BRAMPTON – MP Ruby Sahota, on behalf of Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources; Rory Nisan, Halton Region Councillor and Board member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM); Martin Medeiros, Regional Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Brampton, Marianne Meed Ward, Mayor of Burlington; and Josipa Petrunić, President and CEO of the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), announced a transit investment in Brampton through FCM’s Green Municipal Fund (GMF).
CUTRIC has received $175,000 towards a feasibility study to support the City of Brampton’s strategic efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to meet future ridership demand for public transit. The focus of the study is to assess the feasibility of using zero tailpipe-emission buses (ZEBs) on Brampton Transit’s route network.
The study is being carried out using CUTRIC’s internally developed predictive modelling tool, RoutΣ.i™. This tool incorporates operational conditions such as route maps, transit schedules, weather, and passenger-loading to determine the feasibility and benefits of adopting ZEBs or FCEBs based on existing technology.
Transitioning to an electric ZEB bus fleet builds on the City’s commitments of reducing its carbon footprint and building a Green City. ZEBs are sustainable transit vehicles that will provide an efficient, quiet and clean commute for the community.
The electrification of transit buses is a critical milestone in the City’s journey to reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) generated in Brampton by 80 per cent by 2050. Adding to the current fleet of 133 diesel-electric hybrid Züm buses, Brampton Transit introduced the first eight battery electric zero emission buses and four high-powered overhead opportunity chargers in May 2021. Transitioning the full fleet to ZEBs is anticipated to save approximately 115 tonnes of CO2 per bus, per year, totaling approximately 53,000 tonnes annually of GHGs, or the equivalent of removing about 12,000 passenger vehicles (by tonnes of GHGs) from the roads.
The GMF, administered by the FCM, is funded through an endowment by the Government of Canada. The GMF helps local governments switch to sustainable practices faster. Its unique mix of funding, resources and training gives municipalities the tools they need to build resiliency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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• Canada and FCM invest in low-emission transit in Brampton and Burlington
“Thank you to the Government of Canada and the FCM for their investment in CUTRIC’s feasibility study for zero-emission buses in the City of Brampton. This $175K investment will directly support the next level of sustainable transit in Brampton and in Canada, as Brampton Transit purchases up to 450 zero-emission buses for Brampton’s roads over the next five years. Brampton is a Green City, and together, we will reduce our carbon footprint and improve the quality of life in our community.”– Patrick Brown, Mayor City of Brampton