Through Senate Bill 45, Caltrans and the Regional Transportation Planning Agencies (RTPAs) like SBCTA are given more authority to select projects and allocate funds. The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has ultimate approval over the allocation of most funds, but the identification and selection of projects, as well as the establishment of priorities rests with Caltrans or the RTPAs—for San Bernardino County this is Caltrans District 8 and SBCTA.
One of the key roles played by SBCTA in funding of transportation improvements is its involvement in the development of the STIP. The STIP is a five (5) year program of transportation projects that is formally updated through the combined efforts of Regional Agencies, Caltrans, and the CTC every two (2) years. Funding levels for the STIP have varied from year to year depending on the overall economic situation at the Federal and State levels. Although SB1 does not provide new funding for the STIP, it does stabilize the historically volatile funding source. SB1 also includes indexing fuel taxes to inflation in future years to stop the degradation of STIP funding revenue.
By State law, SBCTA is responsible for developing the list of projects to be funded in the county with RIP Funds, which comprise 75 percent of the STIP Funds available Statewide. The CTC approves the program of projects developed by SBCTA. SBCTA is also permitted to allocate up to 5 percent for planning, programming, and monitoring activities.
The remaining 25 percent of STIP funding is programmed by Caltrans and similarly subject to approval by the CTC. SBCTA works with Caltrans District 8 to develop a list of projects for consideration.
On April 28, 2017, the Governor signed SB1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, providing an estimated $52.5 billion Statewide over the following decade, which is the first significant, stable, and on-going increase in State transportation funding in more than two (2) decades. SB1 aims to improve California’s transportation system by finding a balance of revenues and reforms to ensure the economic impact of increased funding is fairly distributed and that the revenue addresses the State’s highest transportation needs. The bill provides a comprehensive and multi-modal funding package with revenue set asides for highways, local streets and roads, goods movement projects, active transportation projects, and transit projects and services through a variety of formula and competitive programs managed by numerous State departments and agencies.
The SCCP provides funding to achieve a balanced set of transportation, environmental, and community access improvements to reduce congestion throughout the State. This Statewide, competitive program makes $250 million available annually for projects that implement specific transportation performance improvements and are part of a comprehensive corridor plan by providing more transportation choices while preserving the character of local communities and creating opportunities for neighborhood enhancement.
The LPP provides local and regional transportation agencies that have passed sales tax measures and developer fees or other imposed transportation fees with a continuous appropriation of $200 million annually to fund road maintenance and rehabilitation, sound walls, and other transportation improvement projects. Program funds will be distributed through a 40 percent statewide competitive component and a 60 percent formula component. SBCTA’s formulaic share is currently $5.8 million per year.
The TCEP provides approximately $300 million per year in State funding for projects that more efficiently enhance the movement of goods along corridors that have a high freight volume. Subsequent legislation combined these funds with existing Federal National Highway Freight Program (NHFP) Funds of approximately $535 million for Fiscal Years 2017/2018-2019/2020.
The SGR provides approximately $105 million per year in State funding for capital assistance to rehabilitate and modernize California’s existing local transit systems, with a focus on upgrading, repairing, and maintaining transit infrastructure in a State of Good Repair. The formulaic revenue estimate provided to SBCTA by the State Controller’s Office (SCO) for Fiscal Year 2020/2021 is $3.6 million. The SGR Program includes an inflation adjustment. The SCO distributes these funds using the State Transit Assistance Fund (STA) distribution formula.
The passage of Proposition 1B, the Highway, Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006, approved by the voters in 2006, authorized $19.93 billion in general obligation bond proceeds to be available for high-priority transportation corridor improvements, trade infrastructure and port security projects, school bus retrofit and replacement purposes, STIP augmentation, transit and passenger rail improvements, State-local partnership transportation projects, transit security projects, local bridge seismic retrofit projects, highway-railroad grade separation and crossing improvement projects, State highway safety and rehabilitation projects, and local street and road improvement, congestion relief, and traffic safety. Most of these programs were scheduled to have been fully allocated by the CTC by June 2013.
