January 25, 2010

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO HAMPTON ROADS
REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS FOR CYCLE 4 “COORDINATED FUNDING”
(JARC and New Freedom)

Click here for new and updated application materials and information.

This is a reminder that all applications for JARC and/or New Freedom funding from the Virginia Beach Urbanized Area (UZA) must be received not later than 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday February 10, 2010, at the Headquarters offices of Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) at 3400 Victoria Blvd, Hampton, VA 23661.

If your agency is applying for 5310 funds, or for JARC or New Freedom from other areas of Virginia, applications are due to the Virginia Dept. of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) by Monday February 1st. All questions regarding that process must be directed to DRPT.

We have re-posted copies of older application materials (which will continue to be used) in the group of “Materials for Fourth Funding Cycle” (click here) to assist potential applicants. None of these have been changed in substance, but we adjusted the Application Form to move the “Checklist” to the first page so that it is more obvious both for applicants and the review committee; the checklist has also been expanded to be more complete.

Be sure to review Questions and Answers from previous cycles as well as the new ones posted for this Fourth Cycle of funding; the information remains relevant and helpful.

A reminder that Public Notices in local newspapers should be scheduled to appear by Sunday January 31st, and a copy should be included with your application. A sample is included in the Materials. If your agency is applying for both JARC and New Freedom funds, a single notice can suffice, so long as the information presented is complete and accurate. If you cannot meet the deadline, be sure to explain why in your application.

The Materials also include a full explanation of the required FTA Certifications and Assurances for FY 2010. You application only needs to include a signed copy of pages 30 and 31. However, please only check the items that are relevant to your application/project/agency. Agreeing to irrelevant provisions does not add to your credibility. Further information is available on the FTA website at: http://www.fta.dot.gov/funding/apply/grants_financing_10736.html

Letters of support for your agency or project are not required, and are generally not helpful, unless they are truly extraordinary.

Please also note that all questions relating to JARC or New Freedom applications within the Virginia Beach UZA must be directed to the Coordination email address or phone number (757-222-6077), not to individual HRT staff members. This is necessary for proper documentation, and to be fair to all applicants. We have tried to be considerate to local Stakeholders, but in the future, any questions directed to individuals at HRT or the TPO during the application period will not be answered. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Additional information will continue to be posted at this site. Please check the Meetings & Materials page for the latest materials. Any questions or comments can be addressed to coordination@hrtransit.org, or via telephone to: 757-222-6077.

For the Hampton Roads area, the plan was developed in partnership by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC), the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads (Hampton Roads Transit or HRT), Williamsburg Area Transport (WAT) and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transit (DRPT).