U.S. Department
of Transportation
Federal Transit
Administration |
Annual Report on
New Starts |
|
Proposed Allocation of
Funds for Fiscal Year 2006
Report of the Secretary of Transportation
to the United States Congress
Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 5309(o)(1)
|
2005
Report Number FTA-TBP10-2005-1
Prepared by:
Federal Transit Administration
Pursuant to:
Title 49, United States Code, Section 5309(o)(1)
Available from:
Federal Transit Administration
Office of Policy Development, TBP-10
400 7th Street, SW, Room 9310
Washington, DC 20590
http://www.fta.dot.gov
(Cover Photo courtesy of New Jersey Transit, FTA archives)
"Dear Colleague" letter from Administrator Jennifer L. Dorn
Letter to The Honorable Richard C. Shelby
Letter to The Honorable Paul S. Sarbanes
Letter to The Honorable Don Young
Letter to The Honorable James L. Oberstar
Foreword
This report is transmitted pursuant to Title 49, United States Code (U.S.C.), 5309(o)(1), which requires the Secretary of Transportation to submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the United States House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the United States Senate, a report that includes a proposal on the allocation of amounts to be made available to finance grants and loans for capital projects for new fixed guideway systems and extensions to existing fixed guideway systems (“New Starts”) among applicants for those funds. In addition, the report is formally submitted to the Appropriations Committees of both the House and the Senate. It is also provided to transit operators, metropolitan planning organizations, and State departments of transportation, and is made available to the public at large.
The report is a companion document to the President’s annual budget request to Congress. It provides the Administration’s recommendations for allocating New Starts capital investment funding for Federal Fiscal Year 2006.
The report is organized into two sections: the main body of the report, which specifies funding recommendations by project and provides background information both on the projects and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) program and processes; and a series of appendices that provide more detailed information on each proposed project. Appendix A includes those proposed projects in preliminary engineering, final design, or construction, and includes a complete profile (with map, where available) for each project. Appendix B briefly describes studies for projects that were authorized in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) that are not reported in Appendix A, or projects that have received New Starts appropriations.
Upon request, this report will be made available in alternative formats. It is also available via the Internet at the FTA site on the World Wide Web; the address is http://www.fta.dot.gov/.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Principles for Funding Recommendations
FY 2006 New Starts Allocations and Recommendations
A Word About Full Funding Grant Agreements
Figure 1. Existing and Anticipated Full Funding Grant Agreements
Figure 2. New Starts Projects in Preliminary Engineering and Final Design
Table 1. FY 2006 Funding for New Starts Projects
Existing Federal Funding Commitments
Anticipated Federal Funding Commitments
AZ: Phoenix/Central Phoenix East Valley LRT Corridor
NC: Charlotte/South Corridor LRT
NY: New York/Long Island Rail Road East Side Access
PA: Pittsburgh/North Shore LRT Connector 1
Other Projects
CA: San Diego Midcoast Corridor LRT
CO: Denver/West Corridor LRT
NY: New York/Second Avenue Subway MOS
OR: Washington County/Wilsonville to Beaverton Commuter Rail
TX: Dallas/Northwest-Southeast Light Rail MOS
UT: Salt Lake City/Weber County to Salt Lake City Commuter Rail
Local Planning and Project Development
Alternatives Analysis
Preliminary Engineering
Final Design
The New Starts Evaluation Process
Project Recommendations
FY 2006 New Starts Project Ratings
Exemptions
Table 2. Summary of FY 2006 New Starts Ratings
Methodology for Project Evaluation and Rating
Project Justification Criteria
Local Financial Commitment
Project Justification Rating
Cost Effectiveness
Transit-Supportive Existing Land Use and Future Patterns
Mobility Improvements
Operating Efficiencies
Environmental Benefits
Other Factors
Financial Rating
New Starts Funding Share
Capital and Operating Finance Plans
Summary Financial Rating
Appendix A: New Starts Project Profiles
Appendix B: Additional Studies and Projects
Tables & Figures
Table 1. FY 2006 Funding for New Starts Projects
Table 2. Summary of FY 2006 New Starts Ratings
Table 3. New Starts Project Justification Criteria and Supporting Measures and Categories
Table 4. Cost Effectiveness Thresholds
Table 5. Ratings Applied in Assessment of Land Use Criterion
Table 6. Quantitative Element Rating Guide
Table 7. Capital Plan Rating Standards
Table 8. Operating Plan Rating Standards
Figure 1. Existing and Anticipated Full Funding Grant Agreements
Figure 2. New Starts Projects in Preliminary Engineering and Final Design
Figure 3. New Starts Evaluation Process
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