Meeting_Body
PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE
SEPTEMBER 17, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: LONG BEACH-EAST LOS ANGELES CORRIDOR ZERO-EMISSION TRUCK PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
CONSIDER:
A. RECEIVING AND FILING a status update on the California Transportation Commission’s adoption of the 2024 Trade Corridor Enhancement Program (TCEP) discretionary grant awards, including a funding award for Metro’s Long Beach-East Los Angeles (LB-ELA) Corridor Zero-Emission Truck (ZET) Project;
B. AUTHORIZING the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or their designee to:
1. Program $2,000,000 in Measure R Highway Capital Funds, Line 37, Interstate 710 South and/or Early Action Projects, through the LB-ELA Corridor Mobility Investment Plan (CMIP) as a local match to the TCEP funding award for the Forum Mobility’s FM Hermanas ZET project in Fiscal Years (FYs) 26 & 27;
2. Program $1,000,000 in Measure R Highway Capital Funds, Line 37, Interstate 710 South and/or Early Action Projects, through the LB-ELA CMIP as a local match to the TCEP funding award for the MN8’s Rio Vista ZET project in FY26 & 27;
3. Receive $3,000,000 contribution from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) towards both projects; and
4. Negotiate and execute all necessary agreements with grantors and third parties to fulfill obligations for the project scopes funded through the 2024 TCEP and MSRC funding awards.
Issue
ISSUE
On June 26, 2025, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) adopted the 2024 TCEP to award funds for 26 projects, including a full funding award in the amount of $13,653,000 for the Metro-submitted LB-ELA Zero-Emission Truck (ZET) Project.
The Board will now need to take actions to secure the TCEP funding allocation from the CTC: (1) program the $2,000,000 in Metro’s funding commitment for Forum Mobility’s FM Hermanas Project, (2) program the $1,000,000 in Metro’s funding commitment for MN8’s Rio Vista Project, (3) receive $3,000,000 from MSRC as their contribution towards these projects, and (4) negotiate and execute necessary agreements to make TCEP funds and MSRC’s contribution available to the project implementing entities for implementation.
Background
BACKGROUND
In November 2024, staff submitted the LB-ELA ZET Project for the 2024 TCEP grant program in partnership with two ZET charging depot developers (Forum Mobility and MN8) and MSRC. Seeking TCEP discretionary grant funding was a response to the Board approved Motion #16 by Directors Hahn and Dutra (October 2021) (Attachment A) to leverage $50 million in CMIP funds as seed funding to secure Federal and State funding for a 710 South Clean Truck (now LB-ELA Corridor ZET) Program to reach a program funding target of $200 million (Motion #5.1 by Directors Hahn, Solis, Garcia, and Dupont-Walker, March 2018) (Attachment B). Stakeholders convened by Metro to develop the LB-ELA Corridor ZET Program identified the lack of sufficient ZET charging infrastructure as a main impediment toward the overall adoption of zero-emission (ZE) technology for medium- and heavy-duty trucks (MHDTs) operating in the LB-ELA Corridor. This insight informed Metro’s strategy on how best to leverage funding dedicated to the ZET Program.
Metro proposed to pursue the 2024 TCEP in partnership with Forum Mobility and MN8 to facilitate the construction of two publicly accessible charging depots for battery electric medium- and heavy-duty ZETs within the LB-ELA Corridor. Forum Mobility is the charging depot developer for the FM Hermanas in Rancho Dominguez, who will be responsible for maintaining and operating the site after completion. MN8 is the charging depot developer for the Rio Vista site in Boyle Heights. MN8 will be responsible for maintaining and operating the site after completion.
When complete, the sites will support daily charging needs for up to 331 ZE MHDTs, which more than doubles the current available charging capacity for MHDTs within the corridor.
The TCEP award requires matching funds to be expended concurrently and proportionally. Metro committed $3,000,000 from the adopted LB-ELA CMIP as matching funds, consistent with prior Board action.
