The government of Canada and the Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) are investing C$150,000 (US$110,000) for Codiac Transpo to plan the transition to zero-emission buses.
The funding will enable Codiac Transpo to develop a multi-phase strategy to determine the costs of implementing zero-emission buses, assess the risks and advantages and identify the infrastructure requirements for a full bus fleet transition.
“Across the country, communities are taking climate action seriously and are working to reduce their carbon footprint. Our government is committed to helping them do just that. By making this investment with Codiac Transpo, we are transitioning to zero-emission buses to provide cleaner and more efficient commuting options while helping Canada achieve its emissions reduction target,” said Ginette Petitpas Taylor, minister of official languages and minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).
“This is a key step in helping us plan for a zero-emission transit system, which is one of the priority actions in our Community Energy and Emissions Plan. Moving from a diesel to a zero-emission bus fleet is complex — working with experts in the field to develop a comprehensive strategy sets us up to succeed in implementing this incredibly important transition,” said Mayor of Moncton Dawn Arnold.
“Today’s transit agencies and municipalities are ready to lead climate change action on roads and in their depots by electrifying complex systems. Fueled by federal funding, we are proud to support and work with cities like Moncton in their efforts to meet net-zero goals. Canada needs it, and CUTRIC's feasibility studies will support Codiac Transpo in making informed decisions as it transitions to an electric fleet, contributing to the national goal of moving Canadians in a way that is safe, green, healthy and sustainable,” said Josipa Petrunić, president and CEO, CUTRIC.
The government of Canada is investing C$120,000 ($88,000) for this project and the city of Moncton is contributing C$30,000 (US$22,000).
Launched in 2021, the C$2.75 billion (US$2.19 billion) Zero Emission Transit Fund offers support to public transit and school bus operators across Canada who are electrifying their fleets.
The government of Canada is investing C$10 million (US$7.3 million) through the Zero Emission Transit Fund over five years for CUTRIC to work with transit bus operators to complete planning work and increase their level of readiness to transition to zero emission bus fleets.
Acknowledging the impacts of climate change and the urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in March 2022, Moncton released its first comprehensive plan outlining the city’s path to becoming net-zero. The Community Energy Emissions Plan identifies key challenges and details an action plan to achieve the city’s targets of net-zero emissions by 2050.
