1. The FY 2006 New Starts Report Responding to the Demand for Transit

2. 2 Overview of New Starts Program A Federal, state and local transportation partnership to improve mobility, promote economic growth, relieve congestion, and improve air quality Discretionary, competitive program Average Federal New Starts share: 50% $1.5 billion program requested in FY 2006 Grown steadily from $440 million in 1991 (340%) Funds new and extensions to existing “fixed guideway” systems Light rail, subway/heavy rail, commuter rail, bus rapid transit Projects are evaluated and rated by FTA For entry into Preliminary Engineering For entry into Final Design Prior to Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) And annually for the New Starts Report Projects are funded through multi-year FFGAs

3. 3 An FFGA is a “Contract” Between the Federal Government and a Project Sponsor Assures predictable, multi-year Federal financial support for a specific project (subject to appropriation) Formally defines the project, including scope, cost and schedule; Establishes a maximum level of Federal financial assistance; Establishes the terms and conditions of Federal financial participation.

4. 4 New Starts Partnerships Will Help Meet the Growing Demand for Transit Communities throughout the Nation want more transit FTA’s rigorous evaluation and oversight ensure that these investments deliver value for the taxpayer dollar People all over the country will benefit from the proposed New Starts investments

5. 5 Communities Want More Transit FTA has evaluated and rated 27 projects for this New Starts Report All are locally-selected projects All are in preliminary engineering or final design Only projects seeking more than $25 million in Federal New Starts funding Additional 7 projects are exempt from FTA evaluation

6. 6 Proposed Projects Are …Located Throughout the Country

7. 7 …In Urban Areas of all Sizes 54% of projects in cities with less than 2 million population 46% of projects in cities with over 2 million population 34% over 5 million population < 1 million 1-2 million 2-5 million > 5 million Projects by Population Size

8. 8 …For a Variety of Transit Modes 50 percent of evaluated projects are light rail About 20 percent are commuter rail 15 percent are heavy rail projects 3 bus rapid transit and one monorail project Light rail Commuter Rail Heavy Rail Monorail Bus Rapid Transit

9. 9 Communities Want New Transit for Many Reasons Ease congestion in major travel corridors Connect people to jobs Support community economic and housing development goals Protect air quality Create more travel choices

10. 10 FTA Ensures that Projects Deliver Value for Taxpayers Maximize transportation and economic benefits of Federal investments Ensure every project delivers ridership results Ensure that project costs and schedules are realistic Maintain Program Integrity and Good Stewardship of Taxpayer Dollars

11. 11 FTA’s Evaluation and Rating Process Among Most Rigorous in Government FTA evaluates and rates proposed projects annually for New Starts Report and at critical stages of project development Congress established a multiple measure approach to project evaluation 3 Finance factors Proposed State and local share Capital finance plan Operating finance plan 2 Project Justification factors Cost-effectiveness (cost per hour of travel time benefits) Land use

12. 12 Larger Investments Must Produce More Benefits

13. 13 New Starts is a Highly Competitive Program Only about 15 percent of 287 projects authorized in TEA-21 have made it to the finish line thus far Of 27 projects evaluated for this New Starts Report 2 Highly Recommended 12 Recommended 8 Not Recommended 5 Not Rated

14. 14 Evaluation Results – 27 Projects Highly Recommended (2) New York, LIRR East Side Access Comm. Rail* New York, Second Ave Subway HRT** Recommended (12) Phoenix, AZ, Central Phoenix/East Valley LRT* Charlotte, NC, South Corridor LRT* Pittsburgh, PA, North Shore Connector LRT* Washington Co, OR, Wilsonville to Beaverton Commuter Rail** San Diego, CA, Mid-Coast Extension LRT** San Francisco, CA, Central Subway HRT Denver, CO, West Corridor LRT** Boston, MA, Silver Line Phase III HRT Portland, OR, South Corridor LRT Dallas, TX, Northwest/Southeast MOS LRT** Salt Lake City, UT, Weber County to SLC Commuter Rail** Northern Virginia, VA, Dulles Corridor Extension to Wiehle Ave, HRT (PE) Not Recommended (8) Las Vegas, NV, Resort Corridor Downtown Monorail Extension Santa Clara, CA, Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Corridor Fort Collins, CO, Mason Transportation Corridor Hartford, CT, New Britain- Hartford Busway Tampa Bay, FL, Tampa Bay Regional Rail New Orleans, LA, Desire Streetcar Line Minneapolis, MN, Northstar Commuter Rail Philadelphia, PA, Schuylkill Valley MetroRail Not Rated (5) Raleigh, NC, Raleigh-Durham Regional Rail Los Angeles, CA, Exposition Corridor LRT Orange Co, CA, CenterLine LRT Miami, FL, North Corridor Metrorail Extension Norfolk, VA, Norfolk LRT *Anticipated FFGA/funding recommendation ** Among 6 projects that may be recommended for funding

15. 15 FY 06 Budget Proposes Funding for 16 Current and up to 10 New Projects $635 Million for 16 Existing Full Funding Grant Agreements $590 Million for 4 Anticipated Full Funding Grant Agreements $158 Million for up to 6 additional projects Have received a “Recommended” or “Highly Recommended” rating Are currently in final design or are expected to be in final design by early 2005

16. 16 10 New Projects Proposed for Funding are …Located in Every Region

17. 17 …In Areas with High Population and Employment Growth Rates U.S. Census National Population Growth Rate Forecast NortheastWestSouth

18. 18 …For A Variety of Transit Modes 6 Light Rail Projects Phoenix, AZ, (FFGA) Charlotte, NC, (FFGA) Pittsburgh, PA, North Shore Connector (FFGA) San Diego, CA, Mid-Coast Corridor Denver, CO, West Corridor Dallas, TX, Northwest/Southeast MOS 3 Commuter Rail Projects New York, NY, LIRR Eastside Access (FFGA) Washington County, OR, Wilsonville-Beaverton Commuter Rail Salt Lake City, UT, Weber County to Salt Lake Commuter Rail 1 Heavy Rail (Subway) Project New York, NY, Second Avenue Subway MOS