Apply for a grant

Below you'll find information for prospective applicants for state and federal grants administered by WSDOT's Public Transportation Division. Grants are funded on a biennial (two-year) basis, though some grant programs may fund projects on a four-year cycle. The following types of organizations qualify for at least some of WSDOT's public transportation grants: cities, counties, nonprofit agencies, private operators, senior centers, special districts (such as schools and ports), state agencies, transit agencies, and tribes.

Grant-funded projects include:

• Services such as transit; paratransit; transportation for the elderly, people with disabilities, and rural communities; commute trip reduction; and transit-pass programs.
• Vehicles and equipment such as new buses, rideshare vehicles, and supporting equipment.
• Infrastructure such as transit centers, park and ride lots, transit-signal-priority systems, and transit lanes.

The Grants Management System is a one-stop hub for public transportation grant applications, invoicing, and more. If the application method shown in the grants-at-a-glance table is in the Grants Management System, you will need to register for system access. Contact the help desk at PTDGMSSupport@wsdot.wa.gov or 360-705-7711 for more information on registering for or navigating the Grants Management System.

Grant opportunities

Applications

Transit Coordination Grant

The 2025-2027 Transit Coordination Grant informational notice of funding opportunity (PDF 357KB) is now available. 

The goal of the Transit Coordination Grant is to encourage joint planning and coordination of transit-related projects by central Puget Sound transit systems to improve user experience and increase ridership, while making the most effective use of tax dollars. The Legislature will determine the funding level in the 2025 legislative session. 

Eligible projects include, but are not limited to: 

• Integrating marketing efforts.
• Aligning fare structures.
• Integrating service planning.
• Coordinating long-range planning, including capital projects planning and implementation.
• Integrating other administrative functions and internal business processes, as appropriate.
• Integrating certain customer-focused tools and initiatives.

Eligible applicants are the transit agencies located in a county or counties with a population of 700,000 or more that border Puget Sound (i.e., King County Metro, Everett Transit, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Pierce Transit). 

The grant application will open in the Grants Management System on April 2, 2025. Applications are due 3 p.m. May 1, 2025.

Rural Transit Assistance Program

The Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) informational notice of funding opportunity (PDF 382KB) is now available. RTAP provides funding to assist with the design and implementation of training and technical-assistance projects and other support services for transportation operators in non-urbanized areas. 

Any private or public entity with experience and capacity for providing one or more of the eligible projects below. 

All eligible projects must develop content that is meaningful, focused, and relevant to the operations of rural and tribal transportation providers. 

The grant application will open March 25, 2025.

We currently do not have any grant opportunities open for application. We will post information here and on the webpages listed in the table below when grant opportunities become available. Applications will only be available between the application opening date and the due date. Applications may be completed using the Grants Management System or through coordination with WSDOT, depending on the grant program. More information is available by contacting our grants team.

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.

Grants at a glance

These tables provide an overview of key dates and application methods for the grants currently administered by WSDOT's Public Transportation Division. We will update the tables when grant programs are updated, added or completed.

Competitive grants

** Tribal transit funds will be awarded through the Consolidated Grant process for the 2025-2027 biennium. Interested tribal applicants must apply through the Consolidated Grant program.

*** This program is not funded beyond June 30, 2025. Dates shown above are for planning purposes if the program is funded in future biennia.

Discretionary grants

Formula grants

* Award date for state funds depends on the passage of the transportation budget.