“We can truly put our hand on our heart and say we built a system for Edmontonians.”

Eddie Robar has a degree in psychology and HR. But he got into the transit world after completing school. It didn’t help him at first, but his schooling is handy as the Branch Manager for Edmonton Transit Services (ETS).

Robar talks about ETS’s network redesign, where 40,000 residents participated in feedback – ultimately, changing its original transit plan by ~20% to match community response. He shares how ETS’s new name and network are about a “connected service, a connected network, for a connected community.”

Electric buses are also a hot topic – ETS ordered 40 Proterra buses. The process was a bit harder than they thought as they tried to solve three problems: long-term maintenance of the vehicles, charging simplification and garage space, and flipping a fleet from diesel to electric.

Finally, Robar shares one of the items he’s most proud of during his time at ETS – its low-income pass program. The pass program has a tremendous impact on those classified as low-income. “People don’t have to choose between whether they go to work today or whether they go get groceries.”

There is a ton going on for ETS, and if you want to know more, check out their website.

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