Open 2026 transportation infrastructure grant competition
The California Transportation Commission is accepting project nominations under the 2026 Local Partnership Competitive Program for construction-phase transportation improvements programmed in fiscal years 2027-28 and 2028-29. This is a competitive public financial-assistance program for eligible California transportation agencies, not a procurement notice soliciting commercial vendors.
Funding and applicant eligibility
The maximum grant is $25,000,000 per project. The total funding capacity across this two-year competitive cycle is $151,298,000; the statewide pool is not an individual project award. Eligible applicants are local or regional transportation agencies that administer voter-approved taxes, tolls, or fees dedicated exclusively to transportation improvements, or agencies that impose qualifying dedicated transportation improvement fees. Counties, cities, districts, and regional transportation agencies must meet this specific revenue eligibility test. Eligibility documentation may include a signed executive cover letter, adopted tax or fee ordinance, election results, and audited revenues.
Required match and allowable projects
Projects generally require at least a 1:1 non-program funding match from eligible public or private sources. A qualifying nominating agency whose dedicated taxes, tolls, or imposed fees generate less than $2,000,000 per year may instead provide a match equal to 25% of requested grant funds; the guidelines also provide specific sound-wall match treatment. Eligible capital improvements can include highway and local-road rehabilitation and safety, transit facilities and cleaner rolling stock, biking and walking infrastructure, microtransit, paratransit and non-emergency medical transportation capital facilities, and eligible transportation technology. Grant requests may fund only the construction phase of capital projects, not ordinary operating services or standalone consulting bids. Projects must comply with environmental clearance, committed-funding, readiness, and other Commission restrictions. Expenses before allocation are generally ineligible for reimbursement.
Application deadline and submission
Project nominations are due Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST). Email the complete project nomination and required supporting documentation to LPP@catc.ca.gov. The controlling Appendix A requires accessible remediated PDFs, a hyperlinked table of contents, signed agency cover letter, project fact sheet, eligibility and match documentation, relevant environmental evidence, performance measures, and an electronic Project Programming Request (ePPR). For a project on the state highway system, coordinate the required State Highway System Project Impact Assessment with Caltrans sufficiently in advance. Review all nomination criteria and appendix forms before sending.
Controlling official sources
Read the California Transportation Commission adopted 2026 Local Partnership Competitive Program Guidelines (85-page PDF), including Sections II-V and Appendix A, and the official 2026 competitive program webpage. For deadline clarification the Commission homepage expressly states 11:59 p.m. PST. Verified October 31, 2026.