AGENDA
MUNICIPAL SERVICES COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING NOTICE
APRIL 28, 2026
PUBLIC MEETING 5:00 P.M.
MEMBERS
Justin Jones, Chair, District 3
Rick Cole, Councilmember, District 2
Tyron Hampton, Councilmember, District 1
Jason Lyon, Councilmember, District 7
STAFF
David Reyes, General Manager
Lisa Hosey, Assistant City Attorney
Betty Gao, Recording Secretary
MISSION STATEMENT
The City of Pasadena is dedicated to delivering exemplary municipal services, responsive to our entire community and consistent
with our history, culture and unique character.
In comp
liance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Assistive Listening Devices are available from the City Clerk’s Office with a 24-hour advance notice.
Please call (626) 744-4124 to request use of a listening device.
Language translation services are available for this meeting by calling (626) 744-4124 at least 24 hours in advance.
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Items
on the agenda may not be called in order listed.
Agendas and supporting documents are available on the Internet at http://ww5.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/city-council-municipal-services-committee/ Materials related to an item on this Agenda submitted to the Municipal Services Committee after distribution of the agenda packet will be posted online and listed as: “Supplemental Agenda Material Received after the Posting of the agenda”.
PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING FOR APRIL 28, 2026, AT 5:00 P.M. WILL BE ACCEPTED IN- PERSON AND BY VIDEOCONFERENCE/TELECONFERENCE.
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T
O VIEW A LIVE STREAM OF THE MEETING:
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OU NEED A REASONABLE MODIFICATION OR ACCOMMODATION PURSUANT TO THE
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CITY OF PASADENA
REGULAR MEETING OF
THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES COMMITTEE
APRIL 28, 2026
PUBLIC MEETING: 5:00 PM
PASADENA CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBER
100 NORTH GARFIELD AVENUE, ROOM S249
NOTIC
E IS HEREBY GIVEN that the regular meeting of the Municipal Services Committee will be held on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., to discuss matters on the attached agenda.
Justin Jones, Chair
Munic
ipal Services Committee
I HEREBY CERTIFY that this agenda in its entirety, was posted on the Internet at https://www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/city-council-municipal-services-committee/ and on the Council Chamber Bulletin Board, Room S249, and the Bulletin Board in the rotunda area; City Hall, 100 North Garfield Avenue, this April 24, 2026, by 2:00 p.m. and that copies hereof were faxed, emailed or delivered to each member of the City Council and to each local newspaper of general circulation, radio or television station requesting notice in writing, all of which recipients are identified on the distribution herein below.
Susana Castro
DISTRIBUTION:
MSC Committee Members Central Library General Manager Pasadena Weekly City Council City Clerk Director of Planning and Permitting Pasadena Star-News City Manager Director of Public Works Los Angeles Times Pasadena Now City Attorney Public Information Officer La Opinion Pasadena Journal In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, listening assistive devices are available from the City Clerk's Office with a 24-hour advance notice.
Please call (626) 744-4124 to request use of a listening device. Language translation services may be requested with 24-hour advance notice.
Habra servicio de interpretacion disponible para estas juntas llamando al (626) 744-4124 por lo menos con 24 horas de anticipación.
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
MUNICIPAL SERVICES COMMITTEE
APRIL 28, 2026
Public Meeting: 5:00 P.M.
Council Chamber, Pasadena
City Hall 100 North Garfield Avenue, Room S249
The Municipal Services Committee may take action within its authority on any item listed on this agenda as it deems appropriate following consideration and discussion of the matter.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1. AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH STANTEC CONSULTING SERVICES, INC. FOR BIDDING AND
CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION SERVICES FOR THE HYDROGEN
FUELING STATION PROJECT IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $316,800
INFORMATIONAL ONLY
Information only items contain no staff recommendations. The committee may, however, take action within its authority relating to informational items on the agenda as it deems appropriate following consideration and discussion of the matter.
