Monterey-Salinas Transit’s SURF! Busway and BRT project receives $22.2 million in federal funding

Monterey-Salinas Transit’s (MST) SURF! Busway and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is considered fully funded after securing a $22.2 million Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program award. The federal funding builds on the $25 million in state funding, which is expected to be committed in the coming months.  

The funding will support building a six-mile dedicated busway as part of a 20-mile planned route that will connect Monterey to Salinas, Calif. The dedicated busway runs along a former rail right-of-way parallel to California Highway 1. Transit signal prioritization along portions of the route will help reduce congestion impacts and improve on-time performance while expanding transit ridership along the increasingly busy corridor. 

"By investing in bus rapid transit projects across the country, the Biden-Harris Administration is increasing access to sustainable, reliable transportation that connects more people to all that’s important in their lives," said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "The funding we're announcing today for California's SURF! Line will continue this good work and will allow residents, workers and students from Monterey to Salinas to get where they need to go faster." 

FTA Deputy Administrator Veronica Vanterpool added, "The SURF! Busway and BRT line isn't just about faster service, it’s about creating better access to jobs, schools and healthcare for the people who need it most. This is an important step to help make the region more affordable and open up economic opportunity for all." 

In addition to the dedicated busway, the BRT project will include new stops serving Marina, Sand City and Seaside, including a new multimodal mobility hub in the former Fort Ord redevelopment area. The mobility hub will feature a safe drop-off and pick-up area, public parking with EV charging and bicycle and mobility amenities, including a bicycle repair station. 

SURF! will connect residents and visitors to recreational areas thanks to new one-mile multiuse trail extensions from Beach Range Road in Marina and Sand City, with improved access to the Fort Ord Dunes State Park and the planned Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway network. It will also improve connections to the Monterey Conference Center; new residential and commercial spaces; and medical and educational facilities along the line.  

The project will expand transit connectivity throughout Monterey County by linking two key existing transit hubs — Salinas Transit Center and Monterey Transit Plaza — and provide easier connections to California State University at Monterey Bay. 

“[The] MST Board of Directors is committed to connecting communities, creating opportunity and being kind to our planet, and this project meets all of those objectives,” said MST General Manager/CEO Carl Sedoryk. “For a little over five years, MST staff, our team of consultants, federal, state and local elected officials, advocates and stakeholders have worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome, which is an important milestone for us to finally start construction later this year.” 

SURF! will be MST's second BRT line and is expected to break ground in the spring. According to the American Public Transit Association’s Economic Impact Calculator, MST reports the project is expected to create $114 million in economic benefits, including 981 direct construction-related jobs and an additional 650 generated jobs with increased economic activity in the corridor.  

FTA notes that more than 26 percent of the workforce in the cities connected by the line will live within a half mile of a SURF! bus stop. Not having a car is the number one reason riders report taking MST services, with 77 percent of MST riders earning an annual household income under $40,000, according to the FTA.