Other

It was noted by Transportation Planning in Part 2, that there is a discrepancy in the GVWR between the Parking By-law and the Traffic By-law in terms of prohibiting commercial vehicles from parking on roads that are not designated trucks routes. The threshold in the Traffic By-law was recently revised to 4,500 kg while the Parking By-law refers to a lower threshold. Similar thresholds appear in the Zoning By-laws.

ACTION 11: That Administration REVIEW motor vehicle definitions and gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWR) in various municipal by-laws to ensure they are consistent with provincial policies and regulations and AMEND the affected municipal by-laws through the appropriate amendment process.

PART 5 – Conclusion

The commercial trucking industry is an important component of the local economy. Windsor’s proximity to markets in the USA and Canada, proximity to manufacturing facilities in the Windsor and Metro Detroit areas, access to the rail network, access to a port on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System, and access to an airport capable of shipping cargo anywhere around the world, make Windsor an suitable location for a logistics facility. The City of Windsor Official Plan specifically mentions the growth of the logistics sector as a key trend in the area.

The commercial trucking industry is subject to an extensive regulatory environment at the Federal, Provincial, and Municipal levels. Technological advances in logging and monitoring along with regulatory changes to promote safety, have increased demand for a new generation of transport facilities that provide a safe and secure area to store and park transport trucks and transport trailers, especially for independent owner-operators.

The planning framework identifies that connectivity within and among transportation systems and modes should be maintained and, where possible, improved including connections that cross jurisdictional boundaries. Transportation shall be integrated at all stages of the planning process, and land use patterns shall be freight supportive. Transport facilities should be planned to ensure they are appropriately designed, buffered, and/or separated from sensitive land uses to prevent or mitigate adverse effects from odour, noise, and other contaminants and minimize risk to public health and safety.

The Actions in Part 4 have been divided into two groups: Those that can be immediately implemented through an amending by-law accompanying this study and those that require further review, have budget considerations, require the approval of other documents or completion of other studies before they can be completed, or are the responsibility of another municipal department.