PUBLIC MEETING - 5:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL
PUBLIC COMMENT
ADJOURN
NEW BUSINESS/ACTION ITEMS
1 ITEM #1
2 Date: April 28, 2026
To: Municipal Services Committee
From: Joaquín T. Siques, Director of Transportation
Subject: UPDATE ON ZERO-EMISSION BUS ROLLOUT AND FLEET
TRANSITION STRATEGY
Executive Summary
The City of Pasadena continues to advance its transition to a fully zero‑emission transit fleet in alignment with the California Air Resources Board’s Innovative Clean Transit Rule and the City’s adopted Zero‑Emission Bus (ZEB) Rollout Plan. Significant progress has been made on infrastructure, procurement, and funding: Requests for Proposals are underway for the Transit Operations Maintenance Facility (TOMF) and the hydrogen fueling station; one Battery Electric Bus (BEB) for Pasadena Transit is in service, one BEB for Pasadena Dial-A-Ride is about to be delivered; and 17 hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Buses (FCEBs) are in production for delivery beginning in October 2026. Before the end of the fiscal year, seven BEBs are anticipated to be recommended to the City Council for purchase. More than $115 million in grant funding has already been secured to implement roughly half of the fleet transition and build the supporting infrastructure, with an additional 35% of the funding needed for the second half of bus purchases already identified. This transition plan allows for flexibility, while maintaining service and meeting climate goals.
Real‑world performance data of the City’s first BEB has demonstrated substantial range limitations, averaging about 80 miles per day, resulting in a required 2:1 replacement ratio compared to existing Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) buses, whereas FCEBs maintain a 1:1 replacement capability and better meet Pasadena’s long duty cycles.
Maintaining the City’s current hybrid fleet strategy is essential to avoid jeopardizing more than $38 million in secured grants, protect Pasadena’s standing with regional, state, and federal funding agencies, and ensure operational reliability as many buses are already two years beyond their useful life. Canceling or altering the existing FCEB implementation at this stage would require repaying grant funding, identifying new funding for an alternate propulsion fleet, and would significantly delay vehicle and infrastructure delivery.
Green hydrogen is currently available locally and the City is coordinating with regional partners to secure green hydrogen supply aligned with the 2028 commissioning of the 3 Update on ZEB Rollout and Fleet Transition Strategy
April 28, 2026
fueling station. Ahead of the next major procurement in 2028, staff will conduct a comprehensive update of the ZEB Rollout Plan to incorporate updated technology performance, lifecycle costs, environmental impacts, and operational needs. The current strategy, grounded in Pasadena’s service requirements and available resources, remains the most viable, resilient, and fiscally responsible path to achieving the City’s 2030 (Pasadena Dial-A-Ride) and 2037 (Pasadena Transit) zero‑emission fleet mandates. The current purchase of FCEBs and associated infrastructure is the first phase of the ZEV transition process. Following the update to the ZEB Rollout Plan, City Council will have the opportunity to review an updated ZEB transition analysis to determine if any changes should be made in the transition plan for future purchases.
Background
In concurrence with the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) Rule that requires all public transit fleets to transition to zero-emission, the City Council adopted a comprehensive Zero-Emission Bus (ZEB) Rollout Plan in January 2023 that plans the transition to zero-emission for Pasadena Transit by 2037 and Pasadena Dial-A-Ride by 2030. This plan established the roadmap for transitioning Pasadena Transit to hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Buses (FCEBs) and Pasadena Dial-A- Ride to Battery Electric Buses (BEBs). The plan included an analysis of BEB and FCEB technologies, a data-driven route energy analysis, and a phased fleet replacement schedule. It also provided a roadmap for charging and hydrogen infrastructure development, utility grid coordination, financial strategies and resiliency planning.
Implementation of the Rollout Plan is well underway as detailed below with several procurement and infrastructure milestones:
• Infrastructure Progress: Following Council authorization for alternative project delivery methods for the Transit Operations Maintenance Facility (TOMF) and the Hydrogen Fueling Station, Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for both projects are currently out for responses.
• Vehicle Procurement: On April 24, 2023, City Council authorized the purchase of one BEB for Pasadena Transit and one BEB for Dial-A-Ride service. The Pasadena Transit BEB has been in operation since May 19, 2025. On August 25, 2025, the Council awarded a contract for the purchase of 17 FCEB vehicles, which are currently in production, with the first delivery anticipated in October 2026.
