FY18 Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission | FR AMT 18 012

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR AMT 18 012

The FY18 Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number FR AMT 18 012) was a discretionary Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) program under the U.S. Department of Transportation intended to support the work required by Section 212 of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA). Its core purpose was to fund activities that help the Northeast Corridor (NEC) Commission carry out coordination, planning, and policy development tied to rail operations and related corridor activities along the NEC, one of the most heavily used passenger rail corridors in the country. In practical terms, the opportunity centered on enabling structured cooperation among the NEC states, the federal government, and Amtrak around shared priorities and the management of a complex, multi-owner rail network.

The NEC Commission itself, which this funding supports, is designed as a formal forum for joint decision-making and long-range planning for the corridor. The statute establishes specific required deliverables that reflect both strategic and operational needs. These deliverables include developing a clear statement of goals for the corridor, producing recommendations to guide improvements and policy decisions, addressing access costs (a key issue in a shared rail environment where multiple operators use the same infrastructure), and preparing a report focused on the NECs role in economic development. Together, these outputs are meant to improve transparency, align investments, and create a common framework for how the corridor is maintained, operated, and improved over time.

Governance and representation are a major feature of the program, because PRIIA 212 sets up the NEC Commission with 18 voting members drawn from the principal stakeholders. Nine voting members represent the eight NEC states plus the District of Columbia, five voting members represent the U.S. Department of Transportation, and four voting members represent Amtrak. This structure reflects the corridors shared responsibilities and competing demands, and it is intended to ensure that planning and cost discussions are informed by the entities that fund, operate, regulate, and rely on NEC service.

Administratively, this opportunity was offered as a grant under the Transportation funding activity category and carried CFDA number 20.315. The posting was created on September 25, 2018, with an original closing date of October 23, 2018. The program anticipated a single award (Expected Awards: 1), with an award ceiling of $4,165,450, indicating a consolidated funding approach supporting the commissions work rather than multiple smaller projects. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with further clarification referenced in an additional eligibility field, which generally signals that the eligible applicant pool is specialized and tied to the commissions authorized structure and functions rather than open to the general public.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as targeted federal support for a statutorily mandated commission that coordinates Northeast Corridor planning and policy. Rather than funding construction directly, it focuses on the enabling work that makes corridor-wide investment and operational decisions possible: setting shared goals, developing actionable recommendations, addressing cost and access frameworks, and documenting the corridors economic significance so that future investments and policy choices rest on a clearer, jointly developed foundation.

• The Department of Transportation, DOT/Federal Railroad Administration in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY18 Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.315.
• This funding opportunity was created on Sep 25, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 23, 2018 No Explanation. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,165,450.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for FR AMT 18 012

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