WSP USA to Help Solano County, California Transition to Zero-Emission Buses

Designing inductive charging stations for SolanoExpress and developing a plan for five agencies in Solano County to convert to all-battery-electric bus fleets by 2040.

SUISUN CITY, CALIFORNIA — The zero-emission bus (ZEB) business at WSP USA, a leading engineering and professional services consultancy, has been selected to provide services on two major projects for the Solano Transportation Authority (STA).

WSP is leading design services for the first STA project to construct four inductive charging stations for the SolanoExpress commuter bus service network, located in the Bay Area. The opportunity chargers will be installed at the Walnut Creek Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Station, El Cerrito Del Norte BART Station, the Fairfield Transit Center and at the Suisun City Amtrak Station. WSP will also provide procurement assistance services and proposal evaluations for the project.

The second STA project is the development of the Countywide Electrification Transition Plan, which will provide the transition framework for the five transit agencies in Solano County to convert their fleets to battery-electric buses (BEBs). WSP will provide multiple services, including route, utility and financial modeling, utility coordination and the development of facility design concepts. This plan will help those transit agencies meet the California Air Resource Board (CARB) Innovative Clean Transit regulation, which requires all transit agencies in the state to transition to 100 percent ZEB technologies by 2040.

Both projects will result in lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reduction of air pollution through the operation of all-BEB fleets.

“We are deeply proud and excited to work with the Solano Transportation Authority to help transition their stakeholder agencies off fossil fuels to power their transit fleets,” said Alva Carrasco, WSP Transit and Rail senior business development manager for Northern California. “Transit passengers, as well as community members who do not use transit, will benefit from the operation of BEBs in their neighborhoods. BEBs have no emissions, are quieter than typical buses, and will have the capability to recharge its battery at key locations along specific routes.”

These projects are the latest in WSP’s ongoing efforts to help multiple transit agencies in California meet the CARB regulation. WSP is currently collaborating with other California transportation agencies to develop similar plans for the conversion to zero-emissions fleets before that regulation takes effect. Those projects include:

• San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s ZEB Facility and Fleet Transition Plan,
• Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District’s ZEB Transition Plan, and
• Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) development of a ZEB Program Master Plan.

Implementing the operation of BEBs into its entire fleet will help STA achieve regional and state goals to mitigate the impacts of climate change. WSP will also discuss with STA officials the benefits and strategies to achieve Envision certification from the Institute of Sustainable Infrastructure, which provides a consistent, consensus-based framework and standard for assessing sustainability and resilience in infrastructure.

“It’s encouraging to work with an agency that is fully committed to electrifying their fleet for the benefit of their community members and the environment,” Carrasco said.

About WSP USA

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 10,000 employees in 170 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper. wsp.com