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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-04-06; Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission; 02; Overview of the Clean Mobility Charging Master PlanMeeting Date: April 6, 2026 To: Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission Staff Contact: Nick Gorman, Associate Engineer nick.gorman@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-2793 Kylie Martin, Technical Assistant kylie.martin@carlsbadca.gov, 442-339-2729 Subject: Overview of the Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan Districts: All Recommended Action Receive a presentation on the city’s plan to develop a Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan. Executive Summary The City of Carlsbad’s Climate Action Plan, or CAP, is intended to reduce greenhouse gas, or GHG, emissions, improve community resilience and guide the city’s transition to a more sustainable future. A key strategy to achieve these goals is to reduce emissions from transportation, the city’s largest source of GHGs, by expanding and modernizing clean mobility infrastructure. Among the required actions in the city’s 2024 CAP is the preparation of a clean mobility charging master plan to guide the expansion and modernization of public electric vehicle and bicycle charging infrastructure. The relevant excerpts from the CAP are provided in Exhibit 1. Explanation & Analysis To advance California’s ambitious emissions reduction goals—and to fulfill a key mitigation measure of the General Plan Update—the City of Carlsbad became one of the first cities in the county to adopt a CAP in 2015, establishing measurable strategies and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Since 2015, state targets have been updated, and the city has more current information about the amount of GHG emissions generated by different sources in Carlsbad. A comprehensive update to the CAP was approved by the City Council on Nov. 12, 2024, to reflect more recent data and legislation. The CAP can be found on the city’s website: https://www.carlsbadca.gov/departments/environmental-sustainability/climate-action-plan TRAFFIC SAFETY & MOBILITY COMMISSION April 6, 2026 Item #2 Page 1 of 3 Measure T-8 in the CAP (“Increase Public Zero Emission Infrastructure”) identified the development of a Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan as a priority initiative to help achieve the city’s GHG reduction targets. City staff put out a Request for Proposal in fall 2025 and selected Kittelson & Associates, Inc. The agreement was approved by the City Council on Jan. 27, 2026. The consultants will prepare a comprehensive clean mobility charging master plan that evaluates current public charging conditions and identifies locations for additional public charging infrastructure. They will assess existing charging assets, user demand, site performance, land use patterns and accessibility constraints. This work will be supported by GIS mapping as well as a demographic and equity analysis to identify underserved areas and anticipate future charging needs as electric mobility adoption increases. Using this analysis as a foundation, the consultant will develop strategies for expanding charging infrastructure across a wide range of electric mobility devices, including electric vehicles, e-bikes, cargo bikes, neighborhood electric vehicles1 and other emerging modes of transportation. The plan will: •Recommend strategic charging locations •Address Americans with Disabilities Act and physical constraints •Evaluate policy tools and incentives for private development to install publicly available charging stations •Incorporate best practices for safe, reliable and equitable charging This plan will establish a framework for evaluating future clean mobility charging needs, consistent with CAP goals and anticipated changes in electric mobility technology. The Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan would provide information to support future city decisions and applications for external funding. Next Steps Staff will be presenting a project overview to the Environmental Sustainability Commission on April 2, 2026. The consultant team is currently preparing initial analysis to inform the gap assessment, as well as a community engagement approach, since public outreach is an important aspect of the plan that will be ongoing throughout. Exhibits 1.Excerpts from the Climate Action Plan, November 2024 1 Neighborhood electric vehicles are battery-powered vehicles, often described as “golf carts,” designed for local travel at a low speed, often on streets with speed limits of 35 mph or less. April 6, 2026 Item #2 Page 2 of 3 Exhibit 1 April 6, 2026 Item #2 Page 3 of 3 Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan Nick Gorman (he/him), Associate Engineer Kylie Martin (she/her), Technical Assistant April 6, 2026 RECOMMENDED ACTION Receive a presentation on the city’s plan to develop a Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan. ITEM 2: Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan 2 CLIMATE ACTION PLAN (CAP) OVERVIEW •Original CAP adopted in 2015; comprehensive update in 2024 •Mitigation measure for 2015 General Plan Update and 2024 Housing Element Implementation and Public Safety Element Update •CAP focuses on many different sectors such as energy, water, and waste diversion ITEM 2: Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan 3 TRANSPORTATION IN THE CAP •Transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions at 51% •Advances EV and e-bike adoption through expanded clean mobility infrastructure •Formed from Measure T-8 of the CAP ITEM 2: Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan 4 Measure T-8: Increase Public Zero Emission Infrastructure Goal: Support transition to electric mobility by providing access to more public charging Action T-8.e: Update existing Electric Vehicle Siting Plan ITEM 2: Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan 5 MEASURE T-8 DETAILS What is the Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan? •Mainly focused on Vehicle charging, but will explore E-Bike Charging •Resource for city staff to know where, what, and how to install/fund •Data collection and outreach will be key to guiding these decisions •Position the city for grant readiness ITEM 2: Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan 6 DATA COLLECTION •Review existing charging infrastructure •Review existing charging performance •Review additional citywide data •Create GIS-Based Map •Determine gaps in charging network ITEM 2: Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan 7 Outreach Goals Ensure Plan Reflects Community Needs Identify Opportunities for Collaboration Planned Outreach Phase 1: Intercept Surveys Phase 2: Online Survey Targeted Stakeholder Meetings Intended Outreach Audience •Carlsbad residents •Current EV drivers •Potential EV adopters •Employees commuting to Carlsbad •Visitors •Local businesses and property owners •North County Transit District (NCTD) •San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) •San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) •Local businesses •Local developers ITEM 2: Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan 8 OUTREACH •Staff previously presented to the Environmental Sustainability Commission on April 2, 2026 •Begin public outreach •Completion of gap assessment ITEM 2: Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan 9 NEXT STEPS RECOMMENDED ACTION Receive a presentation on the city’s plan to develop a Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan. ITEM 2: Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan 10 Thank you! Kylie Martin Nick Gorman Technical Assistant Associate Engineer kylie.martin@carlsbadca.gov nick.gorman@carlsbadca.gov Katie Hentrich Climate Action Plan Administrator katie.hentrich@carlsbadca.gov ITEM 2: Clean Mobility Charging Master Plan 11