Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program

Overview

The Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) was created by Senate Bill (SB) 862 (Chapter 36, Statutes of 2014) and modified by Senate Bill 9 (Chapter 710, Statutes of 2015), to provide grants from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) to fund transformative capital improvements that will modernize California’s intercity, commuter, and urban rail systems, and bus and ferry transit systems, to significantly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, vehicle miles traveled, and congestion. There have been five cycles of TIRCP funding, in which the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) has awarded $6.6 billion in funding to nearly 100 projects throughout the state. The legislation of these bills is established in Sections 75220 through 75225 of the Public Resources Code (PRC). Assembly Bill 398 (Chapter 135) extended the Cap-and-Trade Program that supports the TIRCP from 2020 through 2030. SB 1 (Chapter 5) continues to provide a historic funding increase for transportation with funds directed to the TIRCP from the Public Transportation Account for new programming.

AB 180 amended the Budget Act of 2021 (Chapters 21, 69 and 240 of the Statutes of 2021) to appropriate $3.63 billion of General Fund to the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program and $350 million of General Fund for High Priority Grade Crossing Improvement and Separation projects. This funding will be included in TIRCP Cycle 6.

Objectives

The TIRCP was created to fund transformative capital improvements that modernize California’s intercity rail, bus (including feeder buses to intercity rail services, as well as vanpool services that are eligible to report as public transit to the Federal Transit Administration), ferry, and rail transit systems (collectively referred to as transit services or systems inclusive of all aforementioned modes unless otherwise specified) to achieve all of the following policy objectives, as established in Section 75220(a) of the PRC:

1. Reduce emissions of greenhouse gases
2. Expand and improve transit service to increase ridership
3. Integrate the rail service of the state’s various rail operations, including integration with the high‐speed rail system
4. Improve transit safety

Additionally, Section 75221(c) of the PRC establishes a programmatic goal to provide at least 25 percent of available funding to projects that provide a direct, meaningful, and assured benefit to disadvantaged communities.

For information on the Transit, Affordable Housing, and Sustainable Communities Program (and associated programs generated by SB 862) please visit www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.

Cycle 6 Programming

The TIRCP funds available for this General Fund cycle are already available for award, encumbrance and liquidation, and are expected to be fully encumbered and liquidated by June 30, 2027.

Cycle 6 Schedule 

Reference Material, Cycles 1-5

• Active TIRCP Projects (All Cycles) as of October 2022 (PDF)
• Completed TIRCP Projects as of October 2022 (PDF)
• 2022 TIRCP Award List (PDF)
• 2022 TIRCP Detailed Project Award Summary (PDF)
• 2022 Final Guidelines (PDF)
• 2020 TIRCP Detailed Project Award Summary (PDF)
• 2020 Final Guidelines (PDF)
• 2018 TIRCP Detailed Project Award Summary (PDF)
• 2016 TIRCP Detailed Project Award Summary (PDF)
• 2015 TIRCP Detailed Project Award Summary (PDF)

TIRCP Program Administration

The Secretary of the Transportation Agency has delegated the authority for the administration of TIRCP to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The Caltrans Division of Rail and Mass Transportation (DRMT) is administering the program pursuant to the TIRCP Guidelines and all applicable policies and procedures for program administration. Project administration information can be found at the Caltrans Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) webpage:

https://dot.ca.gov/programs/rail-and-mass-transportation/transit-and-intercity-rail-capital-program