Trucking associations unveil infrastructure wish list
TORONTO, Ont. – The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) and its partners at provincial trucking associations have unveiled a wish list of infrastructure priorities that could improve road-based trade.
The need to invest in truck parking and border capabilities is among them.
“The availability of adequate truck parking is more critical than ever,” the alliance says in the 2019-2020 Infrastructure Priorities Report, referring to a pending mandate for electronic logging devices (ELDs). “The federal government needs to explore with the provinces potential solutions and develop a strategy on truck parking for Canada’s national highway system.”
The call for funding also includes support for Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) IT systems and staff alike.
“We realize funding required to upgrade these outdated systems is significant, but such an investment is dwarfed by the immediate and long-term damage the economy would suffer if these investments are not made,” the alliance says. “Ongoing staffing shortages appear to be getting worse, thickening the border, and impeding the facilitation of cross-border commerce. As a result, the Canadian cross-border business community is forced to brace for unprecedented disruptions and weakening of the Canadian supply chain.”
Some items on the list include the need to invest in specific highway projects.
In Quebec and Atlantic Canada, the focus is on Route 185 from Saint-Antonin to Saint-Loui-du-Ha! Ha!; and Highway 85/Road 185 between Riviere-du-Loup, Que., and Edmundston, N.B.
“If completed, this would connect all of Eastern Canada with four-lane highways from Halifax to Toronto,” the report says. “Upgrading Highway 185 – often cited as one of the most dangerous highways in Canada – should markedly improve safety.”
The upgrades would also make it possible to run long combination vehicles (LCVs) from Halifax to Toronto.
One of the focuses for Ontario is linked to the need to expand Greater Toronto Area highways along the 401 corridor.
“Portions of the 401 in the GTA are also among the busiest stretches of highway in North America – and perhaps the busiest overall for commercial vehicle activity in North America,” the report says. “It is recommended that the federal government explore innovative strategies with the province and municipalities to reduce congestion, improve redundancy around Pearson Airport, improve access to GTA intermodal yards, and expand Hwy. 401.”
Another top priority for Northern Ontario is redundancy at key bridges and expanded lanes along highways 11 and 17.
“Every day, commercial vehicles carry $100 million in goods over the Nipigon Bridge alone. However, as the bridge’s unexpected closure in 2016 demonstrated, lack of redundancy and capacity along key trade routes in Northern Ontario can have serious impacts on domestic trade.”
Key projects in Manitoba include the Headingly Bypass, St. Norbert Bypass, Chief Peguis Extension to Route 90, widening Kenaston Boulevard in Winnipeg, and grade-separated changes for PTH 100. The latter highway alone handles 25,000 vehicles per day.
For Saskatchewan, the focus is on the need for passing lines on Hwy. 16 from Clavet to the Manitoba border. There’s a need for rest areas and pullouts on Highway 1, too.
A North Eastern Corridor to Fort MacMurray, and the twinning of Hwy. 40 and the Wapiti Bridge in the Grande Prairie Area, were cited as needs for Alberta. The Wapiti Bridge handles 9,060 vehicles per day, and commercial traffic accounts for half of that.
Proposed projects in B.C. involve the need for six lanes on Hwy. 1 from Hope to 264 Street in Langley, and replacing the George Massey Tunnel in Metro Vancouver.
The groups have cited recent investments as steps in the right direction.
More than $53 million in federal funding for Highways 6 and 39 between Regina and Estevan, Sask., was announced last November. And the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry recently recommended infrastructure upgrades to Highway 185 from Saint-Antonin to Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, Alberta Highway 40, and improvements to border infrastructure.
“CTA is pleased to see trucking and road-based infrastructure recognized for the essential role they play in moving our nation’s economy,” said Jonathan Blackham, director of policy and public affairs.
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Quote:
“The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) and its partners at provincial trucking associations ”
Let’s cut the jargon and keep it very simple : You mean to say : CARRIERS !
And you have a “WISH list” . LOL !
Ok let’s look at the definition of the word “wish” .
Quote:
“feel or express a strong desire or hope for something that is not easily attainable; want something that cannot or probably will not happen.”
Wow , now how realistic is that ? Are we 3 years old here and “wishing” for a pony on our birthday ? Or are we sitting on “Santa Clause’s lap or is it the tooth fairy ? LOL ! And these people want us to take them seriously ? LMAO !
“wishing” certainly doesn’t make you come across as realistic nor very mature , much less as professional . The CTA has just declared that they live in la la land , in my humble opinion .
Quote:
“The federal government needs to explore with the provinces potential solutions and develop a strategy on truck parking for Canada’s national highway system.”
You’re talking about FUNDING !
So you’re asking for TAX DOLLARS to be ALLOCATED to YOUR needs , cough, POTENTIALLY ! And where are they going to get those POTENTIAL TAX DOLLARS FROM ?
You manipulated government to regulate speed limiters FOR YOUR FUEL COST CUTTING BENEFIT on CMV’s which were consuming more fuel at higher speeds and thus contributing to fuel taxes of which a portion was being spent on infrastructure improvement !
Now you ask that government spend more on infrastructure to cater to your needs while they are taking in less fuel taxes . You also asked government , cough , manipulated them to regulate more stringent training at the tax payers expense to cater to your needs , in the name of safety due to your poor judgement in flooding the industry with drivers that you intended to dupe from a different culture whom do things differently than our culture and thus became your competition .
You keep shooting yourselves in the foot and then ask tax payers to pay for your mistakes . You can’t have your cake and eat it too !
Now you’re asking “government” aka tax payers to expand parking while your cohorts plan on replacing drivers with autonomous trucks shortly . Do we look like we were born yesterday ?
In other words you mismanaged and continue to mismanage and keep asking for others to manage for you .
Let’s make this simple and just admit that you are incompetent in managing your affairs .
-You don’t know how to hedge your fuel costs .
-You certainly don’t know how to increase potential truck driver interest in your own country into joining the trade .
-You certainly don’t know how to pay a driver a fair wage for the risk they take in their trade and thus force them into competing with you .
– And you definitely don’t know how to structure the industry for maximum efficiency .
Then you come up with the autonomous truck idea to replace those that helped you build your business and serve consumers , aka drivers , and ask that more “parking ” be created on Canada’s highways to cater to driver needs .
ROTFLMAO !
So why don’t truck drivers ,the ultimate back bone in the trucking industry ,simply take over and create a truck drivers federation and literally organize the industry in a way that would BENEFIT the tax payers and themselves instead of enduring you manipulate government to continuously milk them into catering to profit generating businesses who lack an ethical and professional savoir fair ?
That would solve the problem AT YOUR EXPENSE due to your lack of knowledge concerning proper MANAGEMENT !!!
And where is “government” in all this ??? Do they really need a public relations group controlled by CARRIERS to tell them what is required to improve circulation ??? Does government not see and use the public road ways as well ? Or are they just sleeping at the helm as well ?
Then if that is the case as it appears to be , government is incompetent as well and needs to be replaced .
Interestingly enough , it appears that not only drivers need to desperately be schooled but government as well . Oh yeah , and all in the name of public safety , of course !
Pardon my cockiness , I’ve been brought up by government , and educated in corporate behaviour .
The more the people pay in taxes the more their services are diminishing .
Since we now have to cash ourselves out at the “store” and bag our own goods in our own bags , why don’t we simply take over and own the “store” as a people aka government ?
Are we going to have to carry our own asphalt and fill pot holes caused by Carriers next ?
Stay tuned , exploitation on this planet is certainly not coming to an end , yet ! Until the “people” decide enough is enough !
In my humble opinion ………………….