2025 Consolidated Grants Program
Call for Projects Update
The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) is reviewing applications to award approximately $15 million in state and federal funds. These funds are part of the 2025 Consolidated Grants Program and will be programmed to local and regional projects.
The application period opened on June 30, 2025, and closed on September 15, 2025. A total of 26 applications were submitted, requesting over $66 million in funds.
Preliminary funding recommendations for which projects will receive awards are expected in early October. The public and RTC advisory committees will have a chance to provide feedback on these recommendations.
The final recommendations will then be presented at a public hearing and adopted at the RTC's November 2025 Commission meeting.
RTC Contact
Rachel Moriconi
Senior Transportation Planner
programming@sccrtc.org
(831) 460-3200
Available Funds
The 2025 Consolidated Call for Projects anticipates approximately $15 million available for programming this cycle. This amount will come from the region's share of several state and federal programs, specifically:
- $4.35 million in State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funds through FY 2030-31.
- $8 million in Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG)/Regional Surface Transportation Program Exchange (RSTPX) funds through FY 2027-28.
- $1 million in SB1-Local Partnership Program (LPP) formula funds through FY 2028-29.
- $650 thousand in Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP) funds through FY 2025-26.
- $900 thousand in State Transit Assistance (STA) funds through FY 2026-27.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible Projects include a wide range of public street/road and highway, local roadway reconstruction/rehabilitation, bicycle, pedestrian, transit, transportation system management, transportation demand management and other projects. Additional information about each funding source, including eligible uses and activities, is provided in the Funding Program Summary.
Eligible Applicants include Cities, the County of Santa Cruz, SCCRTC, Caltrans, Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO), University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) and other governmental agencies with a Master Agreement with Caltrans. Non-governmental and other entities interested in applying for funds are required to have a public agency sponsor that will be responsible for ensuring state and federal accounting and implementation requirements are met.
Schedule
Below is the schedule outlining the steps to review and fund projects for the 2025 Consolidated Call for Projects cycle:
- June 30 - Call for Projects issued
- July 17 - Applicant workshop at 1:00pm via Zoom (Optional)
- September 15 - Project applications due to RTC by 3:00 PM
- September 16-26 - Review and scoring of applications received
- October 2025 - Advisory committees review preliminary recommendations and provide input or recommendations.
- November 6 - Public Hearing; RTC considers public and committee input and staff recommendations and adopts program of projects.
- December 15 - RTIP Proposal for STIP funded projects due to the CTC.
- March 2026 - California Transportation Commission (CTC) adopts the 2026 STIP
Project Evaluation
Below is a summary of criteria that the RTC will use to evaluate project benefits and transportation decisions. These criteria support the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), state, and/or federal goals and policies.
- Access for All - Expand affordable and convenient multi-modal travel options and choices, especially to and within key destinations, to allow people to access their regular needs.
- Safety and Health - Reduce transportation related fatalities and serious injuries (crashes) and enhance healthy, safe transportation options.
- System Preservation/ Infrastructure - Maintain and improve the condition of transportation assets cost effectively and responsive to the needs of all transportation system users.
- System Performance - Improve efficiency and enhance performance of the transportation system while protecting and enhancing the natural environment. Includes improving goods movement, supporting economic development, improving travel times, and reducing congestion.
- Climate Change and Resiliency - Reduce vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and establish a climate-resilient transportation system that anticipates, adapts to, and mitigates the impacts of climate change.
- Equity - Ensure that plans, investments, policies, and transportation decisions will reduce disparities for historically and systemically marginalized, underserved, and excluded populations.
While projects may not address every goal, objective, or criteria, those that provide multiple benefits to the community will be scored more favorably than single-benefit projects. Other considerations include project readiness, scale of benefits, public engagement, community support, and leveraging non-RTC discretionary funds.
Application Receipt Log
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