OTA Says Toronto Trash is not a Trucking Issue: Defends Truck Safety and Environment Record Before Toronto City Councillors

February 9, 2001

OTA set the record straight for City of Toronto councillors who heard from a coalition of Southern Ontario mayors on Wednesday regarding their concerns over Toronto’s plan to transport its’ garbage by truck to a landfill site in Michigan.

The mayors, led by London Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco, include some of the cities that border Highway 401 to the west of Toronto. The coalition members said they had received very little information from the City of Toronto about megacity’s decision and have been unable to properly assess implications for their communities. Further, in some media reports coalition mayors have voiced concern over increased traffic volumes as a result of the shipments and the related implications for road safety.

In order to correct misinformation being spread about the trucking industry and give the councillors the facts regarding truck safety and the truth about environmental impact of trucks OTA sought an opportunity to make a presentation to the committee.

OTA president David Bradley reassured the councillors and the mayors’ coalition that tractor-trailers have an excellent safety record and are the safest and best-maintained vehicles on Ontario roadways. Citing Government of Ontario statistics Bradley indicated that trucks represent only 3% of the vehicles involved in collisions on Ontario roads and highways.

Touching on the environmental performance of trucks, Bradley told the councillors that tractor-trailers are more environmentally friendly than ever thanks to newer, cleaner engines which meet tough standards. He also pointed to the glowing reports trucks receive when subject to Ontario’s Drive Clean Tests – reports that exceed cars in their ability to pass the province-wide emissions test. Bradley also pointed out that contrary to popular opinion the railways aren’t under the same scrutiny as the trucking industry and therefore don’t meet the same standards.

As for the impact on traffic volumes the additional truck shipments would have Bradley said "the increased truck traffic on Highway 401 and 402 resulting from shipping Toronto’s trash to Michigan is a drop in the bucket compared to the total traffic volumes and the truck volumes already moving in those corridors." The additional 200 trucks a day, would increase total traffic volumes by less than 1% and truck volumes by about 2.5%.

You can read OTA’s handout material to Toronto councillors, by visiting http://www.ontruck.org/stats/docs/ontsnap_02_08_2001.htm