Transportation Border Working Group

1. Transportation Border Working Group Action Plan Working Sessions: Border Data Rob Tardif Ontario Ministry of Transportation June 10, 2003 Ontario Ministry of TransportationTransportation Planning Branch

2. Border Data Subcommittee Goals and Objectives of Subcommittee • We can all identify why Data is required • Define magnitude of issues • Perception or reality • Cost of inactivity • Informed decisions • Issues impact all silos, U.S. and Canadian • Strength of Border Data Subcommittee - Range of Actions • Participants strategically positioned to effect change in their organizations • Informed of corporate data, able to maximize utility, limit risk • Enthusiastic to incorporate knowledge form mismatching data • Identify opportunities where this group can leverage others • Knowledge of financing mechanisms to secure and maximize funding • Overcome roadblocks making anything possible

3. Border Data Strength of Border Data Subcommittee – Short Term Solutions • April 7-8 BTS-TRB, Int’l Freight Data Forum • Intended for users to learn and express ideas for improvements Themes • Expand scope & availability of International freight data • Strengthen partnerships to improve data collection & availability • Improve dissemination of data documentation of existing data Data Issues: No single source, incomplete and non comparable data The key is Data EXISTS Question: How do we repackage and validate

4. Border Data Goals and Objectives of Subcommittee ‘Continued List of priorities identified by BTS & TRB - Int’l Freight Data Forum • Geographical data, OD, inland data, substate • Transshipments/intransits • Temporal aspects, peaks, seasonal variation, delays • Container activity • Corridor measures vs. shipments, activity not shipment • Multimodal/intermodal • Long haul vs local, facility linkages • Hazmat • Value of shipment • Vehicle info & characteristics, carrier nationality • Information tied to infrastructure

5. 2005 Canadian National Roadside Survey Goals and Objectives: • Gain information in timely manner • Accurate information = Informed decisions • Flexibility in questions • Flexibility to gain data where it is needed • What is it we need to measure well? • Trips; Origin-Destination, routes, infrastructure demands, time-of-day • Cargo; detailed description, weight, OD, estimates of value • Driver; hazmat certification & training, home location, age • Vehicle; size, weight, type, capacity • Carrier; knowledge of shippers served, commodity, hazmats, base, activity level • What is secondary? • Length of trailer • Communications equipment • Axle spacing

6. 2005 Canadian National Roadside Survey Role of Subcommittee: • Define interest in coverage – all 122 U.S. - Canada crossings? • No national programs exist to obtain vehicle classification counts at borders • No national programs exist to obtain vehicle weight data at borders • How is International data most cost effectively obtained with limited bias? • Ontario experience - costs rise 4 fold to position at border Why? • Ontario has bridge crossings, limited space – bias on sample (limit of 2 double trailers) • Must increase sample size by duration at crossing • Must cover alternative crossings at same time or face diversion of drivers • Enforcement staff less enthusiastic to be away from home base with familiar facilities • Mobile enforcement RV’s required due to limited access to buildings • Must accommodate Customs priorities, forced to alter processes, reduce sample • Since no WIM, must use portable scales, 15 minutes survey vs. 5 at permanent sites • Scales cause Increased fatigue, health & safety concerns, costly damages • Lack of standarized vehicle classification counts, require backup data • Vehicles used to protect staff from moving traffic • Hours at borders not part of mandate of enforcement staff, overtime premiums & meals

7. 2005 Canadian National Roadside Survey Subcommittee - Steering Committee for 2005 NRS: • Administrative issues - funding consume considerable effort and energy • Learn from the past, interview users, agencies involved • Document expectations of each participant • Develop Action Plan to meet and exceed expectations with contingency plan • Define roles and responsibilities • Balance funding and level of effort between • Pre-planning • Tools to process data • Applications to disseminate data • Quality Control • Data Collection • Data Processing • Data Dissemination • Documentation of entire process • Post data Integration with complimentary sources

8. Next Steps – “Towards NRS” • Maximize data from other sources, report on utility of CDN TOD & Trade • Develop long-term plan with dedicated funding • Negotiations for funding • Inform provinces of funding level, CDN and U.S., by fall 2003, prior to project initiation • It may be possible that provinces will not participate if: • funding levels do not meet expectations • considerable risks and extraordinary expectations • There may be some provinces that decline to participate, even if funding is present, due to other commitments or lack of interest in this data

9. Next Steps – “Towards NRS” • First Steps: • Define Objectives • Measures of; hourly activity or Day of week, or Monthly, Annual, Season? • Coverage of Modes, Ferry, Rail, just trucks, particular industries? • Coverage of National Hwy System, Provincial Hwys, local roads • Provincial coverage, Internal, Int’l, Urban, Inter-provincial • Identify provincial Intransit shipments to validate Trade statistics • Emphasis on Enforcement, Planning, Policy • All carriers, all trucks, empty and full, short distance • Define sample size • Determine sample expansion methodology • Investment in Traffic Count (Federal on Strategic Hwys & Border WIM) • Who will undertake data collection, survey vs. counts? • TC Multi Region team, covering 2-3 provinces • Enforcement Staff • Consultants within provinces

10. Next Steps – “Towards NRS” Overview of, Sources, Weaknesses- Ontario Trade Data • Continuous data collection with 100% sample • Not at all consistent with NRS tonnage and value Weaknesses: • Only Value is collected for all observations • What is Value (who’s perspective, retail, wholesale • Insured, inflated to maximum within a range before policy rate premium jumps • Value under represented if cargo subject to tariffs • Carrier perspective may reflect Transportation Cost • Inconsistent capture of cargo weight, lack WIM at borders to verify • Complex units of measure limit conversion to kg’s or pounds • Origin-destination of goods reflects corporate financial trail not trip ends • Self Assessment of goods, limits accuracy of commodity shipments • Port of entry/exit not reliable