Achieving mayor’s zero-emission LTC bus goal not so simple
The initial excitement to electrify London Transit’s fleet of city buses was tempered today by a dose of reality.
On Wednesday, attendees of the Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium’s (CUTRIC) 2021 Zero Emissions Conference heard from the London Transit General Manager Kelly Paleczny.
Paleczny began her presentation recounting two unsuccessful attempts by the London Transit Commission (LTC) to switch to buses that promised lower carbon emissions, but higher operating costs and reliability issues forced a return to diesel.
Then in January 2020, Mayor Ed Holder told 1400 people at his State of the City Address that he wanted London to become the first major city to operate a zero-emission bus fleet.
LTC bus in London, Ont. on June 16, 2021. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV London)
LTC bus in London, Ont. on June 16, 2021. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV London)
"We received an unexpected nudge from our mayor,” recalled Paleczny during her presentation to the conference. “(The mayor announced a goal) to proceeding with fleet conversion as quickly as possible.”
She said the nudge, and subsequent excitement within the community, had to be tempered by the realities of zero emission fleets.
In November, a feasibility study found that about half of the LTC’s busiest routes could not be served by existing electric bus technology.
“This initial step essentially removed preconceived notions by some stakeholders that undertaking a fleet conversion of this nature, was as simple as purchasing an electric car and plugging it into their garage,” added Paleczny.
A detailed Zero-Emission Bus Implementation Plan will be completed in late 2021.
It will include:
- total cost projections for the entire project (short, medium, & long-term)
- existing facility assessments (hydro availability, charging station space requirements
- resource requirements to ensure smooth rollout of zero-emission fleet
The implementation plan will be the basis for a budget request to city council to cover short and long-term costs.
The LTC would then issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking bids from companies able to supply all of the components of a zero-emission fleet.
“The Request for Proposals that would go out wouldn’t just be for buses,” added Paleczny. “It would be for a turn-key solution so we are getting everything we need to operate those buses.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.