BLUE FOLDER ITEM
Blue folder items are additional back up material to administrative reports and/or public comments received after the printing and distribution of the agenda packet for receive and file.
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
OCTOBER 3, 2023
N.3 DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON A STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE TO REPORT
ON THE TRANSIT OPERATIONS ANALYSIS TO CONVERT THE BEACH CITIES TRANSIT
FLEET TO ZERO EMISSION BUSES
CONTACT: CAMERON HARDING, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
• BCT ZEB FLEET POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
• PUBLIC COMMUNICATION
BEACH CITIES TRANSIT
ZERO-EMISSION BUS TRANSITION
STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE REPORT
OCTOBER 3, 2023
BEACH CITIES TRANSIT & WAVE SERVICES
FIXED ROUTES BCT LINE 102 & LINE 109
• 12 EZ RIDER 32’ CNG BUSES
• 2 CHAMPION 25’ CNG CUTAWAY BUSES
• SERVES REDONDO BEACH, HERMOSA BEACH, MANHATTAN
BEACH, EL SEGUNDO, LAX
• OVERALL AVERAGE RIDERS/HOUR: 8-10
• 102 STUDENT RIDERS/HOUR: 40
WAVE DIAL-A-RIDE
• 5 CHAMPION 25’ CNG CUTAWAY BUSES
• 1 CNG MINIVAN
• SENIOR & DISABLED CLIENTS
• REDONDO BEACH, HERMOSA BEACH, SATELLITE
DESTINATIONS IN TORRANCE
CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD REGULATION
INNOVATIVE CLEAN TRANSIT (ICT)
• ICT REQUIRES ALL PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCIES TO TRANSITION TO ZERO EMISSION BUSES (ZEB) BY 2040
• BCT, A SMALL TRANSIT OPERATOR, IS REQUIRED TO PROCURE ZEB BUSES AFTER 2026 • OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY (OMF) AND INFRASTRUCTURE MUST BE
CONSTRUCTED AND UPGRADED IN ORDER TO OPERATE THE ZEB FLEET • ZEB ROLLOUT PLANS CAN BE UPDATED, AS NEEDED
BCT TRANSIT SERVICES STUDY
• ZEB RECOMMENDATION AND CAPITAL PLAN TRANSITION
• BATTERY ELECTRIC BUSES (BEB) & INFRASTRUCTURE
• TRANSIT OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE FACILITY LAYOUT AND FACILITY SPACE
RECOMMENDATIONS
• ESTIMATED COSTS FOR NEW FACILITY
• POTENTIAL FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS
• STAFF WILL RETURN TO CITY COUNCIL WITH A DRAFT REPORT ON SERVICE STUDY • POTENTIAL ROUTE CHANGES & SERVICE FREQUENCY IMPROVEMENTS • ESTIMATED COSTS FOR SERVICE CHANGES
ZERO EMISSION BUSES
Battery Electric Bus (BEB)
• Propulsion occurs
from electricity
directly stored in
batteries
• Fueling occurs by
recharging batteries
Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Electric
Bus (FCEB)
• Propulsion occurs from
hydrogen converted by fuel
cells into electricity for
propulsion
• Fueling occurs by refilling
on-board hydrogen tank
• Zero emissions
• Near silent ride
• Cleaner cabin air
• Smoother ride
• Fewer moving parts to
maintain—more reliable
vehicles
• More expensive
• Costly infrastructure
upgrades
• New training
• Coordination with
public utilities
• Range constraints
• Lack of maturity for
ZE cutaways & small
buses, (FCEB), and
motorcoaches
Benefits Challenges or
drawbacks
ZEB RECOMMENDATION: BEB
STANTEC AND STAFF RECOMMENDS BEB BASED ON THE FOLLOWING FACTORS:
• BCT HAS SHORTER DISTANCE ROUTES, TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 170 MILES/DAY • FIXED ROUTE BUSES TRAVEL 20-179 DAILY MILES. WAVE TRAVEL 64 DAILY MILES. • BCT RIDERSHIP DOES NOT SUPPORT THE NEED FOR LARGER BUSES (40’/60’). • THERE ARE MORE BEB SHORTER LENGTH VEHICLE OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET • MOST OF BCT’S OPERATIONS CAN BE CONVERTED TO BEBS IN A 1:1 MANNER
