Introduction
Battery-electric buses (BEB) are an effective and efficient way for communities to reduce their carbon footprint. BEB and transit system electrification help combat climate change, improve air quality, and provide a stable infrastructure that is less reliant on fossil fuels and fluctuating energy costs.
CUTA recognizes the importance of providing a framework on how to implement zero-emission buses into an existing transit system and has partnered with WSP to develop three distinct professional development courses for the various groups that will be most affected by the implementation of BEBs.
Learning Outcomes
The three courses will focus on each of these areas and will provide participants with the ability to:
- Recognize the varied background of project team members and stakeholders
- Improve cross discipline awareness of risks and priorities to allow better definition and agreement on BEB project success criteria
- Address knowledge gaps in a targeted manner to improve engagement
The courses will introduce and discuss topics relating to BEB implementation that will help learners to better understand the challenges they will face in their own organization as it pertains to their respective role.
Target Audience
The target audience for these courses include Transit Planners and Schedulers, Fleet Professionals, and Infrastructure Professionals.
Transit Planners and Schedulers: attendees are anticipated to be savvy planners and schedulers within their organisations, with little to no background in BEB specific aspects of transit planning. These participants will have limited experience or knowledge of typical fleet procurement or asset management elements of the transit business and will have limited experience with capital project planning or delivery.
Fleet Professionals: attendees are likely the key resource for medium to small transit systems with respect to procurement and management of the fleet. Possibly in a multidisciplinary role with limited knowledge of service planning/scheduling techniques and limited experience with capital project planning or delivery.
Infrastructure Professionals: attendees are likely experienced capital project managers or project coordinators with experience leading or contributing to infrastructure improvement projects in a transit context. Little to no service planning experience or appreciation of fleet asset management or procurement.
Course Structure
Each program will follow the same course structure with certain modules entailing a deeper dive than others depending on the customized program you register for.
- Module A: BEB Planning and Scheduling for a BEB and Transitioning Fleet
- Module B: BEB Fleet Specification and Procurement
- Module C: BEB Project Delivery
Each program is offered as two virtual sessions lasting approximately 4 hours each spread over two days with guided facilitation. It encompasses theoretical components, project/group work, and interactive discussions facilitating networking opportunities among participants. Please note that the course is conducted in English only.