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Transit board backs staff to pursue two-year electric mobility pilot to Jupiter industrial area
Summary
SCRTD staff presented a proposed two-year mobility pilot to add electric vehicle service connecting Sunland Park, Santa Teresa and the Jupiter industrial area to regional transit nodes; the board endorsed continued stakeholder engagement and funding outreach.
Executive Director David Armo told the South Central Regional Transit District board on March 25 that staff has developed a proposal for a 12‑to‑24‑month mobility pilot to connect Sunland Park and Santa Teresa to the Jupiter business and industrial area and to regional services.
"We think we've developed a project that we can proceed to make a request," Armo said, describing a pilot that would use battery‑electric vehicles to provide peak and midday coverage and better workforce connectivity to cross‑border jobs and regional transit links.
Armo said the pilot would likely require three vehicles (two in service and one spare), EV charging at the Sunland Park facility, and program evaluation over a demonstration window. He provided a preliminary capital estimate and operating projection: the vehicles were described in the presentation as "estimated right now on the EVs at 6,000 each," and capital needs were described as "upwards of 200,000+" with operating costs roughly $150,000 per year. Armo said the district is pursuing partners including Oracle, the City of Sunland Park and Doña Ana County and would seek board endorsement to continue stakeholder outreach and funding strategies.
Board members welcomed the proposal but pressed for specifics on who would pay capital and operating costs, and on routing and stop locations. Mayor Torres urged the district to coordinate with local workforce development plans and suggested exploring a local fund to cover wraparound services that help riders get trained and travel to jobs. Other members highlighted potential private capital contributions and the district's recent microgrid and solar efforts as ways to reduce long‑term energy costs.
The board did not take a formal vote on funding during the meeting; staff said the next steps are continued stakeholder engagement, refining the service design and seeking capital partners and grants with the goal of launching service in the next six to nine months if funding and partners align.
