[Paul Gipe]

Proposition 6, the measure to roll back an increase in gasoline taxes, failed in California's midterm election. Projects that depended upon the tax increase, such as CalTrans' 30-30 program, will now have their funding stream restored.


CalTrans 30-30 program was proposed by the Jerry Brown administration to install at least 30 DC fast-charge stations across California, often at roadside rest stops.


Development of the stations has been delayed by Proposition 6. If Proposition 6 had passed, the stations would not be funded.

Caltrans' District 9 serves the East Side of the Sierra Nevada. Currently there are no non-Tesla charge stations--neither DCFC nor Level 2 stations--on US 395 from Gardnerville, Nevada to Mojave, California, a distance of 330 miles

The resumption of funding for the program will be voted on in mid-March 2019 by the California Transportation Commission. Once the decision is made to resume the program, each project will be sent out to bid. Construction on the East Side is not expected before late summer 2019. Operation of the stations is unlikely to begin before year end.

In its first report to California's Air Resources Board, Electrify America proposed at least three DCFC stations on US 395. There's no word on whether those stations are still part of Electrify America's plans or, if they are, when they might be installed.

 

[BoltFan]

Thanks so much for the update; hopefully it will pass May revise in 2019 and be on it's way! Seems very likely this will get approved and back on track! Also they need to add a DCFC in Yuba City and fix the one in Chico to shore up the 99 corridor between Sacto and Redding.

 

[Paul Gipe]

Thanks so much for the update; hopefully it will pass May revise in 2019 and be on it's way! Seems very likely this will get approved and back on track! Also they need to add a DCFC in Yuba City and fix the one in Chico to shore up the 99 corridor between Sacto and Redding.

Yes, it's expected to pass, but nothing is certain till it does. Yuba City is a lot like the areas around here--neglected by the CEC until the last contract award. Of course those are still not built, but we expect them in the next 18 months. Such a long wait. . .


Paul

 

[NewsCoulomb]

Thanks for the update, Paul.

Thanks so much for the update; hopefully it will pass May revise in 2019 and be on it's way! Seems very likely this will get approved and back on track! Also they need to add a DCFC in Yuba City and fix the one in Chico to shore up the 99 corridor between Sacto and Redding.

That's EVgo's bag now. Under the CEC grants, EVgo is responsible for the I-5 and SR-99 corridors between Red Bluff and Sacramento. For what it's worth, it appears that ChargePoint's West Coast Electric Highway includes a three 50 kW DCFC site in Red Bluff as well.

 

[Vertiformed]

The resumption of funding for the program will be voted on in mid-March 2019 by the California Transportation Commission.

Did this happen? I can't find any evidence of it in the meeting materials for the March meeting, but maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.

 

[Paul Gipe]

Did this happen? I can't find any evidence of it in the meeting materials for the March meeting, but maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.

Yes, it happened, but not in the manner I was originally told. I called District 9. Their PR person sent me to Sacto. Sacto never called, which is par for the course. District 9 called and said they were approved and construction would likely start this summer. No explanation of why this decision occurred in February and not March. . .


District 9 also said the Level 2 station at their office in Bishop is not for public use. I may have mentioned this up thread. Why, you may wonder? Because it's for the District's EVs. How many EVs do you think district 9 has? I didn't bother to ask.


I do know of one person who did charge there. I think she was towed there by AAA from Mojave.


Paul

 

[California]

I called District 9. Their PR person sent me to Sacto. Sacto never called ...

Call Caltrans HQ Project Management. They do the bid prep/bid opening for construction projects, and can tell you the contractor and the intended start date - assuming the project is already awarded. Then calling the contractor will likely get you the most real intended completion dates, and the charger locations. District 9 Construction Branch should have the same information. (Source - 20 years threading that maze - auditing contractors records to verify Change Order billings, pre-award reviews of specialty consultants and first-time contractors, reviews of the effectiveness of Caltrans' own systems and processes, lots more).

But - I didn't find anything but paving contracts etc in the 'awarded contracts' database searching on 09- then on 2019, or in the 'advertised for bids - current' database scrolling down to District 9. Those are likely where a PR person would search for your project -and found nothing listed. Anything not yet advertised for bid should be considered imaginary because funding priorities shift constantly.

You might need to find the HQ ev charger specialist, there has to be one somewhere in the maze.

 

[BoltFan]

This district 9 business restricting their level 2 charger is pretty wrong. For example the district office in Marysville has multiple level 2 chargers available for public use. Even Caltrans HQ has a couple of level 2 chargers available for public use across the street from HQ. Those dudes in district 9 need to get that fixed. They work for us afterall, the taxpayers.

 

[California]

This district 9 business restricting their level 2 charger is pretty wrong. Those dudes in district 9 need to get that fixed. They work for us afterall, the taxpayers.

