The government of Canada and the government of Edmonton is making a combined investment of more than C$1.29 million (US$946,414) for zero emission public transit planning.
Through the investment, the city of Edmonton, Alberta, will complete analysis and planning activities to develop a comprehensive strategy to transition to a full fleet of zero emission public transit buses. The planning project will include an examination of fuel cell hydrogen propulsion technologies and will help the city gain an understanding of the socio-economic, environmental and technological considerations associated with transitioning its bus fleet to zero-emissions, helping the city meet its commitment to transition to a low-carbon future and to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
“Supporting vibrant communities like ours starts with expanding clean and affordable transport options. Today’s funding announcement does just that by planning for the growth of Edmonton’s green transit infrastructure. This investment will lead to good paying jobs and healthier communities,” said Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages Randy Boissonnault.
“Edmonton Transit Service helps reduce community greenhouse gas emissions by moving hundreds of thousands of riders each day, and over the longer-term, we intend to build on those reductions by transitioning towards a zero emissions fleet. Through this project, we will gather more insight into how we can advance towards this goal,” said City of Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi.
The government of Canada is contributing C$1 million (US$733,655) to this project through the Zero Emission Transit Fund (ZETF) and the city of Edmonton is contributing C$258,499.
The ZETF helps communities transition to zero-emission transit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to Canada’s net-zero emissions targets. The ZETF is closely coordinated with the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s Zero Emission Bus Initiative through which the CIB has committed more than C$1.5 billion (US$1.1. billion) to support the deployment of zero-emission buses. The government of Canada is investing C$10 million (US$7.3 million) through the ZETF during the next five years to help transit bus operators to complete planning work and increase their level of readiness to transition to zero-emission bus fleets.
Edmonton Transit Service is a fully integrated, progressive, easy-to-use public transit system that provides more than 53 million rides each year.
The government of Canada and the government of Edmonton are partnering with the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) on the electrification of the city of Edmonton’s transit fleet. CUTRIC’s mission is to support the commercialization of technologies through industry-led collaborative research, development, demonstration, and integration projects that bring innovative design to Canada’s low-carbon smart mobility ecosystem.
“Embracing modes of transportation that combat climate change is a global imperative. The city of Edmonton’s willingness to work toward zero emissions public transit sends a strong message about its commitment to a sustainable future. At CUTRIC, we are determined to ensure low-carbon transportation becomes the norm, rather than the exception and are proud to be supporting the city of Edmonton in its journey toward net zero,” said Josipa Petrunić, president and CEO, CUTRIC.
