Northern Ontario transportation task force interim report

Message from the co-chairs

 We are pleased to provide this Interim Report of the Northern Ontario Transportation Task Force to the Honourable Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. Having reached the halfway point of the Task Force’s term, the purpose of this interim report is to provide the minister with a status update on our work to date. We hope that the interim recommendations provided will help inform the ministry of our initial efforts to deliver on our core mandate of supporting the ongoing implementation of and any updates to Connecting the North: A draft transportation plan for Northern Ontario. As we move forward on producing a Final Report, strong attention is being given to how we can provide realistic, timely and actionable recommendations that can produce tangible results.

We would also like to take this time to thank each of the Task Force members for their continued efforts and dedication to the Task Force. As a group, we remain committed to helping improve Northern Ontario’s transportation system.

Sincerely,

October 2022 

Context

In December 2020, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO or the ministry) released Connecting the North: a draft transportation plan for Northern Ontario (Connecting the North). The draft plan includes 67 actions the ministry will take to improve Northern Ontario’s transportation system. The plan is a living document that is intended to be reviewed and updated to ensure that it continues to meet the transportation needs throughout the region.  

Action 10 in the draft plan commits to:

Establish a task force led by MTO with mayors, Indigenous communities and leadership to improve rail, bus and local transit services across Northern Ontario. The task force will focus on the transportation needs and opportunities in Northern Ontario with a strong emphasis on ensuring people can travel more efficiently and connect to critical services 

The Northern Ontario Transportation Task Force (the Task Force) was announced on January 21, 2022 by Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. The Task Force is intended to serve as a forum for local leaders to discuss transportation needs, challenges and opportunities facing Northern Ontario and provide recommendations to the minister on the Northern Ontario transportation network. These recommendations may include additions to be made to an updated Northern transportation plan, and advice on implementation of the actions outlined in Connecting the North. 

The Task Force’s objective is to ensure that the Ministry of Transportation’s plans and initiatives are informed by local priorities. Membership was selected to reflect the diverse voices within communities across Northern Ontario, and includes representation from Northern mayors, Indigenous Chiefs and other transportation leaders in the North. As an advisory group, members are participating on a voluntary basis, and act on behalf of themselves. The views set out in this report do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of affiliated organizations/communities.  

The Task Force members are:

• Danny Whalen (Co-Chair): President, Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) and Councillor, City of Temiskaming Shores
• Mayor Wendy Landry (Co-Chair): President, Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) and Mayor, Municipality of Shuniah
• Mayor Brian Bigger: Mayor of Greater Sudbury
• Mayor Daniel Reynard: Mayor of Kenora
• Mayor Dave Plourde: Mayor of Kapuskasing
• Mayor Doug Lawrance: Mayor of Sioux Lookout
• Mayor Johanne Baril: Mayor of the Municipality of Val Rita-Harty and President of NorthEastern Ontario Municipal Association
• Grand Chief Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh: Grand Council Treaty #3
• Melvin Hardy: Regional Deputy Grand Council Chief, Northern Superior Region, Anishinabek Nation
• Grand Chief Derek Fox: Nishnawbe Aski Nation
• Kevin Eshkawkogan: CEO of Indigenous Tourism Ontario
• Alan Spacek: Chair of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission
• Charles Cirtwill: President and CEO of the Northern Policy Institute
• Ron Bumstead: Owner, Bumstead Trucking

Status of the Northern Ontario Transportation Task Force

Meeting schedule and activities

The Task Force discussions are scheduled for a twelve-month period (February 2022 to February 2023). The Task Force expects to meet as a group approximately ten times over the course of the term. Task Force members and co-chairs have also engaged in several discussions and activities beyond group meetings. This includes frequent meetings between Task Force co-chairs and MTO staff, a formal member feedback survey on highway safety, as well as informal discussions among members to gather additional feedback, plan activities and share perspectives on priorities for consideration. This work has been crucial to producing this interim report and to the success of the Task Force to date. 

The Task Force has touched on a number of important topics, including road safety, commercial vehicle training, and the connection between transportation and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. These issues cannot be ignored and have a real and direct impact on the residents of Northern Ontario. 

