VANCOUVER — Ontario is becoming easier for you to discover while The Rock is, well, rock bottom in terms of getting people and goods around.

That’s what the Fraser Institute says, anyway, in a new peer-reviewed study that compares the transportation infrastructure of the 10 Canadian provinces.

The well-respected libertarian, free-market think tank concludes that Ontario has the best all-round transportation system in Canada while Newfoundland and B.C. have the worst.

Ontario is followed closely by Nova Scotia in second spot and Quebec in third, while Saskatchewan also faired poorly, ranking slightly ahead of British Columbia and Newfoundland.

"A province’s transportation system is a critical factor in fostering a positive investment climate and facilitating economic growth and prosperity," said David T. Hartgen, emeritus professor of transportation studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and lead author of Transportation Performance of Canadian Provinces.

Newfoundland’s geographical isolation from North America contributed to its low ranking, according to the study. It did, however, fair better when it came to trucking safety and the quality of roads.

Ontario ranked only fourth for overall freight infrastructure,
but scored best in all the trucking measurables

The study also noted that the province’s Marine Atlantic ferry system is extremely expensive, costing federal and provincial governments $60 per person, per trip.

Ontario got top overall marks thanks to its passenger-related infrastructure, but it was Nova Scotia that the Fraser Institute determined was the best province for freight movement, mainly due to its robust rail and marine transport systems.

New Brunswick, also noted for its "superior rail service," came in second for freight transportation, followed by B.C., which only ranked ninth in passenger infrastructure. Ontario was fourth in freight.

Hartgen’s study looked at the extent, use, accessibility, cost, safety, and condition of each of different modes of transportation in each province. Two categories of transportation performance were assessed: passenger transportation (highway, transit, air, and ferry service) and freight transportation (highway, air, rail, and marine service) in each jurisdiction.

"Given that the overall transportation performance scores of many provinces are close, policy changes or changes in traffic could change results, suggesting a continuing tight contest for top honors in the future," he said.

TRUCK TRAFFIC MEASURABLES:

Hartgen notes that eastern provinces generally rate higher than western provinces since they typically have higher traffic levels per unit of system or service and higher levels of accessibility through more extensive networks and less accident rates.

BC has nearly double the truck fatality
rate of the next worst crash-prone province.

Solely in terms of consolidated truck freight performance, Ontario scores best based on its relatively high truck-related trade with the U.S., low accident rate, and high truck use of major highways (placing first in all three categories). The province is followed by Quebec and Manitoba.

Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, and PEI share the fourth place rating, since their data is combined. Alberta and Saskatchewan have the lowest ratings, based on low truck use of major roads, limited truck-related trade, and relatively high accident rates. (Low use, however, might mean unused capacity, which could attract business, offsetting system efficiencies, according to the study).

Although heavy trucks are involved in less than half of fatal accidents, the study notes, fatal collision rates are a useful measure of truck-related safety. B.C. was ranked the worst in this regard, recording 4.8 truck-related fatalities per million tons of freight. That’s compared to Ontario at 1.67 and N.B. and N.S. both at 2.15, respectively.

B.C., which is nearly two points higher than the next worst crash-prone province (Sask 2.54), also placed 10th in passenger fatality rates.

The complete study, provincial rankings, and profiles of individual provinces are available at the Fraser Institute’s website. Click here.