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
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
'Repetitive partisan conduct': Conservatives to force vote on ousting Speaker Greg Fergus
The federal Conservatives have advanced a motion that will force MPs to vote on whether to oust Greg Fergus as House of Commons Speaker, after MPs' deputy adjudicator ruled Monday that the Liberal member's allegedly errant partisan event invite required urgent attention.
Trial for B.C. man accused of killing, dismembering wife begins
The trial for a Langley man accused of killing his wife began Monday, with the prosecutor laying out a disturbing series of facts agreed upon by both Crown and defence.
Stars roar back to win Game 3 over Oilers
Jason Robertson's hat-trick goal midway through the third period broke a deadlock and proved to be the eventual winner as the Dallas Stars beat the host Edmonton Oilers 5-3 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final to take a 2-1 series lead.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
WATCH Alta. man rescues wild foal trapped on steep cliffside
A man's daring rescue of a newborn wild foal that was trapped after falling down a steep embankment was caught on video over the weekend.
Severe thunderstorms, tornado watch in some areas of Canada. Here's where
Depending on where you live, you can expect to get a mixed bag of weather this week, as local forecasts predict heavy rain, strong wind, severe thunderstorms and even snowfall across some areas of Canada.
B.C. senior prepares to move due to devastating effects of fraud
A Courtenay, B.C., senior is downsizing and packing to move as she comes to accept she can no longer afford to stay in her home, after falling victim to a scam that robbed her of her life savings worth more than $100,000.
Israel close to approving Gaza reunification program before Rafah invasion: Miller
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Israel seemed to be on the verge of approving a program to get Palestinian relatives of Canadians out of the Gaza Strip before the country's invasion of the town of Rafah.