Media Release: Town of Lincoln participates in third joint enforcement initiative of 2023

Inspection of commercial vehicle at Vineland Inspection Station
Type(s)
Media Release

Continued road safety blitzes aim at trucks bypassing Vineland Inspection Station





Lincoln, ON – (June 9, 2023) – The Town of Lincoln collaborated yesterday with partner agencies Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS), Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS), Niagara Parks Police Service (NPPS) and Ministry of Transportation (MTO) for the third joint enforcement initiative of the year, which focused on commercial motor vehicle enforcement.



Joint enforcement initiatives support the Town’s ongoing efforts to keep Lincoln’s roads safe by focusing on trucks intentionally bypassing the Vineland Truck Inspection Station on the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) between Vineland and Beamsville in Lincoln. These recurring blitzes were established in response to community concern about increased commercial motor vehicle traffic through core areas and neighbourhoods. The focus of this initiative was to identify commercial vehicles intentionally bypassing the Vineland Inspection Station and to conduct in-depth vehicular inspections to ensure compliance with road safety standards, as legislated by the Province of Ontario.



Safety blitzes in Lincoln are being coordinated as a direct result of Council’s desire to redirect commercial vehicles away from Lincoln’s downtown cores and onto Regional and municipal roads that are ideal for larger trucks, while ensuring regular goods movement to support our local businesses and overall economy. Safety blitzes aim to safeguard operation of these vehicles and are an ongoing commitment by the Town to ensure all roads in Lincoln are safe for residents and visitors alike.



The statistics from the recent initiative include:

  • More than 150 passenger and commercial vehicles re-directed to Vineland Truck Inspection Station 
  • 82 vehicles were comprehensively inspected
  • 33 vehicles were removed from the highway after significant safety concerns were identified. 
  • Three sets of licence plates were seized,
  • 17 Provincial Offence Notices (tickets) were issued for various offences including: failing to conduct daily inspection logs, failing to ensure daily inspection logs are conducted properly, insecure commercial motor vehicle load, and failing to meet commercial motor vehicle performance standards.

 

“Community safety is paramount to Town Council and staff, and these blitzes are one way we are prioritizing traffic safety in Lincoln,” said Town of Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton. “These blitzes are important ways to ensure that the trucks that need to move through our community to deliver goods, do so in a safe manner that protects both community safety and the local and regional economy.”



“We truly value the continued efforts and resources dedicated by our partner agencies to increase traffic safety in our communities,” said the Town’s Chief Administrative Officer Michael Kirkopoulos. “Through collaborative and consistent approaches, we are making progress on community priorities.”



For more information on truck safety in Lincoln and previous safety blitzes, visit Speak Up Lincoln.



The Town continues to implement traffic safety initiatives throughout the community, including Community Safety Zones, Pedestrian Crossovers, speedbumps and digital speed feedback signs. Visit Speak Up Lincoln for more details or to ask the Town a question about traffic safety in Lincoln.





Background



Truck Traffic in Lincoln and History of Safety Blitzes

In April 2019, Lincoln Council approved a resolution regarding truck safety in Lincoln, which addressed community concerns related to truck traffic and identified several action items to address the concerns. In the short term, the Beamsville Truck Bypass Route is planned to redirect truck traffic from the downtown area of Beamsville and along Bartlett Road and Durham Road.



In the longer term, the Niagara Escarpment Crossing Project will be a new north-south truck route on Park Road (Bartlett Avenue) in Grimsby. This route supports the need identified in the Niagara Region Transportation Master Plan for a new north-south escarpment crossing linking the QEW with Highway 20. It will offset the implications of high commercial vehicle traffic travelling through urban and residential areas within the west Niagara communities of Lincoln and Grimsby.



The Town’s Transportation Master Plan developed comprehensive strategies for the movement of goods which requires ongoing partnership with the Niagara Region and other key agencies such as the Minister of Transportation and Niagara Regional Police.

 

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For media inquiries, please contact:



Liliana Busnello

Manager of Corporate Communications

Town of Lincoln

Phone: 905-563-2799 ext. 230