“La Verde” – A Fully Electric BRT-Style Trolleybus Corridor for Medium-Sized Cities
“La Verde”, Italy’s first fully electric BRT-style trolleybus, connects Pescara and Montesilvano along 8 km (6 km segregated). Zero-emission and high-reliability, it’s a scalable model for medium European cities pursuing modal shift and decarbonisation.
About this Project
Before “La Verde,” mobility between Pescara and Montesilvano was dominated by private cars, creating congestion, pollution, and irregular journey times.
The absence of priority infrastructure limited bus efficiency. The project introduced an 8 km fully electric trolleybus corridor, 6 km completely segregated from traffic and supported by in-motion charging and smart-grid depot systems.
This solution ensures punctuality, cuts emissions, reduces noise, and turns public transport into a real alternative to cars. It connects with regional rail and airport links within a multimodal framework aligned with the EU Green Deal.
Key Highlights
“La Verde” combines BRT efficiency with trolleybus sustainability through innovations such as IMC technology, a smart-grid depot, and real-time fleet monitoring. The 2022 relaunch revised core assumptions: higher frequency all day and an extended segregated lane over almost the entire route.
Passenger experience has been revolutionised by contactless payment via credit card and on-board app, as well as a comprehensive CCTV network covering vehicles and the entire corridor. This system has greatly increased perceived safety and helped revitalise an urban area previously abandoned to decay.
The project demonstrates that medium-sized cities can deliver world-class electric mobility when technology and urban planning work hand in hand.
Facts & Figures
- CO₂ reduction: -45 % vs methane buses
- Noise reduction: -30%
- Private car entries into Pescara: -12% daily
- Ridership: from 5,000 to 8,000 daily (+60 %)
- Revenue stream: +20 % since launch
- Fleet availability: 95%
- Customer satisfaction: 92% positive (October 2025)
