Summary
Half of Canada’s manufacturing takes place in the Innovation Corridor, but congestion obstructs just-in-time production and the distribution of finished goods.
To address this problem, the Board has put together a series of reports that explore what infrastructure investments can best address the Region’s movement of goods. This report is the second of that series.
This report identifies four challenges in the Toronto-Waterloo corridor which collectively obstruct the efficient movement of goods. These challenges are: road congestion, land use conflicts, last mile connectivity and a lack of multimodal strategic vision for the movement of goods.
These challenges drive up the costs of doing business. For example, when truckers find themselves stuck in traffic, that means increased labour and fuel costs. Unreliable travel times create issues with delivery of just-in-time goods, such as food and medicine. Then there are also the hidden costs of poor competitiveness, as companies relocate to other areas to avoid congestion-associated costs and risks.
Only by understanding these factors can Canadian policymakers understand how to tackle obstacles in the regional movement of goods.
