Highway and Border Policy

Source: Today's Trucking

Documents with a * are available upon request only. Please contact Nicolas Dulac at nicolas.dulac@tc.gc.ca using the title of the document(s) below to obtain your copy.

Our Vision

The best surface transportation system for Canada and Canadians.

Our Mandate

To provide national leadership through the development of strategic highway policies which will support the best possible transportation system; one that is safe, efficient, affordable, integrated and environmentally friendly.

Partnerships

Working in collaboration with provincial and territorial departments of transportation, other federal departments, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the private sector and other stakeholders, the Highway and Border Policy Branch is involved in a broad range of policy initiatives such as:

• protecting the public investment in highway infrastructure; 
• supporting the transportation needs of Canada consistent with the social and economic policies of the government; 
• supporting strategic, smartly-funded and executed infrastructure investments;
• ensuring a highway system that supports the competitiveness of business and industry that rely on a seamless transportation network; 
• enhancing highway safety; 
• promoting a more sustainable ground transportation system in Canada; 
• effectively planning for and managing emerging opportunities, initiatives and challenges; 
• facilitating enhanced cooperation and information exchange between Canadian and U.S. stakeholders to better align border-related infrastructure investments.

Areas of current interest include: the state of the National Highway System, trade and transportation corridors, international border crossings, inter-modal connections, highway data systems, new and innovative funding mechanisms, and funding programs.

Role of the Federal Government

Highways in Canada, including the Trans Canada Highway (TCH) and the National Highway System (NHS), fall within provincial/territorial jurisdiction. The only exceptions are highways through national parks and a portion of the Alaska Highway, which are managed by Parks Canada and Public Works and Government Services Canada, respectively. Provincial/territorial governments are therefore responsible for the planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance and financing of highways within their jurisdiction.

The federal government is concerned with the conditions of the highway system and its ability to handle the ever-increasing volume of traffic in a safe and efficient manner. It is also recognized that investments in transportation infrastructure are critical to maintaining Canada's economic productivity and promoting the quality of life. It is for these reasons that the government has contributed to provincial/territorial highway construction through a series of cost-shared agreements over the past 85 years.

The provincial/territorial governments must prioritize their projects and submit them to the federal government for funding consideration. Under the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP), the Border Infrastructure Fund (BIF), the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF), the Public Transit Fund (PTF) and the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (MRIF), between 2001 and 2013, the Government of Canada will have contributed over $6.6 billion in infrastructure funding.

On November 6, 2007, the Government of Canada announced its new $33-billion Building Canada infrastructure plan. Through this plan, the federal government is taking action by making strategic investments in infrastructure projects that will produce real results in three areas of national importance: a growing economy, a cleaner environment, and strong and prosperous communities. Through this plan, all levels of government will work together to build a modern Canada ready to compete with the best in the world. Building Canada provides for a federal investment over seven years. This is the largest single federal commitment to public infrastructure of this type in fifty years.

Building Canada includes a comprehensive and integrated suite of infrastructure initiatives. Over 50% of the plan will flow directly to municipalities for their infrastructure priorities, including the $11.8-billion Gas Tax Fund (extended to 2013-14) and an estimated $5.8 billion through the Goods and Services Tax Rebate. In addition, a $2.275-billion Provincial/Territorial Base Funding Initiative will be implemented to provide each jurisdiction with $25 million per year over seven years to support core infrastructure priorities.

An $8.8-billion Building Canada Fund will be distributed to provinces and territories on a per capita basis. This fund includes five infrastructure categories including the Core National Highway System and public transit. The Building Canada Fund also has dedicated funding for projects in communities with populations of less than 100,000 – helping these smaller communities face their unique challenges.

Three new national funds have also been created to target infrastructure in strategic areas:

• the $2.1-billion Gateways and Border Crossings Fund;
• the $1.25-billion Public-Private Partnerships Fund (this fund will support innovative projects that provide an alternative to traditional government infrastructure procurement; a new federal P3 office will also be established); and
• the $1 billion for the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative.

