TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: City Manager
SUBJECT: A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Commerce, California, Approving the Zero-Emission Bus (ZEB) Roll Out and Implementation Plan for the City of Commerce's Fixed-route Transit System, Pursuant to the Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) Regulation.
MEETING DATE: August 8, 2023
RECOMMENDATION:
The City Council will consider approving the Zero-Emission Bus (ZEB) Roll Out and Implementation Plan for the City of Commerce's Fixed-route Transit System, Pursuant to the Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) Regulation.
BACKGROUND:
In 2018, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted the Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) regulation, which requires public transit agencies to transition their fixed-route transit fleet to 100-percent ZEB technology, such as battery-electric and/or fuel-cell electric, by 2040. Pursuant to the ICT regulation, small transit agencies, such as the City of Commerce, are required to submit a plan adopted by the governing body by July 1, 2023, which identifies the necessary strategies and a schedule/timeline for converting the transit fleet's vehicles and supporting fueling infrastructure to zero-emission technology (Rollout Plan). The Rollout Plan further supports the ICT regulation's subsequent requirement for small transit agencies to begin purchasing ZEB buses in 2026.
ANALYSIS:
The Center of Transportation and the Environment (CTE) prepared the ZEB Study and Rollout Plan, attached to this staff report, in close collaboration with the City's Transportation staff. Multiple stakeholders, including other external supporting agencies, including the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and the Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), were also allowed to participate in the planning process for this effort. This satisfies the Caltrans grant program's public participation requirements and ensures that the proper stakeholders are aware of and involved in the City's ZEB planning efforts.
As part of the ZEB Study, CTE conducted an extensive analysis of the City's existing fixed-route bus fleet and supporting infrastructure, current fixed-route transit services and operation schedules, and the supporting maintenance and fleet replacement functions to identify the opportunities and constraints associated with implementing zero-emission technology in the City's transit system.
Comprehensive modeling was subsequently conducted to identify the specific zero-emission infrastructure and charging schemes necessary to support the City's current transit services and the total capital and operating costs associated with implementing the zero-emission fleet conversion and operations in the future. Both battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell technologies were evaluated as potential technologies that the City could implement to address the ICT regulation. However, due to the higher forecasted capital costs associated with current hydrogen fuel-cell technologies, the ZEB Study and Rollout Plan focus on implementing battery-electric technology and fleet conversion to implement the ICT regulation's ZEB requirements.
Pursuant to the ZEB requirements established in the ICT regulation, the Rollout Plan contained in Attachment 1 includes the following components:
Type(s) of ZEB technologies a transit agency evaluates and which types will be deployed.
A schedule for all ZEB and conventional bus purchases demonstrates adherence to the ICT regulation's targets.
A transition schedule for the agency's facility, supporting charging infrastructure upgrades and all necessary modifications to accommodate ZEB technologies.
Identify the operational and capital costs associated with implementing the ZEB technology and fleet conversion and potential funding sources to support this effort.
A plan to deploy ZEBs in disadvantaged communities within the transit agency's service area.
A training plan for operators and maintenance staff to implement ZEB fleet charging and maintenance functions; and The strategies and timeline are established to ensure that the transit agency can complete the ICT goal of completing the bus fleet transition to ZEB technology by 2040.
CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD (CARB) REQUIREMENT
The City's Rollout Plan provides information on the strategies transportation staff has determined to be the best for the City's unique services. The components of each transit agency's plan will provide the state with crucial information, such as the probable number of buses to be deployed by each transit agency, which will inform future policy and funding decisions and other ways state agencies can support transit agencies through this transition. The Rollout Plans will also help fuel providers learn about transit agencies' infrastructure needs during different stages of transition and help inform decisions regarding what support would best help transit agencies as they develop and expand the needed charging infrastructure. Information provided in the Rollout Plans is necessary to address barriers to implementation. The City's Rollout Plan includes all the required elements and must be approved by the City of Commerce's governing body by adopting a resolution before submitting it to CARB.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This staff report has no fiscal impact.
RELATIONSHIP TO 2016 STRATEGIC GOALS:
This agenda item relates to the 2016 strategic planning goal: "review and update services and activities to increase efficiency," as the proposed recommendation outlined in this report assists in mitigating the City's transportation operating cost by planning to transition to a 100% zero-emission fleet.
Prepared and Recommended by: Claude McFerguson, Director of Transportation Fiscal impact reviewed by: Vilko Domic, Assistant City Manager Approved as to form by: Noel Tapia, City Attorney
Respectfully submitted: Edgar P. Cisneros, City Manager Attachments:
Resolution
Commerce – ITC Rollout Plan
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CITY OF COMMERCE
AGENDA REPORT
Item No.