Transit Connectivity Grant

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation Transit Connectivity Grant Program is administered by the MassDOT Rail and Transit Division and is funded under Section 1595-6370 of the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Act. The program makes up to $10 million available to Regional Transit Authorities through a competitive grant process. Its objective is to support the creation or alteration of routes that improve connectivity between existing public transportation routes, including Regional Transit Authority routes and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority routes. Funding is intended for operating projects that create opportunities for increased ridership, increase the total mileage that can be covered in a single trip, improve access for low-income individuals, and advance geographic equity. Eligible applicants are Regional Transit Authorities. An RTA may submit as many applications as it chooses, and joint applications are encouraged. Joint applications involving multiple RTAs that seek to connect services, facilitate transfers, or provide coverage between service areas are eligible for bonus points. An RTA seeking to connect its service with the MBTA may also qualify for bonus points by taking steps to collaborate with the MBTA before submission. Applicants must specify their proposed service dates, and they may request funding for more than 12 months. MassDOT can carry program funding from one fiscal year to another. There is no stated minimum or maximum amount that an applicant may request, and MassDOT may fund a project at less than the amount requested. No matching or cost-share requirement is stated in the application instructions. Applications are submitted through the online application. Applicants must prepare responses to the application questions, download and complete the budget Excel sheet from the grant webpage, and upload the completed budget through the online form. Letters of support and other attachments are optional but encouraged, and optional additional attachments should be combined into one PDF package. The online form includes a save-for-later function that generates a URL valid for 30 days. Applicants may save while working on the questions, but after documents have been uploaded they can no longer save their work for later. Applicants should confirm that a green checkmark appears next to each uploaded document before selecting the submit button. After submission, applicants should receive a copy of their responses by email approximately 15 to 20 minutes later. The application requests a unique project name, lead applicant RTA, partner RTAs if applicable, contact information, and proposed service dates. The service plan section asks applicants to describe the proposed service, identify the routes or service areas it will connect, identify the cities and towns served, explain the proposed service mode and why it is appropriate, and provide an implementation plan and schedule. Applicants must also demonstrate project need using evidence such as Comprehensive Regional Transportation Plans, Coordinated Human Service Transportation Plans, rider surveys, rider requests, or other relevant information. Prioritization questions address expected ridership and the method used to calculate it, increased geographic coverage and the square mileage of the new service area, and whether and how the project prioritizes low-income individuals, including relevant partnerships with community-based organizations. Applications are evaluated competitively by a committee that includes MassDOT Rail and Transit Division staff. The scoring framework uses a 50-point scale with the potential for an additional 10 bonus points. The service plan is worth 15 points, project need is worth 10 points, prioritization is worth 15 points, evaluation is worth 5 points, and the budget is worth 5 points. Applicants must explain how they will determine whether the pilot is successful and identify the measures they will track. Up to 10 bonus points are available for qualifying collaboration involving RTAs connecting their services or an RTA collaborating with the MBTA. For MBTA collaboration, the applicant must at minimum contact Glenn Geiler at ggeiler@mbta.com before submitting and share a draft scope or abstract along with an explanation of the anticipated MBTA role. MassDOT may contact applicants when clarification is needed and reserves the right to negotiate project scope and deliverables before finalizing awards. Similar proposals from multiple RTAs may be combined into a single grant when cost savings or other efficiencies can be achieved, and joint proposals may implement pilot programs across RTA boundaries or demonstrate shared benefits. Grant awards are to be distributed in a geographically equitable manner to the extent possible. MassDOT is not obligated to award the entire $10 million if qualifying requests total less than that amount. There is no minimum or maximum number of awards, and projects are selected on merit according to the weighted criteria. Awarded funding is provided contractually through reimbursements and may be carried beyond the end of the state fiscal year. Applications are due Friday, September 18, 2026, and MassDOT recommends submitting early. The instructions do not identify a separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, or other mandatory pre-application deadline, and they do not provide an award notification date. No recurring annual or other repeating application schedule is stated. Applicants experiencing submission difficulties may contact the program at massdottransitgrants@dot.state.ma.us, which can confirm whether a submission was received.

Address the weighted scoring criteria directly. Quantify expected ridership and explain the calculation method. Quantify new service-area coverage in square miles. Support project need with transportation plans, rider surveys, rider requests, or other evidence. Explain how the service reaches low-income individuals and identify relevant community-based partnerships. Define measurable indicators of pilot success. Joint RTA applications can earn bonus points. Applicants seeking bonus points for MBTA connectivity should contact Glenn Geiler before submission and share a draft scope or abstract and the anticipated MBTA role. Submit early and verify that a green checkmark appears for every uploaded document before submitting.