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OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
OCTOBER 18, 2018
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Motion by:
HAHN, SOLIS, AND BONIN
Item 41: METRO/FTA Diesel Bus Replacement Plan
California’s electric grid is steadily becoming cleaner by the gradual elimination of coal from our energy portfolio and replacing it with renewable sources. The transition to cleaner forms of power, coupled with lower emission buses, promises enhanced mobility with much lower environmental tradeoffs.
Ultimately, LA Metro has set a goal to convert the entire bus fleet to be zero emissions by 2030. While the agency is still twelve years away before its full conversion to electric buses, the agency must contend with the immediate issue of the remaining diesel buses servicing routes.
Bolstering the short-term efforts that Metro has taken to replace diesel buses was a recent Federal Transit Administration Grant of $5.5 million, as part of the Buses and Bus Facilities Infrastructures Investment Program. This FTA grant will go a long way to introduce less polluting buses to the South Bay and Gateway Cities, which is home to a large population of disadvantaged communities who consistently endure some of the worst air quality in the nation.
Dozens of Metro bus routes service the Gateway and South Bay, creating many possible bus replacement alternatives. Due to Metro’s funding constraints, the agency should prioritize replacing buses on the routes that would stand to contribute the most environmental value to the South Bay and Gateway areas. This prioritization can create an example for future bus fleet replacement goals, in targeting areas that stand to benefit the most from cleaner transit, such as the I-710 corridor, East Los Angeles, and the numerous neighborhoods that endure high levels of transportation emissions.
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WITHDRAWN: SUBJECT: MOTION BY HAHN, SOLIS, AND BONIN
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METRO/FTA DIESEL BUS REPLACEMENT PLAN
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WE, THEREFORE, direct the CEO to:
A. apply the $5.5 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to a bus replacement implementation plan that prioritizes routes in the South Bay and Gateway cities that service the following criteria:
1. Environmentally disadvantaged communities, as defined by SB 535
2. Congested arterial streets
3. Goods movement corridors
B. provide a quarterly update to the Board on the progress of the Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) Program Master Plan as it relates to Metro’s replacement priorities of the existing fleet, and to specifically address how those priorities address areas in the greatest need of pollution and emissions relief.
C. report back to the Metro Board with the bus replacement implementation plan during the January Board cycle.