Thunder Bay Council delays new truck route

by Truck News

TORONTO, Ont.  — The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) urged the Thunder Bay City Council last night to consider postponing a ratification vote to create a new truck route until a detailed and comprehensive analysis of safety data and traffic flow impacts can be made.

City Council voted 7-5 in favor of deferring the ratification vote, which would have effectively banned trucks from Dawson Road and Arthur Streets and diverted them to a truck route along Highway 11/17 and the Thunder Bay Expressway.

The next ratification vote for the new truck route will be re-tabled in early March.

“It’s very clear that all members of Council are passionate about this issue and want to do what is best for the safety of the road-traveling public and the citizens of Thunder Bay. However, to make the best policy decision, you need to take into account the most accurate information, looking at all the factors involved when establishing a municipal truck route,” said OTA president Stephen Laskowski. “In the opinion of OTA, Thunder Bay City Council needs more information, including a comprehensive traffic flow and safety analysis that would identify any possible unintended safety consequences of creating this new truck route…OTA has always been told this issue is about truck speed. If that is indeed the case, making Arthur Street and Dawson Road a community safety zone, enforced by photo radar, seems to be a very viable option for Council to consider.”


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  • This idea of diverting all truck traffic down the so called Thunder Bay “expressway”is a huge mistake! This is a roadway with many traffic lights, no center median or divider, and a 90 kLM speed limit. This is a recipe for many disasters. There are no yellow flashing lights warning drivers, the traffic lights are about turn turn red. Transport Trucks don’t stop like a car or pickup truck. If council goes through with this, there will be many more fatalities in this city due to transport trucks than ever before.
    Stop this plan before it kills many people.

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