CONSTRUCT NEW TRANSIT OPERATIONS FACILITY
▪ TWO STORY BUILDING WITH ADMINISTRATION OFFICES FOR CITY TRANSIT AND TRANSIT
OPERATIONS CONTRACTOR STAFF
▪ DRIVER FACILITIES & AMENITIES
▪ MAINTENANCE OFFICES AND SUPPLY ROOMS
▪ THREE MAINTENANCE BUS BAYS
▪ ON-SITE BUS WASHER SYSTEM
▪ BUS & OPERATIONS PARKING
▪ CHARGING STATIONS, UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS, FUTURE SOLAR PANELS
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
FACILITY RELOCATION
▪ RELOCATE OPERATIONS FACILITY FROM THE EASTSIDE OF THE UPPER PARKING LOT TO
THE SOUTHWEST CORNER CONSTRUCTING A NEW ADMINISTRATION, OPERATIONS &
MAINTENANCE FACILITY WITH BUS PARKING AND CHARGING STATIONS ▪ DEMOLISH EXISTING OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY TO REPLACE WITH
PUBLIC PARKING
▪ PLAN TO CONSTRUCT A NEW PUBLIC PARKING LOT ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF
THE PARKING LOT TO ENSURE FUTURE PARKING NEEDS
TRANSIT OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE FACILITY:
RELOCATE TO SOUTHWEST CORNER
PLANNED FACILITY LAYOUT - 54,000 SQUARE FEET
ZERO EMISSION CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE
▪ NEW GRID CONNECTIONS FOR ELECTRICAL SERVICE CONNECTIONS WITH SCE ▪ NEW 1,500 KVA TRANSFORMER AND 2,500 A SWITCHGEAR TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE
POWER TO THE FACILITY AND POWER UPGRADES
▪ NEW 1,500 KW GENERATOR WITH A 270 GALLON BELLY TANK FOR DIESEL FUEL STORAGE FOR POWER OUTAGES.
▪ AN AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH BETWEEN GENERATOR AND SWITCHGEAR ▪ DATA & SMART CHARGING COMMUNICATIONS WITHIN THE CHARGING SYSTEM (IP
ETHERNET WIRING) TO BUSES TO ENSURE CHARGING CONSISTENCY ▪ FALL PROTECTION AND SAFETY SYSTEMS TO SAFELY ACCESS THE ROOFTOP OF BUSES
FOR BATTERY INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
▪ FIRE PROTECTION FOR BUS BATTERIES, CHARGING SYSTEMS, AND SOLAR CANOPIES
ZERO EMISSION CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE
▪ CHARGING EQUIPMENT:
o OPTION 1: A MINIMUM OF (12) 120-KW CHARGER CABINETS WITH A 1:2 CHARGER-TODISPENSER RATIO TO SERVE (24) PLUG-IN CONNECTORS o OPTION 2: A MINIMUM OF (24) 60-KW CHARGER CABINETS WITH A 1:1 CHARGER-TODISPENSER RATIO TO SERVE (24) PLUG-IN CONNECTORS. TWO CHARGING CABINETS CAN BE PAIRED TOGETHER TO DELIVER ABOUT 120-KW TO ONE OF TWO BUSES AT A TIME ▪ EQUIPMENT PADS AND ASSOCIATED BOLLARD PROTECTION AROUND CHARGERS AND DISPENSERS ▪ POWER MAIN FEEDER AND SUB FEEDERS
▪ COMMUNICATION SYSTEM PANEL/DISTRIBUTION CABINET AND CONDUITS TO EACH CHARGER ▪ PAVEMENT REPLACEMENT/REPAIR FOR ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION TRENCHING AT LOCATIONS
WHERE NEW ELECTRICAL SERVICE AND SWITCHGEAR WILL BE ALLOCATED
FUNDING
• FACILITY CAPITAL FUNDING – SUBREGIONAL MEASURE R INVESTMENTS PROGRAM • PROJECT FUNDING OF $32,090,555
• CITY LOCAL MATCH FUNDS $1,209,056
• POTENTIAL FEDERAL AND STATE COMPETITIVE GRANT FUNDING • BUS CAPITAL FUNDING
• FTA 5307 ALLOCATIONS
• SB1 STATE OF GOOD REPAIR
• REGIONAL FAP CAPITAL FUND ALLOCATIONS
• PROPOSITION A LOCAL RETURN FUNDS
• POTENTIAL FEDERAL AND STATE COMPETITIVE GRANT FUNDING • OPERATIONS FUNDING
• FORMULA ALLOCATION FUNDS
• PROPOSITION A LOCAL RETURN FUNDS
• OTHER LOCAL RETURN FUNDS
ZEB TRANSITION AND FACILITY CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE
• FACILITY DESIGN
• PUBLIC WORKS MANAGES THE FACILITY PROJECT IN COORDINATION WITH TRANSIT
