FY24-FY26 PROTECT App Template-Planning.docx

Fiscal Years 2024 through 2026 Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation Competitive Grant Program Planning Grant Application Template

This is the Planning Grant Application Template for the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Competitive Grant Program Fiscal Years (FYs) 2024 through 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Submission of this Application Template is required as part of a complete application package. The Application Template, in conjunction with the allowable attachments and standard forms, should provide all information necessary for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to determine if the project satisfies the eligibility requirements described in NOFO Section B and to evaluate the criteria specified in NOFO Section F. DOT will consider applications submitted without the completed template as incomplete and will not review the submission. DOT encourages applicants to review the NOFO in its entirety to verify their project is eligible and ensure all required information is provided with their application.

I. Summary

[Applicants: delete instructions shown below in italic prior to submittal]

Project Title

Lead Applicant Name

☐ A State or political subdivision of a State.

☐ A metropolitan planning organization.

☐ A unit of local government.

☐ A special purpose district or public authority with a transportation function, including a port authority.

☐ A federally recognized Indian Tribe (as defined in Section 207(m)(1)).

☐ A Federal land management agency that applies jointly with a State or group of States.

☐ A multi-State or multijurisdictional group of entities described above.

Planning Activity Type

Identify the eligible planning activity the proposal addresses from list below (check all that apply):

☐ Resilience improvement plan ☐ Resilience planning, predesign, design, or data tools ☐ Technical capacity building ☐ Evacuation planning and preparation

Project Area

[Instructions: Provide State, and name of the city, county, town, or jurisdiction where project is located or focuses on.]

Which type(s) of natural hazards does the project address?

Which transportation modes are addressed by the project?

Project Description: Summarize work to be completed under the project and briefly describe how the PROTECT Competitive Grant Program funds will be used. Limit the summary to 250 words.

Attachments: Please list any attachments to this form, including letters of support. This includes any applicable State Department of Transportation (State DOT) support letters as described in Section B.4 of the NOFO.

II. Project Information

Expand the response blocks as necessary but limit the Project Information section of the application to three total pages in length. [Applicants: delete instructions shown below in italic prior to submittal]

☐ Yes ☐ No

☐ No

If yes, identify the floodplain in which the project is to be located and describe whether, if selected, the eligible entity would implement 1 or more components of the risk mitigation plan under Section 322 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 United States Code (U.S.C.) 5165) with respect to the area:

Joint applications should include a description of the roles and responsibilities of each applicant and should be signed or include a letter of support by each applicant.

If additional parties will be involved in delivery of the Planning Grant activity, describe in detail all the other public and private parties who are involved in delivering the project, including a specific description of the role of each entity in delivering the project.]

☐ Highway project eligible for assistance under Title 23;

☐ Public transportation facility or service eligible for assistance under chapter 53 of Title 49;

☐ Facility or service for intercity rail passenger transportation (as defined in Section 24102 of Title 49); or ☐ Port facility, including a facility that:

a. Connects a port to other modes of transportation;

b. Improves the efficiency of evacuations and disaster relief; or

c. Aids transportation. (23 U.S.C. § 176(d)(5)C).

III. Budget and Funding

(Note: the Federal share for Planning Grants is 100 percent)

Other Federal programs and estimated amounts: (add lines as needed) Program: _________________Amount: ____________

Amount: _____________________________

[Instructions: Identify each source of non-Federal funding, if applicable, and estimated amount in year of expenditure dollars. Add lines as needed for each source.]

[Instructions: Sum of PROTECT Competitive Grant Program request, Other Federal funds, and non-Federal funds as an estimate in year-of-expenditure dollars, above.]

[Instructions: If costs have already been incurred for the project, such as planning or design costs, provide the total here]

[Instructions: Estimate in year-of-expenditure dollars (sum of ‘previously incurred costs’ and ‘future eligible costs’ above).]

If the project will be completed in project development phases (such as Preliminary Engineering and National Environmental Policy Act; final design; right-of-way acquisition; utility relocation; and construction), the budget should separate the costs of each phase. If the project contains construction components, the budget should separate the costs of each project component.

Include information showing that sufficient contingency amounts have been budgeted to cover unanticipated cost increases.]

Repeat or modify as needed.

Activity: Cost:

Activity: Cost:

Activity: Cost:

Activity: Cost:

☐ A detailed budget is attached separately.

The file is named:

· No

If yes, specify the program name(s) and date(s) of application.

IV. Merit Criteria

In the space below, describe how the project will meet the merit criteria and the associated objectives as found in Section F of FYs 2024 through 2026 PROTECT Competitive Grant Program NOFO. Where appropriate, reference attachments or other sections of the application. Expand the response blocks as needed but limit the length of the merit criteria section of the application to six total pages in length.

Criterion #1: Program Alignment

Criterion #2: Planning Activity Approach

Criterion #3: Innovation

V. Project Readiness

In the space below, describe how the project will meet the readiness considerations and the associated elements as found in Section F of FYs 2024 through 2026 PROTECT Competitive Grant Program NOFO. Where appropriate, reference attachments or other sections of the application. Expand the response blocks as needed but limit the length of the project readiness section of the application to four total pages in length.

Readiness: Technical Assessment

Readiness: Financial Completeness Assessment

Readiness: Permitting Risk Assessment

VI. DOT Selection Priorities

In the space below, describe how the project will meet the selection priorities in Section F of FYs 2024 through 2026 PROTECT Competitive Grant Program NOFO. Where appropriate, reference attachments or other sections of the application. Expand the response blocks as needed but limit the length of the statutory and DOT selection priorities section of the application to three total pages in length.

DOT Selection Priorities

Check all that apply to the project (DOT will utilize information in other portions of the application to determine responsiveness to the other selection priorities listed in the NOFO):

☐ The project supports critical infrastructure for industries of national interest.

☐ The project would contribute to promoting economic prosperity in communities, including rural areas and Tribal communities.

☐ The project prioritizes improvement of the condition and safety of existing transportation infrastructure, particularly infrastructure with high cost of failure, such as bridges with lengthy detours, impacts to critical corridors, or failures that will cause economic disruption.

☐ The project demonstrates an ability to meet PROTECT Competitive Grant Program obligation deadlines.

☐ The project will reduce roadway traffic congestion.

☐ The project improves access to national security and defense facilities or facilitates movement of military cargo or personnel.

☐ The project repurposes existing specialized travel lanes for bicycles, buses, or pedestrians for general purpose use by all motor vehicles, including single-occupant motor vehicles and the applicant demonstrates the repurposing will meet the PROTECT program purpose, will reduce congestion on the facility, will utilize 40 percent or less of requested PROTECT funds for adding capacity consistent with 23 U.S.C. 176(d)(5)(G)(i)(I), will address safety consistent with the merit criteria described in Section F of this NOFO, and will comply with applicable federal requirements, including the Clean Air Act and criteria under 23 U.S.C. 217(e).

☐ None of the above apply to the project.

DOT Selection Priorities: Briefly describe below how the project meets the checked DOT priorities.