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 three prior cycles of TIRCP funding, in which the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) has awarded $5.3 billion in funding to 56 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.
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:
- Reduce emissions of greenhouse gases
- Expand and improve transit service to increase ridership
- Integrate the rail service of the state’s various rail operations, including integration with the high‐speed rail system
- 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.
2020 Programming Cycle
Section 75224 of the Public Resource Code requires CalSTA to approve a new five-year program of projects not later than April 1, 2020. The 2020 TIRCP grant cycle will program projects starting with the 2020‐21 fiscal year and ending with the 2024‐25 fiscal year. The new program cycle will include previously awarded and active Cycle 3 projects that have not been fully allocated by the end of the 2019-20 fiscal year, and projects selected with the 2020 planning cycle.
2020 Guidelines Development Process
CalSTA would like to invite public review and comments on the draft guidelines for the next round of TIRCP awards. The 2020 Guidelines describe the policy, standards, criteria, and procedures that will be used for the development, evaluation, adoption and management of the TIRCP Program.
CalSTA welcomes input from all stakeholders to provide input on TIRCP, including interaction through public workshops and written comments. Please send your comments to: tircpcomments@dot.ca.gov
2020 TIRCP Schedule
| Item | Date |
|---|---|
|
Release Draft 2020 Cycle 4 Guidelines 2020 TIRCP Formal Draft Guidelines (PDF) Summary of Changes and Clarifications to Draft Guidelines (PDF) |
September 13, 2019 |
|
Guidelines Workshops |
October 14, 2019 October 15, 2019 |
| Closing Date for Comments on Draft Guidelines | October 15, 2019 |
|
CalSTA Publishes 2020 Cycle 4 Guidelines |
October 18, 2019 |
|
Call for Projects 2020 Cycle 4 |
October 18, 2019 |
| Optional and time-limited meetings with applicants to discuss project concepts and quantifications (to be scheduled in various locations; Northern CA, Southern CA and Central Valley) | Nov 4 to 12, 2019 |
| Project Applications Due | January 16, 2020 |
| CalSTA Award Announcement | April 1, 2020 |
| Dates are subject to change. | |
Reference Material, Cycles 1, 2 and 3
- 2018 TIRCP Award List (PDF)
- 2018 TIRCP Detailed Project Award Summary (PDF)
- 2018 TIRCP Guidelines (PDF)
- 2016 TIRCP Award List (PDF)
- 2016 TIRCP Detailed Project Award Summary (PDF)
- 2015 TIRCP Award List (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
