Redesign of Transit Bus Operator Compartment to Improve Safety, Operational Efficiency, and Passenger Accessibility (Bus Operator Compartment) Program FY2020 Notice of Funding

Details:

Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Redesign of Transit Bus Operator Compartment to Improve Safety, Operational Efficiency, and Passenger (Bus Operator Compartment) Program. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of $2 million in Public Transportation Innovation funds to research and develop new transit bus operator compartment designs as well as better protect operators from assault and improve their view of the road while still allowing them to interact with passengers, including people with disabilities and those in need of special assistance.

FTA is seeking to fund cooperative agreements to develop new transit bus operator compartment designs in partnership with bus manufacturers, technology vendors, vehicle engineering and design firms and transit agencies.  The major goals of this program are to support a redesign of the bus operator compartment that improves bus operator and public safety, and improves bus operator access to vehicle instruments and controls without hindering the accessibility of passengers.

FTA intends to award multiple projects under this announcement. Synopses and full announcement are posted on Grants.gov site as opportunity FTA-2020-003-TRI-BCP. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the Grants.gov website by midnight Eastern Time March, 24, 2020.

Summary:

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of $2,000,000 in fiscal year (FY) 2018 research funds. FTA’s Public Transportation Innovation program is authorized by Federal public transportation law (49 U.S.C § 5312). FTA is seeking to fund cooperative agreements to develop new transit bus operator compartment designs in partnership with bus manufacturers, technology vendors, vehicle engineering and design firms, and transit agencies.

The  Bus Operator Compartment Program objectives are intended to help transit agencies:

• Increase bus operator safety from assaults
• Increase operator visibility to improve safety of pedestrians and other roadway users (e.g. minimizing bus operator blind-spots around A-pillars and mirrors of the bus)
• Increase passenger accessibility for positive interactions between operators and passengers, including assisting passengers in need of special assistance
• Improve ergonomics to reduce bus operator work-related health issues and injuries, as well as locate key instrument and control interfaces to improve operational efficiency and convenience
• Reduce operator distractions
• Accommodate Americans with Disabilities Act compliance for passenger boarding, alighting and securement

Eligible Applicants:

To be eligible for funding under this notice, applicants must demonstrate that the proposed project is supported by a lead applicant in partnership with one or more strategic partner(s) with a substantial interest and involvement in the project. The lead applicant must have the ability to carry out the proposed agreement and procurements with strategic partners in compliance with its respective State and local laws. FTA may determine that any named strategic partner in the proposal is a key party and make any award conditional upon the participation of that key party. An application must clearly identify the eligible lead applicant and all project partners on the team. Eligible lead applicants must be one of the listed entities prescribed below. Additionally, project partners and subrecipients under this program may include, but are not limited to:

• Public transportation systems
• Private for profit and not-for-profit organizations, including technology system suppliers and bus manufacturers
• Operators of transportation, such as employee shuttle services or airport connector services or university transportation systems
• State or local government entities
• Other organizations that may contribute to the success of the project team including consultants, research consortia or not-for-profit industry organizations, and institutions of higher education

Link and Instructions for attaching the supplemental form to the SF-424:

All applicants must complete the supplemental form specific to the Redesign of Transit Bus Operator Compartment to Improve Safety, Operational Efficiency, and Passenger (Bus Operator Compartment) Program and attach it to their submission in Grants.gov. Applicants should refer to section D of the NOFO for further information about required application contents. The supplemental form is available on Grants.gov and on the FTA website.

Dates: 

Applicants must submit proposals electronically by midnight Eastern Time on March 24, 2020. Any applicant intending to apply should initiate the process of registering on the Grants.gov site immediately to ensure completion of registration before the submission deadline.

For Further Information Contact:

Jamel El-Hamri, General Engineer, Office of Research, Demonstration, and Innovation (TRI), (202) 366-8985.

FTA plans to hold a webinar on this funding opportunity in early March. The webinar will provide an overview of the program, described eligible applicants and projects, and provided an opportunity for attendees to obtain answers to questions. Details on the time and date of the webinar as well as call in instructions will be available on the Bus Compartment Program page.