RCE Peel - 2024

Freight movement in the Region of Peel: Impacts of emissions and higher-order transit lanes
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
Freight movement in the Region of Peel: Impacts of emissions and higher-order transit lanes
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Peel
Contributing organization(s) : 
Peel Region, Smart Freight Centre, McMaster University
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
RCE Peel
Organizational Affiliation: 
Peel Region
E-mail: 
rcepeel@peelregion.ca
Format of project: 
Report
Language of project: 
English
Date of submission:
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Web link: 
N/A
Additional resources: 
N/A
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
The study follows Long-Term Pathways 11 and 12 of Peel Region’s Long-Term Goods Movement (2019): Invest in Infrastructure and Technology
At what level is the policy operating?: 
Local
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Americas
Country: 
Canada
Location(s): 
Peel Region
Address of focal point institution for project: 
N/A
Ecosystem(s):
Urban/Peri-urban
Target Audience:
Community
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Peel Region is a regional municipality in the province of Ontario, Canada. It encompasses the cities of Brampton and Mississauga, and the Town of Caledon. Peel is characterized by a diverse and rapidly growing region with a strong industrial and commercial base, and extensive transportation network.
Peel Region is a major economic hub, particularly in the logistics and manufacturing sectors, due to its strategic location near Toronto and its access to key transportation infrastructure. Peel benefits from its proximity to major highways which enable efficient goods movement across Ontario and into the United States. Peel Region is also home to Toronto Pearson International Airport, the busiest airport in Canada, which plays a vital role in air cargo operations and connects the region to global markets. This combination of robust transportation infrastructure supports Peel's role as a key logistics and manufacturing center, attracting businesses that rely on efficient access to domestic and international markets.
Environmentally, Peel Region faces challenges related to urban sprawl, traffic congestion, and air quality, but is also home to significant green spaces and agricultural areas, balancing urban development with environmental preservation efforts.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
Peel Region faces sustainable development challenges such as balancing rapid urbanization with environmental preservation, mitigating traffic congestion, and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from freight and passenger transport.
Additionally, ensuring equitable access to green spaces and transit, addressing air quality and health impacts, and implementing resilient infrastructure to withstand climate change are critical areas of focus for sustainable growth.
Contents
Status: 
Completed
Period: 
January, 2023 to December, 2023
Rationale: 
By following up on previous work related to freight bottlenecks, the project provides continuity and builds on existing knowledge to enhance regional sustainability.
Drawing insights from existing higher-order transit (HOT) projects offers a framework for anticipating potential shifts in emerging or proposed systems. By evaluating an existing HOT project and comparing different scenarios, planners can gather pivotal patterns, anomalies, and best practices that have either augmented or hindered the efficiency of previous systems.
With the increasing prevalence of Internet of Things (IoT) concepts, adopting a data-driven approach assists in untangling the complexities of the high-dimensional nature of assessing the performance of transportation infrastructure.
This proactive approach not only aids in forecasting potential driver behavior alterations and freight traffic rerouting but also provides policymakers with empirical data to make informed decisions before the construction of HOT.
Objectives: 
The project focuses on two components: the analysis of freight transportation emissions in Peel Region as a follow-up to the work on freight bottleneck that was carried out in 2022, and an analysis to identify infrastructure improvements that would alleviate operational and safety impacts of higher order transit on good movements.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
This study has four main activities:
• Data processing, where the primary task is to refine the raw telematics data;
• Benchmarking project evaluation, where the scope of this research extends beyond roads equipped with HOT lanes. It comprehensively encompasses primary, secondary, and tertiary road classifications in OpenStreetMap with corresponding road links.
• Scenario development, grounded in insights derived from benchmark HOT projects analyses; and
• Policy recommendations, based on the synthesized knowledge from the previous steps, offering design and operational recommendations on route priority and transit signal priority.
Size of academic audience: 
N/A
Results: 
The findings reveal a mixed impact of HOT lanes on traffic flow and safety across three key corridors: Queen Street, Steeles Avenue, and Derry Road.
The introduction of HOT lanes generally reduced traffic flow for passenger and freight vehicles on Queen Street, indicating a mild potential tendency for rerouting to alternative routes. However, the results on Steeles Avenue and Derry Road presented a more complex picture, with varied effects due to their proximity to major highways (407 and 401).
While adaptive traffic light control in HOT scenarios slightly improved vehicle speeds, its influence on freight movement was mixed across intersections. The safety analysis assessed harsh braking events and found no significant increase in such incidents in HOT scenarios, suggesting minimal disruption to freight movement. On Steeles Avenue and Derry Road, harsh braking events became more dispersed, potentially lowering safety risks but affecting overall vehicle speeds.
Lessons learned: 
Based on the analysis, the study proposes several policy recommendations for Peel Region. It advocates data-driven traffic management, including adaptive signal control in HOT corridors to balance freight and passenger traffic. It also emphasizes improving infrastructure efficiency through better lane designations and intersection layouts, especially where HOT lanes intersect major freight routes.
Prioritizing safety and sustainability is crucial, with recommendations for continuous monitoring and education for freight drivers. Lastly, fostering collaborative stakeholder engagement with freight companies and the community is vital to understanding behavioral impacts and informing effective traffic management strategies.
Key messages: 
The study advocates for the adoption of data-driven traffic management, including the implementation of adaptive signal control in HOT corridors to balance freight traffic and passenger traffic congestions. These recommendations aim to guide the successful integration of HOT lanes into Peel’s transportation network, balancing traffic efficiency, safety, and sustainable urban mobility.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
This project is an outcome of the Smart Freight Centre’s activities by McMaster University. The Smart Freight Centre (SFC) has established a collaborative network with the Peel Region, McMaster University, the University of Toronto, and York University. SFC works to reduce community and environmental impacts of moving goods in the Greater Toronto Area.
Funding: 
This study was funded by Peel Region and McMaster University.
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Indirect
SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation 
Indirect
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Direct
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 
Indirect
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Direct
SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 
Indirect
Theme
Forests/Trees 
Indirect
ESD for 2030-Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
state: 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 3 - Developing capacities of educators and trainers 
state: 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
state: 
Direct
Update: 
No
I acknowledge the above: 
Yes