Brady PieperThe California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is awarding $206 million to local, clean transportation initiatives that will help curtail legacy pollution across the state. The funding will support transportation projects targeting greenhouse gas emissions reduction, mobility enhancements and environmental justice statewide.
The funding represents this year’s round of grants from the state’s Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP), which provides operating and capital assistance for transit agencies to mitigate emissions and develop clean transit initiatives. Financed by the state’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, LCTOP delivers noncompetitive, formula-based grants to transportation entities, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
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In this round, entities will secure grants up to $51.3 million. Based on previous awards, Caltrans will administer LCTOP funds to bankroll a variety of clean transportation initiatives, including bus and rail line expansions, the purchase of zero emissions vehicles, free or reduced transit fare programs, the purchase of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and zero emissions infrastructure projects.
Four clean transportation projects will be funded more $10 million or more in this LCTOP round, with projects in Orange County, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles.
The highest-funded project, led by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, will spend $51.3 million to support, expand and enhance the Metro’s E Line light rail service. The funding also supports operational expenses for the line’s 29 stations and service seven days a week. About half of the project’s funding will directly benefit disadvantaged communities.
The City of San Francisco’s approach to using LCTOP funds differs from that of their SoCal counterpart. Allocated $18.7 million from Caltrans, San Francisco will develop a fare program for seniors, seniors with disabilities and children to utilize reliable transit lines for free or at a reduced rate. The project will specifically support San Francisco residents whose gross annual family income is at or below 100% of the Bay Area median income.
The second awarded Bay Area project, led by the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, will secure $11 million to fund the operations of a new rail system that connects BART’s Pittsburg/Bay Point station to Antioch. The BART-to-Antioch extension will use the funds to operate state-of-the-art diesel multiple unit vehicles along the line. This round of funding represents the transit district’s sixth year utilizing LCTOP funds.
Receiving $10.3 million in awards, the Orange County Transportation Authority will pursue a unique solution to tackle climate change, support disadvantaged communities and improve residents’ mobility options. The transportation authority will spend LCTOP funds to purchase 40 Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric buses and kick start a fleet of zero emissions vehicles in Orange County. Over half of the funds, $5.5 million, will directly benefit local disadvantaged communities.
The LCTOP is a part of the California Climate Investments, a state program that utilizes cap-and-trade dollars to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and improve environmental and public health. In the last decade, the LCTOP initiative has delivered over $1 billion to over 1,400 local, clean transportation projects around the state.
California Climate Investments and LCTOP-funded initiatives primarily focus on projects in disadvantaged and underserved communities. So far, about 96% of previous LCTOP funding has benefited California’s disadvantaged and low-income communities.
A comprehensive list of all LCTOP awards in this round is available on Caltrans’ FY23-24 LCTOP Grant Award List.
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