On May 18, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transit (DRPT) announced that materials for the Transit Ridership Incentive Program (TRIP) are now open for public comment. TRIP was created as part of the omnibus transportation bill from the 2020 session of the General Assembly, and is designed to improve regional transit service in large urban areas and reduce barriers to transit access for low income individuals. To accompany these two goals, TRIP is divided into two sub-programs, TRIP- regional connectivity and TRIP- zero fare and low income.
Seventy-five percent (75%) of program funds will be dedicated towards improving regional transit service for Large Urban or Small Urban public service corporations that serve localities with populations in excess of 100,000 and transportation district commissions. Eligible projects would include: the improvement and expansion of routes with regional significance; the development and implementation of regional subsidy financing models; the creation of bus-only lanes on routes of regional significance; and the implementation of integrated fare collection. Twenty-five percent (25%) of program funds would be eligible for transportation district commissions, public service corporations, local governments, and private nonprofit public transit providers to provide subsidized or fully free pass transit to low-income populations, eliminate fares on high-capacity corridors, and deploy an entirely zero fare system. Additional information on the program may be found here.
The following draft is open for public comment: Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) policy brief and application guidelines. These materials outline eligibility, program priorities, and project evaluation details. Comments on the Draft CTB Policy are due June 18, and comments on the Draft Application Guidelines are due July 7. DRPT will then review feedback and revisit application materials before seeking Board approval and deploying the program. The application is tentatively scheduled to open in late July.
Draft materials and program details can also be found on the DRPT TRIP webpage.
Please send comments to TRIP@drpt.virginia.gov. If any questions or comments arise, please contact TRIP@drpt.virginia.gov or contact the program manager:
Lauren Fishbein
Statewide Program Manager
Lauren.Fishbein@drpt.virginia.gov
cell: 804.351.6791
VACo Contacts: Jeremy R. Bennett