Vehicles are responsible for 58% of the Greenhouse Gas emissions generated from residents and businesses in Smithers (CEEP, 2021). The Town's CEEP highlights three Big Moves for Transportation:
- Electrify Passenger Transportation: Accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vehicles.
- Decarbonize Commercial Transportation: Support low carbon options for medium and heavy-duty vehicles.
- Shift Beyond the Car: Encourage active and accessible transportation and transit.
CEEP priority: Shift Beyond the car
Learn more about the Smithers Active Transportation plan.
Electrify Passenger Transportation
EV charging stations
After the successful completion and adaptation of a level 2 EV charging station at the Town’s 2nd Avenue parking lot in October 2023, the Town of Smithers is set to install an additional 2-port level 2 EV station at the southern side of the Civic Centre building in 2025 in efforts to further extend the EV charging network in Smithers.
The level 2 EV charging station installed at the Town’s 2nd Avenue parking lot has been successful at encouraging electric mobility within Town. A charging fee of $2/hr (incl. GST) is now being charged with the intention of helping recuperate operational and maintenance costs for the EV station as well as support network expansion opportunities.
CEEP priority: Decarbonize Commercial Transportation
- Fleet Assessment- The Town is currently assessing 31 of their light and medium/heavy-duty fleet. Telematics technology (otherwise known as GPS) has been installed to collect data such as: idle time, vehicle speed, odometer updates, fuel usage and efficiency and carbon emissions calculations etc.
This information will be used to improve overall fleet management, optimize utilization of fleet vehicles and identify transition opportunities to Zero-emissions Vehicles (ZEV).