Recent state budget will invest $7.65 billion more over the next three years.
Today, the California State Transportation Agency granted nearly $800 million to 23 projects throughout the state to expand transit and intercity rail service and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The fifth cycle of Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) grants ushers in a period of historic investment to improve and expand public transportation throughout California, while positioning the state to compete aggressively for substantial new federal funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In addition to the $796,1 million awarded today, the newly enacted state budget for 2022-23 includes $7.65 billion from the General Fund for TIRCP funding over the next three years.
“Under Governor Gavin Newsom’s leadership, California is making historic investments in transit and intercity rail, and the transformative projects receiving funding today are leading the way to a cleaner, safer, more connected and more equitable transportation system,” California State Transportation Agency Secretary Toks Omishakin said. “I congratulate all the TIRCP grant recipients as we work together to rapidly cut pollution from the transportation sector with faster, more frequent, more affordable and more reliable transit service that increases ridership and reduces our dependence on driving.”
The 23 projects will directly benefit disadvantaged communities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 4.3 million metric tons, which is equivalent to eliminating more than 930,000 gasoline-powered vehicles.
The funding will result in the purchase of 393 zero-emission buses, 51 zero-emission shuttles or microtransit vehicles, eight new light rail vehicles, and two zero-emission ferries in all regions of the state, from Humboldt and Sonoma counties in the north to Riverside and San Diego counties in the south.
Statewide representative projects include:
- More than $116 million for essential transit corridor improvements for Muni rail and bus services in San Francisco.
- A significant investment of over $177 million in 261 zero-emission buses and NextGen corridor improvements for the Los Angeles Metro.
- More than $60 million will be invested in transit-oriented development improvements at East Bay BART stations and in Humboldt County to increase transit ridership and prepare for the construction of affordable housing at transit hubs.
- New and expanded bus services between the counties of Humboldt and Mendocino, Tulare and Kings, Torrance and Downtown Los Angeles, the Interstate 680 Corridor in the Bay Area, and Monterey County.
- The Altamont Corridor Express and Metrolink’s Perris Valley line in Riverside County will provide new and expanded rail service from the Bay Area and Sacramento to Turlock.
Since 2015, TIRCP has contributed over $6,6 billion to nearly 100 projects. SB 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, and proceeds from the Cap-and-Trade program provide funding for the TIRCP. Due to increased Cap-and-Trade auction proceeds over the past year and robust Transportation Improvement Fee revenue, the funding for this award cycle was greater than originally anticipated.
This is the first award cycle in which the Climate Action Plan for Transportation Infrastructure (CAPTI) has been incorporated into the TIRCP’s guidelines. CAPTI, which was finalized by the California State Transportation Agency last summer, outlines how the state recommends investing billions of discretionary transportation dollars annually to combat and adapt aggressively to climate change, while also promoting public health, safety, and equity.
TIRCP is a component of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that employs billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the economy, and improve public health and the environment – especially in disadvantaged communities. Additionally, the Cap-and-Trade program creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative methods of reducing pollution. The projects supported by California Climate Investments include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, and recycling, among many others. Visit the California Climate Investments website at www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov for more information.
