Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

With the FY2012 Budget Submission, FTA has reorganized its programs to mirror a new overall structure that promotes the Administration's priorities for public transportation and that moves forward on a number of FTA reauthorization proposals.

Specifically, the Administration proposes the following Transit Accounts for FY 2012: Transit Formula Grants, Bus and Rail State of Good Repair, Transit Expansion and Livable Communities, Operations and Safety and National Research & Technology Deployment.

With respect specifically to the FTA's National Research & Technology Deployment Account, FTA proposes $129.2 million in funding for the following programs in FY 2012.

National Research: $20M

National Research supports efforts in:

• Safety innovation research
• Asset management and maintenance research
• Industry analysis research
• Bus programs research
• Bus testing program
• Rail programs and infrastructure research
• Transit standards development
• International scanning
• Small business innovative research
• Transit planning and forecasting research
• Research to improve the rider experience
• Transit connectivity research, and
• Rural and targeted populations research

Transit Cooperative Research Program: $9.73M which supports research work identified and carried out by consensus of a committee representing the transit industry.

University Transportation Centers Program: $8.0M to support universities for public transportation research, curriculum development, and training.

National Public Transportation Institutes:$5.0M to provide workforce training in planning and service concepts, operation improvements and safety, human resource policies, and management development and effectiveness.

Greenhouse gas and Energy Reduction Deployment and Demonstration Program: $75M

• o   Transit Test Beds: $10M. This program will test and demonstrate specific technologies at designated transit agencies. FTA will competitively select two transit agencies to operate transit test beds to adapt, test and evaluate new technologies in transit operations and to overcome problems with new technology implementation. This program allows FTA to more immediately and directly assist transit agencies in problem solving and to share implementation lessons nationally.
• o   Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction Deployment and Demonstration: $65M This large scale deployment program will demonstrate how transit agencies can minimize their energy use as well as the carbon footprint of transit operations.

Clean Fuels and Environmental Research: $14.7M

This research program builds upon efforts previously funded out of the FTA Capital account. This research will focus on advancing vehicle energy management, the electrification of accessories, bus design, rail transit energy management, locomotive design, and alternative fuels. In addition FTA will conduct policy-oriented research on implementation strategies to improve energy efficiency and provide more energy alternatives in transit.

NOTE: A major difference between the FY2010 enacted research budget and the FY2012 proposal is that with FY2012, FTA is seeking to establish a standalone technical assistance activities account distinct from research. The separate program would provide funding for training and capacity building in safety and security, finance and policy, state of good repair, livability, and environmental sustainability for transit agencies and other transit stakeholders. ($34M)

RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT & TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
BUDGET AUTHORITY

(In thousands of dollars)