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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

05. How will projects be selected for HOPE program funding?

Eligible Projects will be selected based upon the following criteria:

Demonstration of Need:  The quality and extent to which they demonstrate how the proposed activities will support planning, engineering, or development of technical, or financing plans that would result in a project eligible for funding under Chapter 53 of Title 49 United States Code. 

Demonstration of Benefits:  How the proposed planning, engineering, or development of technical, or financing plans that address the existing condition of the transit system, improve the reliability of transit service for its riders, enhance access and mobility within the service area, or accelerate innovation in areas of persistent poverty.

System Condition: The potential for the planning, engineering, or development of technical, or financing plans to lead to an improvement in the condition of the transit system in areas of persistent poverty.

Service Reliability: The potential for the planning, engineering, or development of technical, or financing plans to lead to a reduction in the frequency of breakdowns or other service interruptions caused by the age and condition of the agency’s bus fleet, and improve system reliability. 

Enhanced Access and Mobility: The potential for the planning, engineering, or development of technical, or financing plans to lead to improved access and mobility for the transit riding public, such as through increased reliability, improved headways, creation of new transportation choices or eliminating gaps in the current route network. 

Accelerating Innovation: The potential for the planning, engineering, or development of technical, or financing plans to accelerate the introduction of innovative technologies or practices such as integrated fare payment systems permitting complete trips or advancements to propulsion systems.  Innovation can also include practices such as new public transportation operational models, financial or procurement arrangements, or value capture strategies.

Emissions Reductions: The potential for the planning study, engineering study, or development of technical, or financing plans with a project partner to lead to reduced vehicle emissions as a potential outcome.

Barriers to Low Income Housing: The degree to which the planning study, engineering study, or technical or financial plans identify proposed actions that reduce regulatory barriers that unnecessarily raise the costs of housing development or impede the development of affordable housing.

Regional Support:  Evidence of regional or local support for the proposed project.  Documentation may include support letters from local and regional planning organizations, local governmental officials, public agencies and/or non-profit or private sector partners attesting to the need for the project.

Improving Rural Transportation:  Consistent with the Department's R.O.U.T.E.S. Initiative (https://www.transportation.gov/rural), the Department recognizes that rural transportation networks face unique challenges. To the extent that those challenges are reflected in the merit criteria listed in this section, FTA will consider how the activities proposed in the application will address those challenges, regardless of the geographic location of those activities.