In the first meeting, the Task Force identified priority transportation issues to be addressed in Northern Ontario and these priorities form the basis of each meeting topic outlined below. These priority issues were selected to help advance the overarching objectives and desired outcomes of the Task Force. For example, improving the safety of Northern Ontario’s Road network remains a key objective of this Task Force. Recognizing that road safety is multifaceted, the topics outlined below touch on different aspect of safety, including winter maintenance and capital planning, commercial truck driver training, as well as the need for improved broadband/cellular connectivity and network redundancy in Northern Ontario. 

Desired outcomes also include supporting economic development and improving transportation accessibility and equity in Northern Ontario, including though improving intercommunity transportation and connectivity to remote and Far North communities. Similar to road safety, these overarching objectives are touched on in several meeting topics. 

Four meetings have been held to date. 

Completed meetings:

1. Introduction (February 2022)
2. Highway safety and winter maintenance (March 2022)
3. Intercommunity bus and rail passenger transportation (July 2022)
4. Freight transportation and commercial truck driver training (August 2022) 

Planned future meetings:

5. Broadband and cellular (November 2022)
6. Far north (December 2022)
7. Emerging technologies (January 2023)
8. Active transportation, and economic development (February 2023) 

Purpose of Interim Report

This Interim Report is intended to provide the Minister of Transportation with a status update on the work of the Northern Ontario Transportation Task Force. The interim recommendations presented in this report are derived from meetings 1–4 of the Task Force. As will be the case in the Final Report, the recommendations proposed by the Task Force will require short-term and long-term actions by the MTO and other relevant bodies, and in some instances, follow-up and further engagement. 

The recommendations included here are not based on consensus but are representative of the diverse range of views on the Task Force. These recommendations are draft and may be subject to additional discussion and refinement. The Task Force may also consider setting out priorities amongst the recommendations in our Final Report. 

A key mandate of the Task Force is to support the implementation of actions outlined in Connecting the North. To draw connections to these goals, the interim recommendations are listed by the specific transportation topic and organized under the goals from Connecting the North, which are:

1. Getting people moving and connecting communities
2. Enabling economic opportunities
3. Keeping people safe and providing reliable transportation options
4. Preparing for the future
5. Maintaining a sustainable transportation system
6. Reliable travel options for remote and Far North communities

Please note that some of the goals in the plan may not be as present within these interim recommendations as they relate to topics that will be discussed at future meetings. Some of the interim recommendations could also apply to multiple goals.

The Task Force will provide a Final Report to the minister following the end of its term, outlining the complete list of recommendations on how to improve Northern Ontario’s transportation network. The Task Force remains committed to leveraging its members breadth of experience and perspectives to ensure that transportation initiatives in the North reflect local circumstances and build on the strengths and opportunities of the region.

Interim recommendations

Getting people moving and connecting communities (Goal 1 in Connecting the North) 

Passenger transportation planning

• Collaborate with the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) and other stakeholders in developing a comprehensive and coordinated plan to address gaps in intercommunity transportation services in Northern Ontario. Efforts should involve engagement with Indigenous, municipal and industry partners (for example, Ontario Works offices, Indigenous businesses and employment offices) to gather local and community-specific information on passenger transportation needs.
• Continue working collaboratively with ONTC to expedite the implementation of passenger rail service in Northern Ontario.
• Address gaps in intercommunity transportation in Northwestern Ontario, including through:
  • Expanding subsidized intercommunity passenger transportation in Northwestern Ontario and
  • Exploring opportunities to expedite passenger rail implementation through the expansion of short-line railways.
• Collaborate with municipalities and service providers to improve connection between municipal transportation networks and intercommunity transportation networks.
• Work with industry partners to improve coordination of the scheduling of health care appointments and transportation services.
• Explore solutions to maintain long-term affordability and financial sustainability of municipal transportation services without the support of the Community Transportation Grant Program. 

Transportation Funding

• Work with Indigenous communities and partners to improve funding to First Nation communities for intercommunity transportation and economic development (e.g., ensure funding programs consider driver and maintenance costs).
• Explore opportunities to improve the Community Transportation (CT) Grant Program, including through:
  • Increasing coordination between CT funding and existing bus routes and
  • Reducing bidding competition between municipalities for funding.
• Increase coordination between existing transportation funding programs offered by both the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Health.
• Collaborate with the Ministry of Health on opportunities to leverage the Northern Health Travel Grant for non-private auto modes.
• Provide funding to municipalities to maintain and manage traffic on municipally owned roads utilized for detours during temporary closures of Highway 11/17. 

