August 25, 2023 – Zero-emission transit planning is moving quickly across Canada as municipalities take advantage of Ottawa’s Zero-Emission Transit Fund (ZETF) to assess the benefits, risks, and constraints associated with transitioning to a zero-emissions fleet.

The City of Lethbridge, Alta., is ponying up $26,963 to support planning work for the full transition of the city’s transit fleet to zero-emission buses (ZEBs). The Government of Canada, meantime, is topping them up with $107,850 through the ZETF.

The London Transit Commission is the recipient of a joint spend of $400,000 to plan for its transition to ZEBs. The Government of Canada is contributing $320,000 to this project through the ZETF, while the City of London is contributing $80,000. The project is being coordinated by the Canadian Urban Transit Zero-Emissions Bus Joint Procurement Initiative (CUTZEB) i.e. group purchasing program.

“Transit agencies seeking to transition to electric fleets need more than just buses or chargers: they need turnkey solutions encompassing every aspect, from installation to maintenance,” said Josipa Petrunić, Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC).

A joint spend of $125,000 will help Quinte Transit complete the necessary planning required to transition to a full fleet of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). Ottawa is contributing $100,000 through the ZETF, and Quinte Transit is contributing $25,000 (through the City of Quinte West, Ont.).

The City of Burlington, Ont., is spending $92,500 to support planning activities for the transition to ZEBs. The Zero Emission Transit Fund is contributing $370,000. The city will complete planning activities such as feasibility, implementation and market studies to support the future procurement and deployment of zero-emission buses and related infrastructure by Burlington Transit.

The Zero-Emission Transit Fund is coordinated with the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s Zero-Emission Bus Initiative, through which CIB has committed more than $1.5 billion toward supporting the deployment of zero emission buses.