NCC delivers short- and long-term plans for improving interprovincial crossings

By Dani-Elle Dubé

After several rounds of public consultations and stakeholder engagement, the National Capital Commission (NCC) has approved the Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossing Plan.

The plan involves vision and strategies for the interprovincial movement of people and goods over the next three decades, the NCC explained in its announcement on Thursday, January 20.

The plan also recommends that long-term decision-making and infrastructure investments be more sustainable, equitable and environmentally sensitive, while also promoting a more “livable and prosperous” region, the NCC said.

The NCC has outlined timelines of its plans in five-year increments.

They include:

Short term (zero to five years):

  • Increasing the supply of electric vehicle charging stations and adopting a zero-emission fleet for federal vehicles;
  • Expanding cycling initiatives along key interprovincial routes;
  • Initiating a joint regional truck route and good movement study;
  • Expanding programs to encourage sustainable transportation at federal workplaces;
  • Working with partners to implement the national capital travel survey in 2022.

Medium term (five to 10 years):

  • Identifying opportunities to improve the integration of the interprovincial transit system and service;
  • Exploring the coordination of interprovincial mobility sharing programs (ex. e-scooters, bike sharing);
  • Encouraging the use of zero-emission vehicles;
  • Exploring ways to encourage a transition to low-carbon and smaller vehicles for goods movement.

Long term (beyond 10 years):

  • A high-capacity transit-only crossing in the core area would improve connectivity and increase the ability to move people;
  • A new crossing would provide an opportunity to divert most interprovincial heavy trucks not destined for the core area if combined with municipal measures to remove Rideau Street and King Edward Avenue from the truck route system.

According to the NCC, more than 3,000 people participated in two rounds of engagements, providing more than 6,7000 comments.

Most respondents supported the draft plan presented in the fall 2021 consultation that included key themes like a strong desire for clear directions about future interprovincial infrastructure, robust support for sustainable interprovincial travel options and concerns about community quality of life and the need to find sustainable solutions to managing interprovincial truck traffic.

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