1. APTA Webinar with Congressional Rail Staff– Overview of the FAST Act
January 21, 2016

2. APTA Webinar on FAST Act
Welcome!
Rob Healy
Vice President - Government Affairs
APTA

3. Questions? Submit via GoToWebinar
Or send an to
- (This is a temporary for only this week)
We will do our best to answer as many questions as we can at the end of the webinar

4. Congressional Transportation Staff
Fred Miller
House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure (Republican staff)
Patrick Fuchs
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Republican staff)
Matt Kelly
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Democratic staff)

5. FAST Act Timeline 3/4/2015 – House passes PRRIA
6/25/2015 – Senate Commerce Committee reports out R2E2
7/30/2015 – Senate passes DRIVE Act with passenger rail title
11/5/2015 – House passes STRR Act
12/1/2015 – House-Senate Conference reports out FAST Act
12/4/2015 – President Obama signs FAST Act

6. Highways, Transit and Rail $280 billion (HTF)
FAST Act Overview
Long-term Bill, 5 Years Fully Funded
Highways, Transit and Rail
$280 billion (HTF)
$305 billion including General Fund Authorizations

7. Rail Title Amtrak Grants
Grants for Amtrak authorized at $1.45 billion in FY2016 and rise to $1.8 billion in FY2020
Amtrak National Network FY2016 $1 billion
Northeast Corridor (NEC) FY2016 $450 million
All funding in the bill is subject to annual appropriations, but still a significant increase over current law

8. Rail Title State Grant Programs
A total of $2.2 billion is authorized over five years for rail funding in the FAST Act through three primary, general-funded, programs.
Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair $997 million
Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements $1.1 billion.
Restoration and Enhancement Grants $20 million per year from FY for operating assistance to initiate, restore, or enhance intercity passenger rail service.

9. Amtrak Reforms Accounts 5-year business line and asset plans
State-supported route committee
Right-of-way leveraging
Station development

10. Passenger Rail Policy NEC provisions Competition
NEC commission
Through-ticketing and procurement
Competition
Shared Use Study – calls for closer review of insurance/liability issues for passenger/commuter railroads

11. Liability Issues
Increases the liability cap for Amtrak from $200 million to $295 million
Application to commuter railroads may vary
Applies the increase retroactively to the Philadelphia Amtrak accident

12. Questions? Submit via GoToWebinar
Or send an to
- (This is a temporary for only this week)
We will do our best to answer as many questions as we can at the end of the webinar

13. Safety Provisions Significant Safety Title to the bill
Requires speed limit action plans to address automatic train control modifications, crew communication, and other speed enforcement issues
Requires states to draft grade crossing action plans to facilitate and improve state grade crossing safety efforts
Addresses other important safety issues such as signal protection, signage, alerters, recording devices and track inspection

14. Safety Provisions (PTC)
Positive Train Control (PTC) provisions
Deadline extended in previous legislation
FAST Act clarification on implementation plans
Progress reports
Early adoption and interoperability
PTC at grade crossings effectiveness study
$199 Million one-time authorization from the Mass Transit Account for commuter installation in FY2017

15. Financing RRIF reform to make program more accessible Eligibilities
Priority projects
Credit risk premium changes
Credit worthiness
Master credit agreements
Transit oriented development
Loan terms/repayment

16. Project Delivery
Treatment of improvements to rail under historic preservation requirements
Railroad rights-of-way
Protections for existing agreements and NEPA

17. Questions? Submit via GoToWebinar
Or send an to
- (This is a temporary for only this week)
We will do our best to answer as many questions as we can at the end of the webinar