Montreal to electrify city transport with $885 million
The Canadian city of Montreal is investing 885 million dollars in electrification over the next three years. This will help fund more charging stations, electric buses and more sharing electric bikes.
Today, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante announced that Montreal will be introducing a decarbonisation strategy for the city’s transport systems. The 50 page strategie outlines 23 goals that come under seven categories.
Plante announced the strategy on Twitter saying: “One week after the IPCC’s alarming report on climate change, I am proud to present, with my colleague @sophiemauzeroll, an audacious plan for the electrification of transport, which will be deployed over 3 years.”
The French-speaking Canadian city will be adding more electric buses to its fleet. To facilitate this, Société de transport de Montréal (STM) depots are being upgraded. The STM aims to only acquire electric vehicles by 2025 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2040. Currently, the transportation service is using nearly 500 hybrid buses. Most of the $885 million investment is to be put towards public transportation. This will enable the STM to acquire 30 long-range electric buses as well as a number of mid-sized buses.
Charging stations for electric cars are to be added to with plans for the installation of around 1000 charging stations by the end of 2025. Businesses and multiplex housing will also be supported with charging facilities. Other strategies to be implemented are measures such as giving a reduced price at parking metres and for yearly residential parking stickers for zero-emissions cars. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante says electric vehicles will have priority parking in some metered areas.
Micromobility is also to be supported. Biki, the city’s shared-bicycle service is going to get more electric bikes, which amounts to another 200 ebikes to make a total of 2,100 ebikes for the city in addition to regular shared bicycles.
City administration vehicles are also to become electric. In its climate plan, the municipal administration has set the objective of ensuring 47 per cent of its vehicles are electric by 2030.
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