FTA’s Small Starts Program

1. FTA’s Small Starts Program Charlotte, North Carolina October 11, 2007

2. Small Starts Program Overview • Program funding at $200m/yr • Simplified Process • Alternatives Analysis • Project Development • Construction • Simplified Project Construction Grant Agreement • Scope • Cost • Schedule • Federal Funding Maximum Amount and Schedule • Local Funding Sources

3. Eligibility - Costs • Total cost < $250 million • Small Starts share < $75 million • Exempt projects (< $25 million New Starts share) may: • Remain exempt until Final Rule – then be evaluated and rated if construction not started or • Be evaluated and rated now as Small Starts

4. Program Goal Fund meritorious projects • Develop reliable information on project benefits and costs • Ensure projects treated equitably nationally • Facilitate communication between FTA, transit industry and Congress

5. Guiding Principles for Development of Small Starts Interim Guidance • Evaluation process should not change dramatically from existing process to minimize rating changes given those anticipated in the NPRM • Requirements should ensure level playing field for all projects • Requirements should be mode-neutral • Costs, benefits and impacts should be developed using established methodologies

6. Eligibility - Project Definition • Project a fixed guideway for 50% or more of its length during peak, or • Project a corridor bus project including at least: • Transit stations • Traffic signal priority or pre-emption • Low floor buses or level boarding • Premium service branding • 10 min peak/15 min off-peak headways at least 14 hours a day

7. Eligibility – Additional Features for Very Small Starts • Simple, low-cost projects that qualify for streamlined process • Very Small Starts eligibility criteria: • Existing daily riders over 3,000 • Total cost under $50 million • Under $3 million per mile, excluding rolling stock

8. Interim GuidanceEvaluation of Small Starts Project Justification Subset of Existing New Starts Criteria: • Land-use • Cost-effectiveness • Other factors, including economic development, congestion and pricing strategies, and the case for the project

9. Interim GuidanceEvaluation of Local Financial Commitment • Projects receive “medium” for local financial commitment if: • Reasonable plan to secure local share (all non-New Starts funding committed for PCGA) • Project O&M under 5 percent of agency operating budget • Agency in solid financial condition • Projects that cannot meet the conditions above submit a financial plan • According to FTA guidance • Covering period up to and including opening year • Evaluated based on criteria used for New Starts

10. Simplification of Small Starts Program Requirements Compared to New Starts Very Small Starts • AA could contain two alternatives and require no more information than developed for a project funded only with local funds • Project justification evaluation requires meeting easily developed information on costs and existing ridership • Local financial commitment evaluation could require meeting 3 easily demonstrated conditions; otherwise financial plan extends only to opening year • No final design approval • Simplified PMP and cost reviews • Simplified PCGA

11. Simplification of Small Starts Program Requirements Compared to New Starts Small Starts • AA could contain few alternatives, use forecasts of transportation benefits with simplified methods and address project opening, not 20-year forecasts • Land use submission reduced for project justification • Local financial commitment evaluation could require meeting 3 easily demonstrated conditions; otherwise financial plan extends only to opening year • No final design approval • Simplified PMP and cost reviews • Simplified PCGA

12. Projects in Project Development • Los Angeles Metro Rapid Bus Closure • Kansas City Troost Corridor BRT • Springfield (OR) Pioneer Parkway BRT • King Co (WA) Pacific Highway South BRT • Portland Streetcar Loop

13. Pending Project Development Requests Projects • Mason (CO) Transportation Corridor BRT • Fitchburg (MA) Commuter Rail • South Corridor BRT in Grand Rapids, MI • Perris Valley (CA) Metrolink Commuter Rail Extension • Others in St. Petersburg, Sarasota, Tucson, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland, Reno, Des Moines, and Aspen Common Issues • AA not completed • Finances not identified • Project not in metro plan

14. Planned Schedule for Rulemaking • July 2007: Publication of the Notice of Propose Rulemaking for New and Small Starts • July 2007: Publication of Measures document for NPRM • Early Summer 2008: Publication of the Final Rule for New and Small Starts • Early Summer 2008: Publication of Weights and Measures document for Final Rule

15. No Longer FTA’s Presentation! David Vozzolo, HDR October 11, 2007

16. Emerging Industry Comments • Due Nov 1 (yikes!) • Working Draft comments by APTA, Community Streetcar Coalition, New Starts Working Group • Encourage comments from individual agencies and organizations! • Volume does matter! • Comments also set stage for New Authorization in 2009.

17. Emerging Industry Comments • Suggest a more simplified project rating and project development process • Increased consideration of land use and economic development benefits • Reduced (or no) consideration of user benefits - travel time savings measures • Reduced time and cost required for project milestones and grant agreement