Getting Innovative Vehicles on the Road Experience from Ontario John R. Billing
Trucking is Important in Ontario 38% of Canada s popula0on live in Ontario 50% of truck trips in Canada travel in Ontario One third of large trucks are from another jurisdic0on Every 9 seconds, a truck crosses the Ontario - US border, or 3.5 million per year
Outline Part 1: How not to get innova0ve vehicles on the road Part 2: Recovery Part 3: What it takes to do it right
Part 1: How Not to Get Innovative Vehicles on the Road
About 4.3 billion Years Ago
110,000 to 10,000 Years Ago
About 70 to 80 Years Ago
The 1960 s Allowable gross weight was 33,000 kg Traffic surveys showed considerable overloading Bridges did not show expected damage Bridge evalua0ons showed an excess of actual capacity over design capacity
Ontario Bridge Formula, 1970 Reflected the actual capacity of bridges Allowed an increase in gross weight, capped at 63,500 kg Intended to increase produc0vity and make Ontario more compe00ve
Getting Innovative Vehicles on the Road The bridge formula became the regula0on for axle and gross weights No restric0ons on Configura0on Number of axles Type of axle Loca0on of axles Brilliant success!
What was Expected
What Emerged L Li\able axles L L L L L L
Metrication, 1978 The bridge formula was too complicated A previous legislated tolerance was added to allowable axle weights New tables of allowable gross weight rounded bridge formula values up Weights increased 5-8% No configura0on controls, though the gross weight tables implicitly encouraged B- trains over A- trains
Semitrailer Length Increase, 1984 US adopted 14.65 m (48 \) semitrailers in 1982 Ontario matched this in 1984, to allow free movement of tandem semitrailers between Canada and the US The new length applied to all semitrailers
More New Configurations L L L For Ontario L L L L L L L For Ontario- Michigan
National Initiative Provincial Commibee on Vehicle Weights and Dimensions formed, 1975 Bridge studies, 1975-81 Road and bridge improvements, 1975-85 CCMTA/RTAC Vehicle Weights and Dimensions Study, 1984-86 Na0onal Memorandum of Understanding on Vehicle Weights and Dimensions, 1988
Ontario Response, 1989 Public pressure prevented increases in semitrailer and double trailer length Industry pressure prevented phase out of li\able axles M.o.U. configura0ons were accommodated at exis0ng lengths Ontario became a barrier
Part 2: Recovery
16.2 m (53 ft) Semitrailers Standard in the US by the early 1990 s More pressure on Ontario Adopted in 1994, with 25 m (82 \) doubles Detailed configura0on specifica0ons, per the M.o.U.
Eastern Provinces Harmonization Agreement to eliminate li\able axles, 1995 Scubled by industry in Ontario Other five provinces proceeded Led to infrastructure and freight studies Interpreta0on of the infrastructure study showed that vehicles with li\able axles were cos0ng Ontario $300 million (Cdn) per year in maintenance and rehabilita0on
Increasing Rate of Bridge Failure
Reform of Weights and Dimensions Legal vehicles Pilot programs Special vehicle configura0on permits
Reform of Legal Vehicles Phase 1, 2001 Non- dump tri- axle semitrailers Added self- steer tri- axle and self- steer quad Phase 2, 2003 Tri- axle dump semitrailers Phase 3, 2006 Other mul0- axle semitrailers with li\able axles Doubles Phase 4, 2011 Trucks, trailers, and everything else
SPIF - Safe Productive Infrastructure-Friendly S S S S
New Vehicle Configurations Tight prescrip0ve rules Based on RTAC performance measures Assessment of crash rates Produc0vity Familiar configura0ons and familiar weights No room for innova0on Generous grandfather provisions
Pilot Programs Road network approach to performance standards LCV special permit pilot program, 2009
Special Vehicle Configurations Exemp0ons by performance standards Special permit for long wheelbase tractor
Summary Serious technical and policy errors were made from 1970 through 1989 These led to excess infrastructure costs of $300 million per year by 2000 Reforms eliminate uncontrolled use of li\able axles by 2025 2025 1970 = 55 years $300 million x 55 = $16.5 billion
Part 3: What it Takes to do it Right
Important Realizations There is no one- size- fits- all solu0on Regulators must work within the context of exis0ng structures Extending on these is easy Taking back is hard
What it Takes to do it Right The inten0on to do what needs to be done The will to do it The exper0se to formulate a sound plan The for0tude to say no to bad ideas Thorough consulta0on Poli0cking only when necessary Iden0fy unintended and undesirable outcomes, and correct them before they get out of hand
Thank you for your attention!