Senate Bill 125 Transit Program
The Senate Bill (SB) 125 Transit Program, enacted through the Budget Act of 2023, provided a one-time $5.1 billion infusion to public transit agencies across the state. The program provides emergency funding for transit agencies to temporarily avoid a near-term ‘fiscal cliff’ while they work to address their long-term financial sustainability without the need for severe service cuts that hurts transit riders and motorists – and puts the region’s Triple Bottom Line at peril.
Click below to view the region's short-term financial plan for transit operations and a list of projects funded by the program as of May 2025.
SACOG estimated to receive $238 million to support transit operations and priority capital needs across the four-county region
SACOG, as the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba counties, is responsible for administering the $238 million four-year program. The funding is disbursed through two programs managed by the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA): the existing Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) and a newly established Zero Emission Transit Capital Program (ZETCP).
Table 1. Senate Bill 125 funding estimates by year for the SACOG four-county planning area
| Program | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Total |
| TIRCP | $100.3 | $50.2 | $50.2 | $0 | $200.8 |
| ZETCP | $13.8 | $0 | $7.8 | $15.6 | $37.3 |
| ($M) | $114.2 | $50.2 | $58.0 | $15.6 | $238.2 |
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Note: Amounts may not add up due to rounding |
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Adopted funding plan aligns with the program's objectives and regional guidelines
The priority for SB 125 is to address the ‘fiscal cliff’, or structural operating deficits, facing the region’s transit agencies to prevent transit service from being cut. The funding can also support priority capital needs for the region’s transit agencies to replace and modernize buses, trains, and supporting infrastructure.
On April 17, 2025, the SACOG Board of Directors approved the following updated funding plan for the program:
Table 2. Adopted funding plan for Senate Bill 125 as of April 2025
| Agency | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Total ($) | Total (%) |
| SacRT | $92.3 | $51.0 | $57.6 | TBD | $200.9 | 90% |
| YoloTD | $3.2 | $3.5 | $2.6 | $9.3 | 4% | |
| Yuba-Sutter Transit | $10.2 | $0 | $0 | $10.2 | 5% | |
| SACOG | $2.3 | $2.3 | 1% | |||
| ($M) | $108.0 | $54.5 | $60.2 | $0 | $222.7 | 100% |
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Notes: (1) Amounts may not add up due to rounding. (2) Year 3 allocation is preliminary and will be updated in early 2026. (3) SACOG was allocated its allowable share for program administration and to fund the Long-Term Financial Plan.
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Accountability measures
The SACOG Board of Directors also adopted a set of accountability measures for transit agencies receiving funding for operations from the program. The measures are focused on incentivizing the transit agencies to enhance the rider experience, improve cost control and operational efficiency, and strengthen regional collaboration.
Transit agencies will report quarterly on progress made or underway to implement each measure. The measures are listed below. For more details, see the Regional Program Guidelines.
What happens after Senate Bill 125 funding is depleted?
SACOG, alongside El Dorado County Transportation Commission (EDCTC) and Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA), are working on a Long-Term Financial Plan for each transit agency in the capital region to address how the region will sustain transit service after the one-time funding is expended.
SACOG is working closely with the transit agencies on the plan and will incorporate their ongoing financial planning efforts to collaboratively chart a vision on a financially sustainable future for transit.
