The Impact of Truck Routes, Roundabouts and LCVs on Goods Movement Stephen Laskowski Senior Vice President Ontario Trucking Association November 1, 2013
What Trucking Means to Communities in Ontario • It is estimated that more than 95% of the goods moved within Ontario depend on truck transportation, either solely, or as part of a truck-rail intermodal shipment. • There are between 175,000 - 200,000 trucks on Ontario roads any given day. • Trucking is a major employer in Ontario —over 200,000 people make their livelihood in the trucking sector. Source: Statistics Canada and Transport Canada
What is a Truck Route? A ‘Truck Route’ is the set or network of roads or streets that a local government has formally designated for certain trucks to use when traveling through or within their jurisdiction. • Truck route planning promotes the safe and efficient movement of goods in and around a community.
Why Establish a Truck Route? Truck route planning promotes the safe and efficient movement of goods in and around a community. Results: A Truck Route Can: • Help trucks to avoid inappropriate residential streets • Increased safety on residential streets. • Reduce traffic congestion • Reduced cost to residents for shipped goods. • Increase logistics options • Improve economic competitiveness • Provides strong foundation for economic growth. • Increase attractiveness of industrial sites at major distribution points
Key Considerations When Planning a Truck Route Special issues to consider when establishing a truck route include: • Anticipation, planning and incorporation of future development needs. • Development of off-peak deliveries program in key commercial areas. • Identifying the businesses served by trucks. • Location of current trucking companies within the municipality. • Incorporation into and/or modification of major thoroughfare plan. • Consideration of the traffic impacts to surrounding roads if truck traffic is restricted to a single road. • Development of freight-supportive land use guidelines. • Development of the plan as part of regional approach to moving goods.
For a More Detailed Look at Truck Route Planning See:
Roundabouts Roundabouts on the rise in Ontario • A number of existing intersections and roads in new developments have increasingly incorporated roundabouts as an alternative means of traffic control. • Traffic engineers and designers have embraced roundabouts due to their safety and operational performance.
Roundabouts and Commercial Vehicles As the number of roundabouts increases in Ontario, commercial vehicle operators will more and more be required to manoeuvre through them. • Specific design features that make the roundabout attractive can be problematic to commercial vehicle operators. • Failure to properly account for commercial vehicle traffic in their design often results in damage to vehicles and fixed objects.
Considering Commercial Vehicles in Roundabout Design Example: Off-Tracking • Large vehicles need more space when driving in a roundabout. A truck apron is a paved area on the inside of the roundabout for the rear wheels of large trucks to use when turning.
Examples of Considerations for Commercial Vehicles in roundabout Design Numerous modifications can be made that allow commercial vehicles to be accommodated within a roundabout including: • Widened entry and exit lanes - On single-lane roundabouts with anticipated significant commercial vehicle traffic, commercial vehicle operators may require wider entries to enter the roundabout. Extra turning space can be added by using hatching within the entry and exit lanes providing space for wider right turns . • Truck aprons - Used on the central island to provide an additional paved area to allow off-tracking of commercial vehicles without compromising the deflection of smaller vehicles. Where aprons are used, they should be designed so that they are traversable by commercial vehicles, but discourage passenger vehicles from using them . • Bypass lanes – Used to allow commercial vehicles to entirely bypass the roundabout, passing through a larger radius curve. • Gates for pass through traffic – Used to provide a means by which an oversize/overlength commercial vehicle can pass entirely through the central island.
Roundabouts and Goods Movement • As cities and municipalities continue to construct roundabouts, authorities need to carefully consider the needs of commercial vehicles. • Poorly constructed roundabouts essentially serve as barriers to the movement of commercial goods.
Long Combination Vehicles (LCVs) Long combination vehicles (LCV) • in Ontario consist of two 53 foot (industry standard) semi-trailers being pulled by one tractor (power unit). Ontario’s LCV program, is a joint • private-public partnership between the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) and the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) operating since August 2009. Many Canadian jurisdictions and • US states have had LCV programs for decades.
Benefits of LCVs � LCVs have been found to provide economic and environmental benefits to the trucking industry including reduced operating costs and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. For example: 35% reduction in GHGs • Canadian studies on existing operations indicate LCVs are 25% to 30% more • efficient than standard tractor-trailers when moving the same freight volume. � By the numbers LCVs are perhaps the safest vehicles on the road. For Example: In 2012, there were only four on-road situations : One tire blow out (where the driver safely stopped alongside the media). • One driver medical emergency (no other vehicles involved). • Two side mirrors knocked off an LCV by a passing tractor trailer (local roads). •
LCVs in Ontario Approved origin/destination locations: 53 (+3) Program Participants • Brampton - 5 • Brantford - 1 - Permits issued to-date: 294 (+7) • Cambridge - 4 - Participating Carriers: 71 (+1) • Cardinal - 1 • Concord - 1 • LCV Trips (2013) • Cornwall - 4 • March - 2,418 trips (744,149 km) • Dorchester - 1 • April - 4,001 trips (1,241,535 km) • Leeds - 1 • May - 4,597 trips (1,435,178 km) • London - 2 (+1) • June - 4,129 trips (1,269,323 km) • Fort Erie - 1 • July - 4,637 trips (1,419,199 km) • Kingston - 3 • August - 4,613 trips (1,408,101 km) • Lakeshore (near Windsor) - 3 (+1) • September - 4,034 trips (1,243,382 km) • Mississauga - 15 • Oshawa - 1 (+1) • Total - 28,429 trips (8,760,866 km) • Prescott - 1 • Toronto - 6 • Grand Total (since August 2009) - 101,296 trips (32,392,584 km ) • Vaughan - 2 • Woodstock - 1
A Closer Look at Peel Region • Peel Region currently holds 40% of the Origin/Destination locations in Ontario, but handles around 55% of LCV volumes. • For Example, this year of the 28,617 one way trips made by LCVs, 55% have either Brampton or Mississauga as their origin or destination.
The Case for LCVs LCVs and Goods Movement Challenges Going Forward • LCVs are a more economic • A multi year plan is needed. and environmental way to • Expanding available permits. move goods. • Addressing these issues will • LCVs help to address driver allow carriers to make the shortages. necessary investments and further incorporate LCVs into their logistics planning. • LCVs improve supply chain efficiency.
Ontario Trucking Association 555 Dixon Road Toronto, ON M9W 1H8 Telephone: 416-249-7401 Fax: (866) 713-4188 Email: govaffairs@ontruck.org http://www.ontruck.org
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