• Upcoming Milestones: An authorization request for nearly half of the Pasadena Dial-A-Ride BEB fleet is anticipated to be presented to the City Council before the conclusion of the current fiscal year.
These actions demonstrate City staff’s aggressive implementation of the adopted City Council plan to transition the public transit fleet to zero-emission. As part of the City Council approval to purchase 17 FCEBs, staff discussed the desire to have a diversified fleet, including both FCEBs and BEBs, with FCEBs providing the most effective solution 4 Update on ZEB Rollout and Fleet Transition Strategy
April 28, 2026
for the upcoming replacement of 17 Pasadena Transit buses. As part of that discussion, staff committed to updating the ZEV rollout plan prior to the procurement of the next order of Pasadena Transit buses in 2028.
Operational Evaluation and Performance
Staff has used data analytics and real-world testing to evaluate ZEB performance.
Modeling completed as part of the ZEB Rollout Plan identified FCEB implementation as a preferred approach to BEB implementation at this time, based in part on the limited range of battery electric buses in the market. To get a better understanding of the operational characteristics of BEB in real world operations, the City purchased a BEB for fixed route service, which has been in operation since May 2025. Current operational data from the City’s battery-electric vehicle reveals significant range limitations. The Pasadena Transit buses travel up to 200 miles daily and sustain duty cycles of 14 to 16 hours per day. The BEB that has been in service for almost one year averages a range of approximately 80 miles per day, at which point the vehicle must be removed from service for recharge.
It is important to note that while BEB manufacturers may specify a total range of over 200 miles, the practical daily range available for service is restricted to approximately 45% to 50% of this total. This limit is related to the need to maintain long-term battery health and considers the deterioration of battery capacity. Although the Pasadena Transit BEB may currently have more range, over the life of the bus, the manufacturer warranties 75% of the original specifications for the useful life of the bus. In addition, the vehicle operations can be compromised once the state of charge drops below 20%.
Therefore, buses need to be removed from service at approximately 30% charge to ensure enough power to return to the charging station.
Based on the previously anticipated range of a BEB fleet, the replacement ratio for BEBs originally identified in the ZEB Rollout Plan was 1.5 BEB for every 1 Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) bus (1.5:1). Based on actual performance of the current BEB in service, 2:1 is a more realistic ratio for the fleet replacement based on real-world implementation. A 100% BEB fleet would require a significant increase in total fleet size to maintain existing service levels, significantly increasing the cost of vehicle purchases, and creating substantial requirements for additional operational costs, parking/storage space, and maintenance capacity. The City is currently finalizing its next Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP), which will guide service plans for the next five years. Key recommendations in the draft SRTP include closing mobility gaps and providing later service hours; however, the range limitations of BEB technology would serve as a limiting factor in implementing these service enhancements. Conversely, FCEBs provide a 1:1 replacement for existing RNG buses.
5 Update on ZEB Rollout and Fleet Transition Strategy
April 28, 2026
Fiscal Strategy
The Department of Transportation (DOT) staff has aggressively pursued grant funding to offset the initial costs of ZEB technology. To date, over $115 million in funding has been secured, primarily grant funded, to implement the infrastructure and transition of about half of the Pasadena Transit and Pasadena Dial-A-Ride fleet to zero-emission by 2028. Staff has continued this strategy and has already secured over 35% of the $46 million needed to transition the second half of both the fixed route and Dial-A-Ride fleets.
Green Hydrogen Supply
One of the infrastructure components being implemented includes the hydrogen fueling station for the FCEBs. Green hydrogen derived from renewable sources such as solar and wind is a critical component to this zero-emission transition. Staff can affirmatively state that green zero-emission fuel is available today in the market. While this existing supply is currently more constrained and carries a higher delivered cost, regional production capacity is scaling rapidly via state and non-governmental funding, even with limited federal support.
To secure this fuel, staff is coordinating with a consortium of transit operators and a Joint Powers Authority, First Public Hydrogen (FPH2), which is building a network of transit partners to establish the demand necessary for developing the infrastructure and broaden the availability of green hydrogen. It is important to note that in addition to producing green hydrogen, hydrogen from FPH2 contracts is anticipated to be delivered with a zero-emission truck fleet. Within the next two years, coinciding with the 2028 commissioning of the fueling facility, FPH2 supply is projected to meet the fleet's full demand at competitive market rates.
