Transportation Border Working Group

Rob Tardif

Ontario Ministry of Transportation

Action Plan Working Sessions:Border Data

Action Plan Working Sessions:Border Data

Ontario Ministry of Transportation Transportation Planning Branch

June 10, 2003

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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

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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

1. Expand scope & availability of International freight data

2. Strengthen partnerships to improve data collection & availability

3. 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

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Border Data

Goals and Objectives of Subcommittee ‘Continued

List of priorities identified by BTS & TRB - Int’l Freight Data Forum1. Geographical data, OD, inland data, substate2. Transshipments/intransits3. Temporal aspects, peaks, seasonal variation, delays4. Container activity5. Corridor measures vs. shipments, activity not shipment6. Multimodal/intermodal7. Long haul vs local, facility linkages8. Hazmat9. Value of shipment10. Vehicle info & characteristics, carrier nationality11. Information tied to infrastructure

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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

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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 borderWhy? 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

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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

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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

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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

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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