Rural Transit Assistance Program

RTAP is supported by funding from the Federal Transit Administration 5311(b)(3) program.

Program highlights

WSDOT Public Transportation Division provides resources for training and technical assistance to rural and tribal transportation providers through RTAP in the following ways:

Scholarships

WSDOT administers RTAP scholarships to help cover registration and travel expenses for training courses, workshops, and conferences for rural and tribal transportation providers.

See the RTAP scholarship guidance (PDF 320KB) for more information including scholarship applications and program eligibility.

Technical assistance

RTAP funds may be used for the following types of technical assistance:

• Providing on-site or virtual presentations by WSDOT or vendors for training purposes on a variety of topics and issues.
• Other technical assistance requiring funding not covered by the agency.

Peer review program

An RTAP-funded peer review can focus on the entire agency or one element of an agency. A rural or tribal agency initiates the request, which includes a specific problem statement, for a review by members of WSDOT's Public Transportation Division and selected professional peers.

An agency may select an area of review such as safety and training, maintenance shop efficiency, organizational management, and other agency priorities. Following the review, a report is compiled and sent to the reviewed organization.

RTAP funds are available to cover the cost incurred by the rural agency for the peer review including lodging and travel expenses for reviewers.

Biennial grants for training providers and developers 

RTAP biennial grants are funding opportunities for organizations that wish to provide training courses, materials, and/or equipment that are applicable to rural and tribal transportation providers.

Applicants must show project relevance and applicability to rural transportation. WSDOT releases a notice of funding opportunity for RTAP biennial grants every two years.

In addition, WSDOT's Public Transportation Division provides training directly to agencies and organizations in support of public transportation projects. This includes webinars, in-person and online opportunities, and sessions at the annual State Public Transportation Conference.

Sign up for grant updates

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