

commemorative coin designation is 

made. 

D Makes recommendations with 

respect to the mintage level for any 

commemorative coin recommended. 

Members of the public interested in 

attending the meeting in person will be 

admitted into the meeting room on a 

first-come, first-serve basis as space is 

limited. Conference Room A&B can 

accommodate up to 50 members of the 

public at any one time. In addition, all 

persons entering a United States Mint 

facility must adhere to building security 

protocol. This means they must consent 

to the search of their persons and 

objects in their possession while on 

government grounds and when they 

enter and leave the facility, and are 

prohibited from bringing into the 

facility weapons of any type, illegal 

drugs, drug paraphernalia, or 

contraband. 

The United States Mint Police Officer 

conducting the screening will evaluate 

whether an item may enter into or exit 

from a facility based upon federal law, 

Treasury policy, United States Mint 

Policy, and local operating procedure; 

and all prohibited and unauthorized 

items will be subject to confiscation and 

disposal. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Betty Birdsong, Acting United States 

Mint Liaison to the CCAC; 801 9th 

Street NW., Washington, DC 20220; or 

call 202–354–7200. 

Authority: 31 U.S.C. 5135(b)(8)(C). 

Dated: August 29, 2017. 

David Motl, 

Acting Deputy Director, United States Mint. 

[FR Doc. 2017–19005 Filed 9–6–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

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