LCTI: A Transformative Clean Mobility Pilot
Clean Mobility in Schools Pilot Project
El Monte Union High School District | A Transformative Clean Mobility Pilot: Connecting Research, Education, and Community in a Disadvantaged School District
May 2020 - June 2023
Project Details
A Transformative Clean Mobility Pilot based in the El Monte Unified High School District (EMUHSD or the District) will transform mobility at the school sites by: adding new zero-emission buses to the fleet, allowing the District to serve more students; developing a pilot, entrepreneurial clean mobility Career Technical Education curriculum; plan for more holistic, active transportation to ensure safety as well as improve congestion from pedestrians, bikeshare, and carshare; add new motor pool vehicles and maintenance vehicles that run on battery or electric power to improve efficiency and reduce reliance on gasoline use; and enable onsite energy storage that ties into the District’s existing solar system so operational demand costs can be reduced long-term.
The project is funding clean mobility technology (vehicles and charging infrastructure), curriculum development, research and analysis, education and outreach, workforce development, and battery energy storage. The program consists of robust outreach strategies to engage, build partnerships with, and garner support of the District community, community-based organizations, and other groups to promote adoption of clean mobility options. Community engagement events will include one major District-based event as well as collaboration with partners to incorporate mobility elements into at least four to five existing events designed to benefit the community, including transportation, health and job fairs, college-preparatory programs, community celebrations, and high school sporting activities.
Project Highlights
- An active transportation feasibility assessment conducted for each campus.
- District provides both youth and adult education services.
Funding Details
Grant Amount: $9,847,660
Resource Contributions: $36,100
Project Total: $9,883,760
By the Numbers
Services, Vehicles & Equipment Funded
- 8 Type D Blue Bird electric school buses
- 3 Type A Micro Bird electric school buses
- 11 High powered level 2 chargers
- 3 ABB DC fast chargers
- 2 Locations for bus charging
- 11 Gem Polaris electric utility maintenance carts
- 5 ENGIE battery-based energy storage systems
- 6 Electric vehicles for staff motor pools
- 1 School Mobility & Active Transportation Plan for all school sites
- 1 Clean Energy Fellow for Workforce Development
Estimated Quantifiable Benefits
- GHG emission reductions: 2,350 MTCO2e
- Diesel PM reductions: 20 lbs
- NOx reductions: 43,582 lbs
- PM2.5 reductions: 1,060 lbs
- ROG reductions: 1,844 lbs
- Travel cost savings: $32,266
- Fossil fuel-based transportation fuel use reductions: 169,620 gallons
- Direct jobs: 48
- Indirect jobs: 16
- Induced jobs: 31
Community Details
El Monte Union High School District is in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley. The District is a severely disadvantaged community where every single school site stands in the top 25% on CalEnviroScreen 3.0 and some as high as the top 10%. The disproportionate pollution burden felt by the community is significant and this project will take diesel and gasoline vehicles off the road and replace them with clean zero-emission vehicles.
Population studies show that approximately 200,000 people reside in the EMUHSD attendance boundaries. The area the district represents a mix of interests, professions, and groups. The source of income for most people in this area is broadly grouped into industrial and factory work, and retail sales. The families who live in this area include many in the middle to lower income economic groups. The project aims to resolve chronic transportation and financial challenges the EMUHSD faces in school busing (where there is existing bus deficit), school transportation safety, and air quality.
Demographics of Community Served by Project
40% Hispanic or Latino, 34% White, 16% Asian, 9% Black or African American, and 1% Other
Median Household Income: $51,283
Community Benefits
A Transformative Clean Mobility Pilot project aims to resolve chronic transportation and financial challenges the district faces in school bussing, concerns for school transportation safety, and poor air quality. Electric school buses can save the District up to 80% in fuel costs and up to 50% in maintenance costs over traditional diesel-power vehicles. Replacing the diesel and gasoline vehicles with clean zero-emission vehicles will reduce the District’s carbon footprint and help improve air quality of the cities EMUHSD services, including El Monte, South El Monte and Rosemead. Co-benefits include active transportation plans to provide options for safe routes to and from schools, a Career Technical Education curriculum, and community workforce development in the San Gabriel Valley.
In addition, this project will increase transportation access for students and thereby reduce the pressure often placed on working families in the community to find alternative ways to get their children to school. The workforce training and development element of this project will help train a new generation of leaders in electric vehicle and advanced energy technologies.
Outreach & Engagement Strategies
- Culturally appropriate education materials
- Materials in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Mandarin
- Web-based materials
- Social media
- Public meetings
- Booth/tabling at community/school events
- Ride and drive events
- Local and statewide press releases
- Collaboratively develop the School Mobility & Active Transportation Plan with students, staff, and communities
Target Populations
- Students in grades 9-12
- Adult students
- Families
- District staff
- People of color
- Non-English speakers
- New workforce students
Partnership Structure
Grantee
Located in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley, the El Monte Union High School District was established in 1901. El Monte Unified High School District serves more than 8,000 students in grades 9-12 and more than 11,000 students in adult schools. Its high schools include Arroyo, El Monte, Mountain View, Rosemead, South El Monte and Fernando R. Ledesma High School. The District also features the El Monte‐Rosemead Adult School, one of California’s largest and most respected adult programs.
Project Partners
- A-Z Bus Sales, Inc.
- Shell Recharge Solutions
- ENGIE
- Gladstein, Neandross & Associates
- University of California, Riverside – Center for Environmental Research and Technology
- Fehr & Peers
- VMA Communications, Inc.
- San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps