Federal funding to boost zero emission transit in Alberta communities

A new battery-powered bus, left, is shown parked at a bus stop, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, in downtown Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Nine transit agencies serving Albertans will be benefiting from an investment from the federal government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.

The Alberta Municipality Constellation project, a study looking at the feasibility to acquire and implement zero emission buses for a group of Alberta communities, will receive $550,092 from Infrastructure Canada.

The money comes from a partnership between the government, FortisAlberta and the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC).

The nine transit agencies that will benefit from the funding are: Airdrie, Banff/Bow Valley, Fort Saskatchewan, Hinton, Leduc, Rocky View, Spruce Grove, Strathcona County and Whitecourt.

"Our government remains committed to achieving net zero by 2050, and we will achieve this goal by funding clean public transit projects, such as this collaboration with FortisAlberta, OSPE, CUTRIC and local transit agencies," said Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault in a news release.

"This project will foster a cleaner, quieter, and more efficient commuting experience for Albertans, all while advancing our collective efforts to combat climate change."

The work by CUTRIC and FortisAlberta will help the agencies plan, integrate and sustain zero emission buses in the communities they serve.

"The Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission is committed to further the introduction of low emission vehicles and the related infrastructure into our region. Operating in and around Banff National Park, it is critical that we respect the environment and are on the leading edge of reducing emissions in the operation of our transit services," said Martin Bean, CEO of Roam Transit.

The grant is made up of $440,714 from the Government of Canada's Zero Emission Transit Fund (ZETF) and $110,018 from FortisAlberta.

The federal government is investing $10 million through the ZETF over the next five years to assist transit operators transition their fleets to zero emission vehicles.