Request for Proposals will cost out e-bus ownership

Jasper Transit is being propelled forward on the road to zero emissions. 

At their June 18 regular council meeting, municipal councillors narrowly passed a motion to build a $3.2 million transit fleet facility. At the same meeting, councillors authorized administration to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the supply of three battery-electric buses and associated charging infrastructure. 

Having the two decisions in front of them simultaneously was less than ideal for some councillors who wanted to know exactly what kind of busses the town would be buying, and exactly how much they’d cost, before deciding to build the fleet facility. But ultimately the group agreed the facility would be worth having regardless of what kind of busses it housed, and elected to proceed with the process of costing out the price of purchasing three battery-electric busses.

“I am a bit wary of putting the cart before the horse but the risk is minimal and I support the project on the whole,” said Coun. Scott Wilson, who made the motions that council award the transit fleet facility project and that council authorize administration to issue a RFP for the supply of three e-buses. 

Jasper has qualified for a $5 million green infrastructure grant from the federal government to help the community establish a zero emissions transit service. Transitioning to an ownership model would garner $2,564,298 in savings between 2026 and 2040, administration stated. The report also said that the cost of owning electric compared to owning traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) busses would be an additional $2 million. The difference, should the municipality transition from renting to owning, and should the municipality go electric (the grant doesn’t cover ICE busses) would be a net savings of $474K, according to the Request for Decision.

Still, some councillors were worried about the optics of spending taxpayer money (Jasper will be on the hook for approximately 20 per cent of the $6.2 million project and will need to borrow about $726K to fund it) and fretted about who would be upset if they moved forward.

“I just don’t think that this plan is sellable,” Coun. Rico Damota said. 

“I don’t think our community is going to be happy about this,” echoed Coun. Helen Kelleher-Empey.

Despite their reservations, Damota, Kelleher-Empey and Coun. Ralph Melnyk were ultimately outvoted by Wilson, Coun. Wendy Hall, Coun. Kathleen Waxer and Mayor Richard Ireland, who said transit is an investment in Jasper’s future.

“While there are risks, at some point those in leadership roles have to take some risk in the decisions which I think will benefit our community in the long run,” Ireland said.

Waxer said she was casting her votes for people who don’t have access to vehicles, for seniors, for people with a disability and for single parents—in other words, for those for whom reliable transportation has always been a barrier to participating fully in community life. 

“I’ve come to the conclusion that strategic investments in a transit service and the implementation of other complimentary strategies is absolutely required for Jasper,” Waxer said.

Hall also voiced her support of the project. 

“This is about reducing emissions, this is about moving people around our community, this is about preparing for an increase in visitation,” she said. “There is significant government support…it would be a shame to give back $5 million.”

Mayor Ireland pointed out the project’s tie-in to Tourism Jasper’s Destination Stewardship Plan, which discusses targeting “values-aligned visitors.”

“There are people who will align themselves with a progressive community that is consciously making efforts to reduce its carbon footprint,” Ireland said. “This is one way to do that.” 

The transit facility vote passed 4-3. The highest evaluated bidder, Johnson Builders, out of St. Albert, came in with a bid that was $400,000 lower than the MOJ’s budget for the project. The money saved there can be used to shore up the e-busses purchase, which are estimated to cost between $650,000 and $750,000 each, according to administration. 

Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com