Whatcom Transportation Authority
Bellingham, WA
- UEI
- FFA5NLAKYDU1
- CAGE
- 6YS25, 5D7J9
- SAM.gov registration
- Active through
Company facts
- Self-certified in SAM.gov
- Entity structure
- U.S. Government Entity
- SAM.gov registration date
- Physical address
- 4011 Bakerview Spur, Bellingham, WA 98226, USA
- Website
- ridewta.com
- Founded
- 1983
- Employees
- 51-250
- Estimated annual revenue
- $10M-$50M
- Industry
-
- Industrials
- Transportation
- Road & Rail
- Ground Transportation
- SIC code
- 41 Local & Interurban Passenger Transit
Registration and certifications come from SAM.gov and the SBA; company details from public web sources. Updated .
Grant awards
Latest 5 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant subawards
| Prime recipient | Prime award | Amount | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not on record | EMW-2024-CY-05188 | $99,900 | |
| Not on record | WA-2025-079 | $201,662 |
Similar vendors
| Vendor | Location | Primary NAICS |
|---|---|---|
| Transit Intercity | Olympia, WA | — |
| Skagit Transit | Burlington, WA | 485111 Mixed Mode Transit Systems |
| Harbor Transit Multi-Modal Transportation System | Grand Haven, MI | 485119 Other Urban Transit Systems |
| Ben Franklin Transit | Richland, WA | — |
| Asotin County Ptba | Clarkston, WA | — |
About the company
Whatcom Transportation Authority, a local government transit authority based in Bellingham, Washington, receives federal grant funding as a recipient for regional public transportation operations and capital equipment procurement, with no federal contract prime or subcontractor activity. The organization operates entirely within two Department of Transportation grant programs—the Federal Transit Administration's formula and project grants and the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program—across 35 awards totaling $167 million in obligated federal funds over the past two decades.
Whatcom Transportation Authority's federal footprint is concentrated almost entirely within the Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration, which accounts for 32 of the organization's 35 awards. The remaining three awards split between an FTA operating-assistance award and a cooperative agreement under the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program (CFDA 20.943) awarded on November 2, 2026. The authority serves as a direct grant recipient with no sub-recipients across the visible award history; two sub-grant awards indicate downstream pass-through activity—a State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program sub-award in February 2026 and a travel training program sub-grant in September 2025—but the primary transaction is grant receipt, not contract prime or subcontractor status.
Recent work illustrates the operational and capital character of the grant portfolio. A $46.818 million Federal Transit Formula Grants award (CFDA 20.507) issued on May 19, 2026, covers up to 50 percent of eligible 2026 operating expenses—payroll, fuel, maintenance, and administrative costs—through June 30, 2027, sustaining service continuity across Whatcom County. Capital grants focus on fleet replacement and modernization: a March 26, 2025 project grant funds procurement and installation of approximately eight 40-foot no-emissions buses and eight chargers; a May 2, 2025 award covers eleven replacement 40-foot diesel-electric hybrid buses; an August 11, 2025 grant supports purchase of approximately eleven paratransit buses to replace end-of-life vehicles and accommodate demand growth. The November 2, 2026 cooperative agreement with the Department of Transportation's Immediate Office of the Secretary allocated $500,000 to support legal, technical, and financial advisors for rural transit infrastructure projects in Whatcom County through November 1, 2029, with deliverables including work plans, quarterly reports, and compliance documentation.
Award activity has accelerated in the past two years—one award annually through 2024, then four in 2025 and three in 2026. Two awards with ultimate completion dates in the next twenty-four months face recompete or renewal cycles. This is not a contracting vendor; Whatcom Transportation Authority's federal relationship is exclusively grant-recipient, supporting regional transit operations and fleet modernization for paratransit and general-public riders in northwest Washington.
Quick answers
Is Whatcom Transportation Authority registered in SAM.gov?
Yes. Whatcom Transportation Authority's SAM.gov registration is active through March 29, 2027.
What is Whatcom Transportation Authority's most recent federal award?
Whatcom Transportation Authority's most recent federal grant award is $500,000 awarded to whatcom transportation authority for rural and tribal assistance pilot program to support legal… (69A6212650049), from Immediate Office of the Secretary of Transportation, on November 2, 2026.
On GovTribe
See Whatcom Transportation Authority's full federal record
- Federal grant awards
- Funding analysis by agency, NAICS and set-aside
- Similar vendors