Press Release
Posted:
Washington – This week, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) announcement that the agency will allocate $1.7 million in funding for a new Climate Change and Transportation Research Center at the University of California, Davis.
“It’s impossible to address the climate crisis without rethinking the way we travel,” said Thompson. “UC Davis’ new partnership with the Department of Transportation will ensure the U.S. remains on the cutting-edge of green technology, so we can continue to lead the way in transportation efficiency and emissions reductions.”
In February, Rep. Thompson led a letter signed by Reps. John Garamendi (CA-08), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), and Jared Huffman (CA-02) addressed to Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, advocating for DOT to establish and fund this partnership with UC Davis.
UC Davis’ Center for Emissions Reduction, Resiliency, and Climate Equity in Transportation will be established through a cooperative agreement with DOT and will support the DOT Climate Change Center. In partnership with DOT, the Center will advance research and technologies to support U.S. clean energy goals. These include accelerating decarbonization of the transportation sector, strengthening the resilience of our transportation infrastructure, and addressing environmental inequities created by the transportation system.
The new center at UC Davis will carry out research in partnership with other academic institutions, including California State University, Long Beach; Texas Southern University; University of California, Riverside; University of Southern California; and the University of Vermont.
Rep. Thompson has long been an advocate for transportation reform and climate action, supporting the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) which included the following investments:
• Public Transit: The BIL made the largest investment in public transit in U.S. history to help expand healthy, sustainable transportation options in California and across the country.
• Clean Buses: Over $10 billion for clean public transit and school buses. This includes a $5 billion investment over the next five years to replace existing school buses with zero-emission and low-emission models.
• Electric Vehicle Charging: $7.5 billion to build the first-ever national network of electric vehicle chargers in the United States.
• Clean Energy & Power: The BIL made an historic investment to upgrade our power infrastructure; expand clean energy, including advanced nuclear, clean hydrogen, and carbon capture; and provide $3.5 billion for weatherization to improve energy efficiency of homes.
• Resilience: $50 billion investment to bolster our resilience against pressing challenges like impacts of climate change, extreme weather events, and other hazards like cyberattacks.