Zero-Emission Bus Rollout Plan

March 31, 2022 SacRT in Community

The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) has adopted a Zero-Emission Bus Rollout Plan which will transition SacRT’s bus fleet to 100% zero-emission by 2040.

The California Air Resource Board (CARB) Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) regulation requires all public transit agencies in the State of California to transition from conventional buses (compressed natural gas, diesel, etc.) to zero-emission buses (battery-electric or fuel cell electric) by 2040. The regulation requires a progressive increase of an agency’s new bus purchases to be zero-emission buses (ZEBs) based on their fleet size.

By 2040, CARB expects all transit agencies in the state to be operating only ZEBs. To ensure that each agency has a strategy to comply with the 2040 requirement, the ICT regulation requires each agency, or a coalition of agencies (“Joint Group”), to submit a ZEB Rollout Plan (“Rollout Plan”) before purchase requirements take effect.

SacRT is categorized as a “Large Transit Agency” under the ICT regulation and must comply with the following requirements:

◆ January 1, 2023 – 25 percent of all new bus purchases must be ZE

◆ January 1, 2026 – 50 percent of all new bus purchases must be ZE

◆ January 1, 2029 – 100 percent of all new bus purchases must be ZE

◆ January 1, 2040 – 100 percent of fleet must be ZE

◆ March 2021 – March 2050 – Annual compliance report due to CARB

The SacRT Board of Directors approved the plan on October 26, 2020. On February 28, 2022, the SacRT Board of Directors approved the ZEV Phase II plan. View the presentation given to the SacRT Board of Directors.

Phase II of SacRT’s planning efforts builds on the initial assessment of our existing conditions report Phase I completed in 2020, and the Innovative Clean Transit Plan adopted by the SacRT Board in October 2020. This plan examines the facilities, charging infrastructure and land to accommodate our transition efforts to zero emission. 

View the Zero-Emission Bus Rollout Plan here:

2023 Final Battery-Electric Bus Feasibility Study

  • SacRT is committed to transitioning its entire fleet to zero-emission buses (ZEBs) by 2040, in compliance with California’s Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) regulation. This report provides an updated evaluation of the BEB feasibility study, utilizing the latest 2023 BEB technology specifications, and the most recent service schedule. The findings will help inform strategic decisions regarding. the transition to ZEBs, including potential solutions for enhancing range, such as opportunity charging, service changes, and/or the integration of FCEBs. While this study focuses exclusively on BEB performance, SacRT is concurrently conducting a separate FCEB feasibility analysis to further inform its transition strategies.

2022 Zero Emission Bus (Phase II) Facilities Master Plan Report 

2020 Zero-Emission Bus Rollout Plan

Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District Letter of Support

SMUD Letter of Support

Next steps include: 

  • Acquire sites 
  • Coordinate with SMUD or other energy partners 
  • Refine conceptual drawings, complete 100% design and final master plan
  • Environmental Clearance (CEQA and NEPA) 
  • Plan for service integration 
  • Identify all cost impacts