FEDERAL SECTION 5311(f)
INTERCITY BUS PROGRAM APPLICATION PACKAGE
For Calendar Year 2018
Office of Transit
Todd Jennings, Program Manager
Indiana Department of Transportation
Office of Transit
100 North Senate Ave., Room N955
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2219
APPLICATION INFORMATION FOR SECTION 5311(f) INTERCITY BUS PROGRAM ASSISTANCE
Name of Applicant: Click here to enter text.
Address: Click here to enter text.
City/State/Zip Code: Click here to enter text.
Contact Person: Click here to enter text.
Phone: Click here to enter text.
E-Mail: Click here to enter text.
AMOUNT OF SECTION 5311(f) INTERCITY BUS PROGRAM FUNDS REQUESTED
OPERATING (Includes marketing/administrative) $ Click here to enter text. (Federal)
CAPITAL (Includes Feeder Service) $ Click here to enter text. (Federal)
Brief Description of Project:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION 1
Operations Emphasis 2
Roles of the State, the Applicant, and the Operator 2
II. POLICY 2
Eligible Applicants 2
Eligible Projects 3
Current Section 5311(F) Supported Intercity Bus Service 4
Available Intercity Bus Service Allocation 6
Local Match Requirement/In-Kind Calculation 6
Administrative Funding 7
Federal/State Regulatory Compliance 7
III. SCOPE OF SERVICES 8
Description of Services Being Requested 8
Coordination/Public Outreach 8
Ticketing and Schedules 8
Vehicles 9
Service to Passengers with Disabilities: Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act 10
Service Interruptions 10
Marketing 10
IV. CONTRACT FOR SERVICE 11
V. APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS 13
Criteria To Screen Proposed Services 13
Application Evaluation Criteria (Points Based) 13
INDOT’s Reserved Rights 14
VI. Application Instructions 14
General Information 15
ATTACHMENT a 17
attachment b Marketing plan 20
ATTACHMENT C PROJECT BUDGET 21
ATTACHMENT D USER-SIDE SUBSIDY BUDGET / D-2 MARKETING/ADMIN BUDGET 22-23
attachment E CONTRACT INVOICE VOUCHER (EXAMPLE ONLY) 24
ATTACHMENT F QUARTERLY OPERATING DATA REPORT (EXAMPLE ONLY) 25
ATTACHMENT G QUARTERLY OPERATING FINANCIAL STATUS REPORT (EXAMPLE ONLY) 26
attachment CERTIFICATION AND ASSURANCES 27-81
ATTACHMENT LOCAL ASSURANCES 82
ATTACHMENT 5333 (B) CERTIFICATION 83-84
attachment CATAGORICAL EXCLUSIONS 85
ATTACHMENT USE OF PROJECT EQUIPMENT CERT 86
ATTACHMENT AUTHORIZING RESOLUTION 87
ATTACHMENT DBE CERTIFICATION 88
attachment TITLE VI CERTIFICATION 89
ATTACHMENT FMCSA AUTHORITY CERTIFICATION 90
APPLICATION CHECKLIST LAST PG.
I. INTRODUCTION
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Office of Transit is accepting applications for its Calendar Year 2018 Section 5311(f), Intercity Bus Program, as prescribed by the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Nonurbanized Area Formula Program (Section 5311) guidance. (FTA Circular 9040.1G)
The FTA has defined intercity bus service as:
Regularly scheduled bus service for the general public which operates with limited stops over fixed routes connecting two or more urban areas not in close proximity, which has the capacity for transporting baggage carried by passengers, and which makes meaningful connections with scheduled intercity bus service to more distant points, if such service is available. Package express service may also be included, if incidental to passenger transportation. Intercity service is not limited by the size of the vehicle used or by the identity of the carrier.
FTA provides the following characteristics of intercity bus service:
¨ Regularly scheduled bus service;
¨ Available to the general public;
¨ Makes limited stops;
¨ Operates on fixed routes;
¨ Connects two or more urban areas not in close proximity;
¨ Makes meaningful connections (if available);
¨ Predominantly passenger service (any package/goods service must be incidental);
¨ Not a commuter service; and
¨ Not air, water, or rail service (bus only).
Additionally, the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) has defined intercity bus service as regular route service that meets the following criteria:
¨ Operates between two or more cities, towns, or isolated clusters;
¨ Operates on a fixed schedule;
¨ Carries the general public and is not subject to preconditions for passage; and
¨ Does not operate wholly within urbanized areas.
INDOT also recognizes that smaller private and public transportation operators, such as rural general public providers, can supplement the core intercity network by providing feeder service to connect with existing intercity service.