Additionally, in May 2024, Metro entered into a cooperative agreement with the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) to jointly accelerate the implementation of ZET infrastructure. Under this agreement, MSRC offered to match Metro’s commitment with an additional $3,000,000 funding for the LB-ELA Corridor ZET Project. To make this MSRC contribution available to the project implementing entities, Metro will need to negotiate and execute a dedicated funding agreement with MSRC.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
To receive the TCEP funds and make the funds available for the projects included in Metro’s TCEP application, as well as making Metro’s and MSRC’s contributions available for the projects, Metro will need to negotiate and execute necessary agreements with Caltrans, Forum Mobility, MN8 and MSRC. Therefore, staff requests Board approval to program Metro’s contribution from Measure R funds dedicated to the LB-ELA CMIP and enter into agreements with Caltrans, Forum Mobility, MN8 and MSRC.
Additionally, Metro is committed to engaging surrounding communities to share the information on the ZET charging projects and offering a space for the communities to become familiar with ZE technology and depot developers. As part of Metro’s contribution to support these projects, Metro requested each developer to host community engagement events in partnership with Metro.
TCEP Award Amount
The total project cost for both projects is estimated at $38,123,000. The FM Hermanas project, a ZET charging depot led by Forum Mobility, is estimated at $28,414,000. The Rio Vista project, a ZET charging depot led by MN8, is estimated at $9,709,000. Metro’s contribution of $3,000,000 toward these projects has successfully leveraged $35,123,000 in private, regional, and state funding to help meet the overall LB-ELA Corridor ZET program target of $200,000,000.
The TCEP application requested funding awards of $10,000,000 for FM Hermanas and $3,653,000 for Rio Vista for construction phase costs. Forum Mobility, MN8, MSRC, and Metro are contributing funds for the construction phases of their respective projects as seen in Attachment C, Table 1.
Necessary Agreements
For TCEP, CTC expects Caltrans to coordinate Baseline Agreements with grant recipient agencies within six months after a project has been adopted into the program. As a grant recipient agency, Metro will need to execute agreements to make the TCEP funds, Metro and MSRC contributions available to Forum Mobility and MN8.
Separately, Metro will need to enter into an agreement with MSRC to access MSRC’s contribution through a reimbursement mechanism.
Community Engagement
Metro and Forum Mobility jointly hosted a ZET Community Event in-person at Compton College on August 25, 2025, and virtually on September 9, 2025, as part of Metro’s continuous efforts in engaging communities along the LB-ELA Corridor for this program and the implementation of the LB-ELA CMIP. The event highlighted the LB-ELA CMIP ZET Project status updates, and details of the FM Hermanas project to facilitate local community understanding and support for the project. One of the drayage trucking companies that serves the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach joined the event to share the reasons for the owner making a business decision to switch from diesel trucks to battery electric trucks, and her drivers’ favorable experiences of driving ZETs. Community feedback from this meeting will be verbally presented during the Board meeting.
Compton College and Rio Hondo College joined the event to share their workforce resources and investment programs with the event participants.
Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) active in Cities of Compton and Long Beach were selected through Metro’s CBO Partnership to inform residents in the area and encouraged them to participate in the event.
Metro will plan a community engagement event with MN8 for its Rio Vista site in late Fall 2025 / early Winter 2025-26. Details of the event will be shared at a future Board update on the LB-ELA CMIP.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The approval of the recommended actions will not impact the safety of Metro’s customers and employees. The site developers have safety protocols to ensure safe operations of the sites.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Funding for these projects will be budgeted under the LB-ELA CMIP project, which is funded by the Measure R Highway Capital, Line Item 37, Interstate 710 South and/or Early Action Projects in Cost Center 4611.
To date, $15,150,000 of the $432,000,000 CMIP funds from Measure R Highway Capital funds have been programmed for the following CMIP projects.
