Zero Emissions Planning
Gold Coast Transit District (GCTD) currently maintains and operates a fleet of 111 vehicles comprised of buses, paratransit vehicles and non-revenue vehicles. As a recipient of federal funds under Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Programs 5307 and 5339, GCTD is responsible for ensuring compliance with federal requirements related to fleet acquisition, operations, and maintenance.
Zero Emissions By 2040
GCTD is committed to clean transportation. GCTD’s transition plan to reach Zero Emissions by 2040 is currently being developed. To date several actions have been completed including:
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2018 - Adoption of Zero Emissions Policy & Transit Management Plan
In June 2018, the Board Adopted a Zero / Near-Zero Emissions Policy which directs staff to prioritize zero emissions (or near zero) when replacing vehicles.
In September 2018, GCTD completed a Transit Asset Management (TAM) Plan as required by the FTA. Its purpose is to present a strategic approach to set objective standards for measuring the condition of capital assets and establish performance measures for state of good repair.
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2019 - Statewide Regulations On Future Planning
In 2019, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted the Innovative Clean Transit Regulation, which requires all transit fleets in California to plan for the transition of their fleet to zero emissions by 2040. To meet this goal, GCTD will need compete for grant funding, from local, state, and federal programs. In addition, CARB requires all transit agencies to develop and adopt a zero-emissions fleet transition plan by 2023.
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2020 - Power Train Replacement Project
In 2020, GCTD completed a “Power Train Replacement” project on 14, 2006, New Flyer, 40 ft. buses. This power train replacement included a new CNG L9N “Near Zero” Engine, a rebuilt Allison transmission and an all-electric cooling system was also added.
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2021 - Replacing Aging GCTD Fleet and Planning for Zero Emissions
In 2021 GCTD began a campaign of replacing aging fleet and establishing a contingency fleet to ensure available vehicles for operational needs. By 2026, 31 buses will exceed their useful life. The estimated funding needs to replace all these vehicles is over $22,000,000. Of these, 26 New Flyer buses have CNG fuel tanks that will expire in 2026. The expiration date is a HARD date and cannot be extended without replacement of the CNG cylinder tanks.
Identification of funding and Procurement of these buses must begin well in advance of the expiration date.
Additionally in 2021, GCTD hired STANTEC, Inc to begin consulting on the development of our agency-wide Zero Emissions Transition Plan. This plan will help guide the transition of our fleet of over 90 vehicles into zero emissions by 2040, as well as develop and propose strategies for funding this effort.