SMS Workshop and Safety Seminar - Regulatory Update on Safety Management Systems

State Safety Oversight Program Certification

FTA’s State Safety Oversight (SSO) Program details the requirements that states must meet to oversee rail transit systems safety for passengers and workers. FTA’s SSO Program final rule, effective in April 2016, requires a strengthened SSO Program for oversight at rail transit agencies and...

Caltrain Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project Profile FY18

The Joint Powers Board is upgrading and electrifying Caltrain's 51-mile double track commuter rail from the 4th and King Caltrain Station in San Francisco to the Tamien Station in San Jose.

If my project received less funding than requested, may I still pursue the full scope of the project?

Yes, however FTA will only participate in the scope of the project that was funded in the award announcement. In most cases, this scope corresponds with a proposed “scaled” option for the project. Other sources of funding would be required for the other elements of the project. If you are unsure...

Costs for many of the projects submitted were based on very preliminary estimates. If all the work in the application cannot be competed with the dollars allocated but another project has costs lower than anticipated, can funds be moved among projects?

No, competitive resilience funding must be used for the project for which it was awarded.

Please confirm that we can have the option to put multiple projects in a single grant.

Yes, you may apply for multiple resilience projects in a single grant if the period of performance is similar and the combination will not delay obligation or disbursement of funds for a project due to federal requirements such as environmental work.

How will FTA determine which projects require construction agreements and/or risk assessments? Can that decision be made jointly with the grantee?

As with other Hurricane Sandy funds, construction agreements are required for all projects receiving $500 million or more of Federal funds and FTA may require their use for projects receiving $100 million or more. FTA is evaluating the risk of each grant and/or major capital project to determine...

If FTA requires a risk assessment for a project, how will FTA handle situations where the risk-informed number is higher than the allocation?

Regardless of the results of the risk assessment, FTA expects the recipient to complete the scope of the Resilience project applied for without expectation of additional Hurricane Sandy funding. FTA may require the recipient to identify additional funding sources if necessary.Regardless of the...

Will FTA publish an official notice of the awards and/or further instructions?

Yes, FTA is preparing to publish an official notice of public transportation resilience awards. This notice will include detailed further instructions and further guidance on the program.

Is there a timeframe in which these projects must be obligated or completed?

Although Section 904(c) of the Disaster Relief Act requires that funds received under the Disaster Relief Act be expended within two years of obligation, OMB issued a waiver of this requirement for grants awarded under FTA’s Emergency Relief Program. In issuing this waiver, OMB stated an...