Jacques Rochon, Director, Highway Policy

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Transport Canada Update Presentation to the
Canada-U.S. TBWG Burlington, VT, June 10, 2003

• Jacques Rochon, Director, Highway Policy

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Outline

• Context
• Border Issues Progress Challenges
• Border Infrastructure Progress to date
• Windsor
• Ontario Niagara Region Blue Water Bridge
• B.C. Lower Mainland Improvements
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Border Infrastructure Proposals
• New Brunswick
• Alberta Manitoba
• Sault St. Marie
• TBWG Action Plan
• Conclusions

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Context

• Smart Border Declaration Framework remains
  effective framework for ensuring border both
  secure efficient
• Need to sustain effort as border initiatives
  implemented
• Ridge/Manley met on April 7, 2003 and discussed
• Need to coordinate advance notification
  requirements
• Joint collaboration on entry/exit systems
• Minister Collenette unveiled Straight Ahead in
  February 2003
• A 10-year strategic vision for transportation in
  Canada
• Straight Ahead key border commitments
• Enhance secure and efficient flows along
  corridors and at border gateways
• Establish a streamlined federal approval process
  for authorizing new international bridges and
  tunnels.

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Progress Border Processes

• Railways, CCRA, and CBP agreed on a Declaration
  of Principles governing rail clearance in April
  2003
• Advance Notification Requirements?
• Canada-U.S. Air Preclearance Agreement brought
  into force on May 2, 2003
• CCRA and CBP announced FAST and NEXUS expansion
  in May 2003

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Progress BIMWG

• A Bi-national Infrastructure and Modeling Working
  Group has been established
• A follow up to the September 2002 announcement by
  the President and Prime Minister
• BIMWG falls under Shared Border Accord Process
• Involves CCRA, CIC, TC, Infrastructure Canada,
  U.S. CBP (DHS), FHWA, GSA, and BSPC
• BIMWG will enhance coordination between federal
  transportation and border inspection agencies on
  border infrastructure and modeling matters
• TBWG can complement BIMWG and other Groups
• e.g. Identifying border data inputs for border
  modeling

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Challenges Border Processes

• Entry/Exit Control Systemsdiscussed by
  Ridge/Manley
• U.S. VISIT will encompass entry/exit systems and
  require biometrics
• Advance notification requirements still under
  consideration
• Security screening for transportation workers
  e.g. drivers

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Border Infrastructure Progress to Date

• Windsor
• Why Windsor? Answer it accounts for
• 25 of cross-border truck volumes
• 30 of 192B Cdn exports 38 of 170B Cdn
  imports to/from U.S.
• July 2002 Short-term traffic management projects
  announced (880K)
• Canada and Ontario announced package of
  improvements on May 27
• Includes physical infrastructure, ITS, CVPC and
  other elements
• Canada-U.S. Ontario Michigan Bi-national
  Transportation Partnership
• Partnership developing a long-term border
  transportation strategy for Windsor/Detroit
  gateway
• Accelerated Bi-national study will meet U.S. and
  Canadian environmental requirements (i.e. U.S.
  NEPA, OEAA and CEAA)

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Border Infrastructure Progress to Date

• Canada and Ontario announced 325 million on May
  21 for 14 projects to improve border
  infrastructure and access in the Niagara and
  Sarnia regions.
• The Queenston-Lewiston Bridge
• 51 million will be invested, in partnership
  with NFBC, to build a new dedicated truck lane on
  Highway 405 and on the bridge
• Peace Bridge
• 42 million for four projects, in partnership
  with PBA. These include
• security and technology enhancements
• CVPC upgrades.
• Toll booth relocation from the U.S. to Canada
• Relocation of inspection facilities on Canadian
  sides
• Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW)
• The QEW, the main trade corridor leading to
  Niagara, will be widened to 6 lanes in key
  segments at a cost of 108 million

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Border Infrastructure Progress to Date

• Blue Water Bridge/Sarnia
• The second busiest fastest growing truck
  crossing along Canada-U.S. border
• 110 million will be targeted towards
• Improvements to 20 km of Highway 402
• Operational improvements such as new lighting and
  variable message signs to be installed on Highway
  402 near the bridge.
• Bridge security enhancements, in partnership with
  Point Edward Village.
• Highway 402 expansion to accommodate a dedicated
  commercial lane
• Highway 401 expansion to six lanes and
  interchange improvements near London

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Border Infrastructure Progress to Date

• QuebecLacolle/Highway 15
• In July 2002, Canada and Quebec committed 75
  million for border and highway infrastructure
  improvements along the Quebec/NY Corridor,
  including
• Upgrades to Highway 15, including improved safety
  measures such as enhanced signage and lighting
• construction of a truck safety inspection area at
  Lacolle (northbound), as well as dedicated lanes
  to improve access to U.S. Customs inspection
  booths and
• ITS deployment for commercial vehicles, and
  installation of a traffic camera.

