Santa Clara VTA one of three winners of FTA Sustainable Transit for a Healthy Planet Climate Challenge

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has been selected by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as one of three winning agencies in the FTA’s Sustainable Transit for a Healthy Planet Climate Challenge. Santa Clara  VTA, along with 240 other transit agencies across the country, were challenged to encourage its transit leaders to take actions and prioritize investments to help tackle the climate crisis.  

VTA was recognized by FTA for its proactive efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and build climate resilience through climate action planning and stakeholder engagement. 

VTA has been working on implementing environmentally sustainable initiatives and projects for the past couple of years. VTA’s Sustainability Program was first launched in 2008. Each year, the program prepares a Sustainability Annual Report that summarizes its achievements and environmental performance towards reducing emissions and conserving resources like water and energy.  

During the Fiscal Year 2023 reporting period, VTA achieved a 44 percent reduction in GHG emissions, 93 percent reduction in air pollutant emissions and 65 percent reduction in water use compared to the baseline year. To reduce consumption further, VTA is focusing efforts on transitioning its bus and paratransit fleet to zero-emission vehicles, installing vehicle charging equipment and infrastructure and retrofitting aging facilities. 

Additionally, VTA is implementing its Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) which was approved by the VTA Board of Directors earlier this year.