The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) approved the Fiscal Years 2024 to 2029 Six-Year Improvement Program, which allocates about $6.3 billion in funding to public transportation and rail programs over the next six years. The program is supported by the Commonwealth Transportation Fund, which uses a methodology to distribute funding to highway, bridge, rail, transit, transportation demand management, ports, aviation, and space flight projects. The SYIP funds will help pay for more than 4,700 projects. A portion of the funds ($809 million) will pay for debt service.
The program allocated $19.6 billion to road projects and $6.3 billion to railroads and other public transportation, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation report.
Public transportation funding includes $861.9 million in funding for public transportation and rail programs in Fiscal Year 2024. This funding will help support the operation of transit and commuter service programs. The program will assist with the improvement of bus stops and replacement of aging transit vehicles, some of which will be low- and no-emission vehicles. State funding will go toward Transit Ridership Incentive Program projects that improve regional connectivity and reduce barriers to transit use for low-income riders. The program also funds enhancements to the rail network, such as rail crossing upgrades to improve safety.
For more information on what is in the Six-Year Improvement Program, visit DRPT’s Open Data Portal at www.data.drpt.virginia.gov.
Sources: DRPT, SAWMPO, The Free Lance-Star