City of Barrie invests $3.3M in electric bus pilot project – Barrie

To help reduce emissions, the City of Barrie is investing $3.3 million in a battery electric bus pilot program.

Funding for the project is a joint effort between the city and the federal government.

“The City of Barrie is committed to reducing emissions from Barrie businesses to zero by 2050. This investment from the federal government will help us get closer to that goal by allowing us to move more quickly to a transportation system greener for our community,” said Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall.

The money will be used to purchase two battery electric buses and the necessary charging infrastructure.

Barrie Transit will study its operation to gather data on future electricity demand and infrastructure needs. This will ultimately inform the City of Barrie’s plans for full electrification of its transit fleet.

Tony Van Bynen, MP for Newmarket-Aurora, made the announcement on Friday on behalf of Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities.

“To reach our goal of net zero emissions reduction by 2050, we must reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector. Our investment in Barrie’s battery electric bus pilot program marks the first step in the city’s transition to an all-electric transit fleet,” said Van Bynen.

The Government of Canada is contributing $1.65 million to this project through the Zero-Emission Public Transit Fund.

The $2.75 billion Zero-Emissions Transit Fund is now accepting applications under the planning and capital streams.

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