Monterey-Salinas Transit District

Monterey-Salinas Transit District (MST) is a public transit authority serving a 295-square-mile service area across Monterey County, California, along with portions of Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obispo counties. MST operates over 100 full-size buses across more than 60 fixed routes, including 35-foot and 40-foot suburban coaches, 28-foot trolley-style buses, 23-foot medium buses, and four full-size battery electric buses. The agency provides fixed-route transit services, demand-response transportation, and seasonal transit services to approximately 435,594 residents within one mile of established routes. Through its federal contract and grant awards, MST receives support for fleet modernization, infrastructure improvements, technology implementation, and operational funding to continue delivering essential transportation access to education, employment, healthcare, housing, and recreation facilities throughout its service region.

MST's federal contract activity has been limited, with only one prime contract award identified in its recent history. In May 2024, the Naval Education and Training Command awarded MST a Firm Fixed Price BPA Call contract valued at $40,500 (with a ceiling value of $350,000 through June 2025) for the provision of bus passes to international students attending the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. This contract allows MST to generate revenue by providing transit access to a specialized customer base while supporting the defense education mission. The contract involved no set-aside designations and represented a straightforward commercial transaction where MST leveraged its existing fixed-route bus service infrastructure to serve federal beneficiaries.

MST has received substantial federal grant funding through multiple programs administered by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), reflecting its role as a critical public transit provider. The agency has been a prime recipient of numerous formula and project grants under CFDA 20.507 (Federal Transit Formula Grants), CFDA 20.526 (Buses and Bus Facilities Formula, Competitive, and Low or No Emissions Programs), CFDA 20.500 (Federal Transit Capital Investment Grants), and CFDA 20.534 (Community Project Funding). Major recent grants include a $98.4 million Capital Investment Grant awarded January 13, 2025 for the SURF! Busway and Bus Rapid Transit project to construct 6.2 miles of exclusive bus-only alignment with 29 stations; a $17.5 million Formula Grant awarded May 30, 2025 for SURF! BRT implementation including traffic signal priority; a $4.7 million Formula Grant awarded November 19, 2025 for procurement of replacement non-revenue vehicles, passenger facility repairs, and traveler information system implementation including tap-to-pay and ridership reward integration; and a $3.75 million Congressionally Directed Spending grant awarded July 24, 2023 for fixed-route vehicle purchases and carbon-neutral resiliency infrastructure development at MST's Monterey operations and maintenance facility. MST has also received numerous smaller formula grants for vehicle purchases, facility improvements, and operations support, along with specialized grants such as $405,000 for transit-oriented development planning and funding for mobile data equipment procurement. Additionally, MST has received sub-award funding through prime grantees including the California Department of Transportation for operating assistance (awards dated January 5, 2023; June 23, 2023; June 30, 2023; and August 21, 2024) and the Office of Emergency Services for COVID-19 response and emergency expenses (awards dated May 8, 2023; October 13, 2023). All grants explicitly exclude indirect cost allocations and research and development activities, focusing funding on tangible capital investments and operational support.