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This questionnaire asks for information about your agency's transit projects. Please use the following definitions for terms used throughout this questionnaire.
New Starts. According to FTA guidance, New Starts is a federal grant program established by 49 USC § 5309 that provides capital funds for the design and construction of fixed-guideway transit projects, including heavy rail, light rail, commuter rail, bus rapid transit, streetcar, and ferry systems. Small Starts. According to FTA interim guidance, this FTA federal grant program provides capital for guideway systems, extensions, and substantial bus corridor improvements. To be eligible for Small Starts funding, a transit project must (a) meet the definition of a fixed guideway for at least 50 percent of its project length, (b) be a fixed-guideway project, or (c) be a corridor-based bus project with the following elements: includes substantial transit stations; includes traffic signal priority and preemption, where appropriate; provides low-floor vehicles or level boarding; includes branding of the proposed service; offers 10-minute peak and 15-minute off-peak headways or better while operating at least 14 hours per weekday. To be eligible for Small Starts funding, a transit project must have a total cost of less than $250 million and be seeking less then $75 million in Small Starts funds. Very Small Starts. According to FTA interim guidance, this FTA federal grant program, which is a subcomponent of the Small Starts program, provides capital for fixed-guideway systems, extensions, and bus corridor improvements. To be eligible for Very Small Starts funding, a transit project must have a total capital cost of less than $50 million (including all project elements) and less than $3 million per mile (excluding rolling stock). Other eligibility requirements are for the transit project to have substantial transit stations; include traffic signal priority and preemption, where appropriate; provide low-floor vehicles or level boarding; include branding of the proposed service; and offer 10 minute peak and 15 minute off-peak headways or better while operating at least 14 hours per weekday (expect for commuter rail or ferries), and are in corridors with existing riders who will benefit from the proposed project and number more than 3,000 on an average weekday. Transit Projects. Transit projects include the design and construction of any fixed-guideway system or corridor-based bus project that meets the definition of a New Starts, Small Starts, or Very Small Starts project. These types of projects include, but are not limited to, rapid rail, light rail, commuter rail, automated guideway transit, people movers, and exclusive facilities for buses (such as bus rapid transit) and other high occupancy vehicles. Projects that would not be eligible for New Starts, Small Starts, or Very Small Starts, such as bus purchases or bus station canopy repairs should not be included as transit projects. Completed Transit Projects. Completed transit projects are those that have been constructed and opened for service. Ongoing Transit Projects. Ongoing transit projects are currently in the preliminary engineering, final design, or construction phase, but have not yet been completed. At the preliminary engineering phase, local project sponsors refine the design of the proposal, taking into consideration all reasonable design alternatives. Preliminary engineering results in estimates of project costs, benefits, and impacts at a level of detail necessary to complete the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. The final design phase is the last phase of project development, and includes right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation, and the preparation of final construction plans (including construction management plans), detailed specifications, construction cost estimates, and bid documents. Additionally, the project's financial plan is finalized. The construction phase is the building of the transit project. Planned Transit Projects. Planned transit projects are those that are currently undergoing an alternatives analysis or other corridor planning study. |
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