Funding for Federal-Aid Projects in Northwest

Indiana

October 27, 2014

Today’s Topics

•1. Background

•2. Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

•2. Federal-Aid Project Basics

•3. Release of NOFA 2014-2

• Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission

• Created in 1965

• Council of Governments

• Metropolitan Planning Organization

• Serves Lake, Porter, and LaPorteCounties and their 41 municipalities

What is NIRPC?

NIRPC Basics

•All 53 NIRPC Board Members are

•Elected Officials

•Metropolitan Planning

Organization (MPO)

Metropolitan Transportation Planning Process

Continuing, Cooperative, and Comprehensive (3-C)

Multi-Modal Scope—All Surface Transportation

Fosters Economic Growth & Development

Minimizes Fuel Consumption & Air Pollution

Emphasizes System Preservation

Metropolitan Transportation Planning and Programming

• Long Range Transportation Plan (LRP)• Multi-modal, Comprehensive • 20-Year Horizon or more• Guides Selection of Federal-Aid Projects for the TIP• Identifies Capacity-Increasing Projects

• Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)• Four-Year List of Surface Transportation Projects• Identifies Regionally Significant and Other Federally-

Funded Projects

• Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)

NIRPC Basics

•NIRPC’s 2014-2017 TIP Contains•978 Line-Item Entries

•427 INDOT-Sponsored Project Phases

•186 Local Highway-Related Project Phases

•71 Local Bicycle/Pedestrian Project Phases

•1 National Lakeshore Project

•293 Public Transit Projects

NIRPC Basics

•NIRPC’s 2014-2017 TIP Contains

•$1.2 Billion (Total Spending)

•$770 Million (Federal Funds)

NIRPC Basics

•We Have Two Urbanized Areas

•1. Chicago, IL/IN

•2. Michigan City-LaPorte, IN/MI

•Federal Aid Project Basics

Annual Federal-Aid Apportionments

• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA):

• Surface Transportation Program (STP)

• Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality Program

(CMAQ)

• Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)

• Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)

• Federal Transit Administration (FTA):

• Public Transit Formula Grants (5307)

• Bus Capital (5339)

• State of Good Repair (Commuter Rail)

Annual Federal-Aid Apportionments – Eligiblity

• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA):

• Surface Transportation Program (STP)

• General purpose construction funds for highways, bridges,

Bike/Ped Facilities, Transit Capital, etc.

• Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality Program (CMAQ)

• Transportation projects that reduce emissions.

• Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)

• Construction funds for improved highway safety.

• Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)

• Construction funds for Bicycle/Pedestrian & Environmental

Mitigation Projects.

Annual Federal-Aid Apportionments

• Federal Transit Administration (FTA):

• Public Transit Formula Grants (5307)• Transit Capital and Operating Assistance

• Bus Capital (5339)• Transit Capital Assistance for Bus Services

• State of Good Repair (Commuter Rail)• Capital Assistance for Commuter Rail

Federal Aid Received (FHWA)• Chicago Urbanized Area (Indiana Portion) $17.9 M

• STP Funds: $10.9 M/year

• CMAQ Funds: $ 3.3 M/year

• HSIP Funds: $ 2.7 M/year

• TAP Funds: $ 1.0 M/year

• Michigan City-LaPorte Urbanized Area $2.0 M• STP Funds: $ 1.0 M/year

• CMAQ Funds: $ 0.6 M/year

• HSIP Funds: $ 0.3 M/year

• TAP Funds: $ 0.1 M/year

Federal Aid Received (FTA)• Chicago Urbanized Area (Indiana Portion) $17.9 M

• 5307 Funds: $ 10.9 M/year

• 5339 Funds: $ 0.5 M/year

• SGR Funds: $ 12.5 M/year

• Michigan City-LaPorte Urbanized Area $1.0 M• 5307 Funds: $ 1.0 M/year

Where does the money come from?Answer: Motor Fuel Excise Taxes

Gasoline: 18.3 cents per gallon

Diesel: 24.3 cents per gallon

Propane: 13.6 cents per gallon

1. US Treasury Places Funds in the Highway Trust Fund

2. Congress Appropriates HTF Proceeds to FHWA & FTA

3. FHWA & FTA Distribute Funds to States

4. States Sub-allocate funds to Urbanized Areas

5. MPO’s allocate funds to individual projects

Stakeholder-Driven Project Selection Process• Four Primary Stakeholder Groups.

• Environmental Management Policy Committee (EMPC)• Ped, Pedal, & Paddle Committee (3-P)• Surface Transportation Committee (CST)• Transit Operators Roundtable (Transit Operators)• LaPorte County Stakeholder Group

• Each Group Establishes a process for selecting Federal-Aid projects within their area of expertise.

• Selection recommendations are made to the Transportation Policy Committee (TPC).

• NIRPC Board ratifies the list of projects selected.

