Meeting_Body
REVISED
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
APRIL 20, 2023
Subject
SUBJECT: ZERO-EMISSION BUS PROGRAM UPDATE
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer to:
A. RECEIVE AND FILE the Progress Report on the Zero Emission Bus Program, including the shift in the program goal of fully transitioning to a zero-emission bus fleet from 2030 to 2035, and a commitment to no longer procure Clean Natural Gas buses to accommodate the new program goal. ; and
B. APPROVE changing the program goal of fully transitioning to a zero-emission bus fleet from 2030 to 2035.
Issue
ISSUE
In 2018, The California Air Resources Board's (CARB) Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) regulation mandated that all transit agencies in the state operate all-zero emission (ZE) fleets by 2040.
In June 2017, Metro's Board of Directors endorsed a ZEB Strategic Plan (SP) to transition the entire bus fleet to ZEBs by 2030, contingent on envisioned cost and performance equivalence with CNG buses as a result of continued advancements in BEB technology. However, the availability and capacity of sufficient power at each of Metro's bus divisions have been identified as a constraint. Meanwhile, BEBs' cost and technical parity with CNG buses have not materialized.
Given the current status of the ZEB industry, staff finds that these program challenges (i.e., costs, performance, electrical grid capacity, supply chain and utilities' lead times, and market availability) are exacerbated by trying to achieve a full transition by the 2030 target date.
Background
BACKGROUND
In July 2017, the Metro Board approved Motion #50 (File 2017-0524) by Directors Bonin, Garcetti, Najarian, Hahn, and Solis that endorsed a plan to transition to a ZEB fleet by 2030 (Attachment A). The endorsement is contingent on two primary factors: continuous advancements in electric bus technology and a drop in prices as th...
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