Media Release: Third road safety blitz in Lincoln this year focuses on truck safety and excessive noise
Lincoln, ON – (July 19, 2022) – The Town of Lincoln is pleased to continue its collaboration with the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), Niagara Regional Police (NRP), and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to help keep Lincoln roads safe. The recent safety blitz included Projects “Avoidance” and “Operation Loud and Clear” and was conducted on Lincoln roadways.
MTO, NRP and OPP officers identified commercial motor vehicles that they believed were intentionally bypassing the Vineland Truck Inspection Station on the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) between Vineland and Beamsville in Lincoln. These officers were strategically positioned across the community to intercept commercial motor vehicles believed to be intentionally by-passing the Truck Inspection Station, which were then stopped, inspected, and directed to the Vineland Truck Inspection Station for further and more in-depth mechanical review.
During this initiative, officers also focused on any type of vehicle being operated within the community causing excessive noise due to defects or modifications such as exhaust systems, straight exhaust pipes, and any other vehicle modification that may be deemed a safety concern.
Safety blitzes 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. Safety blitzes aim to ensure safe 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:
- 5 vehicles re-directed to Vineland Truck Inspection Station
- 17 charges laid
- 11 vehicles taken out of service
- 4 licence plates seized
“We have come a long way in our efforts to collaborate with enforcement agencies and truly push the envelope as far as road and truck safety are concerned in Lincoln,” said Town of Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton. “This is the third safety blitz to take place in 2022 and I’m truly pleased to see this continued and dedicated effort by all participants to ensure the safety and well-being of our community.”
“This latest initiative builds upon our recent successes by addressing concerns we’ve heard from our community members,” said the Town’s Chief Administrative Officer, Michael Kirkopoulos. “By partnering with agencies that are prepared take bold and decisive actions against unsafe vehicles, we are making Lincoln a better place to live, work and visit.”
More information on truck safety in Lincoln and previous safety blitzes is available at our Speak Up Lincoln public engagement site, speakuplincoln.ca/truck-traffic.
The Town continues to implement traffic safety initiatives throughout the community, including Community Safety Zones, Pedestrian Crossovers, speedbumps and digital speed feedback signs. For more details or to ask the Town a question about traffic safety in Lincoln, please visit the Town’s public engagement site, Speak Up Lincoln, at speakuplincoln.ca/traffic-safety.
About Project Avoidance
Project Avoidance was developed in response to the Town of Lincoln’s request and through cooperation with the Niagara Regional Police (NRP), Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO), Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Halton Police Service and the Niagara Parks Police to conduct safety and compliance checks on commercial vehicles and trucks.
About Project Loud and Clear
Project Loud and Clear was initiated in response to concerns about excessive noise with the community, caused by vehicle defects or modifications such as exhaust systems, straight exhaust pipes, and any other vehicle modification that may be deemed a safety concern.
History of Project Avoidance in Lincoln
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
Direct: 905-563-2799 ext. 230
Tel: 905-563-8205
