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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.