No. H076/02For release - July 11, 2002
TORONTO — Federal Transport Minister David Collenette and Ontario Minister of Transportation Norm Sterling today announced an $880,000 joint investment to ease traffic congestion on Huron Church Road in Windsor, and improve the efficiency of the Windsor-Detroit gateway.
The funding announced today will allow for implementation of four projects recommended by the City of Windsor to improve the flow of cross-border traffic through the community. Mr. Collenette and Mr. Sterling said they would continue to work with the City of Windsor to ease traffic congestion.
"The Government of Canada recognizes the need to improve the efficiency of Canada's busiest border crossing while minimizing the impact on the Windsor community," said Mr. Collenette. "By working collaboratively with the province and the city, this investment will help to immediately reduce traffic congestion and facilitate cross-border trade, and we will continue to work together to address these issues in the short and long-term."
"Ontario is committed to supporting the efficient operation of the Windsor-Detroit Gateway," said Transportation Minister Norm Sterling. "We will continue to work with the community and our federal and municipal partners to improve traffic flow in the community and at the border."
The governments of Canada and Ontario will invest $880,000 in four projects in the City of Windsor that will help relieve traffic congestion on the Huron Church Road/Highway 3 corridor. These projects include:
Upgrading vehicle detection video equipment to adjust traffic signal timing to current conditions;
Installing an incident management video system to monitor traffic conditions to assist emergency service response;
Converting existing traffic lights to light emitting diode signals, which require less maintenance, to provide improved visibility for more efficient traffic flow, and
Implementing data collection systems to allow for better traffic planning activities by revising and updating signal timing and providing more accurate data on traffic peak periods, vehicle classification and lane use.
This represents an initial investment to help deal with immediate congestion challenges. The governments of Canada and Ontario will work with the city and industry to identify other practical short-term solutions to help ease traffic congestion.
"The Government of Canada is working with the province, the City of Windsor, and Essex County to respond to the concerns of the local community," said Susan Whelan, MP for Essex and Minister for International Cooperation. "We will continue to work with all levels of government to develop short and long-term solutions to address traffic congestion challenges in the region."
"I heard about the urgent need to improve traffic flow up to and across this vital economic link during the Ontario Automotive Roundtable I hosted in May," said Jim Flaherty, Ontario Minister of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation."This is a good step in the implementation of our government's Automotive Action Plan. It's also an example of our partners in the automotive industry working co-operatively with all levels of government to develop creative solutions."
A Bi-National Planning, Needs and Feasibility Study is currently underway to identify, evaluate and select alternatives to expand capacity at the Windsor-Detroit gateway. This is a partnership between governments on both sides of the border to address the long-term challenges at the gateway. This process will be complemented by the short-term actions, such as the projects announced today, to address immediate traffic congestion issues.
The governments of Canada and Ontario are committed to ensuring the safe, secure and efficient passage of people and goods across its borders. International crossings are critical to trade, tourism and economic growth in Ontario and Canada.
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Contacts:
Anthony PolciDirector of CommunicationsOffice of the Minister, Ottawa(613) 991-0700
Bob NicholsMTO CommunicationsTel.: (416) 327-1158Fax: (416) 327-2200
Bill ParishMinister Sterling's OfficeTel: (416) 327-9200Fax: (416) 327-9188
For more information visit www.mto.gov.on.ca
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at www.tc.gc.ca/e-news and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.
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BACKGROUNDER
CANADA AND ONTARIO JOIN FORCES TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW AT THE WINDSOR-DETROIT GATEWAY
Transport Minister David Collenette and Ontario's Minister of Transportation Norm Sterling announced their commitment to work together with the City of Windsor and industry on short- and medium-term strategies to ease traffic congestion, reduce community impacts and improve the efficiency of the Windsor-Detroit gateway.
The governments of Canada and Ontario will invest $880,000 in four projects recommended by the City of Windsor that will help ease immediate congestion problems on the Huron Church Road/Highway 3 corridor. These projects include:
Vehicle Detection Upgrading to optimize signalized intersections using video equipment on Huron Church Road. This will minimize stops and delays and provide more efficient use of green time and better signal progression for northbound and southbound traffic. This work is expected to be completed within six months.
Incident Management Video System to provide the ability to monitor traffic conditions and allow for changing of timing plans when required. It would allow for enhanced response from traffic, police and fire department staff. This is expected to be in place within six months.
Light Emitting Diode (L.E.D.) signals to provide improved visibility for more efficient traffic flow, and reduce maintenance. This project will replace incandescent signal bulbs with LED lenses and is expected to be completed within six months.
Data Collection Systems will allow for better decision-making for future traffic planning activities by revising and updating signal timing, providing more accurate data on peak traffic periods, vehicle classifications and lane use. These systems would be in place in six locations and will be completed within six months.
Huron Church Road/Highway 3 Corridor
Huron Church Road is owned and operated by the City of Windsor and, under a connecting link agreement with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO), is eligible for 75 per cent capital funding from the Province of Ontario.
The roadway link between Highway 401 and the Ambassador Bridge consists of a 6-km section of Huron Church Road and a 4-km section of Highway 3, owned and operated by the Ministry of Transportation.
Windsor-Detroit Gateway
There are 14 international land border crossings between Ontario and the United States. In 2000, approximately 55 million vehicles used these crossings (two-way volume).
The Windsor-Detroit gateway is Canada's busiest commercial crossing handling almost 30 per cent of Canada-U.S. truck traffic. On average, this represented over 10,000 trucks per day in 2000.
Over 20 million vehicles, both commercial and passenger, crossed the border in Windsor-Detroit in 2000.
Bi-National Planning Study
The Bi-National Planning, Needs and Feasibility Study has been initiated to assess medium and long-term needs and transportation alternatives, and to identify options for additional border crossing capacity. This study is a partnership between the governments of Canada, United States, Ontario and Michigan. The objective of the planning process is to improve the Canada/U.S. border in the Windsor-Detroit area, including improved connections to national, provincial and regional transportation systems, such as Highway 401 and Interstate 75. This study is the first stage of an integrated planning and environmental process and is expected to take about 18-24 months to complete. There will be opportunities for public agencies, stakeholders and the general public to provide input into the process. All alternatives, including further upgrades to Huron Church Road, will be considered in this planning process.
July 2002
