St. Catharines is getting $98,000 to make its transit system run greener.
The federal investment will be used by the St. Catharines Transit Commission to study the electrification of its transit fleet.
The study will look into converting the diesel-dependent fleet of buses to battery-powered electric buses.
Electrifying the fleet is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95 percent and lower operating and energy costs with projected annual savings of up to $900,000 ion diesel fuel and up to $50,000 on maintenance for each bus.
Going electric will also reduce noise pollution compared to combustion-engine buses.
St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik tells CKTB that creating a plan to transition St. Catharines Transit's bus fleet to zero-emissions technology is an essential step to achieve meaningful greenhouse gas reduction and invest in a low-carbon fleet in an efficient and fiscally responsible way.