In response to a call for an increase in safety in Lincoln, the town is looking at adding another camera to watch for trucks avoiding the Vineland Truck Inspection Station.
Members from the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) and the town’s public works department attended the committee of the whole meeting on Nov. 6 to give an update on the camera pilot project.
The Truck Bypass Camera Monitoring Pilot Project was approved as part of the town’s capital budget in 2022, and assists with monitoring and enforcement of truck bypass traffic avoiding the Vineland Truck Inspection Station. The project was fully implemented in the beginning of 2023.
As of now, two smart surveillance cameras are installed on the main known bypass route: one installed at the Victoria Avenue QEW exit and another on King Street west of Victoria Avenue.
According to the report received by council, these cameras use artificial intelligence to send MTO officers a notification when a truck has been identified, providing an image of the truck as well as its licence plate.
However, the MTO team said they are seeing trucks bypassing the camera by taking King Street east of Victoria Avenue from the Jordan Road QEW exit, and recommend the town consider adding another camera there.
While no decision was formally made at this meeting, it will be considered by staff, and the ministry said a traffic counter has been installed on Jordan Road in the interim to collect data in order to gain a better understanding of truck traffic volumes and potential bypassing on Jordan Road.
As part of the 2024 budget, the $37,500 will be requested to keep the project going, including the addition of the third camera.
Commercial vehicles/trucks are obligated to visit the station along the QEW just west of the Victoria Avenue QEW interchange between Vineland and Beamsville when it's operating, and undergo a vehicle inspection if required, or face fines or other charges.
However, representatives from the MTO said that truck drivers often avoid it.
“For example, they may turn southbound onto Victoria Avenue and then use an east/west route, typically King Street, to get back onto the QEW in Beamsville via Ontario Street, thus bypassing the inspection station,” the report said. “This is a significant concern for the Town in terms of bypassing truck traffic going through the downtown urban areas of Beamsville.”
The report claims that truck drivers avoid the inspection station for a number of reasons, ranging from finding it a hassle to having issues they know about that they don’t want to get caught for, such as licence issues, vehicle safety issues and so on.
A number of safety blitzes have been held in response to the ongoing issue. The most recent one was held in September, and more than 150 vehicles were redirected to the station in one day.
