The San Mateo County Transit District’s board awarded a $415,000 contract for preliminary design services to Stantec Consulting Services Inc. — an important step for the redevelopment and preparation of SamTrans North and South Base bus yard facilities to support a 100% zero-emission fleet.

The SamTrans Board has committed the agency to fully convert the fleet to zero emissions by 2038, two years ahead of the California Air Resources Board deadline for all bus agencies in the state. Electric buses are expected to begin revenue service in 2023.

Conversion will require both SamTrans’ North and South Base facilities, where SamTrans’ vehicles are housed, maintained, and dispatched from, to have new equipment to efficiently and safely dispatch and maintain the zero-emission vehicles.

Operating an expanded zero-emission fleet will require major investments to the existing infrastructure. SamTrans preliminary estimates for the infrastructure investment will require nearly $400 million by 2038.