DR. JOSIPA PETRUNIC, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE CANADIAN URBAN TRANSIT RESEARCH & INNOVATION CONSORTIUM (CUTRIC), RELEASED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT RELATED TO THE LAUNCH OF THE ZERO EMISSION TRANSIT FUND PROGRAM

The Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) welcomes the launch of the Zero Emission Transit Fund (ZETF) program. The ZETF will provide opportunities for our members, including our transit agencies and municipalities across the country to fund much-needed innovative clean transit projects that will electrify Canada’s transit systems towards a net-zero future. 

 

 

CUTRIC is Canada’s leading non-profit responsible for the development and commercialization of low-carbon transit technologies.

“Canada is on fire. The world is heating up. And people are anxious about their future and the survival of their children,” says President & C.E.O., Josipa Petrunic. “This program is an absolutely necessary step in the right direction. We need to start launching technologies that save humanity from itself. This program will get clean technologies on the roads sooner rather than later, and it should inspire a generation of innovators to come up with ideas for even lower-emissions mobility in the near future.”

CUTRIC applauds Infrastructure Canada for designing and delivering a program to advance a future fueled by zero emissions transit. The program is designed to improve air quality, make our streets quieter and tackle climate change. With the transportation sector accounting for 25 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions, investing in cleaner public transit networks will help increase transit ridership and reduce emissions from buses, while supporting job creation and making Canada a world leader in clean innovation.  

Zero emissions transit projects are as complex as they are transformative. They not only require the purchasing of vehicles, but also charging infrastructure, feasibility studies, ongoing empirical analysis, and retrofitting of depot and storage facilities. A dedicated funding program specifically designed for zero emissions transit projects recognizes the unique nature of these ventures and is an important step towards building cleaner transit systems in a smart, deliberate approach. 

We celebrate the hard work being done to lay a positive foundation towards Canada’s public transit infrastructure to build strong communities across the country and deliver a better quality of life for all Canadians.

CUTRIC is proud to have participated in stakeholder consultation sessions to advise on program design and rollout to ensure that the Zero Emission Transit Fund Program meets the complex needs of Canada’s zero emissions transit ecosystem. 

We encourage our members, transit agencies, and municipalities across the country to take the opportunity to submit applications for ZETF funding. 

For more information on how to submit your funding application, please click here.

About CUTRIC

CUTRIC is a non-profit innovation consortium with a vision to make Canada a global leader in low-carbon smart mobility. Through industry-led collaborative research and large-scale technology integration trials, CUTRIC is working to achieve this goal by focusing on technology development, integration and standardization of low-carbon propulsion systems and smart vehicle systems, data-driven analytics in mobility, and cybersecurity in transportation.

Media Contact

Grace Reilly (she/her)
Government & Public Relations Officer 
+1 (514) 244-3244
[email protected]