Public feedback wanted for Windsor truck route study
The City of Windsor is moving into the third phase of its truck route study in an ongoing effort to help modernize and update the truck route network to adapt to changing city requirements.
City officials said the study will recommend an updated truck route network that better meets the needs of both residents and stakeholders. This is to ensure goods can be moved efficiently and safely to support economic activity and provide essential and valuable services, while also minimizing or managing the negative externalities of goods movement to provide a good quality of life for the community.
“We haven't done an update on our truck road study in a number of years,” said Shawna Boakes, Windsor’s executive director of operations.
Phase three involves public consultations which are scheduled to take place next week.
“What we want to look at is the development in the area. Has anything changed? Are there missing links? Are there links that shouldn't be there? Basically just update it to today's environment in the city,” she said.
Boakes added, “We’re looking for their thoughts on where the trucks are right now versus where they should be, where they could be. Some of the information that we can pass along is why we have certain routes in different places by you know, we're definitely looking for their input as well.”
Two draft network options are being proposed with option one applying to all trucks over 4,500 kg or more gross weight with select limited hours routes, such as only during the daytime hours.
Option two proposes a dual-tier network:
- Primary routes for all trucks over 4,500 kg (as per the current by-law)
- Secondary routes restricted to smaller trucks (for example, a maximum of four axles) which would help reduce "cut-through" trips by larger trucks, while still guiding access for smaller vehicles
“One [option] is just a straight up truck route, and that's where any and all trucks could be,” Boakes told CTV News Windsor. “The other option is looking at some limitations. It could be time limited, it could be axle limited. Those are the kinds of things that we're playing around with in those options.”
She continued, “We do have to allow for trucks to get to where they're going. You know, we can't shut down existing businesses by not allowing them to through there, but at least if we can keep the trucks close enough to a major truck route and then they can just peel off for their final destinations, that's what we really want to look at.”
Ford City BIA Chair, Shane Potvin said having transport trucks taken off Drouillard Road has been a long advocated for concern.
“This is a pretty important topic for us here specifically,” Potvin said. “This has been on our minds for 10 plus years.”
Potvin noted, “If we can reduce it to just the traffic of trucks that need to get to where they're going, which will unfortunately always be the case. That's a win for us.”
The study is being conducted by Arcadis, an experienced company in goods movement and truck route studies across Ontario.
The first public drop-in consultation event will take place on April 29 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at John Muir Library, located at 363 Mill St. in Windsor.
The second event will take place on April 30 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the WFCU Centre (Michigan/Superior/Huron room), located at 8787 McHugh St.
The truck route study started in July 2023 and is expected to be finished later this spring.
An online questionnaire is also available for the public to provide feedback.
— With files from AM800 News
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976871.1721873052!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
DEVELOPING Jasper updates: Wildfire reaches townsite
One of two wildfires threatening Jasper National Park has reached the townsite.
Alberta calls in army to assist with wildfire situation
Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Vacations, meals, booze: Contractor used $100K of charity's money for personal expenses, B.C. court finds
A B.C. man who was hired to help a non-profit build a food hub but instead spent the money on personal expenses – including travel, restaurants, booze and cannabis – has been ordered to pay more than $120,000 in damages.
Male, female killed, 2 others injured in 'gun battle' outside Toronto plaza: police
Two people are dead and two others suffered serious injuries following a shooting that police have described as a 'gun battle' outside a plaza in Scarborough, Ont. early Wednesday morning.