Rules of Engagement
Financial Feasibility Screening Tool (FFST)

This website provides access to PSA guidance materials, a submission form, and the FFST to support the assessment of toll candidate projects by NC’s MPOs and RPOs. The FFST is a preliminary, high-level screening of toll candidate financial viability and is not intended to replace a formal traffic and revenue level of toll analysis. Furthermore, the FFST is intended to be used by MPOs and RPOs (or local communities who coordinate closely with these organizations) who are considering toll candidates as part of their comprehensive or metropolitan transportation planning process. Users may make modifications to the FFST inputs as part of conducting sensitivity analysis; however, modifications made after candidates are formally submitted to NCDOT for evaluation must be disclosed and reviewed by NCDOT for acceptability.

The PSA process starts when a Project Sponsor submits one or more toll candidates through the PSA Process Form. This Form captures key project information in order to initiate and supply technical support and assessment through NCDOT’s Intra-Departmental Project Evaluation Team (IDPET). The IDPET oversees subsequent PSA steps outlined in the Handbook. A script file (included in the downloadable PSA package of files) populates input entries to the PSA Process Form within the FFST. This script is an executable file (name.exe) which helps to streamline and simplify data entry. Users can follow these steps if they choose to leverage the script file:

1. Open, populate, save, and close the pdf version of the PSA Process Form
2. Click on the executable file and select run (the Excel-based FFST in the directory will automatically be updated and saved)
3. Open the FFST and continue to populate information required to perform the financial analysis
4. The user should not change the file names of either the pdf-based PSA Process Form or the Excel-based FFST, or relocate these files to different locations, since the script file references these files as it runs.

By downloading the PSA package and FFST you acknowledge the use of these files for toll candidate consideration and not for unlawful or purposes prohibited by the NC Toll Policy and its requirements.

You also acknowledge “version 1.0 – December 2019” as the master version of the current files and NCDOT exclusively retains the right to modify and update the master for official PSA evaluation purposes. NCDOT will communicate and post updated files through this website.

By clicking the “I accept” button you acknowledge receipt and acceptance of these terms and understand the PSA process acts as the official, jointly agreed upon evaluate steps to communicate toll candidate assessment results between NCDOT and NC Project Sponsors.​