Green Transportation Capital
Green Transportation Capital grants provide funding to transit agencies for cost-effective capital projects that reduce the carbon intensity of the Washington transportation system.
This grant is supported by state funding through 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 1, 2022: WSDOT posts notice of funding opportunity
- Aug. 2, 2022: Grant application available in the Grants Management System
- 11 a.m. PDT, Aug. 17, 2022: Informational webinar for prospective applicants
- 3 p.m. PDT, Sept. 29, 2022: Grant applications due in the Grants Management System
- October-November 2022: Evaluation panel reviews and scores applications
- Dec. 1, 2022: WSDOT sends prioritized list of projects to the Legislature and Governor’s Office
- May-June 2023: WSDOT sends grant award letters to grantees (subject to budget bill enactment)
- July 1, 2023: 2023-2025 biennium begins
- June 30, 2025: 2023-2025 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.
Organization |
County/counties |
Project title |
Award |
---|---|---|---|
Chelan Douglas Public Transportation Benefit Area (Link Transit) | Chelan, Douglas | Complete urban bus fleet electrification | $5,942,718 |
City of Everett (Everett Transit) | Snohomish | Electric buses | $6,376,000 |
Intercity Transit | Thurston | Intercity Transit Green Hydrogen Fuel-Cell-Electric Buses Demonstration Project | $6,857,740 |
Jefferson Transit Authority | Jefferson | E Bus application | $1,000,000 |
King County Metro Transit | King | Burien Transit Center layover charging infrastructure | $4,974,311 |
King County Metro Transit | King | Interim base electrification | $7,000,000 |
King County Metro Transit | King | South Annex base electrification | $9,000,000 |
Kitsap County Public Transportation Benefit Area Authority (Kitsap Transit) | Kitsap | Inductive charging infrastructure | $3,840,000 |
Pierce County Public Transportation Benefit Area Corporation (Pierce Transit) | Pierce | Zero-emission grid expansion and resiliency planning implementation | $450,000 |
Spokane Transit Authority (STA) | Spokane | 2023 fleet electrification | $4,950,000 |
Valley Transit | Walla Walla | Zero-emission bus plan | $80,000 |
Sign up for grant updates
To stay informed about WSDOT public transportation grants, you can register for updates by selecting “Public Transportation Grants” under “Funding” in the GovDelivery menu.
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