TTC's Earth Day Funding Announcement
This Earth Day, I had the honour of announcing funding from Ontario's Independent Energy Systems Operator's (IESO) Grid Innovation Fund for two TTC pilot projects.
The first of these projects will test a smart charging management system to charge our eBuses using batteries to avoid peak demand on the power grid. The second project stores excess energy generated by the braking system on our subway trains for later use.
These innovative projects will leverage existing TTC assets and new technologies to support our fleet electrification efforts, reduce energy consumption, and give back to the power grid.
You can read more in the IESO release, here.
TTC Service Increases
This month, the TTC increased and improved service on 41 routes to match growing ridership demand as Toronto continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of the year, the TTC plans to increase to 100% of pre-pandemic service levels. You can find more information about recent service increases on the TTC's website, here.
Sustainable Transit for the Future - McNicoll Garage
McNicoll Garage, the TTC's newest, award-winning bus facility, opened its doors last year. Built to exceed the Toronto Green Standard, this facility boasts the largest green roof in Toronto (and one of the largest in Canada) at over 14,000m2. It is equipped with a storm water retention system that has a reservoir capacity greater than an Olympic-sized pool and an innovative recycling system for bus wash water.
In addition to solar panels, McNicoll Garage also features a state-of-the-art transpired solar wall that harnesses energy to help heat the building in the winter and keep it cool in the summer. The thermal wall offsets five percent of the facility's energy consumption.
Learn more about the TTC's green initiatives, here.
