Companies that frequently transport goods to warehouses and other business centers in San Bernardino and Riverside counties will be eligible to apply for the funds through a competitive Request for Proposal process that opened on November 6. The funds can be used to make investments that transition their fleet to zero or near zero emission trucks and cargo-handling equipment, as well as infrastructure to support these vehicles.
About 40 percent of the cargo from the ports travels to facilities in the Inland Empire on heavy-duty diesel trucks, making the region an important focus of the MSRC’s commitment to improve air quality and reduce emissions by making investments in green trucking.
“The Inland Empire is a critical link to the regional goods movement economy, and it’s time to ensure that emerging green truck technology makes it way to their roads,” said MSRC Chair and City of Highland Mayor Larry McCallon. “An investment in cleaning the air in Riverside and San Bernardino counties is essential for the residents in those communities and a necessary improvement for the entire South Coast area.”
The Inland Empire region is one of the first stops for goods and products that are imported into the country through the L.A. and Long Beach ports, where they are transported by trucks or rail to warehouses in the region and later to the rest of the nation. There are over 400 of these facilities currently within Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and the truck traffic they generate creates significant pollutant emissions that effects the air quality of nearby residents and the rest of the South Coast region.
Warehouse, distribution and intermodal facilities that operate in the Inland Empire region can use the funds to:
- Offset the cost of purchasing near zero or zero emission vehicles, including on-road heavy-duty trucks and off-road cargo handling equipment.
- Purchasing and Installing CNG refueling, hydrogen refueling or electric charging infrastructure to support these vehicles.
In order to qualify, companies must use these heavy-duty trucks in the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s boundaries (which includes Orange, and portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties) at least 85 percent of the time, and at least 70 percent of their annual trips must have destinations in San Bernardino or Riverside counties.
Applications must be submitted electronically by January 15, 2021. For more information and to apply, visit http://www.cleantransportationfunding.org/current-rfps-solicitations