Project Background for Clean Mobility Options

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Project Goals

CARB’s clean mobility programs fund projects that facilitate community-led transportation planning and increase access to clean transportation choices beyond personal vehicles. These programs ultimately focus on planning and mobility strategies that shift the nature of the state’s transportation systems toward clean, active, and shared modes of transportation – especially in lower-income communities that have lacked transportation choices.

CARB’s Clean Mobility Options (CMO) program has piloted various funding approaches and shared mobility project types to meet the needs of priority populations across the state. As CMO continues, there will be a focus on transitioning from the pilot phase to the program phase.

  • Since Fiscal Year (FY) 2014-15, CMO has funded clean and shared transportation services like public transit, electric car share, bikeshare, and electric shuttles to tackle both reducing greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled.
  • CMO has supported the state’s move toward a comprehensive ecosystem of more equitable, integrated, clean transportation services offering high-quality, affordable, and accessible solutions that meet priority population needs. 
  • CMO introduces new and innovative project types in communities that have faced historical underinvestment.
  • CARB will support current and future funding recipients by documenting and sharing lessons learned and providing opportunities for funding recipients to do the same such as through the Clean Mobility Equity Alliance network created through the CMO Voucher Pilot Program.

Guiding Legislation and Policy Drivers

The following key legislation guides the priorities and implementation of CMO:

  • Senate Bill (SB) 350 (De León, Chapter 547, Statues of 2015): Directed CARB to conduct a study to better understand the barriers low-income residents must overcome to increase access to zero-emission and near zero-emission transportation and mobility options and develop recommendations to increase access. CMO specifically addresses many of these barriers and follows the recommendations outlined by CARB in the Low-income Barriers Study, Part B: Overcoming Barriers to Clean Transportation Access for Low-income Residents.
  • SB 1275 (de León, Chapter 530, Statutes of 2014) & AB 398 (Eduardo Garcia, Chapter 135, Statutes of 2017): CMO addresses this legislation by prioritizing low- and zero-carbon transportation alternatives for overcoming clean transportation barriers for low-income consumers and disadvantaged communities (DACs) to access clean transportation and mobility options.

History of Project Funding, Allocations, and Key Activities

The CMO concept originated as the “Targeted Car Sharing and Mobility Options in Disadvantaged Communities (DACs) Pilot Project” in the FY 2014-15 Funding Plan. CMO as a dedicated funding category began with the FY 2017-18 Funding Plan. The following is a chronological history of project funding and activities by fiscal year (FY).

  • FY 2014-15:
    • In April 2015, CARB’s competitive solicitation closed for the “Targeted Car Sharing and Mobility Options in Disadvantaged Communities Pilot Project.” Subsequently, $3 million was awarded to two Regional EV Car Sharing in DACs Pilots.
  • FY 2015-16:
    • No CMO projects were funded.
  • FY 2016-17:
    • In April 2017, CARB’s competitive solicitation for “Car Sharing and Mobility Options Pilot Projects” closed. Subsequently, $9.5 million was awarded to the following:
      • 3 Regional EV Car Sharing Pilots,
      • 1 Regional EV Car Sharing Pilot expansion,
      • 1 EV Shuttle Service Project, and the
      • Agricultural Worker Vanpool Project
  • FY 2017-18:
    • In November 2018, CARB’s competitive solicitation for the Statewide Administrator for Clean Mobility Options Projects for Disadvantaged Communities (CMO Voucher Pilot Program) closed, and CALSTART was selected as the Program Administrator.
      • $17 million went to fund the CMO Voucher Pilot Program
    • Another $8 million funded:
      • 2 Regional Car Sharing Pilot expansions and
      • Agricultural Worker Vanpool expansion
  • FY 2018-19:
    • $15 million funded the expansion of the CMO Voucher Pilot Project.
    • No projects were launched; however, CARB worked with the Administrator to develop the CMO program with feedback from public work groups.  
  • FY 2019-20:
    • $8 million from the California Energy Commission funded the CMO Voucher Pilot Expansion, and CMO program development continued with public work groups.
    • $8.6 million funded expansions of the following:
      • 3 Regional Car Sharing Pilots and
      • 1 EV Shuttle Service
    • The Community Transportation Needs Assessment application Window 1 was held.
  • FY 2020-21:
    • 24 CTNA Vouchers totaling $1.15 million were awarded through the CMO Voucher Pilot Program in Window 1
    • No additional funding went to the CMO Voucher Pilot Program
  • FY 2021-22:
    • $10 million was awarded to expand the CMO Voucher Pilot Project.
    • 20 Mobility Project Vouchers totaling $20 million were awarded through the CMO Voucher Pilot Program Window 1
  • FY 2022-23:
    • $19.8 million in State General Funds expanded the CMO Voucher Pilot Project.
    • Public work groups were held before the Window 2 application period.
  • FY 2023-24:
    • $188,000 in funds from FY 2021-22 funded an expansion of the CMO Voucher Pilot Project.
    • 12 Community Transportation Needs Assessment Vouchers totaling $1.2 million were awarded through the CMO Voucher Pilot Program Window 2
    • $1 million funded the expansion of two Window 1 Mobility Project Vouchers.

Recent Project and Policy Changes

In 2022, CARB held public work groups to discuss changes to the project prior to opening Window 2 for applications. The main comment received was that the costs for these projects had increased substantially as a result of various factors including inflation. Based on this feedback, CARB approved the following:

  • Increased the Mobility Project Voucher amount from $1 million to $1.5 million in spring 2023.
  • Increased the Community Transportation Needs Assessment voucher amount from $50,000 to $100,000 in winter 2022.

Additional Project Information and Reports