18 hours Ago
Residents of two government housing communities in southern Santa Fe have access to electric vehicles for errands and appointments, courtesy of a new program offered by a nonprofit in partnership with Santa Fe County aiming to bridge gaps in public transportation. Tenants of the county public housing complexes Camino de Jacobo and Valle Vista have the option of renting electrical vehicles for $5 per hour or $50 per day using a car share phone app. Two Chevrolet Bolts are plugged into charging stations outside the apartment buildings for the purpose.
The initiative is a collaboration between the county and Forth, an Oregon-based nonprofit with car-sharing services in several states that will be responsible for overseeing the program and its rollout. Forth, which will also be offering rideshare programs in Albuquerque and Las Cruces, is administering a $10 million ride-share pilot project across eight states and set to run through April 2026. "We do have a lot of seniors and individuals who do not own vehicles at the public housing sites, so it is a good way to assist them in being able to get around," said Denise Benavidez, the county's deputy community development director.
County officials are framing the pilot program as part of an effort to ensure some low-income residents have access to transportation while also meeting goals on pollution and clean energy. The vehicles are owned by Forth, not the county. According to Jennifer Zavon, a program manager for Forth, the $10 million overall project benefits from $5 million in grant funding from the U.
S. Department of Energy as well as other funding sources. Santa Fe County is contributing around $107,000 to the project in "in-kind cost share," Zavon said, like staff time and parking spots provided.
Anyone over 21 with a valid U.S. driver’s license and clean driving record can sign up, though they must first undergo training to drive the cars.
Tenants will be able to reserve vehicles using the MDO Carshare phone app. The public can participate in the ride-share initiative through the MDO app, not just residents of Camino de Jacobo or Valle Vista, though the vehicles are stationed at those communities. The vehicles are insured so users of the ridesharing program do not need their own vehicle insurance.
The county is aiming to be forward-thinking when it comes to electrical vehicle infrastructure. Between 2025 and 2028, the county plans to use $4.2 million in federal and state funding to install 33 charging stations at 13 locations, including community centers, senior centers and affordable housing developments.
On-site EV charging for the carshare vehicles have been installed at 8 Las Lomas Drive and 52 Camino de Jacobo as a part of pilot program, although the charging stations are owned by the county. About 180 residents live in those two communities, Benavidez said. "By placing these vehicles for shared use in these communities, we are really just trying to break down barriers to access, as well as those benefits like cost savings and just a cleaner drive that's not polluting the air around you," Zavon said.
The cost of electric vehicles remains generally high to the extent that driving one of these cars is an unreachable goal for many in terms of affordability. In a state where Democrats control both chambers of the Legislature, mandates for auto dealers to provide an increasing number of electric vehicles for sale across New Mexico remain in place. Beginning in 2026, under the law, 43% of all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks shipped to New Mexico auto dealerships by national auto manufacturers must be zero-emission vehicles.
"Our EVs are not only helping the environment, but they are also helping our tenants and the Santa Fe community have access to transportation,” Adrianna Velasquez, deputy director of housing operations in Santa Fe County, said in a statement. County spokesperson Olivia Romo said in statement car-sharing is an efficient alternative to owning a vehicle, because drivers who use a car-sharing system can access a car without paying the high ownership costs, including repairs and insurance..
