Impact of Intercity Trucking on Urban Environment Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area Case Study

Trucking is the dominant mode for transportation of goods in Ontario. More than 200,000 trucks travel on Ontario highways every day and carry about $3 billion worth of goods. As many as 40,000 trucks travel every day at the busiest point on Highway 401 in Toronto. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has invested in comprehensive freight data collection efforts to improve our understanding of freight demand and road performance in order to make informed investment decisions. Recently completed 2006 Commercial Vehicle Survey (CVS) program and the ongoing GPS probe road performance data collection efforts are the two main two main data collection initiatives undertaken by the province. This paper investigates geographical and temporal distribution of long distance trucking, which primarily constitutes of medium and large trucks, in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area(GTHA). Truck Trip data from the 2006 CVS/NRS, along with the road performance data derived from GPS polling are used in this paper to evaluate potential conflicts between truck and commuter movements. The characteristics and distribution of intercity trucks that enter the GTHA boundaries are examined to understand the location of truck nodes, their proximity to residential areas, truck movement patterns, and temporal distribution patterns.