Zero Fare Transit Grant Program | Colorado Energy Office

SB24-032 continues the ozone season transit grant program and provides funding for a new program to provide grants to the Colorado Association of Transit Agencies (CASTA) and the Regional Transportation District (RTD) for year-round free fare transit for youth.

Zero Fare Transit Grant Program Policies and Request for Applications

The Request for Applications (RFA) for the Zero Fare Transit Grant Program is now open. Applicants may apply on a rolling basis, but no later than August 15, 2024 at 12:00 PM MT. Find instructions on how to submit an application in the RFA documents linked below.

View Application Materials

Key Activities and Dates

Activity	Action Date
RFA release	July 23, 2024
Application submission deadline	On a rolling basis, by August 15, 2024, 12:00 pm MT
Anticipated notice of award	On a rolling basis

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Program Background: Ozone Season Transit Grant Program

SB22-180 created the Ozone Season Transit Grant Program to provide grants to the Regional Transportation District (RTD) and transit associations in order to provide free transit services for at least 30 days during ozone season in 2022 and 2023. The program was designed to support the state’s transit agencies in rebuilding transit ridership and to reduce driving during ozone season. Ground level ozone poses health risks to all Coloradans, particularly to vulnerable populations including the elderly, young children, and people with asthma or other respiratory diseases. Reducing vehicle traffic by encouraging the use of public transit is one key strategy to help reduce ozone-forming emissions and ground level ozone during the summer months. Transit ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic fell nationwide, and while vehicle traffic returned as COVID cases declined, transit ridership has has been slower to return to pre-pandemic levels. Encouraging more people to ride transit is one essential strategy to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.