THUNDER BAY — The mayor of Oliver Paipoonge hopes to put the brakes on the City of Thunder Bay's move to ban truck traffic from Dawson Road and Arthur Street.
Calling the decision "short-sighted," Lucy Kloosterhuis says diverting trucks to Highway 11/17 and the Thunder Bay Expressway will create more problems than it solves.
In an interview with Tbnewswatch, she warned that the impact will be be felt not just in her municipality, including the village of Kakabeka Falls, but on traffic safety in Thunder Bay.
"It doesn't sound like a lot when you say, 'Oh well, we're only going to double the traffic.' It's going to come to one and a half trucks going down that highway every minute."
Kloosterhuis said that rate is based on the city's own estimate that 1,300 to 1,400 trucks daily will travel on the 11/17 - TB Expressway corridor after the truck route plan is implemented.
"The danger, the hazards to the everyday public and to the trucking industry on the expressway are going to double," she predicted.
According to Kloosterhuis, she's heard from people who have seen transport trucks going through red lights at the expressway/Oliver Road intersection "with their horns blaring because they just can't stop. It's downhill and they're hitting ice."
Because of the increased congestion and the higher risk of collisions, she believes many people will change their driving patterns and start using "internal roads" in the city instead of the expressway.
The rural mayor expressed disappointment with city council.
"I have always thought that the City of Thunder Bay was our partner in all that went on in the region. Everything that's happening in Conmee and Oliver Paipoonge along Highway 11/17 is being ignored. I think they're being short-sighted and I am sorry to say that because I respect all of them."
Kloosterhuis said she and Conmee township mayor Kevin Holland will work together on a strategy to stop the implementation of the truck route.
That could include appearing as a deputation before city council.
Councillors voted 7 to 6 this week in favour of the plan, but must still ratify it and pass a bylaw.
The president of the Ontario Trucking Association is also considering a direct approach to council.
Stephen Laskowski said rather than banning trucks from Dawson Road and Arthur Street, it makes more sense to establish Community Safety Zones and reduce speed limits along the two routes.
"The issue here is about truck speeds...That would mean photo radar would be installed in that area. Photo radar is always shown to slow all vehicles down, so let's use that."
Laskowski agreed with Kloosterhuis that shifting truck traffic will lead to "significant unintended safety consequences" in Thunder Bay and Kakabeka Falls.
"We're calling on the City of Thunder Bay to consider some sober second thought," he said.
The industry lobby group has estimated that banning trucks from Dawson Road will add a minimum of 20-25 minutes to truckers' travel times through Thunder Bay, but Laskowski said the OTA is focused on road safety.
