Evidence of meeting #109 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was border.
2:45 p.m.
General Manager, Niagara Falls Bridge Commission
As far as infrastructure goes at our bridges, it's probably an eight.
On the U.S. side right now, we're just starting construction on our phase 2 at the Lewiston project, which is a $90-million project. We finished phase 1 about a year ago, which was $33 million. The original plaza was built in 1962, so it's pretty antiquated right now. We just built a new plaza a few years ago on the Queenston side. This is going to somewhat replicate the advancements that we made on the Canadian side.
2:45 p.m.
Liberal
Ken Hardie Liberal Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC
Maybe we can get quick answers from the other two before I get cut off here.
2:45 p.m.
General Manager, Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority
Coming into Canada, we're probably a nine. You'll see that tomorrow. We have great facilities.
Going into the U.S., we're about a five. We need to do some work on the U.S. side and we have some geographic issues there that we're trying to address by incorporating some of the pre-clearance elements in the federal government's legislation to move some functions from the U.S. plaza over into Canada preceding entry into the U.S.
2:50 p.m.
Liberal
2:50 p.m.
Regional Director General, Southern Ontario Region, Canada Border Services Agency
I was going to say a nine as well, with the investment of technology.
2:50 p.m.
Liberal
Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC
Thank you.
According to the report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Quebec and Ontario depend on road traffic, which is causing major traffic problems.
What changes have you seen in maritime traffic since CETA went into effect a year ago?
You can each answer in turn.
2:50 p.m.
General Manager, Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority
I can answer from a commercial perspective.
Commercial traffic has declined over the last 20 years. Part of that has been because of the shift of trade between Canada and the U.S. in the automotive industry to Mexico and the United States, as well as receiving more goods through seaports such as Prince Rupert, Vancouver, and Halifax.
We're seeing more of what we call “outside the trade”. The stuff that's going back and forth between Canada and the U.S. has declined over the last number of years.
2:50 p.m.
General Manager, Niagara Falls Bridge Commission
We're seeing the same thing. I think our commercial truck traffic is pretty similar to that of the Peace Bridge. We have had a little uptick the last couple of years up until maybe the last fiscal year, when we were down, but we're not at the levels we were at back in 2000.
2:50 p.m.
Regional Director General, Southern Ontario Region, Canada Border Services Agency
The only other data I would provide to you is that we're probably down about one to one-and-a-half per cent in truck volume in the southern Ontario corridor over the last two years.
2:50 p.m.
Liberal
Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC
Thank you.
The port of Montreal has designed an application that indicates the best traffic routes, especially to tell truckers about the state of the highways.
Is there a similar process here in your region? If so, can you tell us about it?
2:50 p.m.
General Manager, Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority
There has been discussion about a new connecting highway from the border into the Burlington and Toronto area. That has been in the planning stages before, but that again is a provincial responsibility and not a federal one.
2:50 p.m.
Regional Director General, Southern Ontario Region, Canada Border Services Agency
I couldn't answer that question. I'm more involved in the border operations, not the provincial highways.
2:50 p.m.
Liberal
Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC
Last March, the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities undertook a study on automated and connected vehicles in Canada, in order to understand the technological developments in the transportation sector and the changes they imply.
Are the bridges able to handle passengers in automated vehicles?
2:50 p.m.
Regional Director General, Southern Ontario Region, Canada Border Services Agency
We have certainly been talking with the industry in terms of autonomous vehicles and autonomous trucks. We know it's part of the future, and we are still in those discussions in terms of ensuring that they present themselves for inspection when needed.
How is that going to work? At this point in time, I think that's still under deliberation.
2:50 p.m.
General Manager, Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority
The latest information that we have from the Ontario Trucking Association is that while there may be autonomous trucks, there will always be drivers in those trucks. The driver may not physically be driving on the throughway, but when the truck gets to the border or when it gets to its final destination, there will always be a driver in the truck. That's the latest that we have.
2:50 p.m.
General Manager, Niagara Falls Bridge Commission
The other thing with the trucking industry is the issue that it has with the labour and the drivers of the future. There's obviously the big push right now to be autonomous, so it's coming. It's something we'll all have to be ready for in the future.
2:50 p.m.
Liberal
Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC
I have one last question, and I would like a short answer from you.
In your presentations, you raised a good number of difficulties and needs. Given that, which should the committee consider to be the priority? Apart from money, what is the most important thing?
2:55 p.m.
General Manager, Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority
From my perspective, I really believe in working or coordinating and communicating with the other departments to have a more holistic approach to the border. There's no point in spending billions of dollars to build infrastructure if the stuff on either end doesn't work, if the customs things don't work.
2:55 p.m.
Liberal
2:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Judy Sgro
I think that's all the time we have.
We will go on to Mr. Jeneroux for his time.