SACRAMENTO – The California State Transportation Agency today announced it has awarded $500 million to 17 recipients in Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) grants for transformative transit and rail projects.
“The $500 million in grant awards made today will increase transit service on new and existing routes, provide for a more integrated transit system, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support jobs,” said California State Transportation Agency Secretary David S. Kim. “Although the current COVID-19 pandemic is putting tremendous stress on transit agencies, these funds support long-term capital projects to be completed in the years to come, and will help support the economic recovery in the years ahead.”
The funding for these projects will be provided for their design and construction, and is complemented by investments of federal, local and other state funds. In total, the projects receiving funding leverage more than $4.9 billion in additional investment.
Since 2015, TIRCP has provided more than $5.8 billion in multi-year capital funding towards 74 projects or project phases with a total cost of more than $25 billion. TIRCP funding is provided through the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB 1), and from the Cap and Trade program proceeds. The funded projects will provide significant benefits to Californians through expanded transit and rail offerings that are faster, more frequent, and more reliable. The program provides major benefits towards meeting the State’s climate and air quality goals, with a total reduction of 5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Transforming the Bay Area – this program of projects ensures the full development of the BART Core Capacity investment in the Transbay crossing, allowing up to 30 trains per hour in each direction and an additional 200,000 passengers per day to use BART; provides for faster and more reliable journey times on Muni’s surface rail lines as part of the Muni Forward program; and invests in an innovative zero-emission ferry service to Mission Bay and multi-modal transit improvements in Solano County and throughout the counties served by SolanoExpress.
Transforming Southern California – this program of projects makes significant investments in increased rail service on the Metrolink Antelope Valley Line (including demonstration of zero emission rail service), and acquires 48 zero emission buses for expanded services operated by Antelope Valley Transit Authority, Long Beach Transit, Torrance Transit Department, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, and on the new West Valley Bus Rapid Transit system in San Bernardino county. It also invests in connecting new housing, existing neighborhoods and sports and entertainment venues, including those being used for the 2028 Olympics, to the Los Angeles Metro Rail system with a 1.6-mile automated people mover in Inglewood. Finally, the program invests in more efficient and reliable San Diego Trolley service, and moves the maintenance operations for Amtrak trains in San Diego to a new facility that will allow more and longer trains to be operated in the corridor, enabling significant ridership growth.
Transforming the State of California – the program of projects provides for low-floor operations of service on the SacRT Gold Line through the purchase of eight additional light rail vehicles, launches significant Lake Transit intercity service expansion to Sonoma County Airport and Santa Rosa with four long-range hydrogen fuel-cell buses and a new transit center in Clearlake, provides for three zero emission buses for Merced County expanded bus service, and invests in a new maintenance facility in San Luis Obispo that supports more and longer intercity trains, allowing ridership on the Pacific Surfliner to grow.
Today’s awards are part of SB 1’s more than $7 billion investment in transit and rail projects between 2018 and 2027. For complete details on SB 1 visit http://www.rebuildingca.ca.gov/.
TIRCP is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
A complete list of this year’s recipients can be found here:
Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program 2020 Awards (PDF)
2020 Detailed Project Award Summary (PDF)