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Council OKs $300,000 state voucher to add third vehicle to The Frank free-ride service
Summary
The council unanimously approved a $300,000 appropriation from the Clean Mobility Options voucher to fund a third vehicle and associated operating costs for The Frank, a free NEV shuttle service operating citywide west of I-805.
National City leaders voted unanimously to accept a $300,000 state Clean Mobility Options voucher and allocate the funds to The Frank, the city’s free neighborhood electric vehicle shuttle, adding a third vehicle to reduce wait times.
Assistant Director of Engineering and Public Works Martha Juarez told the council the program — launched in September 2023 — logged more than 40,000 rides in roughly 19 months with two NEV shuttles operating seven days a week. “It is so successful that we can’t meet the demand,” Juarez said. Staff explained the vendor’s rider app will drop requests if it cannot deliver a ride in about 15 minutes; the third vehicle is intended to address that unmet demand.
The appropriation pays for additional vehicle operation and staffing; staff said earlier grant and port funds already provide most startup funding and that the city’s grant portfolio totals about $2.2 million to run the program through late 2027. Staff and council members discussed sustainability planning, including modest rider fees, advertising or transit-related DIF funding as possible future revenue sources to make the service permanent.
Council moved and seconded the item and approved it unanimously. Members emphasized that The Frank is now one of only a few local free services in the region and that the city’s version provides rides at no charge to all riders within the service area (west of I-805, except Olivewood area exceptions). The motion included authorization to accept the funds and add the third vehicle to the service plan; staff said the third NEV will initially operate during peak months and be scaled up to continuous operation if demand and funding allow.
The council asked staff to continue pursuing additional grants and alternatives to enhance long-term sustainability; staff said they are required by the state to maintain a financial-sustainability plan for the voucher-funded program. The appropriation vote was recorded as unanimous.
Key figures: staff estimated annual operating cost for the current two-vehicle model at roughly $280,000; adding the third vehicle will push annual operating cost “over $300,000” depending on hours in service. The full grant portfolio supporting The Frank totals approximately $2.2 million and covers startup plus multiple years of operation through late 2027, according to staff.
