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COVERAGE OF THE 2018 APTA ANNUAL MEETING
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FTA's Williams Addresses Agency Priorities and Perspectives
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 FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams kicked off the Sept. 24 “FTA Update” General Session by telling attendees how important the industry’s work is “to the people you serve on a daily basis, but even more importantly, in times of an emergency,” referring to evacuations transit agencies provided in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.
Williams said that FTA and the industry share a common goal: providing safe public transportation to America’s communities. She noted that in Fiscal Year 2018, FTA awarded more than $15 billion in funding through formula and competitive grant programs.
| In addition, she said that all FTA Fiscal Year 2018 Notices of Funding Opportunities for annual competitive programs have been issued. This represents more than $500 million—much of which has already been announced and awarded.
Then she addressed what she referred to as the “elephant in the room”: the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Program. Williams said she understood that many people in the industry “have very strong opinions about this administration’s approach toward the CIG program. Even though this program represents less than 20 percent of FTA’s budget, it seems to occupy 80 percent of the attention,” she said.
She went on to highlight what she termed pertinent facts:
Since this administration began in January 2017, FTA has advanced funding for 13 CIG projects: two New Starts, two Core Capacity and nine Small Starts.
Williams said she was keen to dispel “a few myths we keep hearing about the CIG program,” including that FTA will use geographic diversity as a mechanism to block funding from going to certain states; that FTA is “slow-walking” grants and not signing as many Full Funding Grant Agreements as in the past; and that FTA is unwilling to consider a CIG project when that project is also seeking a federal loan. She described a number of incidences intended to dispel the myths.
Acknowledging that many in the audience have concerns about FTA’s updated risk assessment process, Williams said the process is “not intended to harm projects and is based on objective data and our extensive analysis of past project outcomes.”
Williams explained that this will “ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and cost projections are realistic. Effective analysis and the mitigation of risk, earlier in the CIG process, and before FTA locks in the federal contribution, is the best path forward for everyone—it’s simply good governance,” she added.
She explained her agency’s intent to issue updated CIG policy guidance, which she said is a statutory requirement: “FTA intends to follow the law and update the policy guidance and be responsive to the feedback we receive. Frankly, this is no different than what all previous administrations have done.”
Williams said she wanted to reiterate what DOT Secretary Elaine L. Chao and she have said “time and time again: FTA has implemented the CIG Program consistent with the law." She stated that Congress has delegated discretion in implementing the CIG Program to the Department of Transportation.”
Williams did not elaborate on any upcoming CIG grants for the $1.05 billion in funds not allocated.
FTA partners with the industry in delivering mobility choices to the American people, she said, and it wants to make sure “we’re not placing undue burdens on you through our own rules, regulations and practices. Secretary Chao is leading the charge to reduce unnecessary regulations that may impede projects and drive up costs.”
Williams said she is proud of the partnership between FTA and the industry in establishing State Safety Oversight Programs. There are 31 programs that must be established and certified by April 15, 2019, and she said she was happy to report that Missouri had become the 25th state to achieve certification. FTA will continue to work with the remaining six programs to bring “every single one across the finish line,” she said.
She also said FTA will soon announce a new Public Safety in Transit initiative that will provide $4 million in research grants and technical assistance funding for projects to improve safety, including preventing crime, human trafficking and operator assaults.
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