Community Case - Transportation

The Transportation issues associated with the proposed development are a significant part of our case. Imagine sharing our quiet country roads with semi-trailers each weighing over 20 tonnes, fully loaded with gravel, traveling at speeds of 60 to 80 kilometres per hour at the rate of one truck every thirty seconds? That is not an exaggeration. If the open pit mining operation proposed by St Marys Cement Group CBM (formerly Lowndes Holdings Corp) is approved for the northeast section of Flamborough, that image will be our future.

Fortunately, one of the major obstacles for Lowndes Holdings Corp. to overcome is the travel patterns for truck traffic to and from the proposed quarry. There is no easy access to the 400 series of highways. The proponent’s Planning Report identifies a single preferred haul route - north on Milburough Line, east on Campbellville Road, north on Twiss, east on Reid Side Road to the 401 and GTA, or east on Campbellville Road to Main Street/Guelph Line and then north or south to the GTA. An alternate route is north on Milburough Line, west on Campbellville Road to Highway #6.

The proponent has not identified a southerly route, however, we should expect truckers to be expedient. Given that emerging markets for aggregate lie to the southeast and southwest of the proposed quarry (in South Milton, North Oakville, North Burlington and in the expanding north Hamilton urban area), that means they could likely head south on Milburough Line or Centre Road, turn west onto Carlisle Road, and then turn left on to Highway #6 at the stoplights. Or perhaps they could travel south on Milburough Line and East on Derry.

The Lowndes Holdings Corp. Planning Report estimates that there would be a maximum of 570 two way, or 1140 one way truck movements at the proposed quarry gate on peak days. This estimate represents about 100 trucks per hour or nearly two per minute which is in stark contrast to the existing 3 trucks per hour on the Milburough Line. An increase of this magnitude would be a dramatic change for our rural communities. Imagine seeing the taillights and dust from one semi-trailer ahead of you, and then glancing in the rear view mirror to behold the engine grill of a 20+ tonne truck traveling behind you. That's what one truck every 30 seconds could be like. And that's not what we bargained for when we decided to farm here, to conduct our businesses here, and to raise our families here.

The current traffic on the Milburough Line and Campbellville Road is modest, only 3 trucks per hour. For three seasons, the roads are traveled by slow moving farm vehicles which transport workers, equipment, fertilizers, seeds, and harvested crops. These roads are also heavily used by equestrians, walkers, joggers, and cyclists of all ages. These rural routes are the links between and amongst our communities for agricultural, social, commercial, economic and recreational purposes. Furthermore, they are bus routes for the area’s public and separate schools, the closest of these schools being located at the intersection of Centre Road and the 10th Concession, just one block away from the proposed quarry site. A rolling caravan of trucks, with drivers intent on maximizing loads per day, is not compatible with this rural and school bus usage.

Another worry that has not yet been identified by the proponent is the impedance of emergency vehicles. Halton Emergency Services facility on the Reid Side Road is the departure point for fire, police, ambulance and paramedic services. As emergency vehicles rush from the station they will encounter significant truck traffic in all directions. These delays will only be further compounded by transit over the level rail crossings in Campbellville where there are approximately 40 trains per day, some up to 7,000 feet long. A ten minute wait at these points would translate into backups of aggregate haul trucks creating truck caravans greater than 20 vehicles long.

We believe that there is no safe way for pedestrians, cyclists, school buses, emergency or farming vehicles to share the road with 20+ tonne aggregate trucks passing by at the rate of two per minute.

The current roads are not built to carry this proposed load and volume of traffic. The proponent's study is silent on who will bear the costs of bringing the roads to a standard that could accommodate high volume truck traffic, but it is a reasonable expectation that many, if not all, of these infrastructure improvements will translate into an additional tax burden for citizens.