The MSRC is a committee responsible for funding transportation projects that reduce air pollution in Southern California, and are required to submit an annual report to the state each year detailing project expenditures and cost effectiveness.
“This represents millions of pounds of pollution that Southlanders won’t have to breathe as a result of the projects the MSRC funded during the past year,” said William G. Kleindienst, chairman of the MSRC and mayor of Palm Springs.
The MSRC was formed in 1990 when Assembly Bill 2766 was signed into law authorizing a $4 motor vehicle registration fee. Thirty percent of the $4 fee or approximately $12 million annually is used for programs administered by the MSRC.
Each year, the MSRC funds projects in specific categories aimed at reducing pollution from mobile sources such as cars, trucks and buses. Among the categories funded in 1998-99 were alternative fuel vehicles, compressed natural gas school buses and bicycle programs for law enforcement.
The MSRC provides funding for projects based on emissions reductions and cost effectiveness. State guidelines set a cost-effectiveness threshold of $20,000 per ton of emissions reduced for projects funded with motor vehicle registration fees. MSRC funded projects have achieved an overall cost effectiveness of $9,000 a ton, well below the state levels as well as the $12,000 per ton guideline set by the Carl Moyer Program for heavy-duty vehicles.
“Not only have the MSRC projects successfully eliminated emissions, but have proved to be cost efficient as well,” observed Kleindienst.
Several of the MSRC-funded projects responsible for reducing the largest portion of emissions include heavy-duty alternative fuel vehicles. Two grocery chains, Albertsons and Vons, have added liquefied natural gas trucks to their vehicle fleets. Albertsons purchased 25 LNG trucks with $560,000 in MSRC co-funding which represents an annual emissions reduction of 18.7 tons. The Vons Companies has added 25 LNG trucks to its fleet of grocery trucks and reduced emissions by 16.2 tons per year.
In addition, state law requires that costs for administering the MSRC program not exceed more than 5% of the motor vehicle registration fee revenue collected. The 1998-99 fiscal year report to the ARB shows the actual administrative costs incurred by the MSRC totaled only 4% or $481,507 of the total motor vehicle revenues collected.
“This shows that not only are the MSRC projects reducing pollution but are also prudently administered,” said Kleindienst.