New York State Energy Research and Development Authority awards $2.9 million in Clean Mobility Program funding
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has awarded $2.9 million in funding through the state’s Clean Mobility Program to 29 community-led projects to enhance planning for shared electric transportation solutions in New York. Awarded project teams will conduct feasibility studies that explore the launch or expansion of community transportation connections through shared mobility services, such as zero-emissions micromobility, shuttles and ridesharing that solve local transportation needs and help reduce emissions across the state, including in underserved communities.
NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “NYSERDA is proud to work with communities to support a range of affordable electric mobility, shuttle and ridesharing options that expand accessibility and reduce harmful emissions, helping foster better air quality and health benefits. Growing the number of clean transportation solutions mean that residents and visitors can move about more freely, safely and have more flexibility in how they reach their destination, whether locally or in the surrounding area while also reducing their carbon footprint.”
NYSERDA notes the Clean Mobility Program provides competitive funding to local governments, transit operators and community-based organizations for planning of shared electric mobility services. The awarded project teams will receive $100,000 each to conduct feasibility studies on local transportation options, including shared bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters, on-demand electric vehicle ride-hailing, on-demand public transit services with flexible routes and shared electric vehicles. NYSERDA says the awardees can conduct the planning work themselves or select a planning firm from a pre-qualified pool of firms to assist.
The feasibility studies will focus on projects that are located in the following regions:
- Capital Region: Two projects
- Central New York: One project
- Hudson Valley: 10 projects
- Long Island: Two projects
- Mohawk Valley: One project
- New York City: Five projects
- North County: Two projects
- Southern Tier: Three projects
- Western New York: Three projects
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the $32 million Clean Mobility Program in June 2024. The program supports community-led planning and demonstration projects that solve local transportation needs and help reduce emissions. Through the program, NYSERDA offered two funding tracks:
- A planning track for community engagement, site identification and technical feasibility analysis.
- A demonstration track for implementing mobility services in communities, with the intention of them becoming sustainable and serving as an example for similar services elsewhere in New York State.
Awards for demonstration projects are expected be announced later this year, along with a subsequent round of funding expected to open for any funds not committed in the first round.
New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “From hydrogen-fuel cell electric buses in Rochester to innovative mobility transit services in Rome, to our new zero-emission transit transition program, the state Department of Transportation is investing in innovative solutions to combat the climate crisis and make public transit and transportation more environmentally sustainable and accessible for everyone. The investments being made under the Clean Mobility Program will further these efforts by providing communities a means to develop new, sustainable transportation options that will serve users today and also safeguard our environment for future generations.”
NYSERDA notes the program is part of New York’s nearly $3 billion investment in zero-emission vehicles and growing access and availability to clean transit to benefit all New Yorkers, including those in low income or disadvantaged areas by reducing emissions to create cleaner air and healthier communities. It complements New York State’s other zero-emission transportation initiatives, including the New York Clean Transportation Prizes Initiative, administered by NYSERDA, the New York State Department of Public Service and the Department of Environmental Conservation, as part of an $85 million allocation through New York's Electric Vehicle Make Ready program to accelerate the transition to a clean transportation future. The program is funded through a combination of Clean Energy Fund, Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and Micromobility Make-Ready funds.
A full list of projects that received funding can be found on NYSERDA’s website.
