Council debates $236,000 CalSTA mobility app reimbursement and scope of local match

The Glendale City Council on July 15 voted to appropriate $236,000 in state grant funds from the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) to support a climate mobility application, but debate centered on whether the city should supply a $78,000 local match and how that money might otherwise be used.

The grant funds support a trip‑planning and greenhouse‑gas calculation app that staff said was developed earlier and is currently usable. Transit staff reported modest user numbers in the past year and said the app is part of a broader suite of measures to electrify bus service and increase ridership. The state reimburses $236,000; the remaining $78,000 is the city’s matching obligation under the grant terms unless the project scope is reduced.

Councilmember Dan Brotman questioned the app’s cost‑benefit ratio and suggested redeploying any match toward outreach, enforcement, or short‑term fare incentives to increase transit ridership. Councilmember Vartan Garpetian and others asked whether the app could be expanded to carry additional city content — for example, GWP energy‑efficiency programs — to increase utility and public engagement.

Staff said the match could be reduced by narrowing project scope and that the app has features that might be useful for schools and youth outreach. The council directed staff to set up the grant fund and proceed with reimbursement while reporting back on options to reduce or reallocate the match and on outreach strategies.

No change to the approved grant appropriation was recorded; staff will return with a follow‑up on the proposed adjustments.