City awarded $2 million grant

Long Beach is expected to receive a $2 million transportation grant from the U. S. Department of Transportation early next year — one of the largest the city has ever received — that will be used to purchase additional eco-friendly buses for its Long Beach fleet, city officials said.

News of the grant first appeared in the November issue of the city’s newsletter, LB CityBeat, which noted that the grant will be used to add two new hybrid electric-diesel buses to the city’s fleet, in addition to new security software and GPS tracking devices as part of the city’s commitment to “going green.”

“Grants like these enable us to improve the quality of life in Long Beach,” City Council President Thomas Sofield, Jr. said in the newsletter, “while simultaneously protecting our taxpayers.”

According to Brendan Costello, the city’s director of transportation, the hybrid vehicles are more fuel-efficient and cost-effective. He also said that federal standards require that all city buses must be replaced after 10 years. Costello said he anticipates the grant to be awarded within the next 60 to 90 days.

“It’s better for the environment, you get more miles per gallon than the regular diesel buses,” he said on Nov.22. “The first three years they run on electric power. Then, anything over the third year, the diesel kicks in. There’s less noise, and they’re better for clean air.”

He said that the grant will help the city save money, but could not provide an estimate. The recent LB CityBeat newsletter, however, noted that last year, the city saved “approximately $20,000 in fuel costs on its recently purchased environmentally-friendly buses, and these additional buses will add to that savings going forward.”

Costello also said that the new security software will include state-of-the-art video surveillance systems to ensure for residents safety. GPS devices will be used at the bus depot, enabling the transportation department to provide residents with more accurate schedule and location information.

Costello said that with the new buses will include more available seating. The models are 35-feet-long, compared to the standard 30-foot long buses. Additionally, the city will be acquiring four paratransit vehicles that are normally used to transport the disabled and handicapped residents.

“This [grant] is due to us being compliant in all areas and regulations,” he said, adding that the city receives funding based on overall department performance, but that funding is also based on the city’s population size as well as operation expenses.

Costello explained that the city’s fleet includes 14 buses in total—seven diesel models, three paratransit vehicles, and, currently, four hybrid models. “Now, six buses will be hybrid electric,” he said.

City officials lauded Costello for his efforts and being able to secure the city the grant. City Councilman John McLaughlin, who said each new vehicle has been a vast improvement for the city, said the grant will greatly benefit Long Beach financially and environmentally.

“He should be recognized for this,” he said. “It’s important not only from an environmental standpoint . . . but it also saves the city money. We’re not using as much fuel. You have a bus going all over town, 16 hours a day, and that adds up to a lot of money. But you know, we’re saving now.”

City Councilman Len Torres also applauded the efforts of Costello, and said he is in support of green initiatives across Long Beach.

“It’s a needed grant for Long Beach — we do have to have new buses,” he said, noting that upgrades are necessary to ensure that the city has an efficient transportation system. “The buses don’t pollute — they give you high mileage, and contaminate very little. This is long awaited.”

Torres noted, however, that the city will be paying $200,000 on the $2 million grant, a 20 percent in-kind contribution. An in-kind contribution, he noted, is one that can be paid or given in the form of goods, commodities, or services instead of money.

“It all equates to 20 percent,” Torres said. “But it could be labor we put in, instead of direct dollars. There’s always a cost.”

McLaughlin, however, said that given the current challenging economic climate and the state’s financial deficit, these types of grants are more important for the city now than ever before.

“It’s going to be more important than ever for grants,” he said. “I think it’s very important to be able to get these free monies wherever possible because things are going to dry up and the economy is going to affect all these programs. And we have to find a way to circle around that.”