• $3,000,000 for the Port of Los Angeles Drayage Truck Charging Depot Project;
• $9,000,000 for the City of Long Beach Shoemaker Bridge/Shoreline Drive Project; and
• $3,150,000 for the Rail to River Active Transportation Corridor Segment B Project
Since the LB-ELA CMIP is a multiyear program that contains various projects, Countywide Planning and Development will be responsible for budgeting the costs in current and future years.
Impact to Budget
The source of funds for these projects is Measure R 20% Highway Funds dedicated to the I-710 South (now LB-ELA) Corridor in project 475316 (Long Beach-East LA Corridor Mobility Investment Plan). This fund source is not eligible for transit capital or operations expenses.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The LB-ELA Corridor contains a higher than the County average number of Equity Focus Communities (EFCs). Due to the heavy usage of I-710 South as a freight corridor, residents within the Corridor have suffered from poor air quality and severe health consequences of diesel Particulate Matter exposures.
The LB-ELA ZET Program is a project included in the LB-ELA CMIP to eliminate diesel emissions from MHDTs that operate in the area, particularly the drayage trucks that carry ocean containers to and from the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. During the development of the LB-ELA ZET Program, Metro created a ZET Working Group whose membership was made up of partner agencies, subject matter experts, and community members. The ZET Working Group guided staff in developing the ZET Program vision, goals, and principles that reflected the communities’ desired outcomes including improved air quality, improved health, and increasing employment prospects within the corridor area.
Both projects are in an area zoned for industrial use within the LB-ELA Corridor and are expected to open for operation in late 2026 and late 2027. The projects will primarily serve drayage trucks. Together, these projects are anticipated to support 331 battery-electric ZETs when reaching full operating capacity, eliminating diesel tailpipe emissions from replaced trucks that severely impact air quality, particularly in the LB-ELA Corridor.
Battery-electric trucks operate quietly with less vibration than diesel trucks and eliminate diesel fume exposure to the drivers, which causes health impediments. While the number of direct jobs created may be limited at the project sites, these projects will send signals on the future of clean vehicle technologies that support employment opportunities that did not exist before.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled_Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
VMT and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro’s significant investment in rail and bus transit.* Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California’s statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
VMT has already been analyzed for this item as Freight Throughput under the TCEP application’s Performance Metrics. The result of this analysis was no change to the truck volumes due to the project completion, as the project targets the conversion of engine types of the existing MHDTs. The project’s intent is to provide charging depots to support an accelerated transition from diesel MHDTs to battery-electric MHDTs to bring immediate air quality benefits to the LB-ELA Corridor. Therefore, no new vehicles or additional VMT were assumed in the analysis.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans’ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The recommendations support strategic plan goals:
Goal 2: Enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity.
Goal 4: Transform LA County through regional collaboration and national leadership.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board can choose not to approve the recommended action. Staff do not recommend this alternative because, without Board approval, Metro would not fulfill its commitment to providing the local match funds to TCEP, which would result in foregoing the opportunity to improve air quality and public health through the ZET Program. Metro would also lose the TCEP funds.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Forum Mobility has expressed its desire to seek a TCEP fund allocation at the December 2025 CTC meeting to maintain the current project schedule.
To meet the urgency for the TCEP fund allocation, staff will negotiate and execute all necessary agreements with Caltrans, Forum Mobility, MN8 and MSRC/AQMD for both projects immediately upon approval by the Board.
Staff will seek a funding allocation from the CTC at its December 2025 meeting for the Forum Mobility FM Hermanas ZET project.
For the MN8 Rio Vista ZET project, staff will coordinate with MN8 to determine the appropriate timing to seek the CTC allocation, plan, and execute community engagement activities.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A – Board Motion 16, October 2021
Attachment B – Board Motion 5.1, March 2018
Attachment C – Additional Data
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Akiko Yamagami, Senior Manager, (213) 547-4305
Rena Lum, Deputy Executive Officer, (213) 922-6963
Michael Cano, Senior Executive Officer, Interim, (213) 418-3010
Nicole Ferrara, Deputy Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4322
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Ray Sosa, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4274
Digitally approved by Stephanie Wiggins, Chief Executive Officer