The Transportation Development Act (TDA) provides for the Local Transportation Fund (LTF) and State Transit Assistance (STA) Fund, which are major sources of funding for public transportation. These funds are for the development and support of public transportation needs that exist in California and are allocated to areas of each county based on taxable sales and fare revenue. Some areas of the county have the option of using LTF for local streets and roads projects, if they can show there are no unmet transit needs. SBCTA is the agency that provides oversight of the public hearing process used to identify unmet transit needs. Additionally, LTF provides a set-aside for bicycle and pedestrian projects. SBCTA administers biennial calls for projects for distribution of these funds for projects that provide bicycle and pedestrian facilities and for improvements to access to transit stops.
Learn more about the Transportation Development Act
TDA Triennial Performance Audits
SBCTA administers the Local Transportation Fund (LTF), generated from one‑quarter of one cent of San Bernardino County sales tax. For FY 2026/2027, the LTF apportionment is $167.5 million. SBCTA receives funding for administrative functions, including fiscal and compliance audits, and up to 3 percent of LTF—$5.03 million—for planning and programming.
SBCTA allocates LTF for Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities and for Transit and Street Projects. Under Article 3 of the TDA, 2 percent of LTF supports pedestrian and bicycle facilities, safety programs, and comprehensive plan development. SBCTA issues biennial calls for projects, setting aside 10 percent for maintenance and 20 percent for transit access, and uses these funds to match local agency applications to the State’s Active Transportation Program. More information on the TDA Article 3 program, including program guidelines, upcoming calls for projects, and claim submittals can be found here.
After covering administration, planning, and Article 3 allocations, the remaining LTF is distributed per capita under Public Utilities Code Section 99231. In FY 2026/2027, 72.3 percent of the remaining balance ($113 million) went to the San Bernardino Valley for public transportation operations and capital improvements for Omnitrans, Metrolink, and other transit services, while 27.7 percent ($43.3 million) was allocated to Mountain/Desert Transit Operators. If all transit needs are determined to be reasonably met, eligible areas may use remaining LTF funds for street and road projects.
STA funds are appropriated by the legislature to the State Controller’s Office (SCO). The SCO then allocates the tax revenue, by formula, to planning agencies and other selected agencies. Statue requires that 50% of STA funds be allocated according to population and 50% be allocated according to transit operator revenues from the prior fiscal year.
On April 28, 2017 Governor Brown signed Senate Bill (SB) 1 (Chapter 5, Statutes of 2017), known as the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) augments the base of the State Transit Assistance program essentially doubling the funding for this program. To provide for SB 1 reporting and transparency, transit agencies are asked to work with the Department to report on planned expenditures for these augmented funds.
The revenue estimate provided to SBCTA by the SCO for Fiscal Year 2026/2027 is $24 million. Of this, $20 million is distributed to the Valley and Mountain/Desert areas on a population basis and $4.2 million is apportioned by the State to individual operators based on qualifying revenues.
LCTOP is one of several programs that are part of the Transit, Affordable Housing, and Sustainable Communities Program established by the California Legislature in 2014 by Senate Bill 862 (SB862). LCTOP was created to provide transit operating and capital assistance to eligible project sponsors in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve mobility, with a priority on serving disadvantaged communities. This program is funded by auction proceeds from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Cap-and-Trade Program where proceeds are deposited into the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). The revenue estimate provided to SBCTA by the SCO for Fiscal Year 2020/2021 is $4 million. These funds are distributed to the Valley and Mountain/Desert areas on a population basis with $2.9 million available to the Valley and $1.1 million available to the Mountain/Desert for Fiscal Year 2020/2021. Since the revenue available for this program is based on auction proceeds, this is not a stable fund source from year to year.