No funding, no services. I suppose they requested a budget to build something for the public and were denied due to greater priorities in some larger district. Perhaps what they have now is part of the equipment maintenance shops, behind gates that are locked at 5pm. Not an area where you want the public prowling around for hours while they wait for the charger.

Long ago 'They work for us, after all!' was the justification for Caltrans plowing some of the Bishop city streets at the request of (influential?) residents. Someone raised the question Why? Who is paying for all this. How much is it costing? Plowing beyond what they were responsible for, ceased. There was a noticeable cost savings.

Mission Creep - spending beyond delegated responsibility - was one of the things we kept our eyes open for, doing reviews of various departmental functions. One of the silly incidents that a colleague investigated was in response to an inquiry via the Legislature: WTH was a CalTrans flatbed truck doing a thousand miles beyond the state line, in Colorado! last Saturday??? We learned that a C/T Maintenance retiree who now volunteered at the State Railroad Museum had taken the truck without asking, to fetch railroad equipment that was donated to the museum. Conveniently his son, now a C/T employee, had 'forgotten' where he left the truck keys so Dad just drove off with it. Waay outside the intended use of the truck! Nobody used the truck's State credit card for fuel so there was no documented cost. Son got reprimanded.

Your Tax Dollars At Work!

 

[Paul Gipe]

Agree with all of this. If someone wants to call District 9, be my guest. They're no worse than the private contractors who have taken three years and still don't have anything in the ground. EA may have pulled some permits and may have hardware on one site, but nothing is up and running.



As noted, until it's there and operating it doesn't do us any good.


Paul

 

[Paul Gipe]

CalTrans District 9 DCFC Stations Underway on East Side

CalTrans' District 9 has confirmed that construction on the first of four DC Fast Charge station locations has begun. District 9 serves the East Side of California's Sierra Nevada, including Hwy 395 and Hwy 58 in Mono, Inyo, and the eastern part of Kern County.

Construction began 6 January 2020 at the Boron rest stop on Hwy 58. Construction has yet to begin at CalTrans' Division Creek and Coso Junction rest areas on Hwy 395, nor has construction begun on the station at CalTrans' District 9 office in Bishop, California.


CalTrans' Coso Junction rest area is near the Electrify America station. Two stations with a total of five charging kiosks will provide redundancy at an important waypoint on the route to Mammoth Lakes ski area and Yosemite National Park from Southern California.


Completion is expected by June 2020. The DCFC dispensers have been ordered and the local utility company has been notified.


Unlike the recently installed stations at the Camp Roberts rest area on Hwy 101 in the Salinas Valley, CalTrans' District 9 kiosks will be supplied with three-phase power. The Camp Roberts' stations rely on solar PV, batteries, and a single-phase supply. They are often unavailable for a lack of power.


Ten years after the introduction of the Nissan Leaf, a state-wide, non-Tesla DC fast charging network is nearing fruition. There remain regions of California that are not served or are only lightly served by DC fast charging stations for non-Tesla vehicles. The East Side of the Sierra Nevada is one of those.


EA's Bishop station is now online. However, neither EA station at Coso Junction nor Mojave are operational. They have stood idle for more than six months since installation.

Construction has yet to fully begin on ChargePoint's stations in Tehachapi, Mojave, and Brady (Inyokern). There's been no word on EV Connect's state-contracted stations in Mojave or Inyokern.


The long wait for stations on the East Side will continue into the summer months.

 

[California]

Caltrans does a good job of conventional highway construction, they understand that subject. Futuristic stuff like EV chargers are outside the corporate expertise so I expect the project managers on this are floored by every unexpected little thing that comes along. Especially over in isolated, inbred District 9. (395 corridor). Don't hold your breath for an 'Electric Highway' there.

 

[Paul Gipe]

Indeed. This has been years in coming and is way behind schedule and will only be 50 kW. One, Coso Junction, abuts a much bigger and more powerful EA station. At least they are not doing it like the Camp Roberts site.

Paul

 

[greendave]

CalTrans' District 9 has confirmed that construction on the first of four DC Fast Charge station locations has begun. District 9 serves the East Side of California's Sierra Nevada, including Hwy 395 and Hwy 58 in Mono, Inyo, and the eastern part of Kern County.

Construction began 6 January 2020 at the Boron rest stop on Hwy 58. Construction has yet to begin at CalTrans' Division Creek and Coso Junction rest areas on Hwy 395, nor has construction begun on the station at CalTrans' District 9 office in Bishop, California.

Thanks for the report and the good news! Coso Junction and Mojave are the ones I'm really waiting on, but the Bishop EA installation was a big step and if these 4 are operational by June, it's going to be a nice summer for EV travelers on the east side.

 

[greendave]

Talk about good timing - EA says Mojave is now active!

 

[Paul Gipe]

Dan Jones said he's going to go by and test it. We need some drivers to check it. EA has had a lot of problems when stations first go live.

Paul