In its role of providing financial assistance to develop new transit systems and improve, maintain, and operate existing systems nationwide, FTA oversees thousands of grants provided to states, tribes, and local public agencies to support public transportation.
Grantees have a responsibility to comply with statutory and regulatory requirements associated with the management of federally assisted grants. To ensure that grantees follow federal statutory and administrative requirements when managing their programs, FTA provides guidance, often in the form of circulars.
In 2014, the Department of Transportation published “The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards,” commonly referred to as “the Super Circular” or “Uniform Guidance,” which sets forth pre- and post-award requirements for grantees. Grantees should consult the Super Circular before applying for a grant or while administering a grant.
FTA also provides guidance for post-award grant administration and project management activities in its Grant Management Requirements circular. Several FTA programs operate under unique grant administration and project management guidance; check our program-specific circulars for more information. Each year, FTA also publishes interim guidance as part of its annual apportionments notice. See information and interim guidance about new FTA programs and changes to existing programs as amended by reauthorizing legislation. See the 2016 Apportionments Notice containing cross-cutting requirements to FTA’s programs as amended by the FAST Act.
FTA monitors grants and federally funded projects to confirm that grantees establish and follow federally mandated procedures, such as:
- Demonstrating legal, financial, and technical capacity to carry out programs and projects
- Providing technical inspection and supervision by qualified professionals of all work in progress
- Ensuring compliance with procurement requirements, including third-party contracts
- Complying with all applicable civil rights statutes and implementing regulations
FTA administers a national transit safety program and compliance oversight process as well as a Transit Asset Management (TAM) program, a model that uses asset condition to help prioritize funding to achieve or maintain transit networks in a state of good repair.