SACRAMENTO – Twenty-one California nonprofits, local governments, transit agencies, and Native American tribal governments in under-resourced communities have been awarded up to $1 million each by the new Clean Mobility Options Voucher Pilot Program (CMO) to develop and launch zero-emission mobility projects, such as bikesharing and ride-on-demand services, aimed at overcoming transportation challenges faced by residents in their communities.

The total amount of funds awarded for mobility projects is $20 million. The program awarded approximately $18 million to eligible under-resourced communities and set aside and awarded $2 million specifically to Native American tribal governments. Funding will support projects like:

• Innovative transit services such as on-demand shuttles and microtransit
• Electric vehicle carsharing
• Bikesharing and scooter-sharing
• Carpooling and vanpooling
• Ride-on-demand services

For many awardees this will be a first-of-its-kind mobility project to be funded and launched in their community. Funding for CMO is made possible by California Climate Investments (http://www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov/), a statewide initiative that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health. The response to the mobility project voucher application window shows there is strong demand and need for this funding. Twenty-one communities received funds in its inaugural year, however there were a total of 33 applicants requesting as much as $1 million each.

“These funds directly support disadvantaged communities and communities of color from across the state, creating safe, clean, affordable and accessible options for getting residents where they need to go,” California Air Resources Board Executive Officer Richard W. Corey said. “The Clean Mobility Options Program was designed to ensure that each project is developed both by and for that community to address its own unique transportation issues — taking to heart the notion of community involvement to support sustainable transportation solutions.”

Funding benefits underserved communities across the state

Projects were awarded across the state. In Northern California and in the Central Valley, funded projects are in Redding, Sacramento, Oakland, Richmond, Stockton, Fresno, and the city of Huron in Fresno County. In Southern California, projects are kicking off in Los Angeles, in the city of Rialto and elsewhere in San Bernardino County, in the community of Anza and the city of Riverside, in the cities of Chula Vista and National City in San Diego, and in Coachella, Calexico, and South El Monte. See a full list of awardees below and an interactive map (https://www.cleanmobilityoptions.org/mp-awardees/).

While the majority of Californians breathe unhealthy air at some time during the year, under-resourced communities and people of color are disproportionately exposed to unhealthy air. These communities are often located near major roadways and freight corridors. Health research has linked economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and residences to more frequent asthma symptoms, among other health impacts, due to higher levels of traffic and other air pollution exposures, and greater vulnerability to health impacts.

Awardee quotes

• The City of Redding in Northern California:“This program represents a step in the right direction to improving mobility equity in the far northern part of California,” said Rachel Hatch, Senior Program Officer for Community Vitality of The McConnell Foundation in Redding. The foundation’s $1 million project will fund downtown Redding’s first bikeshare program. “Building on catalytic investments through the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities program, these funds will serve the transportation needs of downtown residents. This public-private-philanthropic effort for bikeshare creates a synergy that is both good for the environment and good for our community. Together with Shasta Living Streets, we hope to share the model with others across our region.”

• The City of Richmond in the Bay Area was awarded $1 million to implement Richmond’s first citywide, on-demand shuttle program. “Richmond residents suffer from some of the most polluted air in the state with limited walkable, bikeable or other clean, safe options for travel,” City of Richmond Transportation Services Project Manager Denée Evans said. “These funds will help breathe new life into the community, by - literally - cleaning up the air we breathe and by providing a new, innovative, affordable and accessible transportation option for residents and visitors.”

• The City of Chula Vista in San Diego was awarded $997,833 to launch an on-demand community shuttle serving the local senior community. “These funds will give our seniors a new lease on life,” Chula Vista Chief Sustainability Officer Dennis Gakunga said. “Smart, safe and clean mobility options to help seniors get where they need to go will not only improve their quality of life, it will make our roads less crowded and our air cleaner to breathe, which will benefit all our residents.”

• Southern California: The Cahuilla Tribe was awarded $1 million to fund Cahuilla’s first zero-emission carsharing program. “We were inspired to be part of the Clean Mobility Options program and successfully utilized resources provided by the technical assistance team to develop our program,” Cahuilla Band of Indians Tribal Council Chairman Daniel Salgado said. “Our clean mobility program will improve the community’s access to essential goods like medical services, education and religious and cultural gatherings that improve our quality of life.”

• Leimert Park in South Los Angeles Region: “Through this program we will directly improve lives,” Ben Caldwell, Partner, SankofaCity Zero Emissions Multimodal Transportation Ecosystem, which will provide clean mobility options in Leimert Park. “Affordable, safe travel options and clean air are resources everyone should be able to access. We need more programs like this that specifically support under-served communities that suffer from generations of inequitable access to these resources.”

• The City of Calexico in Imperial County: “This program will create new opportunities for our residents to thrive,” said David Aguirre, Program Manager for the Imperial County Transportation Commission which serves Calexico, California. The commission’s project will fund Calexico’s first zero-emission, microtransit program. “Clean, flexible transit options can enhance access to jobs and increase quality of life for our residents and visitors. We are happy to see the State of California investing in programs like this and communities like ours.”