DIVISION
• FY 2024-25, IF THE LOCAL MATCH FUNDING OF $1.2M IS SECURED, THEN DESIGN
ELEMENTS BEGIN
• PROJECT STARTS NO SOONER THAN FY 2025-26
• FACILITY INVITATION FOR BIDS: DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION - FY 2026 THROUGH FY 2030 • BUS PROCUREMENT
TRANSIT DIVISION MANAGES BUS PROCUREMENTS BASED ON BUS REPLACEMENT PLAN • ZEB PROCUREMENTS BEGIN FY 2028-2029 FOR FY 2031 BUS DELIVERIES
RECOMMENDATION
• SUPPORT THE PREFERRED BCT ROLLOUT PLAN FOR BATTERY ELECTRIC BUSES • CONSIDER REFERRAL TO THE PUBLIC WORKS & SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION FOR NEXT
STEPS AND ASSOCIATED POLICY CONSIDERATIONS
BEACH CITIES TRANSIT
ZERO-EMISSION BUS TRANSITION
STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE REPORT
OCTOBER 3, 2023
3 October 2023
Honorable Bill Brand
Mayor, Redondo Beach
415 Diamond Street
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
Re: N3, Conversion to Zero Emissions Buses
Dear Honorable Mayor Brand, City Council Members, and Staff, I want to caution you against buying battery electric buses (BE) ahead of the state mandate. I read the staff and consultant reports. While I agree with their conclusion that we should NOT invest in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and go with BE buses, I think that we need to plan carefully for the fleet conversion.
For instance, we should not plan for 1 to 1 replacement of fleet vehicles from CNG to BE buses.
BE buses have not been reliable for other transit agencies. Unless we purchase extras, we will experience increasing bus trip cancellations due to lack of working vehicles. We do not want to end up cutting bus service to feed BE fleet costs as DC did. https://ggwash.org/view/90507/the-dc-circulators-electrification-dilemma This is vital because of the long lines that RUHS students face waiting for the BCT 102 bus. On early dismissal days, children waste as much as an hour waiting for a northbound bus. (This can be improved if we join the GoPass program and some of the kids ride Metro 232 when there is no room on the BCT 102. https://www.metro.net/riding/fares/gopass/ ) Additionally, BE bus manufacturers are having difficulty meeting orders, delivering vehicles with the advertised range, and delivering replacement parts. Proterra sought bankruptcy protection in part because they were unable to ship repair parts to existing customers. https://www.freightwaves.com/news/proterra-wont-fight-nasdaq-delisting-following-bankrupt cy-filing Foothills Transit is experiencing some of the fiscal and operating pain of the Proterra fall-out.
Furthermore, we need to be sure that our bus depots are protected against battery fires as happened in Philadelphia.
https://www.inquirer.com/transportation/septa-proterra-electric-bus-battery-fire-philadelphia -20221111.html
Already, tow yards are dealing with EV fires from EVs damaged in collisions. We also need time for RBFD to purchase equipment capable of extinguishing large battery fires.
In closing, we are required to have a plan to replace our vehicle fleet with zero emissions vehicles by 2040 and to only purchase zero emissions buses 2029 and later. Let us plan to purchase BEBs on the later end, so we can learn from other agencies what works and what doesn’t.
In the meantime, let’s improve our bike lane infrastructure for small battery electric vehicles like eBikes and eTrikes.
Grace Peng, PhD