The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) partnered with Kimley-Horn to continue work that began with the Virginia Transit Equity and Modernization Study, which provided the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) action items to further explore zero-emission bus (ZEB) transition planning for the Commonwealth. The project team developed eight major tasks that aided in creating a transition planning guide that targets the needs of rural and small transit agencies.
The outcomes of this guide development process yielded recommendations and actions at the state level to advance zero-emission conversions for Virginia transit agencies. This included the evaluation of readiness for both the electric grid and other alternative fuel distribution systems within and near the Commonwealth. This project produced an evaluation of the financial viability of the transition as well as opportunities for the state to support agency workforce development. A key outcome of this project is the delivery of a comprehensive toolkit for DRPT recipient agencies–a toolkit that was created to aid agencies in stakeholder engagement, understanding the process and technical requirements for zero-emission transitions, and conducting their own Federal Transit Administration- compliant zero-emission transition plan.
A ZEB Transition Plan Readiness Checklist was completed in Q4 2023. The checklist serves as an initial planning document to support agencies’ actions as they prepare to draft ZEB transition plans. During this same time frame, CTE and Arcadis worked together to draft a ZEB transition plan tool that aids in the completion of charts that outline fleet composition, annual bus purchases, emissions outputs, and total cost of ownership. The project team worked with Bay Transit to beta test the tools. In Q3 2024, the project team finalized the transition plan guidebook, Multimodal Transportation Fund Action Plan, and final report. The project waws closed out in late August of 2024.
