NTD: Common Problems & Issues 24 April 2012 John D. Giorgis Acting Director, Strategic Planning & Analysis Routematch User’s Conference Atlanta, Georgia

Topics of the Day Overview of NTD Reporting Requirements Who Reports? Financial Reporting Calculating Revenue Hours and Miles New UZA Allocation Rules Q & A 2

Why Are We Here? 3 SECTION NATIONAL TRANSIT DATABASE. (a) NATIONAL TRANSIT DATABASE — To help meet the needs of individual public transportation systems, the United States Government, State and local governments, and the public for information on which to base public transportation service planning, the Secretary of Transportation shall maintain a reporting system, using uniform categories to accumulate public transportation financial and operating information and using a uniform system of accounts. The reporting and uniform systems shall contain appropriate information to help any level of government make a public sector investment decision. The Secretary may request and receive appropriate information from any source. (b) REPORTING AND UNIFORM SYSTEMS — The Secretary may award a grant under section 5307 or 5311 only if the applicant and any person that will receive benefits directly from the grant, are subject to the reporting and uniform systems.

Am I Required to Report to the NTD? Recipients or beneficiaries of FTA formula programs – Year in which you receive operating assistance – Year in which you benefit from a funded asset Report only once to NTD – If you receive both 5307 & 5311 funds, report once to the Urban NTD – If you only receive 5311 funds, report to the Rural NTD Maintain continuous NTD reporting 4

Wait, I Have to Report to the NTD?!?!?!? 5

Small Systems Waivers Reduced Reporting Requirements 30 or Fewer Vehicles in Maximum Service No Monthly Reporting Streamlined Financial Reporting No Passenger Mile Sampling Passenger Miles Not Available for Apportionments 6

Who Reports What? Provide a complete report of all transit activities – Include services provided by contractors – Do not include services by sub-recipients or partners Guiding Principle: Fully-Allocated Costs – If your partner has another source of funds to support the service, you are not paying the fully-allocated cost – If you are paying “full-freight,” your partner is probably a contractor 7

B-60 Form – Funds Received Identifies someone paying you to supply service that you are including on your report Service is not treated as a “contract” by NTD Include the funds received on your F-10 – Ideally, report based on the original source – May also report as “contributed services” Not required for basic grants – e.g. do not report a B-60 for FTA B-60

B-70 Form – Funds Provided Identifies someone you are paying to provide service – You do not have “full control” over the service – Usually, you do not pay the fully-allocated cost – The operator will report separately to NTD Do not include the funds on your F-10 Form – NTD considers these to be “pass-throughs” – The recipient will report these funds to the NTD Supports identification of subrecipients – Use whenever you give 5307 funds to someone else

F-10 Form: Report the Whole Enchilada How did you fund your transit service last year? – Excludes sub-recipients – Include revenues used to cover all other costs 10

Examples of Costs to Include on F-10 Report all sources of revenue for your transit costs – Operating costs for service – Planning – General adminastration – Back-office functions – Capital replacement costs 11

Make the Splits (Don’t Go Bananas) Report “funds earned” (accrued) in column c Split “funds expended” in columns d & e – Column d: funds expended on operations – Column e: funds expended on capital expenses Funds may be earned on a non-cash basis – Back-office support provided by other city departments – Capital grants of vehicles purchased by the State DOT 12

Financial Reporting Tips Funds earned (c) are greater than expended (d+e)? – Implies that you ran a surplus for that funding source – Paying back bonds and loans? – Funds were deposited into financial assets you control Funds earned (c) are less than expended (d+e)? – Implies that you borrowed against future revenues – Drawing down savings reserves? 13

Revenue Hours & Miles Reporting of revenue miles is a statutorily-mandated function of the NTD Key data point for apportionments Guiding Principle: Comparability with Fixed-Routes 14

Example: Revenue Hours & Miles Deadhead 5 minutes each direction Garage 1 st Stop CBD Running time 50 minutes each direction Layover/Recovery 10 minutes

If Only Paratransit Had Fixed Routes 16 ActionRevenue? -Garage to FirstPassenger PickUpNo Waiting for Passenger at First Pick-UpYes Travels with passenger to shopping mallYes nd pickAfter drop-off, travelsempty to 2-upYes 2After nd drop-off travels empty to dispatch pointYes After3 rd drop-off, travels empty to restaurant for lunchNo LunchbreakN/A After lunch, vehicle travels empty to dispatchpointNo Waitsat dispatch point for ordersN/A At end of day, travelsto fueling station after last drop-offNo Refueling the vehicleN/A

New UZAs – 2010 Census Update New Urbanized Area (UZA) definitions released last month Detailed UZA boundary maps coming soon New UZAs to be used for FY 2013 apportionment NTD reports due on time – but without FFA-10 Forms Choose FFA-10 allocation method this summer File FFA-10 Forms in August NTD webinars coming soon

New Federal Funding Allocation (FFA-10) Rules Records service between multiple Urbanized Areas May allocate services 100% to primary UZA, if served May allocate on other reasonable basis between both UZAs No longer mandatory splits between large UZAs

There’s Always an Exception Special rules for 5311-funded services 5311 operating or capital and no 5307 – Must allocate 100% to “UZA 0 – Rural” 5311 operating or capital and 5307 operating – Allocate between urban and rural based on funding split 5311 operating or capital and 5307 capital – Must allocate 100% to “UZA 0 – Rural” 19

Questions? John D. Giorgis NTD Program Manager Acting Director, Strategic Planning & Analysis