California Air Resources Board

Clean Mobility Options Voucher Pilot Program
Community Transportation Needs Assessment

Western Riverside Council of Governments | WRCOG – Community Transportation Needs Assessment

December 2020 – December 2021

Project Details

Western Riverside Council of Governments's (WRCOG) Community Transportation Needs Assessment was designed to focus specifically on the mobility needs and options in certain areas of the Western Riverside Subregion that (1) experience the highest burden from air pollutants and (2) are positioned to benefit the most from clean transportation solutions. The assessment comprised two components: a transportation access data analysis and community outreach events. WRCOG used a survey tool and various data collection methods, including digital and social media, virtual workshops, focus groups, phone surveys, and one-on-one interviews to engage and conduct outreach to community members. Results from the community outreach events and transportation access data analysis helped identify the needs, transportation options, choices, and preferences of community members.

To learn more about project implementation, watch this video.

Project Highlights

• Residents of the target communities face sometimes significant gaps in mobility. These gaps are diverse and include:
  • Physical access to transit stops and services
  • Challenges with the cost of transit
  • Access to clean mobility options that can close first-mile last-mile gaps
  • Challenges of comfort with owning a bank account or disclosing name, address, and other details needed to use rideshare
• Mobility is an extremely important topic in general, but especially in these communities in Corona, Moreno Valley, and San Jacinto. Community groups and cultural organizations have an interest in providing support for solutions to these issues. As we move forward with addressing the mobility challenges that we defined, we expect to have many willing partners ready to dedicate resources.

Lessons Learned 

• Connections with community and cultural groups, local governments and agencies, as well as educational institutions provided an effective way to learn about challenges in our target communities. These organizations not only provided valuable information and perspective on challenges but directed our team where to seek further information and perspectives.
• Diversity of connections is key. Reaching out to broad types of stakeholders and community groups in a variety of different formats helped us to collected valuable insights. Some engagement methods, such as virtual community workshops, were not highly effective, while online survey and direct conversations with stakeholders provided a wealth of useful information.

Funding Details

Voucher Total: $48,600

By the Numbers

Community Engagement Activities

• 3 Virtual community workshops via Zoom with Spanish interpreter
• 4 Focus group meetings with local stakeholders and community organizations
• Dozens of one-on-one interviews with residents and community leaders
• 4,068 direct mailers sent to project area residents to advertise the survey and community workshops
• 25 Resident gift card raffle for survey completion
• 1 ArcGIS Story Map Journal showcasing project details

Estimated Quantifiable Benefits

• Direct Jobs: 1
• Indirect Jobs: 1
• Induced Jobs: 1

Community Details

The project focused on the low-income and disadvantaged communities in the City of Corona, The City of Moreno Valley, and the San Jacinto Valley in Riverside County. These areas are generally suburban, less urbanized, and less densely populated. Participants included residents within the project area with an intentional focus on priority population groups, for example, households with incomes between $6,500 - $45,000; dual and single-parent households; undocumented community members; and first-time college students.

Community Benefits

The Western Riverside County subregion is diverse in community composition and density of development, with much of the subregion also experiencing significant air quality impacts from transportation. In fact, as of July 31, 2021, the area exceeds the maximum concentration of particle pollutants set by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Due to economic and infrastructure challenges, some areas also experience limited transportation options to support the mobility needs of community members. These attributes combine to highlight an important need for expanded clean mobility options.

To address these issues, WRCOG and its partners needed to gain an understanding of specific challenges and needs in the community. This needs assessment will set a foundation for this understanding, leading to development of a clean mobility solutions that will allow residents meet their transportation needs while improving air quality in their community.

Outreach & Engagement Strategies

• Workshops
• Focus groups
• Interviews
• Roundtable discussions
• Direct mailers
• English and Spanish materials
• Gift card incentives 
• Project webpage

Target Populations

• Residents of targeted census tracts in the City of Corona, the City of Moreno Valley, and the San Jacinto Valley
• Low-income
• Single parent households
• Undocumented residents
• First-time college students
• Non-English speakers
• Renters
• People without driver licenses

Partnership Structure

Voucher Recipient 

The purpose of the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) is to unify Western Riverside County so that it can speak with a collective voice on important issues. WRCOG houses a Clean Cities Coalition which brings together local government and private industries to expand the use of alternatives to petroleum fuel, by promoting the education and adoption of clean technologies in transportation.

Project Partners

• EViaShare

Contacts

Casey Dailey | (951) 405-6720 | WRCOG