Planning & Environmental

The Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) stipulates that the Secretary of Transportation must make a number of determinations before awarding Section 5309 Capital Investment Grant Program funds for construction of any New Starts, Small Starts or Core Capacity project.  These determinations require credible information on existing land use and economic development effects, project costs, projected ridership, local financial commitment, and environmental impacts that supports the evaluation criteria contained in 49 U.S.C. Section 5309.  FTA’s Office of Planning and Environment (TPE) within the Federal Transit Administration at the United States (U.S.) Department of Transportation (DOT) assesses each proposed project’s eligibility for Section 5309 funding.  This assessment includes ensuring that the project a) evaluates and rates acceptably according to the statutory evaluation criteria; and b) meets all requirements for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes and environmental documentation, with all impacts properly assessed, documented, and mitigated.  FTA uses this information to recommend Section 5309 funds to the projects with the greatest merit. The Contractors shall provide support to conduct assessments of existing land use and economic development effects, planning oversight, and NEPA-related environmental review for projects seeking Section 5309 funding.