The City of St. Albert is looking to bring in 19 new buses over the next three years.
Two of these new buses will serve to expand the St. Albert Transit fleet, while the others will replace buses that are reaching their end of life.
Jay Mason, the city’s director of public operations, said that they’re looking to create two new peak-hour routes in the neighbourhoods of Jensen Lakes and Riverside.
“When the city grows, we have a policy in place to regulate services and when they go in. What this does is allows neighbourhoods that aren’t serviced yet to get connected to the rest of the municipality.”
These two buses come with a budget of $1.62 million. Both buses will be 40-foot diesel buses and will be in service before the end of 2024.
The city chose diesel over electric to maintain service levels. Diesel buses have an 18-year life cycle, while electric buses only have about 12 years.
In total, this will mean that St. Albert’s fleet will include seven electric buses, 20 60-foot diesel buses, 35 40-foot diesel buses, and seven handi-buses.
The seventeen other buses that serve as replacements will be fitted with some new technology, according to Mason.
“It’s like getting a new car. It’s always got a few other bells and whistles, and a little more comfortable.”
In total, the cost of these new buses will be around $19 million.
