Electric buses hit Halifax streets as Ragged Lake facility opens

CITYnews halifax /By Dan Ahlstrand

Sixty electric buses are now travelling the streets of Halifax Regional Municipality as the first phase of the city’s electrification plan starts.

At an event yesterday, the newly upgraded facility at Ragged Lake was officially opened, allowing the first buses to become fully operational.

In a video posted to social media after the event, project manager Anthony Edmonds said replacing older diesel buses with electric ones is a game changer for the city.

The project aligns with municipal, provincial, and federal climate targets and will help to achieve the goals and actions outlined in HalifACT, the municipality’s climate action plan.

Phase 2 of the project will see a $20-million upgrade to the transit centre in Burnside that Halifax Transit says will allow it to operate the existing diesel fleet and new electric buses, while also planning for other potential fueling alternatives like natural gas or hydrogen. The cost is to be shared by three levels of government:

• Government of Canada: $6.5 million
• Government of Nova Scotia: $7.1 million
• Halifax Regional Municipality: $7.1 million

Work is expected to be completed in 2028.