JULY/AUGUST 2017 | MassTransitmag.com | Mass Transit | 17
Vancouver, British
Columbia
In early 2017, Vancouver’s TransLink
joined the national trial to become
the third transit agency approving
funding. Th e Metro Vancouver
Board of Directors approved almost
$7 million in funding to purchase
four electric buses and two overhead
charging systems.
TransLink will be the launch
agency for the trial with deployment
on one of the region’s busiest
regional transit routes in the second
half of 2018.
TransLink already has an extensive
fl eet of 262 electric trolley buses
that are powered by overhead wires,
making it the most experienced
electric bus operator in Canada.
Research and Results
Th e project aims to encourage
long-term job growth in
e-bus manufacturing, overhead
charging system design and grid
management in Canada.
Th e National Research Council
of Canada will lead the project
management and data analytics
aspects of the project over a period
of nearly three years, while the
University of Ontario — Institute
of Technology, York University,
Brock University, University of
Quebec in Trois-Rivières, and the
University of Victoria will provide
additional data analytic support.
Next Steps
Th e trial is expected to deliver
results that will prove the viability
of electric buses in reducing
greenhouse gas emissions from
transportation sources even
when sources of electricity are
not purely hydro-electric or renewable
in nature.
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Th e trial’s 18 consortium partners
have sought to de-risk the costs
by integrating funding from the
government of Canada, province
of Ontario, TransLink, and three
municipal jurisdictions.
Th is streamlined multi-jurisdictional
co-fi nancing for advanced
technology trials forms the
basis for CUTRIC innovation projects
currently under development
in hydrogen fuel cell vehicle technology
integration and “smart” autonomous
vehicle demonstrations.
Petrunic said, “It’s about putting
Canada on the map as a hub of
globally relevant IP-rich research,
development and demonstration
activities, which change the way
Canadians move in fundamental
and irrevocable ways.”
Maureen Shuell is communications for
Canadian Urban Transit Research and
Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC).
A GROUP of colleges,
including St. Clair
College, Conestoga
College, Centennial
College and Red
River College,
will lead the
development of a
training program
for e-bus and
charging system
maintenance staff.