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
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'