TTC looking to add 300 new electric buses to Toronto streets
Three hundred new electric buses could soon be coming to TTC’s fleet.
The Toronto Transit Commission is looking to massively increase its existing 60 electric busses, discussing the proposed 300 additions at its upcoming April 14 board meeting.
“Our TTC has been a leader when it comes to creating an environmentally friendly bus fleet and transit system,” said Mayor John Tory. “Moving to greenlight the purchase of 300 more eBuses will ensure that we continue to expand our green fleet.”
The TTC already approved a $550 million procurement strategy back in October 2020, outlining plans for the electric buses, the procurement of 300 hybrid buses, 70 Wheel-Trans buses, and 13 streetcars.
Toronto’s first 60 electric buses hit the streets in June 2019. In October of the following year, the TTC began evaluating the service quality of the eBuses.
Although the analysis results, released on Thursday, found that all three types of electric buses procured either required improvements or fell below the performance of the hybrid buses, the TTC believes that the buses’ manufacturers have been able to address these issues and are confident going forward with more buses.
TTC
“The introduction of eBuses in our transit system has helped us move forward with our climate change goals and our plan to reduce our carbon emissions in the city,” Tory said. “We know we need to do more work on this quickly. The discussions at the next board meeting are a demonstration of the commitment the TTC has to becoming greener and cleaner and the continued work that is being done to build up and modernize our transit system across Toronto.”
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The electric buses, once approved for procurement, are expected to be delivered between 2023 and 2025.
The TTC also plans to make the entire fleet of buses zero-emissions by 2040, eliminating all diesel emissions and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 250,000 tonnes of CO2 every year.
“I am so proud of the continued innovation by our team as we work towards a greener, more sustainable future,” said TTC CEO Rick Leary. “As one of North America’s largest transit organizations, we are pleased to lead the charge towards full-electrification and help pave the way for other cities and agencies to adopt or advance their green bus programs.”
The TTC Board meeting will take place on April 14 at 10 am and can be live streamed on the TTC Youtube channel.
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