Bus Testing

The purpose of the program is to provide assistance for testing new transit bus models and reporting on their maintainability, reliability, safety, performance (including braking performance), structural integrity, fuel economy, emissions, and noise

FTA's mission is to improve public transportation for America's communities, and the vision is that America will have world-class Public Transportation Systems that ensure access and mobility for all. This assistance listing supports the continued operation of one facility for testing new bus models for maintainability (includes accessibility), reliability, safety (including braking performance), performance, structural integrity and durability, fuel/energy economy, emissions, and noise (interior and exterior). Federal public transportation funds may only be used to acquire new bus models that have undergone testing at such a facility and received a passing score. The facility may also provide for the testing of rail cars and other public transportation vehicles.

Manufacturers (OEMs) can submit bus models for testing. FTA's Bus Testing Program explicitly supports transit vehicle manufacturers.

Same as eligible applicant.

FTA funds 80 percent of the costs associated with testing a vehicle at the facility from amounts available to carry out this section. The entity having the vehicle tested shall pay 20 percent of the cost. The funding can only be used for the operation and maintenance of facilities capable of testing new transit bus models and reporting on their maintainability, reliability, safety, performance (including braking performance), structural integrity, fuel economy, emissions, and noise performance characteristics under 49 U.S.C Section 5318

Under 49 U.S.C. § 5318, only bus models that have passed the bus testing standard are eligible for FTA capital funding. The FTA circular requires the grantee to obtain the full bus testing report (or partial report) before final acceptance of the first vehicle. There are also service-life category restraints. f a bus was only tested for, say, a 7-year / 200,000-mile service life, it can't be purchased under FTA funding for a 10 or 12-year requirement.

From the date an Award (Assistance Agreement) is executed, funds are available until expended. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Financial assistance is awarded as a cooperative agreement and funds are typically released in annual increments called budget.

Preapplication coordination is required. An environmental impact statement is required for this listing. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Proposals for assistance must address evaluation criteria related to the capabilities of the bus testing facility, the technical capability, the staffing capacity, and financial cost efficiency of the operator to execute and report the results of fifteen full twelve-year service life tests a year within the allocated annual assistance budget for the program and the required 20% testing fee collected (non-federal). The evaluation criteria for the bus testing facility include: 1. Ability to operate and test all transit bus types in a controlled environment including 60-foot articulated buses and motor coaches. 2. Ability to supply and accurately meter all transit bus fuel types (gasoline, diesel, LPG, CNG, electricity, and hydrogen). 3. Ability to test buses at sustained highway speeds. 4. Availability of a paved roadway suitable for the conduct of braking, performance, and stability tests. 5. Availability of a shop area capable of supporting the simultaneous maintenance of multiple heavy-vehicles. 6. Availability of a dedicated test site for conducting noise testing. 7. Availability of a durability test track that closely approximates the design of the Altoona Bus Research and Test Center's durability test course. 8. Availability of suitable facilities to conduct all of the other Structural Integrity tests currently required by the program. The evaluation criteria for the bus testing facility operator include: 1. Adequacy of the qualifications and experience of facility operator personnel to conduct automotive and other engineering tests on transit buses. 2. Level of organizational independence with no financial interests in bus manufacturing. 3. Adequacy of established procedures and funding for the calibration and maintenance of test facilities and equipment. 4. Knowledge of current and upcoming medium and heavy-duty bus technologies. 5. Ability to develop new test methodologies and instrumentation to address new bus performance categories. 6. Experience with electric-drive vehicles, battery performance and safety, and bus battery charging technology and equipment. 7. Experience with the unique safety, performance and metrology issues with gaseous fuels. 8. Ability and experience of preparing and publishing consumer oriented test reports. 9. Ability and experience to support an on-line test report repository. 10. Ability and experience to provide effective and responsive administrative and technical support to test customers and test repot consumers.

A FTA agreement obligating Federal funds is reflected in an agreement . A web based system is used to award and manage agreements. In order to access this system, a user name and password can be obtained by contacting the program manager at FTA Headquarters. Specific terms and conditions may apply and incorporated into the assistance agreement. Once the funds are reserved and the project information has been reviewed and approved by Headquarters, the recipient must execute the agreement to access the funds.

This assistance listing is renewed annually. The recipient is required to update their statement of work for projects of an ongoing nature and submit a current year budget. Additional time to complete a project by amendment may be requested.