In this interview, we spoke with Placer County Air Pollution Control District and the Health Education Council about the air quality and transportation challenges facing Placer County residents. They share how programs like the Driving Clean Assistance Program and Clean Cars 4 All are helping low-income families access reliable, cleaner transportation—improving health outcomes, reducing financial strain, and supporting everyday needs like getting to work, food, and medical care.
What local air quality or transportation challenge does your district see most often, and how are programs like Clean Cars 4 All (CC4A) or Driving Clean Assistance Program (DCAP) helping address it?
As it relates to air quality, residents have stated that they’ve sometimes had to access a clinic or urgent care for allergy or asthma related symptoms within the past year. These health impacts especially cause difficulties to low-income residents. In addition, most residents reported a “fair” knowledge of general air pollution and are “moderately worried” about its effects. Those same residents stated that they would like to learn more about air quality and contribute to a solution. Since transportation is the major air pollution contributor, programs like CC4A and DCAP are contributing on two fronts: First, they are helping low-income residents gain access to dependable transportation that they may not have, while decreasing costs on repairs and other financial hardships. Second, they are helping add more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road, which in time will decrease the criteria pollutants and carbon footprint and illnesses associated with such.
Can you share a recent story or example of how CC4A or DCAP made a difference for a resident or family in your district?
HEC staff recently assisted a Rocklin resident who was trying to get back onto his feet after a tough couple of years. This individual struggled with but overcame hurdles pertaining to housing, mental health, and food security, among other issues. They felt that securing reliable transportation was the next step that would catapult them into the next phase of their life. Staff met with and assisted this individual at Rocklin Public Library in November, and they submitted their application within 45 minutes. The resident expressed gratitude and stated that being able to secure reliable transportation would improve their quality of life by being able to get to work faster, shop for nutritious foods, and get from point A to point B safely.
In your experience, what impact have these programs had on helping people access cleaner or more reliable transportation?
In our experience, programs like DCAPP and CC4A have played a paramount role in securing cleaner or more reliable transportation. First and foremost, some Placer County residents haven’t heard of DCAP or CC4A and are unaware that similar resources exist. That alone has contributed to the apparent interest of the programs and the eagerness for individuals to know if they qualify. It has helped Placer County families secure cleaner or reliable transportation which can be used in a multitude of ways. Transportation is essential for these residents but could be a barrier that can stand in the way of health. These programs provide incentives to assist these residents replacing their old, high-polluting vehicles with newer, cleaner, and reliable transportation that can help individuals access Feeding the Foothills Food Bank distributions and get to grocery stores. They allow people to get to jobs and maintain an income. They can also help individuals with health issues get to their appointments instead of having to reschedule. This program adds to Placer County’s current active transportation efforts.
What has your district learned about what residents need most when seeking cleaner transportation options?
We’ve learned that residents need various means of financial support. Apart from the down payment assistance, residents inquire about the interest rate and insurance costs of a potential electric or hybrid vehicle as well as accessible charging stations with affordable electricity rates. We continue to point qualified/successful applicants to DCAP-affiliated car dealerships and credit unions across the region and ease any concerns about financing a vehicle, as well as review the “Car Shopping” section of DCAP’s website so that residents can make the best decision for themselves regarding this program.
What goals or priorities are your district focusing on in the new year to help advance cleaner transportation and community health?
PCAPCD and HEC have promoted the DCAP grant at high volume community events, at local clinics, at public county offices, and at free food distribution sites. We have also recently found that social media has been a successful means of promoting the program. We recently launched a series of targeted DCAP social media posts across Facebook and Instagram in English, Spanish, and Russian. Most residents we’ve helped apply mentioned that they learned about the DCAP program through social media although we have had a heavy presence at outreach events, food distributions, promotion through partners, and by word of mouth. Considering this is a working formula, we’ll continue to promote DCAP through our social media channels beyond the new year as well as continue outreaching at community events and through partners. We have also been contacting dealerships who collaborate with the DCAP program to directly promote DCAP to their qualified customers.