Modern, efficient and reliable infrastructure is essential to ensure that Canada continues to reap the benefits of growing international trade. Developing our trade-related transport systems is vitally important to our economy.

Guided by the National Policy Framework for Strategic Gateways and Trade Corridors, the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund will improve the flow of goods between Canada and the rest of the world. This merit-based fund will enhance infrastructure at key locations, such as major border crossings between Canada and the United States.

The Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative is an integrated set of investment and policy measures focused on trade with the Asia-Pacific region. Its mission is to establish Canada's Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor as the best transportation network facilitating global supply chains between North America and Asia.

For more information on the $33-billion Building Canada infrastructure plan, please visit the official website at: http://www.buildingcanada-chantierscanada.gc.ca/.

Related Links

• Canada's Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP)

In Budget 2000, the Government of Canada committed to improving the economy and Canadians' quality of life by investing up to $600 million over five years in highway infrastructure across the country. In April 2001, the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP) was announced. The program has two components: a $500 million highway construction component and a $100 million national system integration component. The second component includes $65 million for improvements at border crossings, $30 million for deployment and integration of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and $5 million for Transportation Planning and Modal Integration (TPMI) initiatives.

Link to SHIP web page.

• Transportation Planning and Modal Integration Initiatives (TPMII)

One of the goals of the Government's vision for transportation is to move to a more integrated transportation system. On February 26, 2004, Transport Canada announced a call for proposals for initiatives that will advance modal integration and transportation planning in urban areas and along transportation corridors. Seventeen  winning projects, totaling approximately $2.2 million, were selected from a total of 58 submitted in May 2005. Under a Second Call for Proposals, 13 winning projects, totaling approximately $1.1 million, were selected from a total of 38 submitted.

* Guide for Applicants

Link to Report Summaries

• The National Highway System (NHS)

In response to growing recognition of the importance of highway transportation to the Canadian economy and the need for action to preserve Canada’s highway infrastructure, in 1987, the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety commissioned a multi-year National Highway Policy Study, which established criteria that could be applied in each region of the country to define a National Highway System (NHS).

The task force recommendations were approved by the Council of Ministers on September 22, 2005. The National Highway System now consists of over 38,000 kilometres of highways that are important from a national and regional perspective.

* NHS map

Link to NHS web page.

• The Trans-Canada Highway

The Trans-Canada Highway is the world's longest national road. It extends east-west across Canada between Victoria, British Columbia and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, passing through all ten Canadian provinces and linking Canada's major cities. Car ferries link both Newfoundland and Vancouver Island to the mainland.

* Map of the Trans-Canada Highway

Link to Backgrounder
Link to Navigating the Trans-Canada Highway
Link to Trans-Canada Highway archival references

• The Transportation Border Working Group (TBWG)

In 2000, the U.S. Department of Transportation and Transport Canada signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) that highlighted the importance of enhanced coordination between the U.S. and Canada on transportation-related issues along our shared land border. This MOC resulted in the creation of the Transportation Border Working Group (TBWG) in 2002. During its two annual plenary meetings, the TBWG brings together multiple Canadian and U.S. transportation and border agencies to coordinate transportation planning, policy implementation, and the deployment of technology to enhance border infrastructure and operations. As such, this forum fosters on-going communication, information sharing, and the exchange of best practices to improve the transportation and the safety and security systems that connect our two countries. In essence, the TBWG helps to facilitate the safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally responsible movement of people and goods across the Canada-U.S. land border.

Link to TBWG web page.

• Land Border Crossing Investments Map

In 2009, Transport Canada's Highway and Border Policy Branch, with input from the Canada Border Services Agency, completed a Land Border Crossing Investments map.

As Transport Canada moves forward with engaging its U.S. colleagues on a variety of border, trade, and travel-related initiatives, it is hoped that our partners will find this map a useful resource in their efforts to support the movement of legitimate trade and travel across the Canada-U.S. land border.

Link to Border map