To: Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Virginia Bass
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Letter of Support for the Equitable and Sustainable Public Transit Planning for Rural America Project (Supervisor Virginia Bass)
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Authorize the Chair to sign the letter of support.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
N/A
DISCUSSION:
Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) is assisting Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA) with a DOT RAISE Planning Grant. The project title is Equitable and Sustainable Public Transit Planning for Rural America Project and the focus is to explore the feasibility of transitioning local transit fleets to zero emission vehicles and then applying that to a broader range of rural transit operators.
The project would have 3 phases, the first of which would be planning for a zero emission fleet across existing local transit systems (including Tribal systems), exploring both electrification and hydrogen options as well as planning for and designing a new transit center and fueling infrastructure to support the transition.
The second phase would focus on an expansion of HTA services and explore how to decrease vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by increasing transit use in a rural setting. With particular focus on expanding routes equitably, including in areas that are defined as areas of persistent poverty in the grant terms.
The final phase would be working to conduct a nationwide survey of rural transit operators to obtain insight into the potential market for hydrogen or electric vehicles optimized for rural travel (long range and difficult terrain). This information would be used to help original equipment manufacturers understand the client base and encourage development of vehicles optimized for a rural setting.
The Board of Supervisors would like to send a letter of support to the Secretary of Transportation to fund this grant as this project would...
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