Albany is set to receive $739,082 and Corvallis $300,000.
The electric sweeper will help maintain bicycle and pedestrian lanes across the cities, according to a news release from Oregon Department of Transportation.
The Carbon Reduction Program, administered by ODOT, provides the state with $82 million over a five-year period to fund projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.
The money announced Monday, Sept. 18, was part of the first round of funding, which offered a total of $13 million available for "small urban and rural" projects for communities with a population under 200,000.
Eleven counties and two Tribes were awarded various sums to execute projects, ranging from the aforementioned purchase of electric street sweepers to installation of EV charging stations and e-bike lending programs, among others.
Over 65% of the $13 million will go to projects in disadvantaged communities, as defined under the federal government's Justice40 initiative.
Corvallis' project does not fall into this category, but Albany's does.
According to Corvallis Transportation Division Manager, Rory Rowan, the deficit of the amount needed to purchase the electric sweeper, about $30,000, will come from the Street Fund, specifically, state gasoline tax revenues devoted to a wide range of transportation needs.
"Next steps include working with the State to select an appropriate vehicle for our needs so there is still a lot of ground to cover," Rowan said in an email.
ODOT data suggests the state's transportation-related carbon emissions will be down 60% by 2050 compared to 1990 levels of emission.
In 2020, state departments were mandated through an executive order signed by then-Gov. Kate Brown to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
It is in this vein that the state developed the Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities Program aimed at cutting down emissions from frequent everyday commute.
In Corvallis, the directive was met with concerns at council about the overreach of state legislation in cities. Albany leaders were equally concerned when they discussed in May the lifting of parking requirements, part of the program to discourage car use, on new developments.
Editor's Note: The article has been updated with comments from the Corvallis Transportation Division Manager.
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