Winnipeg changing direction on plan for zero-emission bus fleet
Councillors argue getting more buses on road will reduce emissions by getting people out of cars
The City of Winnipeg is backing away from a plan to replace its entire transit fleet with zero-emission buses and investing in more diesel buses, something city councillors say might help the city reduce its carbon emissions faster.
In 2022, the city, province and feds signed an agreement worth $276.6 million to supply Winnipeg Transit with new buses.
Under the Investing in the Canada Infrastructure Program, the city committed to buying approximately 100 zero-emission buses, which would equal 15 per cent of the city's fleet by 2027. Longer term, the city set the goal of replacing its entire fleet with zero-emission buses by 2045.
However, the city faces unprecedented financial pressures and a host of other expensive infrastructure projects.
Janice Lukes, public works chair, says the goal of an all electric bus fleet is simply too expensive for the city to do on its own.
"Unless we have federal or provincial support to buy electric buses and to do the whole electrification conversion, we cannot afford to convert our entire fleet," she told reporters.
The draft 2025 budget unveiled on Wednesday includes instructions for Winnipeg Transit to purchase diesel buses starting in 2027.
The budget document states that purchasing diesel will not impact the funding dedicated through the federal infrastructure program.
Lukes says the city can buy more diesel buses, because they cost about half of electric models.
"Our goal is to get more people on the buses. If we get people out of vehicles and on the buses with excellent service, that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions," she said.
Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) pointed out the city's climate action plan included a breakdown of the sources of Winnipeg's greenhouse gas emissions. According to the report, Transit contributed 0.8 per cent of emissions, compared with 32.1 per cent from residential vehicles.
"We're better off with more buses, and we can get more buses right now … with diesel versus zero-emission," he told reporters.
Mayor Scott Gillingham agreed diesel buses are the best use of the city's money and will have a bigger impact on reducing emissions.
"Purchasing diesel buses allows us to acquire more buses for less money compared to zero-emission buses, with the goal to improve customer service on Transit, which ultimately will, we believe, encourage more people to get out of their cars and onto the bus," he said.
A funding shortage for a new garage could scale back how many hydrogen or electric buses the city can buy. In September, council voted to reduce the size of the north Transit garage replacement project to fit within the original $200-million budget, after a report found the estimated costs of the original design had grown to $305 million.
At an announcement at electric bus manufacturer New Flyer Industries in October, Premier Wab Kinew said the province is helping the city.
"We committed in our budget this year that there's a four-year picture of what the operating funding for the city of Winnipeg is going to be," Kinew said.
The city still plans to set up electric charging stations and hydrogen infrastructure to support zero emission buses.
