ADB–CDIA Completes Study for Empowering Mobility through Electric Urban Solutions Project

July 29, 2026

With support from CDIA, ADB has delivered a project preparation study for Empowering Mobility through Electric Urban Solutions (EMERGE), providing a comprehensive package of technical, institutional, communications, and due diligence outputs. The EMERGE project will help Yerevan modernize its public transport system, enabling sustainable, inclusive, and low-carbon mobility in Armenia’s capital.

Despite major public transport reforms, Yerevan’s bus operations remain hampered by congestion, limited priority for public transit, and weak integration with other modes. Recent studies show that electric bus corridors can markedly improve service quality and cut emissions, while the ongoing reforms in Yerevan Municipality provide an opportunity for system modernization and capacity-building.

To help the city enhance the quality and reliability of its public transport system and transition toward more sustainable mobility, ADB–CDIA developed a range of technical studies. These covered a bus service plan, conceptual designs for two electric bus priority corridors and two depots to accommodate battery-electric buses, traffic and parking management strategies, communications and branding strategies, and due diligence outputs to support ADB’s consideration of project financing. Extensive data collection, modelling, diagnostics, and stakeholder consultations shaped these studies, enabling evidence-based planning.

The bus service plan proposed bus priority measures, including two electric bus corridors, network restructuring, and fleet modernization to reduce route overlaps, cut travel time, enable seamless transfers, and integrate with the metro and trolleybus systems.

Beyond infrastructure and bus operations, ADB–CDIA examined social inclusion and gender equality to ensure equitable access, safety, and participation of women and vulnerable groups in socio-economic activities. The initial environmental examination and climate assessments confirmed major emission-reduction and health benefits, while highlighting climate risks, such as heat, flooding, snow/ice, and landslides. Financial and economic analyses, alongside procurement planning, formed part of the due diligence in readiness for prospective downstream financing by ADB and the Green Climate Fund.

Institutional strengthening is another area of study, with an Institutional and Capacity Building Roadmap developed to guide short-, medium-, and long-term interventions for enabling Yerevan to implement the priority measures while enhancing its capacity to adopt emerging technologies and deliver safe, integrated, and financially sustainable services.

Complementing these efforts, communication strategies were developed to support stakeholder outreach, brand awareness, and behavior change activities to ensure alignment between the project design and community needs while facilitating acceptance of interventions toward sustainable mobility.

These deliverables will be finalized during the concluding stakeholder engagements and workshop scheduled in August 2026, which will gather final feedback, confirm the acceptability of proposed interventions, and ensure full alignment with Yerevan’s plans and strategies.