Trucks in Manotick Update
On September 15th, Council received from City staff a response to an inquiry that I submitted earlier this year. In my inquiry, I wanted to get answers as to what the next steps were to remove heavy trucks from the village of Manotick. To that end, I asked three questions:
What measures would be necessary to remove Manotick Main Street between Bankfield and Century and Bridge Street between Manotick Main Street and River Road from the City’s Truck Route Network
What would be the costs, staffing requirements, timelines, benefits, and drawbacks associated with conducting a comprehensive review of the City’s Truck Route Network prior to the implementation of solutions to address interprovincial truck traffic?
By way of comparison, what would be the costs, staffing requirements, timelines, benefits and drawbacks associated with conducting a limited review of truck routes in the City’s south end with a focus on where the truck routes interact with bridges across the Rideau River?
In response to this inquiry, staff argued that a truck route review “would be required to determine if the section of Manotick Main Street between Bankfield Road and Century Road and Bridge Street between Manotick Main Street and River Road could be removed from the City’s Truck Route Network.” Much of the rest of staff’s reply to the inquiry outlined the costs and logistics for conducting a truck route review in the city’s South end or city-wide.
In some ways, the response from City staff was to be expected; they clarified that a review is necessary to remove Manotick from the truck route network. It is encouraging in that it confirms the path forward, but it is somewhat disappointing in that it has not provided a clearer roadmap beyond that next step.
Historically, staff have argued that a truck route review just in the City’s south end was not possible, instead arguing that the process must be City-wide and must occur only after the construction of another interprovincial bridge. My office and I argued assertively that such a position was not sensible; as a result, City staff have relented, and as a consequence of my inquiry, we now have clear terms and costs for a local truck route review.
Such a review would provide an opportunity for the community to express its views on the matter. It would also provide a clear picture of what additional infrastructure might help create the connections necessary to divert trucks from Manotick. It is clear that securing a local truck route review is the next step toward getting the trucks out of Manotick once and for wall.
To that end, I have asked the Mayor and City staff in a budget meeting to include a south end truck route review as part of the 2024 budget so that we can continue to make progress on this. The review itself is estimated to be completed within 12 to 18 months of being funded.
Ultimately, getting a truck route review is another small step in the right direction. Though I am encouraged that progress is being made, I do appreciate that it is slower than what the village deserves. I am working to undo more than a decade of indifference toward this issue, and it is taking some time to go through the steps that should have been undertaken many years ago.
In the meantime, I continue to work with the Mayor, the MVCA, and City staff toward interim measures that will relieve pressure on the village core. In particular, I am working to add Century Road permanently to the truck route network so that Manotick Main can be fully removed between Bridge and Century. I am also working to secure a number of modest improvements identified by the MVCA that will make Manotick safer for all road users.
I fully appreciate that anything short of the complete removal of trucks from the village core will be insufficient to address this challenge. I will keep fighting until heavy trucks are finally removed from Manotick.