SCAG’s New ‘Innovative Clean Transit Regional Assessment’ Advances a Clean Transit Future
SCAG this week published the “Innovative Clean Transit Regional Assessment” to examine how transit agencies across Southern California are preparing for the state-mandated transition to zero-emission buses (ZEBs). The assessment evaluates existing fleet and infrastructure conditions, regional readiness, best practices, and key implementation challenges and opportunities.
California’s Innovative Clean Transit (ICT) regulation requires public transit agencies to transition to ZEB fleets through phased procurement, with the goal of achieving a fully zero-emission fleet by 2040. The assessment includes an “Implementation Action Plan” and “ZEB Deployment Toolkit,” which provide practical roadmaps for transit agencies to move from planning to deployment of zero-emission fleets. The action plan is organized around five goals that align with the priorities of the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy while addressing the study’s key findings.
The assessment was informed by document review, data analysis, case study research, targeted surveys, and stakeholder interviews along with input from transit agencies, bus manufacturers, infrastructure providers, utilities, and state agencies. As part of the stakeholder engagement process, the project team exchanged information and updates with SCAG’s Regional Transit Technical Advisory Committee, Transportation Committee, and Energy and Environment Committee.
While ZEBs are advancing beyond pilot projects to broader deployment, implementation remains complex. Successful deployment requires more than vehicle procurement; it also depends on comprehensive planning, technology selection, supporting infrastructure, workforce development, operational readiness, and sustainable funding. Although California’s ICT regulation establishes the policy framework and transition requirements, agency planning efforts and cross-sector partnerships will ultimately determine the pace and success of implementation.
The assessment finds that ZEB technology is increasingly ready for deployment and that the SCAG region has demonstrated strong policy alignment with state goals and early implementation momentum. However, deployment strategies must reflect local conditions because agency readiness, operational requirements, and infrastructure constraints vary significantly across the region. To accelerate implementation, the assessment recommends several strategies, including integrating and linking ZEB transition plans into core planning documents, supporting peer learning opportunities, improving access to funding information, strengthening utility engagement and coordination, expanding workforce training, promoting practical shared infrastructure solutions, and providing implementation-focused tools and resources.
For more information, visit SCAG’s Transit Program webpage to learn how SCAG collaborates with transit operators, regional transportation planning agencies, and the California Department of Transportation to develop plans, policies, and strategies that support effective, reliable, and sustainable transit throughout the region.