The FTA’s Ladders of Opportunity Initiative is one of the most over-subscribed discretionary grant programs in the agency’s history. FTA received 446 project proposals from 282 applicants requesting a total of approximately $1.4 billion—more than 10 times the available funding. This highly competitive program reflects tremendous pent-up demand for modern buses and bus facilities in communities across the United States. FTA was able to fund only a portion of worthy projects providing ready access to work for individuals lacking reliable transportation, especially in low-income and under-served neighborhoods.

Due to the volume of unfunded project proposals, FTA is unable to conduct individual de-briefs with unsuccessful applicants. FTA can, however, offer the following feedback to strengthen proposals when responding to future discretionary opportunities:

• Submit new and carefully conceived proposals that directly reflect the requirements contained in the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).
• Contact FTA staff, regional and Headquarters, to discuss eligibility of your project before submitting the proposal.
• Address, clearly and thoroughly, all of the criteria outlined in NOFA, to include why the investment is needed and how the investment will meet the need, and accomplish or meet the intent of program/opportunity to which you are applying
• If a project is scalable, include both the scalable amount and an explanation of what will be funded with the scalable amount and how the benefits of the project may be scaled as a result of lesser funding.
• Ensure supporting documentation and attachments are clearly referenced in the application, and that they are relevant to the criteria.
• Ensure that qualitative and quantitative data provided in response to the criteria is relevant to the proposed project or service area
• Check numbers for the local match and ensure budget shows the required match or accounts for the use of in-kind match that is equal to or more than the required local share.

While there are no plans under the current transportation authorization for another Bus Capital Discretionary program, the President’s GROW AMERICA Act reauthorization proposal would increase funding for transit buses and bus facilities by over 350 percent between FY2014 and FY2015, to help address additional unmet transportation needs across the country.