Enabling economic opportunities (Goal 2 in Connecting the North) 

Goods Movement 

• Explore opportunities to make the transportation of nuclear waste in Northern Ontario safer.
• Explore opportunities to reduce multiple long combination vehicles or commercial vehicles from travelling in a convoy manner to improve road safety and driver comfort for all road users.
• Improve and expand rail freight service in Northern Ontario to reduce the volume of truck traffic on highways.

Keeping people safe and providing reliable transportation options (Goal 3 in Connecting the North)

Road Weather Information Systems

• Increase the number of Road Weather Information System (RWIS) stations, including mini-RWIS stations, to provide highway maintenance staff with the most up to date information to make informed winter maintenance decisions.
• Develop criteria to ensure that selected locations for new RWISs are in areas with the greatest need. Installation of new RWIS should also involve an assessment of the relative impact of these facilities on key performance indicators (e.g., length of road closures, fewer or less severe accidents). 

Winter Maintenance Contracts 

• Investigate potential discrepancies in winter maintenance outcomes across private contractors, and between private contractors and MTO staff, with the goal of increasing consistency in winter road maintenance across Northern Ontario. Where contractors are having difficulty meeting standards, potential causes should be evaluated (e.g., gaps in current contractual obligations, failure to meet contractual obligations, scarcity or lack of training of MTO highway inspectors).
• Continue to improve the highway winter maintenance contracting system by:
  • Increasing public oversight of private contractors;
  • Ensuring winter maintenance contracts include an obligation to pull information through the road weather information systems (RWIS);
  • Ensuring winter maintenance contractors are trained to use the RWIS platform effectively;
  • Exploring potential gaps in attracting and retaining highway maintenance staff;
  • Ensuring winter maintenance contractors are applying liquid anti-icing agent prior to a winter storm, including through an assessment of whether current, requirement to do so within 30 minutes of arrival of storm is sufficient to achieve this, and,
  • Ensuring winter maintenance contractors are trained on when/how to correctly apply winter maintenance materials.
• Explore opportunities to improve Indigenous participation in winter maintenance contracting, including through:
  • Increased information sharing on how winter maintenance contracts are awarded and the stipulations of those contracts; and
  • Assessment of how contract requirements, such as eligibility criteria related to size of companies, may impede the ability of Indigenous-owned businesses from biding on maintenance contracts, along with how contract requirements may be amended to mitigate these impacts.
• Improve highway minimum maintenance standards on Highways 11 and 17, including through highway reclassification or development of new highway classification category for Highway 11/17.

Road Signage and Information Systems 

• Improve road signage on Northern Ontario’s transportation network to better manage traffic flow and improve road safety.
• Increase the use live signage and near real-time road information systems, including through an assessment of technology and processes used in other jurisdictions to better inform drivers of road and weather conditions and to reduce road closure time due to vehicle collisions.
• Provide funding to municipalities located on single-laned portions along the Highway 11 and 17 corridor to increase the number of road signs at strategic locations within municipal boundaries.
• Develop and launch a “Report Unsafe Driving” campaign to encourage in-time reporting.

Road Design and Capital Planning 

• Advance new road widening projects, including expanding the 2+1 Roadway Pilot Project. As part of this work, assess the relative effectiveness of four laning compared to 2+1 road design to be able to conduct a cost-benefit analysis which considers metrics such as cost, construction time, frequency or severity of accidents and length of road closures.
• Work with municipalities and Indigenous communities to explore opportunities for the installation of turning lanes along provincial highways to safely access communities.
• Review the First Nations Road Program and Unincorporated Road Program to determine whether a higher minimum standard of construction (e.g., more frequent passing lanes, 2+1 model, etc.) would result in improved accessibility and collision rates.
• Install snow fencing in strategic locations, such as along fields abutting Highways 11 and 17.

