Additional Program Information

TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNITY, AND SYSTEM PRESERVATION PROGRAM
PROGRAM INFORMATION

BACKGROUND:

The Transportation, Community, and System Preservation (TCSP) Program provides funding for a comprehensive initiative including planning grants, implementation grants, and research to investigate and address the relationships between transportation, community, and system preservation and to identify private sector-based initiatives.

States, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and tribal governments are eligible for TCSP Program discretionary grants to plan and implement strategies which improve the efficiency of the transportation system, reduce environmental impacts of transportation, reduce the need for costly future public infrastructure investments, ensure efficient access to jobs, services and centers of trade, and examine development patterns and identify strategies to encourage private sector development patterns which achieve these goals.

Authorized funding for the TCSP Program is $25 million in FY 2005 and $61.25 million per year for FY 2006 through 2009. These funds are subject to the obligation limitation. The Federal share payable on account of any TCSP project or activity shall be 80% or subject to the sliding scale rate in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 120 (b).

STATUTORY REFERENCES:

SAFETEA-LU, Section 1117

FUNDING:

Funding authorized for the TCSP Program in TEA-21 was $20 million in FY 1999 and $25 million per year for FY's 2000 through 2004.

FEDERAL SHARE:

The TCSP Program Federal share is 80% or subject to the sliding scale rate in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 120 (b).

OBLIGATION LIMITATION:

The TCSP Program discretionary funds are subject to obligation limitation.

ELIGIBILITY:

States, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and tribal governments are eligible recipients of TCSP Program grant funds. This would include towns, cities, public transit agencies, air resources boards, and school boards. Non-governmental organizations that have projects they wish to see funded under this program are encouraged to partner with an eligible recipient as the project sponsor.

An MPO may be both a project sponsor and endorse other activities proposed and submitted by a local government within its metropolitan boundary. An MPO or State may consider packaging related activities for submittal as one larger grant request.

Activities eligible for TCSP Program funding include activities eligible for Federal highway and transit funding (title 23, U.S.C., or Chapter 53 of title 49, U.S.C.) or other activities determined by the Secretary to be appropriate. However, where possible, grants will be awarded for new and innovative activities that are eligible.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Activities funded under the TCSP Program must address and integrate each of the purposes of the program listed below.

Grant proposals should address how proposed activities will meet the following:

• Improve the efficiency of the transportation system.
• Reduce the impacts of transportation on the environment.
• Reduce the need for costly future public infrastructure.
• Ensure efficient access to jobs, services and centers of trade.
• Encourage private sector development patterns.

Additional Planning Grant Information

Planning assistance under the TCSP Program is intended to provide financial resources to States and communities to explore integrating their transportation programs with community preservation and environmental activities. Grants will be awarded for planning activities that will achieve this integration, meet the purposes of the program described above and are innovative. This may include, for example, public and private involvement activities; improving conditions for bicycling and walking; better and safer operation of existing roads, signals and transit systems; development of new types of transportation financing and land-use alternatives; development of new programs and tools to measure success; and the creation of new planning tools and policies necessary to implement TCSP-related initiatives.

Additional Implementation Grant Criteria

• Implementation grants under the TCSP Program are intended to provide financial resources to States, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments and tribal governments to enable them to carry out activities that address transportation efficiency while meeting community preservation and environmental goals. Examples of such policies or programs include: spending policies that direct funds to high-growth regions of the country; urban growth boundaries to guide metropolitan expansion; green corridors" programs that provide access to major highway corridors for areas targeted for efficient and compact development.

Implementation activities may include community preservation activities to implement transit-oriented development plans, traffic calming measures or other coordinated transportation and community and system preservation practices. Priority will be given to applicants that have already instituted preservation or development programs and policies that:

• Qualify for Federal highway and transit funding (to be determined by FHWA);
• Coordinate with State and locally adopted preservation and development plans;
• Integrate transportation and community and system preservation practices;
• Promote investments in transportation infrastructure and transportation activities that minimize adverse environmental impacts and lower total life cycle costs; and/or
• Encourage private sector investments and innovative strategies that address the purposes of the TCSP Program .

Evaluation

Every proposal receiving planning and implementation grant funds must annually report on the status of the project and the degree to which the project is achieving stated goals and objectives.

Status reports should include information on various measures developed by the grantee to evaluate the project such as:

• Quantitative assessments such as measurement of changes in traffic flow and mode choice (e.g. increased pedestrian and bicycle traffic), environmental impacts and reduced vehicle miles of travel or number of trips;
• Analytic procedures which forecast the current and future impacts of projects such as travel demand, land development, or economic forecasting; and/or
• Qualitative assessment such as interviews, surveys, changes in local ordinances, or other anecdotal evidence.

SOLICITATION SCHEDULE:

The Federal Highway Administration will not solicit grant applications on a discretionary basis in FY 2006 for the TCSP Program. The Congressional Conference Report accompanying the FY 2006 Omnibus Appropriations Act designated $60.25 million for 94 TCSP Program projects. The Federal Highway Administration has solicited only those applications for projects specified by Congress in the Conference Reports accompanying the Omnibus Appropriations Act.

STATE TRANSPORTATION AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES:

State Departments of Transportation, can administer individual TCSP Program projects as well as FHWA Division Offices. TCSP Program grantees must meet Federal-aid requirements when implementing their grants. It is the responsibility of the administering agency to ensure these requirements are met.

FHWA DIVISION OFFICE RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Administer, monitor, and evaluate the grants awarded under this program.
2. Administer and coordinate the distribution of submissions to necessary field and HQ offices.
3. Review submissions from their respective states.

FHWA HEADQUARTERS PROGRAM OFFICE RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Program management including program evaluation, establishing and coordinating strategic priorities, outreach, and research.
2. Administer the program - filing, distribution, data collection, etc.

DOT HEADQUARTERS PROGRAM OFFICE CONTACTS:

Wesley Blount
Office of Human Environment
Phone: (202) 366-0799
E-mail: wesley.blount@dot.gov