Impact to Amending Current Hybrid Fleet Approach
While the City Council-approved 2022 ZEV Rollout Plan provides the current path for a transition to a zero-emission Pasadena Transit and Dial-A-Ride fleet, staff is committed to the update of the plan prior to the next Pasadena Transit fixed route bus purchase in 2028. This update, which will require significant time and resources to complete, will update the plan to reflect any changes in technology and fueling resources, as well as real world operational data from the ZEV fleet operating in Pasadena. The timing of this update is tied to the next round of fixed route bus purchase because an immediate departure from the current strategy of developing a hydrogen fueling station and placing into service the existing FCEB order for Pasadena Transit would result in the following critical impacts:
• Financial Risk: Canceling current commitments would jeopardize over $38 million in secured funding for the ZEB transition of vehicles and facilities.
Furthermore, any loss of grant funding requiring a backfill of local funds would be 6 Update on ZEB Rollout and Fleet Transition Strategy
April 28, 2026
detrimental to both Pasadena Transit and Pasadena Dial-A-Ride capital and operations. These grants are intertwined with the vast majority of public transit capital projects that in some cases are unsustainable to funding gaps. This includes the Transit Operations Maintenance Facility (TOMF), both transit fleets, and bus stop improvements. In addition to returning $38 million in grant funding secured for FCEBs and associated infrastructure and additional unreversible costs already associated with buses in production, should the City Council decide to change course and procure BEBs to replace the existing 17 CNG vehicles operating beyond their useful life, the City would need to identify an estimated additional $45M to purchase 34 BEBs.
• Interagency Standing: Failing to deliver projects already in the implementation stages would jeopardize the City's standing and future funding with most available government funding sources which includes Metro, Southern California Association of Governments, and state and federal governments. • Operational Reliability: A large percentage of the current fleet is already operating more than two years beyond its useful life. Postponing the current procurement would exacerbate reliability issues and increase maintenance costs for the aging fleet.
• Propulsion Constraints: The 17 FCEB buses currently in production cannot be altered to include a different propulsion systems at this phase of manufacturing.
Market and Funding Outlook
While the federal funding landscape for zero-emission fleets has experienced a general pause under the current administration, this has not significantly impacted the City’s implementation plans. State-level demand and non-governmental funding sources continue to drive the development of the regional hydrogen market. Furthermore, transit agencies across the state continue to place orders for FCEBs to meet heavy-duty operational requirements. While some federal funding shifts have impacted the scale of bus orders nationally, FCEB deployment remains a core strategy for agencies with duty cycles similar to Pasadena’s.
Next Steps
To ensure the continued success of the zero-emission transition, DOT is prioritizing the following actions:
• Green Hydrogen Procurement: Finalizing purchase agreements with regional partners, for the City Council to consider, to secure “green” fuel supply that aligns with the 2028 commissioning of the permanent fueling facility. • ZEV Rollout Plan Update: Conducting a comprehensive update to the City’s Rollout Plan prior to the next scheduled Pasadena Transit bus procurement in 2028. This update will include:
o Environmental Performance: Evaluating lifecycle emissions under real- world operating conditions.
7 Update on ZEB Rollout and Fleet Transition Strategy
April 28, 2026
o Full Lifecycle Cost: Analyzing total financial exposure, including updated fuel costs and vehicle maintenance cycles.
o Operational Fit: Assessing the technology’s ability to meet the service standards required for Pasadena’s specific route profiles. o Risk Analysis: Modeling market stability, vendor availability, and infrastructure resilience.
o Alternative Approaches: Evaluating phased or mixed-fleet strategies based on updated technology performance data.
Conclusion
The City’s current strategy is grounded in Pasadena’s specific needs. It prioritizes a transition that is technologically viable, environmentally ambitious, and resilient. It approaches the implementation, based on local realities. A departure from the current implementation strategy would jeopardize over $38 million in secured funding and be detrimental toward the transition to a zero-emission Pasadena Transit fleet by 2037 and Pasadena Dial-A-Ride fleet by 2030.
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