20.514: Public Transportation Research, Technical Assistance, and Training

20.514

Inactive

Federal Transit Administration (FTA) [DOT]

Aug. 10, 2022

Aug. 10, 2022

The Federal Transit Administration's Research, Development, Demonstration, Deployment, Cooperative Research, Technical Assistance, Standards Development, and Human Resources and Training programs are authorized at 49 U.S.C. 5312, and 5314 and collectively seek to develop solutions that improve public transportation. Its primary goals are to increase transit ridership, improve safety and emergency preparedness, improve operating efficiencies, protect the environment, promote energy independence, and provide transit research leadership; develop and conduct workforce development activities, training and educational programs for Federal, State, and local transportation employees, United States citizens, and foreign nationals engaged or to be engaged in public transportation work; and to sponsor development of voluntary and consensus-based standards to more effectively and efficiently provide transit service, as well as support the improved administration of Federal transit funds. To accomplish this, FTA funds projects to support research and development, demonstration, deployments of various technologies and operational models for transit; a national cooperative research program, a national training institute, national technical assistance centers, and transit workforce development programs. The Public Transportation Innovation program (49 U.S.C. 5312) supports research, development, demonstration, deployment, and evaluation projects. Research projects in this area are not generally undertaken by the private sector including studies on transit policy issues, operational efficiency, and travel behavior. These projects will promote the use of clean energy and air quality improvement. The program also funds long-term, high-risk, high-potential payoff investigations of new technologies, which is critical to developing a public transportation system that is efficient, attractive, and reliable. The majority of the funds (75 percent) appropriated under 49 U.S.C 5338 to support this section, must be used for a discretionary Low and No Emission deployment program. The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) (49.U.S.C 5312) funds shorter-term research projects that address immediate operational issues facing the transit industry. These projects are designed to identify immediate improvements in transit safety, equipment and system design, system operations, and the economic development impact of transit investments, among other topic areas. These funds are typically awarded to the National Academies of Science which has managed the TCRP since its inception in 1992. The Technical Assistance and Standards (49 U.S.C. 5314) funds support provide resources and direct assistance to support compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), human services transportation coordination requirements, the transportation needs of elderly individuals, increased transit ridership, transportation equity needs, and any other technical assistance activities deemed necessary by FTA, such as improvements in safety and asset management. The Human Resources and Training program (49. U.S.C 5314) awards grants to transit agencies and other entities for workforce development programs and projects.

B - Project Grants (Contracts)

Applicants may include State and local DOT’s, nonprofit institutions, universities, and legally constituted public agencies and operators of public transportation services, and private for-profit organizations. Also, urban and rural transit agencies, Indian Tribes, public four-year degree-granting institutions of higher education as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))—in order to carry out the duties of the National Transit Institute.

N/A

20.531 - Technical Assistance and Workforce Development

20.530 - Public Transportation Innovation

https://sam.gov/fal/7ed8bcdc86e74008abcf27b4fa818098/view