Action
Notice of Availability of Fiscal Year 2012 Funds: Solicitation of Grant Proposals.
Summary
The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of funds in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 for the Over-the-Road Bus Accessibility (OTRB) Program, initially authorized by Section 3038 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). The OTRB program makes funds available to private operators of over-the-road buses to finance the incremental capital and training costs of complying with DOT's over-the-road bus accessibility regulation. The authorizing legislation calls for national solicitation of proposals, with grantees to be selected on a competitive basis. Program funds are available to intercity fixed-route providers and other OTRB providers at up to 90 percent of the project cost. The Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011, Public Law 112-30, continues the authorization of the Federal transit programs of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) through March 31, 2012, and provides contract authority for this program equal to approximately one half of the amounts available in FY 2011. Approximately $8.8 million is expected to be available for the OTRB program discretionary allocation and may include other discretionary program funds that become available. The total amount of funding available will be contingent on Congressional authorization and appropriation prior to the selection of awardees, and based on the timing of such funding becoming available, may also include funding appropriated for Fiscal Year 2013.