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. Through the six cycles of TIRCP funding, the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) has awarded more than $10 billion in funding to 132 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. CalSTA awarded $2.54 billion of this funding to existing projects as the first grants of TIRCP Cycle 6 on January 31, 2023, and awarded $690 million to new projects on April 24, 2023. CalSTA awarded $251.5 million to High Priority Grade Crossing Improvement and Separation Projects on July 6, 2023. CalSTA awarded the remaining $98.5 million to grade separation projects through the Port and Freight Infrastructure Program.

SB 125 (2023) Transit Program

SB 125 (Chapter 54 of the Statutes of 2023) guides the distribution of $4 billion in General Fund through TIRCP on a population-based formula to regional transportation planning agencies, which will have the flexibility to use the money to fund transit operations or capital improvements. The budget also establishes the $1.1 billion Zero-Emission Transit Capital Program, also administered by CalSTA, to be allocated to regional transportation planning agencies on a population-based formula and another formula based on revenues to fund zero-emission transit equipment and operations. In addition, the budget establishes an accountability program to govern the distribution of these funds as well as a Transit Transformation Task Force to develop policy recommendations to grow transit ridership, improve the transit experience and address long-term operational needs.

More information on these programs is available on the SB 125 webpage.

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 https://www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov/.

2024 Programming Cycle

The 2024 TIRCP grant cycle will program projects starting with the 2024‐25 fiscal year and ending with the 2028‐29 fiscal year.The new program cycle will include previously awarded and active projects that have not been fully allocated by the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year, and projects selected with the 2024 cycle.

2024 TIRCP Schedule

Item	Date
Release Draft 2024 Cycle 7 Guidelines (PDF)	March 12, 2024
Guidelines Workshops (Virtual) Northern California Northern California Workshop Video (YouTube) Northern California Workshop Presentation Slides (PDF) Southern California Southern California Workshop Video (YouTube) Southern California Workshop Presentation Slides (PDF)	April 16, 2024
Closing Date for Comments on Draft Guidelines	April 18, 2024
CalSTA Publishes 2024 Cycle 7 Guidelines (PDF) Draft and Final Guidelines Comparison Document (PDF)	April 30, 2024
CalSTA Publishes 2024 Cycle 7 Call for Projects (PDF)	April 30, 2024
Optional and time-limited meetings with applicants to discuss project concepts and quantifications (will be scheduled by request) TIRCP Cycle 7 Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)	May 13-23, 2024
Project Applications Due Summary of Applications Received (PDF)	July 23, 2024
CalSTA Award Announcement TIRCP Cycle 7 Project Award List (PDF) TIRCP Cycle 7 Project Detailed Award Summary (PDF)	October 23, 2024

Reference Material, Cycles 1-6

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/transit-and-intercity-rail-capital-program