Northern Transportation Task Force presents recommendations to province for improve access, services

Truckers association to survey its members Concerns about the safety of northern Ontario highways has the trucking industry reaching out and looking to hear from drivers themselves.

From the highways to the rail tracks to airports, northern Ontario drivers and passengers expect improved transportation services.

For a whole year, the members of the Northern Transportation Task Force have been meeting to come up with solutions and recommendations for the provincial Ministry of Transportation (MTO).

A FINAL REPORT

The task force presented the final report to the ministry.

The task force is made up of northern Ontario mayors, Indigenous leaders and transportation stakeholders.

"The last three years, commercial motor vehicle issues have become the hot topic across the north," said Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) president Danny Whalen, who also serves as the task force’s co-chair.

The task force presented the province with a 14-page final report – including more than 60 recommendations it believes will get people moving, connect communities, enable economic opportunities and keep people safe while providing reliable transportation.

“We can’t just expect the province to put this in place and carry it," said Whalen.

"We have to promote it.”

RECOMMENDATIONS

Some of the recommendations include:

“The province is very enthusiastic about inter-community bussing for small municipalities to get them over to a north and south rail service, that will help increase the ridership," said Whalen.

In a statement, a MTO spokesperson reflected on updating the winter highway maintenance schedule for snow clearing on both Highway 11 and Highway 17 last November.

“The ministry is reviewing the remaining task force recommendations and will continue to work closely with municipalities, Indigenous communities and organizations, transportation agencies and local businesses to advance transportation planning in the region," said MTO spokesman Patrick Whitten.

The task force is next hoping the government will establish a smaller committee to follow the recommendations through and to track their progress.

The Ontario government established the Northern Ontario Transportation Task Force to build a stronger transportation network to connect northern Ontario, through focused conversations with municipalities, Indigenous communities and transportation service providers.