The City of Carson is located approximately 16 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, in the region commonly known as the South Bay. Carson is bordered by the Cities of Long Beach to the east, Torrance to the west, Gardena along its northern border, and Lomita to the south. The City internally maintains and operates a bus service called the North/South Shuttle (Shuttle). The Shuttle is currently comprised of five (5) buses that were originally purchased in 1997 and 1998. Approximately 4,500 passengers are transported annually along its daily route which starts at the Artesia Transit Center, through the City and ending back at the Transit Center. The Shuttle service operates three (3) routes daily, two (2) in the morning and one (1) in the afternoon, from Monday through Friday. Each bus is equipped to accommodate wheelchair passengers. In addition to being used for the Shuttle, these vehicles have also been utilized for a variety of City programs and functions. To date, two (2) of the five (5) Shuttle buses are no longer functioning, and the remaining three (3) have reached their retirement age and are in need of constant repair. Given this, the City is seeking additional funding to purchase new CNG buses to replace its current fleet. The City's selection of alternative fuel transit buses, primarily CNG buses, is applicable with most transit operators within the South Coast AQMD, and is required under AQMD Rule 1192. The total estimated cost of the project is $380,000. The City of Carson plans to contribute its AB2766 Subvention and local-match funds and seeks co-funding from the MSRC - 2015 Local Government Match Program - towards this project. Your consideration and support of this endeavor will assist the City in achieving its dual goal of providing a needed service to the Carson community, while promoting a cleaner and healthier environment through the use of alternative-fueled buses.
Work Performed Task 1 - Order Vehicles: * On June 3, 2015, City staff requested and received authorization from the City Council to purchase two (2) CNG buses for the City of Carson's Fixed-Route Bus System, the Carson Circuit. * TSD management met with different vendors to discuss its purchase options. A bid process was conducted and the City ultimately awarded a purchase contract with A-Z Bus Sales, Inc. located in Colton, CA. Staff believed that this vendor met the City's needs in terms of vehicle cost, specifications and buses that could withstand extensive use, including constant stopping and going. Task 2 - Take Delivery of Vehicles and Place into Service: * On March 2016, the City took delivery of the first vehicle - a 2016 Bluebird CNG bus - under the terms of this award. The City Mechanic inspected the vehicle and reported that it was in good working condition. The vehicle was deployed in April 2016. * On June 2016, the second bus - 2016 20-passenger CNG Cutaway - was received and upon inspection by the City Mechanic, also reported to be in good, operable condition. The second vehicle was deployed in June 2016. Problems Encountered * Since their deployment, the CNG-powered vehicles have been performing well. There has been a small issue with the Bluebird bus getting stuck in gear. However, since the vehicle was under warranty, the problem was fixed and the issue resolved. Additionally, there has been no downtime associated with the CNG power system. The vehicles have proven to be reliable and functional. * . Both vehicles included in the MSRC Contract #ML16012 have been delivered and placed into service, which complete the terms of the contract.
Project Objective The City of Carson submitted a proposal to the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) Local Government Match Program on June 1, 2015, for the purchase of two (2) heavy-duty compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. The City requested grant funding in the amount of $30,000 per vehicle ($60,000 total) to offset the differential cost for the bus purchase, and to adhere to fleet rules for heavy-duty transit buses in the region. The vehicles are used by the City Transportation Services Division (TSD) for Carson's fixed-route bus system, the Carson Circuit that provides transportation services to the City's elderly, disabled and student populations. Additionally, the buses are used for City-sponsored excursions, transit in support of park programs, etc.
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Bus driver feedback revealed that these new vehicles are reliable and there have been no breakdowns compared to the City's old buses. Minor complaints from passengers has centered on the buses' having three (3) steps for ingress and egress