Jacques Rochon, Director, Highway Policy Transport Canada Update: Presentation to the Canada-U.S. TBWG Burlington, VT, June 10, 2003 2 Outline 1. Context 2. Border Issues: Progress & Challenges 3. Border Infrastructure: Progress to date Windsor Ontario: Niagara Region & Blue Water Bridge B.C. Lower Mainland Improvements Quebec Saskatchewan 4. Border Infrastructure Proposals New Brunswick Alberta & Manitoba Sault St. Marie 5. TBWG Action Plan 6. Conclusions 3 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. 4 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 5 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 6 Challenges: Border Processes Entry/Exit Control Systems:discussed 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 7 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) 8 9 10 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 11 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 12 13 Border Infrastructure: Progress to Date Quebec:Lacolle/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. 14 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. 15 16 17 Summary: Infrastructure Investments RegionCombined 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 18 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 19 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 20 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 21 TBWG Action Plan Action Plan Update 1. 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 2. 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 22 Action Plan (Contd) 3. Border Technology TBWG Workshop on Intelligent Transportation Systems border-related Research and Development opportunities Objective/Next Steps: identify ITS R&D projects with border applications 4. Enhancing Interagency Coordination Objective: discuss relationship of TBWG to groups such as the BIMWG & continue to share information regarding planning processes 5. 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 23 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.