Project Background for Clean Mobility in Schools

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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.

Clean Mobility in Schools is a multi-faceted grant that provides funding to reduce GHG emissions in kindergarten through twelfth grade schools located in a disadvantaged community. The goal is to deploy synergistic GHG emission reduction techniques that can be emulated on school campuses statewide. This funding provides for the electrification of the transportation fleets, including vehicles, infrastructure, and education and awareness, and other efforts to encourage clean mobility in and around schools. Partnerships with other state and local agencies are encouraged to implement and fund other “clean” technologies and practices along with additional outreach about these efforts. Projects also aim to gain a better understanding of “mode-shifting” and what the school districts can do to further serve the school and the community in promoting and incentivizing the shift to cleaner and active modes of travel.

Guiding Legislation/Policy Drivers 

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

  • SB 150 (Allen, Chapter 646, Statues of 2017): Directed CARB to assess each region’s progress on achieving regional GHG emissions reduction targets per SB 375.
  • 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. In addition to advancing the priority recommendations, there is specific mention for a “Green Mobility in Schools” project.

Project Funding

  • During Funding Plan development for FY 2015-16, CARB held nearly 20 initial project development and public work group meetings regarding a new funding concept originally called “Green Mobility in Schools”. CMIS as a dedicated funding category began with the FY 2018-19 Funding Plan.
  • FY 2018-19 funding
    • $10 million was allocated to CMIS.
    • In August 2019, CARB released a competitive solicitation for $10 million. The solicitation was oversubscribed by five times the available funding.
  • FY 2019-20 funding
    • $14.6 million was allocated to fund CMIS applications from the 2019 solicitation.
    • In December 2019, CARB awarded $24.6 million to 3 Clean Mobility in Schools Pilot Projects. This included 2 fully funded projects and 1 partially-funded project.
  • FY 2021-22 funding
    • $10 million was allocated to CMIS.
    • In 2022, CARB awarded $9.8 million to 1 new CMIS grant, and the remaining budget to fully fund the previously partially-funded project.
  • FY 2022-23 funding
    • $15 million was allocated to CMIS.
    • In 2023, CARB released a joint competitive Request for Applications for Planning, CMIS, and STEP applications. The Concept Phase was oversubscribed by over six times the available funding. CARB awarded $14 million to 2 CMIS grants.
  • FY 2023-24 funding
    • $15 million was allocated to CMIS.
    • In 2024, CARB awarded $14 million to 2 CMIS grants from the 2023 Request for Applications. This included 2 new grants and the remaining budget from a previously partially-funded grant.

Recent Project/Policy Changes 

None

Past Project Info/Reports