The FTA requires that states receiving Section 5311 Program funds expend a minimum of 15 percent of those funds on an intercity bus program, unless the Governor certifies that intercity bus needs in that state are being adequately met. INDOT has made it a practice to utilize the full 15 percent for intercity bus service, negating the need to submit a Governor’s certification.
Federal regulatory reform of the intercity bus industry has led to the abandonment of many routes in Indiana, particularly in the state’s rural areas. INDOT recognizes the importance of establishing a seamless public transportation network across the state, as well as providing citizens access to intercity, intrastate, regional, and connector services to other modes of transportation (including intercity bus, air, and passenger rail services). INDOT has established the Intercity Bus Program to provide funding to meet this objective.
Operations Emphasis
Based on the results of the 2009 Indiana Intercity Bus Study and input provided by the state’s intercity carriers and rural public transportation providers, the primary emphasis of the INDOT Intercity Bus Program is to utilize the Section 5311(f) funds to provide operating assistance for the provision of intercity bus service. This can be accomplished by providing traditional intercity route service or feeder connections to existing intercity services. Accordingly, the INDOT Intercity Bus Program is proposed as an operating assistance program, rather than having a capital focus. Given the limited amount of Section 5311(f) funding available, capital funding for vehicles or facilities would not go far and would have only an indirect impact on the goal of better meeting the state’s intercity bus service needs.
Roles of the State, the Applicant, and the Operator
The Office of Transit will, at a minimum, provide statewide oversight, review and approve applications and program-related documentation, issue contracts to approved applicants, and process invoices for reimbursement of allowable project expenses.
II. POLICY
Eligible Applicants
To be eligible to submit an application for funding under the Section 5311(f) program, the applicant must be one of the following (FTA Circular 9040.1G, Page III-5, Section 2):
¨ Intercity bus providers;
¨ Private non-profit transportation providers;
¨ Private for-profit transportation providers;
¨ Local public transportation providers providing, or proposing to provide, feeder service to intercity carriers, or operation of a user-sider-subsidy program; or
¨ Indian tribes and groups.
Note that at the discretion of INDOT, Office of Public Transit, funds may be passed through to a local agency that will subcontract with a third-party for-profit operator/administrator to provide the intercity bus service, feeder service, or user-side-subsidy program, and/or INDOT may contract directly with a for-profit operator. This decision may vary among the proposed services, depending upon the applicant and type of applications received.
It is anticipated that successful applicants will demonstrate the following characteristics or provide required documentation for program eligibility:
1. Have a minimum of 2-3 years of comparable experience operating medium to large passenger buses in intercity, regional and/or commuter/express service with no penalties imposed.
2. Have a solid financial position that demonstrates an ability to sustain such an operation for at least two years.
3. Maintain an on-time delivery window with all connecting carriers of no later than 30 minutes past the arrival time as noted in the Russell’s Guide.
4. Notify INDOT within 24 hours of a cancelled schedule.
5. Operate intercity bus service at least five (5) days per week.
6. Possess appropriate vehicles, or the ability to acquire appropriate vehicles. Vehicles will have comfortable seating suitable for long-distance travel and a capacity for transporting baggage and bicycles.
7. Electronic Logs required on all busses.
8. For private transportation companies, provide:
a. One to three business references for which similar service has been provided.
b. Document(s) showing evidence of organization.
c. Financial statement or annual report from past two years.
9. Private non-profit applicants are required to present proof of their non-profit status.
10. Applicant must have the approval of its governing board, and an authorizing resolution by the governing board must be submitted with the application.
11. Evidence that they either have, or have the capability to acquire, adequate insurance coverage.[1]
According to FMCSA §387.33 (Financial responsibility, minimum levels), for-hire motor carriers of passengers operating in interstate or foreign commerce must maintain minimum financial responsibility of $5 million for any vehicle with a seating capacity of 16 passengers or more, and $1.5 million for any vehicle with a seating capacity of 15 passengers or less. For services that interline with Greyhound but do not cross state lines to do so, Greyhound has established the following insurance requirements (single limits): 15 passengers or less—$1.5 million; 16-30 passengers—$2 million; more than 30 passengers—$5 million.
Eligible Projects
While it is anticipated that traditional intercity bus service will be the primary type of service funded with the Section 5311(f) funds, the Intercity Bus Program will also fund services that operate as feeder services to intercity bus routes. These services must be open to the general public, but may have characteristics that differ from those described above as intercity services. For example, feeder services may be demand-responsive in nature, or smaller vehicles may be used. At the same time, feeder services must make meaningful connections with intercity services at common terminals and at times that provide for convenient connections. Such feeder services should have as their primary purpose the provision of a connection to the intercity bus network. Otherwise, only that portion of the feeder service expenses that are reasonably attributable to intercity bus service are eligible for Section 5311(f) funding. An example of this would be the extension of an existing bus route to serve the local intercity bus station. In this case, only the cost of the route extension would be eligible.