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Border Infrastructure Progress to Date

• B.C. Lower Mainland
• In March 2003, Canada, BC and Vancouver announced
  211 million for
• Twinning of Highways 10 15
• Major infrastructure improvements on Highways 11,
  91, 91A, and Knight Street
• TC and BC MOT set aside 32 Million for border
  infrastructure improvements in November 2002
• Projects included an ITS Commercial Vehicle
  Operations lane, NEXUS lanes, an Advance Traveler
  Information System (ATIS), and road/interchange
  improvements
• Projects represent a total of 243 million in
  investment and will provide improved access to
  the Pacific Highway, Peace Arch, Huntingdon
  Aldergrove crossings
• Saskatchewan
• Canada and Saskatchewan will provide 10 million
  for improvements to Highway 39, leading to the
  North Portal border crossing.

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Summary Infrastructure Investments
Region Combined Contribution
Windsor 300 Million
Niagara Sarnia 325 Million
Quebec Lacolle/A-15 75 Million
Saskatchewan North Portal/Hwy 39 10 Million
B.C. Lower Mainland 243 Million
Total to date 953 Million
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Border Infrastructure Proposals

• New Brunswick
• St. Stephen Crossing/Route 1
• Construct of a new international bridge across
  the St.Croix River at the western end of the new
  Route 1 highway.
• Build 24 kms of four-lane highway bypassing the
  town of St.Stephen with associated grade
  separations and structures.
• Woodstock Crossing/Route 95
• Upgrade 12 kms of Route 95 to four-lanes from
  Woodstock to the border (Route 95 provides the
  connection between the Trans Canada and the U.S.
  Interstate system).
• Quebec
• MTQ has submitted proposals for consideration

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Border Infrastructure Proposals

• Manitoba Emerson
• Phase One make short-term operational highway
  improvements at the Emerson CCRA facility
• Phase Two undertake study to assess long-term
  infrastructure needs and implement recommended
  improvements.
• Alberta Coutts
• Twinning and improvements to Highway 4 at the
  Coutts border crossing
• Elements include highway 4 realignment including
  additional lanes, constructing a new service
  road and a trucking parking area.
• Sault Ste. Marie
• New route from the Trans-Canada to the
  International Bridge crossing in Sault Ste.
  Marie, Ontario

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TC Border Objectives

• TC efforts on land border initiatives focus on
  three key objectives
• Improving Bi-National Planning and Coordination
• Supporting efficient border processes
• Border Infrastructure Improvements.
• The TBWG supports all of these objectives,
  particularly Bi-national planning
• Our collective task should be to identify a few
  key public goods for our Action Plan

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TBWG Action Plan

• Action Plan Update
• Compendium of Border Infrastructure Needs
  Assessments
• NY DOT lead
• Input submitted by provinces, states and
  inspection agencies
• Objective develop a comprehensive database of
  border infrastructure needs to inform TEA-21
  reauthorization process infrastructure planning
  efforts
• Next Steps Discuss finalization, applications,
  and ongoing maintenance
• Border Data
• Border data workshop held in Newton, Mass April
  28-May 1, 2003
• Collaborative effort Ontario, TC, FHWA and EBTC
• Objective impart better understanding of 1999
  National Roadside Survey/EBTC database and its
  uses
• Next Steps Identify possible Action Items
  related to border transit times /performance
  measures, NRS and BIMWG complementarity

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Action Plan (Contd)

• Border Technology
• TBWG Workshop on Intelligent Transportation
  Systems border-related Research and Development
  opportunities
• Objective/Next Steps identify ITS RD projects
  with border applications
• Enhancing Interagency Coordination
• Objective discuss relationship of TBWG to groups
  such as the BIMWG continue to share information
  regarding planning processes
• Information Clearinghouse
• FHWA developing TBWG website with input of TC,
  TBWG members
• Objective serve as online resource on
  Canada-U.S. bi-national planning and developments
  of common interest
• Next Steps Provide input and identify products
  (e.g. compendium) to FHWA/TC that could serve as
  content

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Conclusions

• Progress has been made but we must sustain our
  efforts
• Information sharing will remain a key TBWG role
• Critical as we move towards implementation of
  measures
• TBWG will continue to involve stakeholders
• Open to suggestions involvement of particular
  stakeholders
• Action Plan TBWG will continue to identify and
  work on public goods of interest to a wide
  range of players
• Next TBWG meeting in December 2003
• Thank you.