Green Transportation Capital

This grant is supported by state funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA). The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.

This grant is established under RCW 47.66.120.

Available funding

We anticipate a minimum of $12 million and up to $50 million in state funding for Green Transportation Capital Grants in the 2023-2025 biennium.  The Legislature will determine the funding level in the 2022-2023 legislative session.

Subject to the availability of funds appropriated to the Green Transportation Capital Grant program, we will submit a prioritized list of all projects requesting funding to the Legislature by Dec. 1, 2022.

We will notify applicants of awards June 30, 2023. WSDOT may scale awards depending on need and availability of funds.

We intend to recommend multiple projects focused on reducing the carbon intensity of the Washington transportation system to the Legislature. We will ensure equitable distribution to large urban, small urban, and/or rural transit agencies across the state.

Eligible applicants

Any transit agency in Washington state is an eligible applicant. A transit agency is defined as:

• City transit system under RCW 35.58.2721 or chapter 35.95A RCW
• County public transportation authority under chapter 36.57 RCW
• Metropolitan municipal corporation transit system under chapter 36.56 RCW
• Public transportation benefit area under chapter 36.57A RCW
• Unincorporated transportation benefit area under RCW 36.57.100
• Regional transit authority under chapter 81.112 RCW
• Special purpose district formed to operate a public transportation system

Eligible projects and related costs

Capital projects and related expenditures may include:

• Electrification of vehicle fleets, including battery and fuel cell operated electric vehicles
• Updating or modifying facilities for fleet electrification and/or hydrogen refueling infrastructure. New facilities that directly and primarily support fleet electrification.
• Construction of charging and fueling stations
• Necessary upgrades to electrical transmission and distribution systems
• In-house staff directly managing a capital construction or equipment/vehicle procurement project
• Acquisition of property rights for capital projects
• Planning activities (contingent upon legislative appropriation of funding). Planning may include, but is not limited to, zero-emission fleet transition planning, alternatives analyses, major investment studies, preliminary design/engineering, project-level environmental assessment and documentation, and final design.

Match requirement

Applicants must provide matching funds of at least 20% of the total cost of the project. The match must be direct contributions of cash or assets that are fundamental to implementing the project.

Applicants may use other grants as match, with the exception of competitive state-funded grants administered by WSDOT's Public Transportation Division. Expenditures associated with the proposed project may qualify for cash match.

Important dates

• July 2024: Grant application available in the Grants Management System.
• September 2024: Grant applications due in the Grants Management System.
• June 2025: WSDOT sends grant award letters to grantees (subject to budget bill enactment).
• July 1, 2025: 2025-2027 biennium begins.
• June 30, 2027: 2025-2027 biennium ends at which time all funded projects must be completed.

Evaluation process

We use a competitive process for awards from the Green Transportation Capital Grant program. Designated members of the Green Transportation Capital Grant Advisory Committee will review applications and recommend projects for award to us. The committee includes representatives from WSDOT; Department of Ecology; Department of Commerce; Utilities and Transportation Commission; Washington State University; and a large urban, small urban, and/or rural transit agency.

Evaluation criteria

The maximum score on an application is 100 points. Each criterion can receive a maximum of 20 points.

Criterion for the Green Transportation Capital Grant program include:

• Project description – Responses clearly describe the project scope of work, goals, measurable objectives, and anticipated results
• Scalability, sustainability, and support – Project advances the green transportation goals of the transit agency, and the extent to which the transit agency has coordinated with necessary partners to successfully implement the project
• Project benefits – Responses connect benefits to reductions in carbon emissions
• Project budget and cost effectiveness – Project's request for grant funds is reasonable and reductions in carbon emissions provided by the proposed project are cost effective
• Readiness to proceed and schedule – Applicant can feasibly successfully implement proposed project by June 30, 2025

Awards

The Green Transportation Capital grants table below shows 11 projects awarded nearly $50.5 million for the 2023-2025 biennium.

Sign up for grant updates

To stay informed about WSDOT public transportation grants, you can register in GovDelivery.