Action
Notice.
Summary
The Department of Transportation (DOT) and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1998 (Pub. L. 105-66), was signed into law by President Clinton on October 27, 1997. Pending further consideration of a multi-year authorization next Spring, Congress has passed a six-month extension of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA), known as the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 1997. This act, signed by President Clinton on December 1, 1997, provides additional funding authorizations for the transit, highway, and highway safety programs for the period October 1, 1997, through March 31, 1998. The previous authorizations, under ISTEA, were effective through September 30, 1997. Funding for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is derived from two sources: the general funds of the Treasury and motor fuel taxes deposited into the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund. The 1998 DOT Appropriations Act provides $240,000,000 in general funds for the formula programs under 49 U.S.C. Sections 5307, 5311, and 5310. It also provides general funds in the amount of $52,250,000 for the transit planning and research programs of 49 U.S.C. Sections 5303, 5313(b), and 5311(b). The Surface Transportation Extension Act of 1997 provides an additional $1,328,400,000 for formula programs in the form of contract authority from the Mass Transit Account for a total of $1,568,400,000 for the formula programs. The capital programs are funded exclusively with trust funded resources. The Surface Transportation Extension Act of 1997 provides $1,131,600,000 in new contract authority, consisting of $452,640,000 each for the Fixed Guideway Modernization and New Starts categories and $226,320,000 for the Bus category. The obligational authority for New Starts when combined with $392,000,000 in unobligated contract authority for New Starts remaining under ISTEA exceeds the obligation limitation in the 1998 DOT Appropriations Act of $800,000,000. Therefore, this notice contains allocations to make $800,000,000 for New Starts available for obligation. This Notice contains (1) a listing of the full amount of the fiscal year 1998 apportionments and allocations for the formula, capital, and transit planning and research programs, including both trust funds and general funds, based on the 1998 Appropriations Act and Federal transit laws; and (2) a listing of apportionments and allocations based on the fiscal year 1998 available funds for the Urbanized Area Formula Program, the Nonurbanized Area Formula Program, the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities Program, the Rural Transit Assistance Program, the Capital Program, the Metropolitan Planning Program, and the State Planning and Research program, in accordance with the 1998 DOT Appropriations Act and the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 1997. As soon as authorizing legislation covering the remainder of the fiscal year, April 1, 1998, through September 30, 1998, has been enacted, the entire apportionment will be made available. If the reauthorization act affects the distribution of funds within the programs, FTA will republish the apportionments and allocations in their entirety, taking the provisions of both the 1998 DOT Appropriations Act and the reauthorization act into consideration. In any case, even though the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 1997 provides contract authorizations for the period October 1, 1997, through March 31, 1998, funding is available to grantees throughout the typical period of availability for each specific program. For example, Urbanized Area Formula Program funding is available to the grantees for fiscal year 1998 plus the next three years through fiscal year 2001. In the interim, grantees are able to obligate the fiscal year 1998 available apportionments, allocations, and carryover balances remaining under the various FTA formula and capital programs. Also included in this Notice is a listing of prior year unobligated earmarks for the Section 5309 New Starts and Bus Programs as in previous year notices. In addition, the FTA policy regarding pre-award authority to incur project costs, as well as other pertinent program information, is included.