TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Kelly Olivera, Assistant City Manager
FROM: Tyffany L. Neal, Transit Director
DATE: April 22, 2024
RE:
Title
Adoption of a Resolution of Support for an FTA Grant Application for Battery Electric Buses
end
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
All
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
Goal 4: Desirable Place to Live, Work and Recreate
Objective 4.1: To develop and maintain public transportation investments with high quality transit and airport services
Executive Summary:
Council is asked to adopt a Resolution of Support to demonstrate the City's local match funding commitment for a competitive grant application to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for the purchase of four (4) 35-ft low-floor battery-electric buses (BEBs) to replace diesel buses that have already met or exceeded their useful life. The total estimated replacement cost is $7,531,210. The Resolution would indicate the City's willingness to fund a $1,136,426 local match to leverage $6,397,784 of federal funds under an 85%/15% grant scenario for the majority of the grant.
Background:
Congress has established a competitive capital grant program under the FTA entitled Low or No Emission Grant Program (Low-No Program). This program provides transit bus funding over and above FTA's formula grant programs.
The City's bus fleet is aging, with several buses approaching their estimated useful life of 12 years (or 500K miles). It is critical that buses be replaced in a timely manner since FAST buses accumulate a high number of miles every year. The City purchased 10 buses between 2010 and 2013 that are due to be replaced over the next two to three years. Annual FTA formula fund apportionments are not sufficient to fund these needed replacements as formula funds also support other areas of the Transit budget such as operating assistance, maintenance, ADA, planning and other capital needs.
The FTA issued its call for proj...
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