Final Report - Volume III: Section 4 - Public Sessions and Outreach Meetings

FTA New Starts Program Lessons Learned

Topics

• Overview of New Starts Process, Evaluation and Framework
• Strengths and Weaknesses
• New Starts Process Review
• Next Steps

New Starts Program

• Approximately $1.5 billion per year for New Fixed Guideway Systems and Extensions
• Approximately 1/6 of FTA's Program
• Discretionary Commitments (Full Funding Grant Agreements)
• Statutory Criteria and Process
  • FTA Policy Statements 1976, 1978, 1980, 1984
  • STURAA Codified Process and Criteria in 1987
  • Criteria Broadened in ISTEA in 1991
  • Regulation Required in TEA-21 in 1997
  • Criteria Further Broadened, Small Starts Created in SAFETEA-LU in 2003
• FTA's Goal: Deliver valuable projects, on time, on budget while delivering the projected benefits

New Starts Planning and Project Development Process

The FTA New Starts Evaluation and Rating Framework

The New Starts Process

Project Development: Typically 6-12 Years

Strengths and Weaknesses

• Strengths
  • Merit-Based Selection of Projects Respected by Congress
  • Projects Delivered on-time and on-budget
  • Federal Interests Protected
  • Improved Project Quality
• Weaknesses
  • Time to Complete Process (But not clear how much is due to New Starts requirements)
  • Complex Process - Outcome not always clear
  • Criteria Emphasize Quantifiable Measures - Important non-quantifiable issues may be not receive sufficient attention

New Starts Process Review

• Initiated June 2006
• Work Completed, Implementation Plan Under Development
• Goals:
  • Manage risk, rather than attempting to eliminate risk, and add value
  • Assure proper allocation of risks and responsibilities
  • Reduce the time and cost of delivering projects and reduce any delay due to Federal reviews
  • Assure the predictability, transparency, and repeatability of results
  • Accommodate possible alternative project delivery methods
• Recommendations
  • Internal Organizational Structure and Staffing
  • Criteria and Evaluation
  • Process Management
  • Communications
  • Alternative Project Delivery
• Implementation Plan
  • Phased Implementation

Next Steps

• Final Policy Guidance for FY 2009
  • Streamlined Reporting Requirements
• Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on New Starts and Small Starts
• Final Rule
• Reauthorization