Federal Transit Administration

ARRA and the Environment

35. Lessons Learned from ARRA - Part I

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - 1:30pm - 2:45pm

This Presentation Will Cover

• Transit Programs Included in ARRA

• ARRA 2009 & 2010 Accomplishments

• ARRA NEPA Reporting Requirements

• ARRA Oversight

• NEPA Case Study

• Contact Information

The Recovery Act

Creating Jobs and Improving our

Transportation Infrastructure

“We are remaking the American landscape with the largest new investment in our nation's infrastructure since Eisenhower built an Interstate Highway System in the 1950s. Because of this investment, nearly 400,000 men and women will go to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges…upgrading mass transit, building high-speed rail lines that will improve travel and commerce throughout our nation.”

President Obama, February 17, 2009

Transit Programs Included in ARRA

• Urban Formula-$5.97 B

• Non-Urban Formula-$750 M

• Fixed Guideway Modernization Formula-$742 M

• New/Small Starts Discretionary Grants-$742 M

• Tribal Discretionary Grants-$17 M

• TIGGER Discretionary Grants (Transit Investments for

Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction)-$100 M

• DOT-Wide TIGER Discretionary Grants (Transportation

Investment Generating Economic Recovery)-$1.49 B

89% of ARRA funds out the door!

September 1: 50% of Formula Funds Obligated

September 21: DOT announced 43 TIGGER grant recipients for $100 M

December 18: DOT announced 39 tribal transit grant recipients for $17 M

Accomplishments 2010

February 17: DOT announced 14 TIGER transit grants

– States with TIGER Projects

•Massachusetts•DC/MD/VA•Illinois•Minnesota•Missouri•Iowa •Arizona

•Nevada•Oregon•New Orleans•Texas •Michigan•Ohio

Questions? Email TIGERGrants@dot.gov

Accomplishments 2010

March 5: 100% formula funds obligated

– Nearly 900 formula grants for $7.5 billion

“Investing in these transit upgrades not only puts construction

workers on the job at project sites, but supports American

manufacturing jobs all the way down the supply chain. At a time when

jobs are priority number one, that means twice the employment bang

for the Recovery Act buck.”

Vice President Biden, March 5, 2010

ARRA NEPA

Reporting Requirements

• All Executive Branch departments and agencies that

receive ARRA funding, must submit a Subsection

1609(c) report to the Council on Environmental Quality

(CEQ) and Congress

• This quarterly report logs the NEPA actions of all ARRA

projects, and will be reported through October 15th,

2011

• There have been over 6,000 NEPA actions for FTA

ARRA projects recorded since March 15th, 2009

ARRA Oversight

• Two Primary Goals:

• Projects Delivered on Time and on Budget

• Prevent Waste, Fraud and Abuse

• Project Oversight

– Major Capital Construction Projects

• New/Small Starts

• Other Construction Projects over $25 million

• TIGER Discretionary grants

– Other Capital Projects Based on Risk Assessment

• Bus procurements over $5 million

• Construction projects between $5 million and $25

million

NEPA Case Study

• Miami Tribe, Miami, Oklahoma

• ARRA funds are issued for a Multimodal Transit

Center

• The existing structure is in Miami’s Historic District and

on the National Register of Historic Places

• Renovations would be extensive to the existing

building and facility, changing the landscape of the

Historic District

• Coordination and consultation with the Oklahoma

State Historical Society, SHPO and Miami Tribe

NEPA Case Study

• Project scope was changed in order to meet the ARRA

funding deadline

• The Miami Tribe purchased operational software,

additional fleet vehicles, and updated existing

communication systems with ARRA funds

• Coordination is still ongoing between the Oklahoma

State Historical Society, SHPO and Miami Tribe, for

future renovations to the Multimodal Transit Center

• Miami Tribe will apply for future FTA Tribal Grant funds

for the Multimodal Transit facility project

NEPA Case Study

• Ship Creek Intermodal Transportation Center

Anchorage, Alaska

• ARRA and FTA funds are designated for a three phase

project that will meet multi-modal passenger needs

• Completed project will provide an efficient and safe

connection between the downtown Anchorage and

Ship Creek area, creating better access for residents

and visitors

NEPA Case Study

• The Anchorage Historic Depot is listed in the National

Register of Historic Places

• Proposed renovations would result in adverse effects

under Section 106, based on consultation with the Alaska

(AK) SHPO

• Consultation with the Alaska Railroad Company and AK

SHPO, resulted in the creation of a Programmatic

Agreement (PA)

• The PA outlines mitigation measures for the Anchorage

Historic Depot renovations, and procedures for continued

106 consultations for all future phases of the project

Contact Information

Andréa Martin

FTA-Environmental Protection Specialist

Washington, DC

andrea.martin@dot.gov

FTA Public Website Contact Us Tool

http://www.fta.dot.gov/about/about_FTA_6903.html

FTA ARRA Website

http://www.fta.dot.gov/index_9440.html

Thank you!