Commercial Truck Driver Training Standards

• Require commercial vehicle drivers involved in road collisions to return to formal commercial driver training before being able to return to the road.
• Improve Ontario’s training requirements for commercial drivers to support more stringent driver training and situational experience, including through:
  • Developing specialized training for driving in Northern Ontario to ensure commercial vehicle drivers have experience with region-specific driving challenges;
  • Requiring in-vehicle winter driver training in Northern Ontario as a mandatory component of all commercial driver training programs; and
  • Developing specific training based on type of freight being transported.
• Develop a Graduated Licensing System in Ontario for commercial drivers which provides tiered licensing (e.g., A1, A2, A) with differing minimum standards, such as:
  • Type of license obtained (e.g., A1 license must be obtained before moving to A2);
  • Hours driven with an accompanying fully licensed Category A driver; and
  • Identified training programs and road tests
• Include representation from Northern municipalities and Indigenous communities when updating commercial driver training programs to gain local perspectives regarding winter driving conditions.
• Implement In-vehicle Monitoring Systems (IVMS) and dash cameras in commercial motor vehicles to improve the safety standards and training requirements for commercial vehicle operators on provincial highway networks in Ontario.

Rest Stops and Pull-Overs

• Increase the frequency of the commercial vehicle rest areas in Northern Ontario to match service levels of Southern Ontario, targeting areas with long stretches with no rest areas currently available. As part of this work, assess the relative frequency of rest areas and commercial vehicle pull offs in other jurisdictions, including an assessment of services available, usage rates and accident rates pre and post construction of new facilities.
• Increase the availability of all-season rest areas in Northern Ontario to ensure that commercial drivers transporting goods in winter have a safe place to pull over.
• Investment in new, improved and rehabilitated rest areas in the North should consider:
  • coordinating the locations of rest areas and pull-overs with areas that have good cell coverage areas and including signage that encourages people to stop if they need to use their cell phone;
  • studying existing rest areas to see if there is room for expansion for Commercial Motor Vehicle parking rather than building new infrastructure;
  • consulting with municipalities on the location of new facilities to ensure the alignment of investment; and
  • ensuring all new and existing rest areas are properly maintained and supplied (e.g., ensuring regular cleaning and sufficient supply of garbage bins, toilet paper, etc.).
• Ensure data on alternative washroom locations, such as provincial park facilities, is available on Ontario 511 so that these facilities can help fill gaps between rest areas.

Monitoring and Enforcement

• Provide funding for additional MTO inspectors along provincial highway corridors in Northern Ontario and improved MTO inspector training. 
• Improve commercial vehicle monitoring/enforcement through increasing MTO’s random stops and truck inspection stations.
• Explore strategies to reduce unsafe passing of commercial vehicles, including through prohibiting commercial vehicles from crossing double-yellow lines on provincial highways.
• Work with the OPP to collect data and analyze data (e.g., demographic data, vehicle information, etc.) on road collisions to inform ongoing efforts to improve commercial vehicle safety. This data and any subsequent reports should be made available to First Nation communities, Municipalities and other interested parties.
• Undertake an assessment intended to identify common causes of collisions on the Northern Ontario highway network.

Human Trafficking and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

• Collaborate with ONTC and other industry partners, such as the OPP, to improve official training on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).
• Study Highway 72 as a high-volume transportation corridor for Indigenous traffic and potential corridor for human trafficking.
• Work with industry partners on exploring opportunities to minimize human trafficking on provincial highways, such as specialty programs that offer free transportation services to hitchhikers when in need.
• Expand provincial inspection sites and provide year-round operations in Northern Ontario to improve provincial enforcement and presence on roads between municipalities to minimize opportunities for human trafficking.

Reliable travel options for remote and Far North communities (Goal 6 in Connecting the North)

Winter Roads and All-Season Road Network

• Collaboratively pursue the expansion of the all-season road network in partnership with interested First Nation communities and other levels of government and partners.
• Explore opportunities to improve the Winter Road system, including:
  • Establishing a forum with Ontario, Indigenous communities and the Government of Canada to address the jurisdictional, regulatory and consultation issues associated with winter roads;
  • Initiating discussions with First Nation communities to explore ways to address issues such as safety and security, high costs and uncertainty of the winter road system;
  • Improving funding for winter road maintenance and operations; and
  • Developing a winter road standard.
• Improve network redundancy in Northern Ontario, including for remote and limited access Indigenous communities, to improve the network’s ability to continuously operate despite temporary closures.

Transportation Plan Implementation and Monitoring

• Transportation plans should include a clear framework for how resources will be targeted and how success will be measured. To support evidence-based decision making and cost-benefit analysis, all plan actions should include baseline data and ongoing monitoring to assess the impact of plan actions on pre-determined key performance indicators (KPIs). As part of the development of a monitoring framework, an assessment should be conducted to determine what proportion of MTO’s current budget is spent on measurement and assessment compared to other jurisdictions.