McFarland approves $143,741 LCTOP grant to buy two zero-emission transit vans

The McFarland City Council on April 28 approved a resolution to accept funding from the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program and use it to purchase two zero‑emission transit vans for the city’s dial‑a‑ride service.

City grant manager Melissa Rosa told the council the project’s updated total cost is $143,741 and the city’s LCTOP allocation for this year is $36,135. "We are looking to provide safe and reliable transportation here in McFarland," Rosa said, adding the vans are intended to serve disadvantaged or underserved residents and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Rosa said staff originally planned to buy an electric bus, but cost estimates for a zero‑emission bus exceeded $1 million. With the available funds, she said, the city can purchase two vans instead. "Year over year, we currently do 7,500 ridership, but we are looking at getting 15,000 over this change," Rosa said. She also said the two vans would each hold 12 passengers, providing a combined capacity of 24 riders compared with the bus’s 15‑passenger capacity described during the discussion.

Council members asked about driver certification and staffing coverage; staff said multiple employees will be certified to operate the vehicles so service is not interrupted by vacations or absences. Council and staff said the purchase will be fully covered by the grant and will not impact the general fund.

The council voted unanimously to approve the resolution. The motion was made by Vice Mayor Rick Connell and seconded by Council Member Perez; the clerk recorded aye votes from Mayor Arion, Vice Mayor Connell, Councilor Gonzales, Councilor Perez and Councilor Martin Gutierrez.

Staff said the next administrative steps are to complete the certification and assurances paperwork required by LCTOP and proceed with procurement for the two vans.