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Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP)

Program Overview

The Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) was created by Congress in 1986, under the Section 18(h) of the Surface Transportation Act administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The Program's goal is to provide training, technical assistance, and research activities that help foster improved rural transit services. RTAP has both state and national program components. California’s RTAP funds are administered in conjunction with the Office of Transit Grants and Contracts (OTGC) management of the FTA Section 5311 rural transit program. The OTGC administers the California State RTAP program through a contract that is currently awarded to the California Association for Coordinated Transportation (CALACT), a private non-profit association of more than 300 organizations - the largest state transit association in the United States. Together, CalACT and Caltrans are dedicated to promoting professional excellence, stimulating ideas and advocating for efficient, effective community transportation statewide.

California RTAP Objectives


  • To promote the safe and effective delivery of public transportation in non-urbanized and small urban areas of California and to make more efficient use of public and private resources.
  • To foster the development of state and local capacity for addressing the training and technical assistance needs of the rural/small urban transportation community.
  • To improve the quality of information and technical assistance available through the development of training and technical assistance resources.
  • To facilitate peer-to-peer self-help through the development of local networks of transit professionals.
  • To support the coordination of public, private, specialized and human service transportation services.
  • To assist in building a national and state of California database on the non-urbanized and small urban segment of the public transportation industry.

RTAP activities Include:


  • Scholarship assistance
  • Resource catalog
  • Management workshops
  • Special workshops
  • Training classes
  • Driver safety rodeos
  • Vehicle maintenance workshops
  • Professional access and peer networking
  • RTAP bulletins

CALACT's Executive Director is Jacklyn Cuddy. You can contact her at (916) 920-8018 orJacklyn@calact.org

For more information on RTAP, please visit the CALACT web page RTAP – CALACT.