Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan

The NCC is the planner for federal lands in the National Capital Region. In this role, the NCC works in collaboration with partners and stakeholders to enhance the region’s urban, natural and cultural character. Together, we are working to make the National Capital Region a model of land use planning: a place where decisions about the use and development of lands are based on best practices and considerations of environmental sensitivity and sustainability.

The Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan is a roadmap that outlines a vision and strategies related to the interprovincial transport of people and goods in the National Capital Region.

The plan guides the NCC and partners in their work to build a more efficient and sustainable transportation system. It addresses current and future challenges and uncertainties linked to transportation in the region.

The NCC Board of Directors approved the Long-Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan in January 2022. Our team is currently in the process of updating the LTIICP following the gathering of important new transportation data. This data will contribute to further refining the plan’s strategies and actions. The update is expected to be completed in 2025.

The LTIICP presents a desired future state for transportation in the National Capital Region. It states that by 2050, the transportation network to cross the Ottawa River will provide well-connected and sustainable travel options that contribute to a high quality of life and economic prosperity in the National Capital Region. The system of crossings will support equitable mobility and the safe and efficient movement of people and goods, while respecting the region’s natural environment and cultural heritage.

The plan proposes short-, medium- and long-term strategies to deliver on this vision.

One of the first initiatives is to update regional data to better understand post-pandemic travel and interprovincial truck travel trends. This update is currently under way and is expected to be completed in 2025.

Origin Destination Survey

The TRANS Committee coordinates efforts between National Capital Region planning agencies. The Committee conducted a regional Origin Destination Survey in 2022 that provides a snapshot in time of all trips made by residents of the National Capital Region during that period.

Results were compared to previous surveys in 2005 and 2011 to identify trends.

Highlights of the Origin Destination Survey include:

• a 3% increase in the number of trips from households between 2011 and 2022;
• fewer daily trips per person and more varied types of trips;
• a decrease in utilitarian trips (work/school) and an increase in discretionary trips (recreational/shopping);
• a 25% decrease in daily interprovincial trips in both directions;
• an increase in interprovincial walking and cycling trips, by 56% and 43% respectively.
  

The full survey results will be available on the TRANS committee website in summer 2024.

Since the survey, regional agencies continue to monitor the evolution of the return to office and the increase in transit ridership.

Interprovincial Truck Mobility Data Collection

In 2023, the NCC collected information on interprovincial truck travel in the region. The data collected will support regional transportation planning studies.

Findings include:

• Approximately 3,500 weekday interprovincial truck trips in the National Capital Region, which represents 2% of all interprovincial vehicle traffic.
• 85% of interprovincial truck trips were observed between 6 am and 6 pm.
• 67% of trucks observed on the King Edward-Rideau-Waller-Nicholas corridor did not have origins or destinations in the immediate downtown core area.
• 75% of truck movements across the Ottawa River have either an origin or a destination east of the Rideau and Gatineau rivers.
• 6% of interprovincial truck trips are through traffic (no origin or destination in the National Capital Region).

Actions

In the short term, the NCC is also working to:

• increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations and adopt a zero-emissions fleet;
• improve cycling infrastructure along key interprovincial routes;
• expand programs to encourage sustainable transportation at federal workplaces.

Over the next 5 to 10 years, the plan also covers actions that need longer-term decision making or capital investments. These include:

• improving the integration of the interprovincial transit system and service;
• coordinating interprovincial mobility sharing programs (i.e. e-scooters, bike sharing and so on);
• encouraging the use of zero-emission vehicles;
• encouraging transition to low-carbon/smaller vehicles for goods movement.
  

The NCC has also identified long-term actions that require further study, including implementing an interprovincial transit loop within the core area to enhance connectivity.

The NCC developed an engagement plan in collaboration with federal, provincial and municipal partners. Over 3,000 people participated in different engagement activities.

The feedback provided by participants informed the drafting of the plan at every stage of the process. Public input collected during each of phase of public consultation is summarized in the reports linked below.