CTF Transportation Awards Nomination Form 2025

California Transportation Foundation’s 36th Transportation Awards

for Achievement in California Transportation in 2024

The CTF Transportation Awards recognize excellence in California transportation in 2024, all modes, public and private sector and from all regions of the state. CTF recognizes project teams including all major partners and contractors.

All the winners will be announced and celebrated during the CTF Transportation Awards, an in person event. We look forward to recognizing the winners for their significant achievement in 2024.

If you'd like to preview the application questions, you can do so by viewing this PDF

Awards may be given in any or all categories at the discretion of CTF. In order to be considered you must complete the entire form. Each application must be for one category only.

Additionally, CTF reserves the right to recognize achievement beyond the listed categories and to reassign projects to categories. If you do not know or are not sure what category your nomination fits into then please select the option - I'm not sure what category my nomination fits into - so the review board can make the best decision for you.

Awards Categories

Big Four Categories:

·      Project of the Year – Overall project selected from the top project in every category that exemplifies transportation achievement in 2024

·      Person of the Year – Nominate a person who made an extraordinary contribution to Transportation in California in 2024. Examples include citizen activists, program or project managers, agency executives, and private, public and nonprofit organization staff, anyone other than an elected official.

·      Elected Official of the Year - Nominate a federal, state, or local elected official for transportation achievement in 2024. Must have been in office in 2024.

·      Organization of the Year – Nominate a company, government agency, non-profit organization, community group, etc. for statewide transportation achievement in 2024.

Project Award Categories (all nominated projects must have been completed in 2024):

• Emergency Response/Repair– Quick response to storm or other damage to any type of transportation project.

• Freeway/Expressway– Multi-lane divided facilities with full or partial access control.

• Interchange– Provides grade-separated access between a local street and a freeway/expressway.

• Complete Streets– A roadway with features such as traffic signals, street lights, and sidewalks designed with an emphasis on moving people over vehicles.

• Structure– Carries highway or rail traffic above or below a transportation facility or waterway.

• Bus Transit– Facilities increased ridership and reduce greenhouse gas emissions which support bus transit.

• Rail Transit– Facilities which support street car, light rail, commuter rail, or passenger rail transit.

• Small Community Transit- a transit facility of any mode that provides transit options to a community under population size 50,000 or ridership under 3 million annual passenger trips.

• Aviation– Airport-related infrastructure, including terminals, runways, and landside access.

• Active Transportation– Facilities which support bicycle, pedestrian, scooter, and equestrian modes of travel.

• Goods Movement– Facilities may include seaports, airports, rail freight facilities, trucking facilities and trucking access improvements 

• Worker Safety – Project which improves worker safety.

• System Safety – Project which improves agency efforts to achieve vision zero.

• Innovation – Project that inspired or implemented an innovative idea, best practice, or solution to address a challenge facing the industry with significant positive results.

Program Award Categories (all program nominations must have been completed in 2024):

• Public Outreach– Stakeholder involvement and/or public communications in support of transportation projects/programs

• Sustainable Transportation/Environmental Enhancement– Program that implements policies or improvements which enhance social, economic, and/or environmental sustainability or improvements

• Operational Efficiency– Program that improves transportation operations through management solutions

• Advanced Technology– Program improves transportation through technological solutions

• Organized Research– Research program focusing on California mobility, transportation systems, or transportation decisions

• Safety – A program which enhances internal safety culture or a program which enhances the safety of the system for the users in any or all modes.

• Innovation – A program that inspired or implemented an innovative idea, best practice, or solution to address a challenge facing the industry with significant positive results.

What the Jury is Looking for

The CTF Transportation Awards recognize excellence in transportation. We know that projects and programs are unique and can’t be judged by identical standards. The Awards jury, however, will be looking for the following as they judge the nominations, so make sure the following aspects are covered if they apply to your nomination. If your project or program excels in some other way describe what made it exceptional.

• Project Impact (i.e. number of people who directly benefit)

• Project Need

• Partnership

• Innovative Financing

• Sustainability

• Technology Solution

• Creativity/Innovation & Uniqueness

• Delivery Timeline

• Budget Performance