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Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Questions and AnswersWebinar for Potential Project SponsorsJuly 13, 2017Getting StartedWe are new to the process. How do we get started? PennDOT’s Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside Program Guidance, available on the TA Set-Aside Funding Site (), provides important information on the TA Set-Aside, including everything sponsors need to know before applying. Please review the guidance and reach out to your PennDOT District and Planning Partner to discuss the project. If you have additional questions, please contact Chris Metka using his contact information on the website.Is this PowerPoint from the July 13th Webinar for Potential Project Sponsors available for download?Yes. The PowerPoint presentation can be found under the Set-Aside Documents section of PennDOT’s TA Set-Aside Funding Site.Available FundingHow does the $55M pot compare to last year's requests?In 2015-2016, we received 128 applications requesting over $80 million. We awarded approximately $33 million earlier this year. Will there be another round next year? For the Transportation Alternatives Program and TA Set-Aside, we have done application cycles every two years. As such, we anticipate opening our next statewide application round in 2019. Funding for Project DesignCan TA Set-Aside funding be used for the design of projects? No. PennDOT does not award design funds to TA Set-Aside projects. The sponsor may use local funding sources or other funds obtained from federal, state, local or private sources.Can we use federal CDBG funds for engineering design and construction inspection services?Yes. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds can be used for design and construction inspection. Construction inspection costs are also an eligible construction phase project cost and may be built into your construction funding request.May other state funding sources be used to pay for sponsor costs (i.e. design, permit fees, etc.)?Yes, state or local funding sources can be used to pay for pre-construction cost. Sponsors have traditionally used PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) funds for trail design. Newer state funding sources including Act 13, DCED’s Multimodal Transportation Fund and PennDOT Multimodal Transportation Fund are also available. Can soft costs incurred prior to applying be eligible as match? No match is required. The sponsor pays for all preconstruction costs and then the construction phase of the project is funded at 100%.Is match funding required?No match is required. The sponsor pays for all preconstruction costs and then the construction phase of the project is funded at 100%.Project Funding Request AmountsIs there a limit on amount requested? There is no limit for noninfrastructure activities – those that involve education, encouragement and enforcement. For infrastructure projects, there is a $1 million soft cap for statewide funds. That is, projects that exceed the $1 million amount must justify – through their application – how the project is of exceptional statewide or regional value.Is the minimum project cost different for regional projects?To be eligible for statewide funding, construction projects must have a minimum cost of $50,000; however, minimum costs for Large MPO application rounds do vary. Contact your MPO (Planning Partner) or view the information under “Large MPO Application Materials” on PennDOT’s TA Set-Aside Funding Site.Project EligibilityWould wayfinding signing of heritage attractions be eligible? Yes, wayfinding signs would be an eligible expense as long as they conform to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).What type of Safe Routes to School projects and activities will you consider?Safe Routes to School (SRTS) projects encourage and/or enable children in kindergarten through the eighth grade (K-8) to walk or bicycle to school. To be eligible as a SRTS funds, the project must primarily benefit children walking or bicycling to school and be within two miles of a K-8 school. Both infrastructure and noninfrastructure projects are eligible. More information is available in PennDOT’s TA Set-Aside Guidance and at FHWA’s SRTS Program Guidance site. Is park equipment (i.e. playground equipment & baseball field) next to a trail system eligible?No. Playground, sports fields, and recreational facilities are not eligible. All TA Set-Aside projects must serve a surface transportation purpose. Sponsors interested in grant funding for recreational, sports, or playground facilities may want to visit DCNR’s Grants Website.Is stormwater management eligible?Yes, stormwater management is one of the 11 eligible categories. Stormwater management must serve a transportation purpose and reduce the environmental impacts, as demonstrated by the application. More information is available in PennDOT’s TA Set-Aside Program Guidance.Is bus stop installation and shelter installation considered construction? Yes. Bus shelters and association amenities (bike racks, signs, benches, trash cans) are also eligible for construction funding. Improvements associated with transit stations must improve access to public transit for nondrivers.PennDOT Connects Meetings with Planning Partners and DistrictsHow does a sponsor demonstrate/document PennDOT Connects coordination with their respective Planning Partner and PennDOT District?The Planning Partner (MPO/RPO) and PennDOT District will be able to indicate on their project scoring form if the sponsor has met with them to meet the requirements set forth in PennDOT’s TA Set-Aside Program Guidance: The meeting must, at a minimum, allow the PennDOT District and Planning Partner to collect enough information to perform the following: ? Complete the PennDOT Connects Project Initiation Form, which can be found in Appendix I ? Determine whether the project meets the TAP eligibility criteria ? Determine whether the project can be ready for construction within two years of project awardAre the Planning Partner (MPO/RPO) meetings and the PennDOT meetings supposed to occur together as one meeting OR as two separate meetings? While one meeting with the sponsor, PennDOT District and Planning Partner would likely enhance coordination and provide efficiency, having both meetings at the same time is not required. Project sponsors should reach out to both their PennDOT District and Planning Partner as early as possible to determine the best meeting scenario.So the applicants do not need to meet with their PennDOT District PRIOR to applying? While the sponsors are not required to meet with the PennDOT District before applying, they must meet with the PennDOT District before the projects are awarded (December/January timeframe). Sponsors should be aware that they forfeit application points if they opt to meet with their PennDOT District after applying.Project SponsorsShould non-profits work through their MPOs for eligible sponsor partnerships, or come to the MPO with a sponsor already?The sponsor should consider first reaching out to the jurisdiction in which the project is proposed. Most projects may be located within a municipality, State, or Federal land. In these cases, it is recommended that these entities be contacted first. Should the property fall on school (college, university, school district) property, the nonprofit may want to reach out the affected institution.Can another entity (e.g., a nonprofit or a contractor) administer the implementation process including financial management on behalf of the sponsor?Yes, nonprofits may assist eligible project sponsors with any activities, including financial management.Application ProcessIf a proposed project falls into an area where they can apply for both statewide and Large MPO, does that require two separate applications?No. Applications submitted to any of the large MPO areas (except for Lancaster) will automatically be eligible for both Large MPO and PennDOT statewide funds. One application is all that needs to be submitted.Can multiple projects be submitted by a borough?Yes. Any eligible project sponsor may submit multiple applications or may submit one application for a project with multiple locations.Project DeliveryBy which dates does project construction need to start and end?Construction projects must be ready to advertise for construction by August 2020. Projects that have not made significant progress by that date risk losing the funds and having the project cancelled. It is the sponsor’s responsibility to advance the project to the construction advertisement.For Historic Preservation of Historic Structures, will additional PHMC coordination be required?Historic transportation facilities must be listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office () can help determine which areas or structures are listed and can help you begin the PHMC coordination process. Contact Cheryl Nagle at 717-772-4519 or chnagle@ for assistance.Other QuestionsCan TA Set-Aside funds be used as a match to the Multimodal Transportation Fund?No. TA Set-Aside funds cannot be used as a match for the PennDOT Multimodal Transportation Fund (MTF), which requires a cash or liquid fuels funding match. PennDOT MTF questions should be directed to Dave Bratina at 717-705-1230 or djbratina@.Do rail corridors need to be railbanked by federal law to be eligible for this PennDOT funding? No. There are other purchase or easement options. Railbanking is just one option. ................
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