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RCTA clears Williams Drive charging project; seeks $250,000 and $100,000 in state design/environment funds
Summary
The Redwood Coast Transit Authority board adopted an initial study and negative declaration for the Williams Drive electric charging station project and approved requesting $250,000 for its design and $100,000 for environmental work at a proposed Downtown Transit Center; all measures passed unanimously.
The Redwood Coast Transit Authority board adopted an environmental initial study and negative declaration for the Williams Drive electric vehicle charging station project and approved requests for state design and environmental funding during its meeting.
The authority voted to adopt Resolution 2024-2504 certifying the initial study and negative declaration for the Williams Drive charging-station project. The board subsequently approved a request to the California Transportation Commission for $250,000 to fund design of the Williams Drive charging stations (Resolution 2024-2505) and separately approved a $100,000 allocation request to begin environmental work on the proposed Downtown Transit Center (Resolution 2024-2506).
Why it matters: the projects support RCTA’s transition to electric vehicles and upgrades to its downtown facility, work that RCTA staff said is funded through the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) and requires state approvals and allocations before design and construction proceed.
Jeff Schwein, a transportation planner contracted to RCTA through Green Dot Transportation, told the board the Williams Drive project has completed environmental review and that the initial study found no significant environmental impacts, prompting the recommendation of a negative declaration. Schwein said the next step for Williams Drive is design funding and that construction is expected in summer 2026 if the project advances through design and procurement.
On the Downtown Transit Center, Schwein said the city’s upcoming Front Street work will build curb and sawtooth bus-lane elements that will integrate with the transit center project. RCTA staff recommended requesting $100,000 in TIRCP funds to start environmental documentation for the entire transit center site so RCTA’s work can follow the city’s frontage construction.
Votes at a glance - Consent calendar (minutes from Nov. 25, 2024; Amendment No. 1 to LC Transport agreement reducing short‑range planning scope, not to exceed $168,000): approved unanimously. (Motion carried; no public comment.) - Resolution 2024-2504 (initial study/negative declaration for Williams Drive): approved unanimously. Vote recorded: Directors Altman, Roberts, Short, Wright and Chairman Borges — yes; outcome: approved. - Resolution 2024-2505 (request $250,000 TIRCP for Williams Drive design): approved unanimously. Vote recorded: Directors Wright, Roberts, Short, Altman and Chairman Voorhees/Borges — yes; outcome: approved. - Resolution 2024-2506 (request $100,000 TIRCP for Downtown Transit Center environmental work): approved unanimously. Vote recorded: Directors Short, Altman, Roberts, Wright and Chairman Borges — yes; outcome: approved.
Board discussion and next steps centered on confirming figures in the staff report and ensuring the packet language matched the intended funding amounts; staff acknowledged a placement and labeling confusion in the packet but said the resolutions reflect the correct amounts. RCTA staff said they will request the allocations from the California Transportation Commission and proceed with design and environmental procurement if allocations are approved.
