The City of Whitehorse is upgrading its public transportation system with the addition of new buses.
Powered by a combined $8 million in investments from federal and territorial government bodies, Whitehorse intends to add 10 buses to the City’s current fleet of 15, in a bid to reduce the region’s reliance on private motor vehicles.
“Whitehorse is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada,” explains Mayor Kirk Cameron, “and enhancing public transit is key to ensuring the sustainable growth of our community.”
Pointing to “record levels of ridership,” Whitehorse Mayor Kirk Cameron believes that “this funding will ensure we can continue to build on that success and meet the growing needs of our community.”
Beyond new buses, route improvements are also being planned.
“Expanding the transit fleet in Whitehorse will provide people with more reliable and efficient service for their daily commuting and travel,” says Brendan Hanley, who functions as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Member of Parliament for the Yukon.
“By increasing accessibility, improving service levels and improving routes, our government is able to support a growing city with sustainable public transit infrastructure into the future,” Hanley stated.
The federal government is investing roughly $6M through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, while the Government of Yukon is investing approximately $2M.
“We’re delivering on our commitment to strengthen transit and active transportation options,” remarked Minister of Community Services Richard Mostyn. “Thank you to the Government of Canada for their continued support in building vibrant, sustainable, and connected Yukon communities.”
But while Whitehorse’s public transit expansion is cited as “efficient” and “sustainable,” there’s no mention of electric buses being integrated into the fleet.
That’s in stark contrast to a plan from the City of Brampton, which recently established a partnership with Zenobē, a global fleet electrification and battery storage specialist headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Brampton tapped London-based Zenobē to launch a $4 billion initiative supporting the region’s transition to a lower-emissions economy.
As part of a decade-long electrification framework, Zenobē will help convert the bus fleet of Toronto’s largest suburb into an emission-free fleet.
The partnership intends to bring 1,000 electric buses to the roads and replace the city’s existing diesel vehicles, supporting current routes for 43 million passengers annually.
One of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, Brampton is home to nearly 800,000 people and more than 110,000 businesses.