Stakeholder Jurisdictional Areas

• Environmental Management Policy Committee (EMPC)

• Non-Traditional CMAQ Projects (Non-Construction)

• Ped, Pedal, & Paddle Committee (3-P)

• Non-Motorized & Bike/Ped Projects (TAP, CMAQ, STP)

• Surface Transportation Committee (CST)

• Highway Construction Projects (STP, CMAQ, HSIP)

• Transit Operators Roundtable (Transit Operators)

• All Public Transit Projects, except LaPorte County CMAQ

• LaPorte County Stakeholders

• All Federal-Aid Projects within the LaPorte County

NIRPC Board Approval of Projects

Two Common Methods:

• Inclusion of the New Project in the TIP• Inclusion of the Project in a New TIP or

• Amendment of the Project into an Existing TIP

• Board Approves the TIP or TIP Amendment

• Approval of a Specific List of New Projects• EMPC or TPC Submits List to Board

• Board Reviews and Approves the List of New Projects

Once Your Project Has Been Selected & is in the TIP

For Most FHWA-Funded Projects

• NIRPC will Request a DES Number from INDOT• Your project is now within INDOT’s Production System

• Select your Employee in Responsible Charge (ERC)• Official Contact with INDOT (INDOT must Certify).

• For FHWA-funded projects, INDOT will then issue a Master Agreement. Execute & return as directed.• Note: For some CMAQ-funded non-construction projects, you

will be directed to submit your Agreement to NIRPC for execution.

Selecting an Engineering Firm

For Most FHWA-Funded Construction Projects• If your project requires design services, you may then

begin the Consultant Procurement/Selection Process.• Use INDOT’s System: Preliminary Engineering (PE) Costs are

Eligible for Reimbursement with Federal Funds.

• Use Another System: PE Costs Covered at 100% Local.

• All Design Consultants must be INDOT-Pre-qualified.

• Negotiate contract terms with the chosen firm.

• Your chosen Consultant may not begin work on your project until: 1) A fully-executed, written contract is in place and 2) INDOT has issued a Notice to Proceed (NTP).

Obtaining Reimbursements

For All FHWA-Funded Projects

• For all project-related expenses except the construction contract itself, the sponsor must pay 100% of all costs up front before seeking reimbursement from INDOT.• This includes CMAQ-funded equipment & motor fuel.

• Must submit copies of cancelled checks.

• No Exceptions.

NIRPC Oversight

For All FHWA-Funded Projects

• Quarterly Tracking Meetings.• Sponsor meets face-to-face with INDOT & NIRPC.

• Project-by-Project Review.

• Participation Required as Condition of Funding.

• Meetings Spread Over Four-Five Days

• On-Line Quarterly Reporting (LQR).• Reviewed Prior to Tracking Meetings.

• Submission Required as Condition of Funding.

NIRPC Basics

•LQR Reviews

•Reports Reviewed: 98

•Average Time per Report: 8.5 minutes

•NOFA 2014-2Solicitation/Call for

Federal-Aid Transportation Projects

in

Lake, Porter, and LaPorte Counties, Indiana

NOFA 2012-2

• For Lake & Porter Counties• 2017-2021 CMAQ Projects $13.4 Million

• 2017-2021 HSIP Projects $ 9.9 Million

• For LaPorte County• 2016-2021 CMAQ Projects $ 2.6 Million

• 2016-2021 HSIP Projects $ 1.5 Million

• 2016-2021 STP Projects $ 4.7 Million

NOFA 2012-2

• Submission Deadline

•Monday, December 1, 2014• Eligible Applicants

• Counties, Cities, Towns

• Gary PTC, NICTD,

• State Agencies (including IU, Purdue, Ivy Tech)

• Other Entities (via written agreement with one of the above)

NOFA 2012-2

• What to Submit• Application Form • Purpose/Need Statement• Required Programmatic Documentation

• CMAQ: Emissions Calculations• HSIP: Road Safety Audit & Cost-Benefit Analysis

• Transmittal Letter Executed by CEO• Chief Elected Official or Chief Executive Officer

• How to Submit• Via E-Mail, USPS, In-Person. • Hand-written applications accepted.

NOFA 2012-2

• To Download Forms• Go to www.nirpc.org.

• Click on “Events” and follow instructions.

• Software You Will Need• Microsoft Excel (CMAQ Application Forms & Emissions

Worksheets).

• Adobe PDF Reader (Portions of HSIP Application).

• Microsoft Word (Portions of HSIP Application).

NOFA 2012-2

• Purchases of CMAQ-Funded Alternative Fuels• FHWA extended the eligibility of these projects through

FFY 2017 (Sept 30, 2017).

• FHWA CMAQ Guidance• Required reading to learn what’s eligible.

NOFA 2012-2

• NIRPC Contacts• HSIP: Stephen Sostaric ssostaric@nirpc.org

• Bike/Ped: Mitch Barloga mbarloga@nirpc.org

• STP/CMAQ: Gary Evers gevers@nirpc.org

• Emissions: Kathy Luther kluther@nirpc.org

• Transit: Belinda Petroskey bpetroskey@nirpc.org

• Solicitation, Deadlines, Document Formats, Meetings: Amanda Pollard aperegrine@nirpc.org

• Telephone 219.763.6060

By email: comments@nirpc.org

By telephone: (219)763-6060, ext. 160

By US Postal Service:6100 Southport Rd.

Portage, Indiana 46368

How to Contact NIRPC

Find NIRPC Online

www.nirpc.org

facebook.com/nirpcmpo

twitter.com/nirpc