City of Windsor – Transport Terminal Land Use Study – 2020 November 16

Over the long-term, truck traffic is expected to grow, increasing the demand for truck parking and storage facilities. Compared to your typical passenger vehicle, trucks require much more room to maneuver, to store trailers, and to park the tractor component of a tractor-trailer combination. This will exacerbate existing truck parking and storage issues.

Having a safe and secure place to rest and/or store the vehicle may have a financial impact on drivers, operators, and carriers. The American Transport Research Institute (ATRI) documented the experience of several hundred drivers with parking areas, as well as how often drivers park illegally.

Of those surveyed, 36% said they park illegally three to four times a week, and 25% said they do it one to two times on a weekly basis. The ATRI estimates that a driver loses, on average, $4,600 annually looking for a place to pull over and park, showing there is a vital need for more space.

An inadequate supply of truck parking spaces can also result in tired drivers continuing to drive because they are unable to find a place to park and rest. Drivers may choose to park at unsafe locations, such as on the shoulder of the road, exit ramps, or vacant lots, if they are unable to locate official, available parking. This may create unsafe situations for both the truck drivers and the general driving public.

Challenges

Windsor has several long-standing Transport Terminals; both stand-alone and accessory to specific businesses. Over the past few years, several newer Transport Terminals have been established. It is believed that this is driven in part by the need to comply with the log requirements and ELDs.

Proximity to the Canada/USA border, proximity to rail, air and water ports, proximity to Highway 401, lower cost of living, and a lower cost for land are local benefits in locating Transport Terminals in Windsor. Transport Terminals provide employment opportunities and use local businesses, providing a positive impact to the local economy.

However, Transport Terminals are not without potential negative impacts or adverse effects:

• Conflicts between passenger vehicles and the slower transport trucks;

• Conflicts between transport trucks and pedestrians;

• Noise from truck shunting, back-up beepers, refrigerated trailers, vehicle repair, and engines;

• Dust and dirt becoming airborne and falling on adjacent properties or being tracked onto the adjacent road network;

• Light and air pollution spill over from facility lighting and from trucks;

• Deterioration of road surfaces and shoulders that were not designed to accommodate the weight of the trucks;

• Environmental concerns with respect to illegal truck repairs such as changing the oil or coolant;

• Managing storm water run off; and,

• Unsightliness of the appearance of the facility, especially on high visibility travel corridors.

These negative impacts require mitigation to ensure that Transport Terminals are successfully integrated into the local economy and transportation network, and to protect adjacent property owners and tenants. Several of these negative impacts are being experienced in Windsor, resulting in enforcement complaints about Transport Terminals to the City of Windsor.