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\u201cWe can truly put our hand on our heart and say we built a system for Edmontonians.\u201d

Eddie Robar has a degree in psychology and HR. But he got into the transit world after completing school. It didn\u2019t help him at first, but his schooling is handy as the Branch Manager for Edmonton Transit Services (ETS).

Robar talks about ETS\u2019s network redesign, where 40,000 residents participated in feedback \u2013 ultimately, changing its original transit plan by ~20% to match community response. He shares how ETS\u2019s new name and network are about a \u201cconnected service, a connected network, for a connected community.\u201d

Electric buses are also a hot topic \u2013 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\u2019s most proud of during his time at ETS \u2013 its low-income pass program. The pass program has a tremendous impact on those classified as low-income. \u201cPeople don\u2019t have to choose between whether they go to work today or whether they go get groceries.\u201d

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

Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.