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Council commitment to pilot electric and hydrogen buses remains contingent on facilities funding
Summary
Staff said council committed to piloting battery electric and hydrogen buses but the city did not win a federal grant for facility upgrades; decisions on conversion timing will depend on facility funding and further council guidance.
Transit came up in the CIP review as staff described routine fleet replacement and a council‑level commitment to pilot zero‑emission technologies. Speaker 1 said the CAT bus replacement plan is a normal replacement schedule and that, at present, there are no changes to vehicle types for routine replacements.
On electrification, Speaker 3 said council committed to piloting both battery electric and hydrogen buses and that the city needs facility upgrades to support either technology. Staff reported the city submitted a federal grant (a "no low" grant) to help retrofit transit facilities to accommodate electric and hydrogen fueling, but Speaker 3 said they were informed the grant was not awarded. That outcome leaves facility funding and timing open.
Staff said internal discussions will continue about schedule and procurement approaches and that converting the fleet remains a council commitment but may require timetable adjustments once facility funding and other constraints are clarified. They also noted federal and other external grant opportunities remain under consideration.
Next steps: staff will continue evaluating facility funding options, revisit timelines with council, and brief elected officials on potential schedule adjustments for fleet conversion.
