Section 5339 Alternatives Analysis Program

The purpose of the Alternatives Analysis Program (49 U.S.C. 5339) is to assist potential sponsors of New Starts and Small Starts projects in the evaluation of all reasonable modal and multimodal alternatives and general alignment options to address transportation needs in a defined travel corridor. FTA has the authority to implement this program under SAFETEA-LU amendments to 49 U.S.C. 5339. The authorizing legislation allows for the Secretary of Transportation to make awards under this program at his discretion. FTA may allocate up to $25.0 million from FY 2010 and 2011 funds. These funds will be allocated for alternatives analysis activities selected from applications submitted in response to this notice. As defined in 49 U.S.C. 5309(1)(a), an alternatives analysis is a study conducted as part of the transportation planning process which includes: (1) An assessment of a wide range of public transportation alternatives designed to address a transportation problem in a corridor or subarea; (2) [the development of] sufficient information to enable the Secretary to make the findings of project justification and local financial commitment required under Section 5309; (3) the selection of a locally preferred alternative; and (4) the adoption of the locally preferred alternative as part of the long-range transportation plan required under section 5303. Further information on conducting an alternatives analysis, including descriptions of the documents produced, can be found on FTA's Web site at http://www.fta.dot.gov/planning/newstarts/planning_environment_2396.html. FTA will award discretionary funding available under Section 5339 to support a limited number of alternatives analyses, or technical work conducted as part of an on-going alternatives analyses, to develop information for local decision-makers and for the Secretary regarding potential New Starts and Small Starts projects. These funds will be awarded for alternatives analysis activities selected from proposals submitted in response to this notice. These funds are not available for systems planning work that leads to the selection of a particular corridor for alternatives analysis, or for work performed after an application is made to enter Preliminary Engineering (New Starts) or Project Development (Small Starts).