SACRAMENTO - The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (AQMD) and its partners today launched Our Community CarShare Sacramento, a clean vehicle sharing program serving disadvantaged communities.

Our Community CarShare provides hundreds of residents of three Sacramento public housing complexes with free access to eight electric Kia Souls. Six of the zero-emission vehicles are stationed at the residential communities and two additional vehicles will be available for reservation by registered users at the Sacramento Valley Station.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) provided a $1.3 million grant through California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade proceeds to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Sacramento Metropolitan AQMD was awarded the project funding through a competitive grant process.

“Our Community CarShare Sacramento provides access to clean, free transportation to residents of disadvantaged communities,” said Larry Greene, Sacramento AQMD’s Executive Director. “Mobility is vitally important in today’s economy, and bringing zero-emission transportation options to all residents is critical to protecting air quality and health.”

Sacramento’s pilot program is the first zero-emission vehicle sharing program to launch in California.

Program partners Zipcar, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, Mutual Housing California, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, the City of Sacramento and Policy in Motion also contributed funding and resources.

“All Californians deserve to have access to the very cleanest vehicles, especially in the neighborhoods that need them the most,” said CARB Chair Mary D. Nichols. “This investment is a triple play: It helps clean the air, fights climate change and improves the quality of life for those who live in these communities. That’s a good use of cap-and-trade proceeds by any measure.”

The pilot program has been launched in three Sacramento housing communities:

• Mutual Housing at Lemon Hill
• Alder Grove Housing Complex
• Edge Water Housing Complex

The 2,000 residents of these communities will be able to reserve the electric vehicles at self-service kiosks on site. Zipcar, the world’s largest car sharing service, powers the reservation system and will maintain the fleet. There will be no cost to use Our Community CarShare Sacramento for the residents. 

Vehicle emissions contribute more than 70 percent of the pollutants that form ground-level ozone in Sacramento. The region does not meet federal health standards for ozone. High ozone concentrations trigger asthma attacks and damage lungs. Reducing transportation emissions is Sacramento’s best path toward protecting air quality. 

The Sacramento Metropolitan AQMD protects air quality on behalf of the residents of Sacramento County. For more information, visit airquality.org (http://airquality.org/).


California Climate Investments

Our Community CarShare Sacramento is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of cap and trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.  

The cap-and-trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution.  California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling and much more.  At least 35 percent of these investments are made in disadvantaged and low-income communities.  For more information, visit http://www.caclimateinvestements.ca.gov/ (http://www.caclimateinvestements.ca.gov/).