California State Transportation Agency Awards $690 Million in Transit Funding

This group of grants is for new projects that improve and expand passenger rail service and bus transit, and support clean energy. According to grant documents, all of these projects benefit disadvantaged communities. They will result in the acquisition of 277 new zero-emission vehicles at transit agencies all around the state, as well as the development of several high-priority mobility hubs and rail projects.

In February, CalSTA had said that it would be granting another $1.14 billion at this time; this is about $350 million less than that. About that much was set to be used for grade separation projects, which are not included in this list. CalSTA says it plans to release that funding, plus some for transit capital projects, soon.

The full list of projects that received funding is available at CalSTA’s website. They include a host of zero emission bus and “microtransit” vehicle purchases, planning and development of future large-scale projects including hubs, rail, and infrastructure components, and enhancements to existing transit systems that include upgrades to software and communications systems and other services.

The grants will support the Valley Link Rail project, LA Metro core capacity and Gold Line work, studying track relocation for LOSSAN in Orange County, passenger rail in Riverside County, and studying passenger rail in Santa Cruz. It will also support building infrastructure to support electric ferries on the San Francisco Bay.

A few other examples:

• High Desert Clean Connector – $3.9 million for four zero-emission buses to serve a new transit commuter route between the Antelope Valley and Victorville using existing charging infrastructure.
• Mobility Hub at the Sacramento Valley rail station – $30.8 million for a new building, contactless far reading technology for multiple bus agencies that serve the station, and project development for a new station in Hercules and a third track to Roseville.
• Pasadena Transit – $14 million for forty zero-emission buses and infrastructure to support them, plus related service improvements including transit signal priority, fare payment upgrades, and other passenger amenities.
• Richmond Moves – $3.1 million for zero-emission microtransit vehicles that will operate citywide.
• Simi Valley Regional Transit Center – $7 million for a new transit center with regional connections, a park-and-ride lot, and six zero-emission buses.
• Santa Cruz intercity transit – $38.5 million for 24 zero‐emission buses to be used on Highways 1 and Highway 17, as well as for redeveloping the Watsonville Transit Station and Pacific Station.