Mobility project awardees by region

Central Valley

Lead organization: Fresno Metro Black Chamber Foundation
Award partner: Mobility Development Foundation
Award: $599,500
Project name: Expansion of E-Bike Services in Fresno
Location: City of Fresno

Lead organization: The Latino Equity Advocacy and Policy Institute
Award partner: West Hills Community College
Award: $1 million
Project name: Green Raitero and Green Cruiser Ride Sharing
Location: City of Huron, California

Lead organization: San Joaquin Council of Governments
Award partner: Miocar, Mobility Development Operations
Award: $998,614
Project name: Stockton EV Car Share Program
Location: Stockton and San Joaquin County

Imperial Valley

Lead organization: Imperial County Transportation Commission
Award partner: Nomad Transit (Via)
Award: $998,875
Project name: Calexico Mobility On Demand
Location: City of Calexico

Inland Empire

Organization: Cahuilla Band of Indians
Award: $1 million
Project name: Cahuilla Clean Mobility Project
Location: Cahuilla Band of Indians Reservation in the community of Anza

Lead organization: City of Rialto
Award: $1 million
Project name: Rialto Bike Share Program
Location: City of Rialto

Lead organization: City of Riverside
Award partner: StratosShare and UC Riverside CERT
Award: $1 million
Project name: Riverside Clean Car Share
Location: City of Riverside

Lead organization: Omnitrans
Award partner: RideCo
Award: $1 million
Project name: OmniRide Bloomington
Location: Bloomington area of San Bernardino County

Lead organization: Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians
Award partner: In-Charge Energy
Award: $993,300
Project name: On-Demand Electric Vehicle Service for the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians’ Reservation
Location: Coachella in the southern region of the reservation

Northern California

Lead organization: 50 Corridor Transportation Management Association
Award partners: Envoy Technologies Inc, ColRich and the Health Education Council
Award: $1 million
Project name: Sacramento Electric Vehicle Car Sharing Accelerator
Location: Affordable housing properties throughout the Sacramento area

Lead organization: City of Richmond
Award partner: Via
Award: $1 million
Project name:Richmond On Demand
Location: City of Richmond

Lead organization: Oakland Department of Transportation
Award partner: GRID Alternatives Bay Area
Award: $1 million
Project name: Oakland E-Bike Library
Location: West Oakland, Downtown, Chinatown, San Antonio, Fruitvale and East Oakland

Lead organization: Oakland Unified School District
Award partners: The Lion Electric Co., Zūm Services, Inc. and TransForm
Award: $485,592
Project name: On-demand Oakland Unified Student Transportation
Location: City of Oakland

Lead organization: The McConnell Foundation
Award partner: Shasta Living Streets
Award: $1 million
Project name: Redding Bikeshare
Location: City of Redding downtown area

Lead organization: Richmond Community Foundation
Award partner: Miocar, Mobility Development Operations
Award: $1 million
Project name:Richmond Community Carshare
Location: City of Richmond

Southern California

Lead organization: City of Chula Vista
Award partners: Circuit Transit, Inc. and San Ysidro Health
Award: $997,833
Project name: CV Community Shuttle
Location: Senior community in northwest Chula Vista

Lead organization: City of National City
Award partners: Circuit Transit, Inc.
Award: $999,996
Project name: FRANC Program
Location: Downtown Transit Centers of National City

Lead organization: Community Economic Development Corporation and Institute for Maximum Human Potential
Award partners: Urban Movement Labs and the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Economic Development
Award: $1 million
Project name: SankofaCity: Zero Emissions Multimodal Transportation Ecosystem (ZEMTE)
Location: Greater Leimert Park Village Crenshaw Corridor, Leimert Park and South Los Angeles

Lead organization: The Energy Coalition
Award partner: Green Commuter and ActiveSGV
Award: $999,972
Project name: South El Monte Electric Carshare Program
Location: City of South El Monte

Lead organization: Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA)
Award partners: Green Commuter and UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Award: $1 million
Project name: Charging Forward: HACLA’s EV Lending Library for Economic Equity
Location: City of Los Angeles

Lead organization: Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator
Award partner: Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
Award: $926,318
Project name: Zero Emissions Shared Mobility for Rancho San Pedro
Location: Rancho San Pedro community in the City of Los Angeles

More about the program

CMO is part of California Climate Investments (http://www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov/), a statewide initiative that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health, particularly in disadvantaged communities. In this case, the funding provides zero-emission shared mobility options to under-resourced communities in California. CMO funding is available throughout California to eligible (https://www.cleanmobilityoptions.org/eligibility/) disadvantaged communities, as well as eligible tribal governments and affordable-housing in low-income communities, to increase access to safe, reliable, convenient and affordable transportation options. The team administering the program includes CALSTART, Shared-Use Mobility Center, GRID Alternatives, and the Local Government Commission. For eligibility requirements, application information and to contact the technical assistance team, visit: www.cleanmobilityoptions.org (http://www.cleanmobilityoptions.org).

This is the second of two funding opportunities (https://www.cleanmobilityoptions.org/basics/) administered by CMO for the 2020 voucher application windows. The first application window for Community Transportation Needs Assessments distributed $1.15 million to disadvantaged communities: $1 million was awarded to eligible disadvantaged communities with $150,000 set aside and awarded specifically to Native American tribal governments. Key elements of a Community Transportation Needs Assessment include engagement with the community through tools like surveys and virtual community events.

Funding and timing for 2021 application opportunities have not been announced. Sign up to stay up to date on funding and other program opportunities (https://www.cleanmobilityoptions.org/assistance/).