With an emphasis on operations and due to limited funding, the highest priority is the preservation of cost effective existing intercity bus services. The next priority is development of new intercity services, or feeder service to existing intercity routes from areas that do not currently have intercity connections. This can include reinstatement of intercity bus services on routes or in corridors that once had service, or implementation of feeder services from unserved areas to convenient connections with intercity services.
Projects that offer services coordinated with other intercity services will receive priority, including those that utilize through-service buses, interline tickets, common intermodal terminals, coordinated schedules and joint information or marketing plans. INDOT requires that all services provided with Section 5311(f) funds offer users a meaningful connection with the national intercity bus network, including interline (joint) ticketing and service connections that are shown in the public timetables for the services. In addition, all projects funded under this program must provide for the marketing of the services to the general public. Requests for operating assistance must include in their project description information about specific marketing efforts for the proposed service. An amount not to exceed ten percent of the total project amount should be allocated for marketing expenses.
Also, because of limited funding, priority will be given to projects that are potentially self-sustaining at some future time or that have the potential for reduced subsidy requirements in the future.
Current Section 5311(F) Supported Intercity Bus Service
INDOT currently utilizes the 15 percent Section 5311(f) allocation to fund the following intercity bus routes that are operated by the respective carriers. INDOT only participates in the portion of the route that is operated within the State of Indiana.
¨ Indianapolis to Benton Harbor MI via Westfield, Kokomo, Peru, Rochester, Plymouth, La Paz, South Bend and Elkhart;
¨ Indianapolis to Evansville via Bloomington, Bedford, Orleans, Loogootee, Montgomery, Washington, Vincennes and Princeton;
¨ Louisville to Evansville via Corydon, Dale and Owensboro KY;
¨ Indianapolis to Muncie via Indianapolis International Airport, Fortville, Pendleton and Anderson;
¨ Indianapolis to Terre Haute via Martinsville, Bloomington and Spencer;
¨ Chicago, IL to Columbus OH via Gary, Valparaiso, Plymouth, Warsaw, Columbia City, Fort Wayne, Muncie, Richmond and Dayton OH;
¨ Cincinnati to Detroit MI via Miami OH, Liberty, Richmond, Greenfield, Indianapolis, Marion, Fort Wayne, Defiance OH, Bowling Green OH, Toledo OH and Lincoln Park MI;
¨ Columbus to Chicago via Kenton OH, Lima OH, Fort Wayne, Angola, Elkhart, South Bend and Gary;
¨ Columbus to Chicago via Springfield OH, Dayton OH, Richmond, Portland, Berne, Decatur, Fort Wayne, Warsaw, Plymouth, La Porte, Gary and Hammond; and
¨ INDOT also funds the City of Marion through a Section 5311(f) grant that reimburses passengers who are residents of Grant County for 50 percent of the cost of a ticket on Greyhound. The City receives administrative funds to manage this grant.
Current Intercity Bus Service
Available Intercity Bus Service Allocation
As required by FTA, INDOT has set aside 15% of its annual Section 5311 Nonurbanized Area Formula Program apportionment with the intent of expending the funds on intercity bus needs. Therefore, for calendar year 2018, INDOT will make available approximately $2,400,000 to support the intercity bus network. Should funding requests exceed the announced Section 5311(f) funds availability, eligible projects may receive less than the amount originally requested or be placed in alternate status pending the availability of additional Section 5311(f) funds.
Local Match Requirement/In-Kind Calculation
Section 5311(f) funds can be used to provide up to fifty percent (50%) of the net cost of service. The net cost of service is determined by subtracting passenger revenue from total operating expenses. The remaining 50 percent of the net cost of service must be provided with cash, and/or “In-Kind Match” as is made available through the Section 5311 program. Those projects with a higher percentage of passenger revenue and/or contributions from local government(s) will be given a higher priority for funding.
FTA Circular 9040.1G states that “Section 5311(g)(3)(D) provides that in the case of an intercity bus project that includes both feeder service and an unsubsidized segment of intercity bus service to which the feeder service connects, the local match may be derived from the costs of a private operator for the unsubsidized segment of intercity bus service as an in-kind match for the operating costs of connecting rural intercity feeder service funder under Section 5311(f).”