Road Transportation Infrastructure

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Abstract

The 1.1 million kilometres of roads shown on the map form a national road network that connects people and goods from one community to another in Canada and to the rest of the continent. On the map, roads are classified based on the population of the communities the roads connect; combined, the communities on the map represent 78% of the total population in 2001. Principal road corridors connect major cities with a population greater than 49 999 and major ports of entry into and out of the country. Secondary road corridors connect medium-sized populated places (of between 10 000 and 49 999) to the principal road corridor. Major roads connect the smaller-sized populated places (of between 1000 and 9999) to the principal and secondary road corridors. Minor roads connect populated places with a population less than 1000 to the principal and secondary road corridors, and to major roads. Minor roads also include roads connecting Indian Reserves. Local roads include all other roads not directly connected to the network by the population between two populated places. Winter roads serve remote and northern communities in the winter or when weather conditions permit travel.

Roads represent the core of the national transportation network as they are used by cars, trucks and buses. All levels of government combined spent a total of $17.4 billion on roads in 2005/06. In 2006, 61% of trade between the United States was by road and in 2005 the trucking industry generated $27 billion in revenues. About 75% of the Canada/US trade by truck took place at six border crossing points: Windsor, Niagara Falls/Fort Erie, and Sarnia, all located in Ontario; Lacolle, Quebec; Emerson, Manitoba and the Pacific Highway (Highway 15) near Surrey, British Columbia. Approximately 1500 bus operators transported more than 1.5 billion passengers in 2005. There were an estimated 17.9 light vehicles registered to Canadians in the ten provinces: an estimated 10.3 million cars; 2.9 million vans; 1.4 million sport-utility vehicles and 3.3 million pickup trucks. This is in addition to the 615 000 registered heavy trucks with a gross weight of at least 4500 kilograms. Almost half of all paved roads are in Ontario and Quebec, while Saskatchewan and Alberta account for half of all unpaved roads. About 75% of all roads are in Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

The National Highway System (NHS), first established in 1988 (updated in 2005) as a joint exercise between Transport Canada and provincial/territorial transport departments, represents a road network comprising 38 021 kilometres of roads. The NHS provides for interprovincial and international trade and travel by directly connecting the following components: capital cities and major provincial or commercial centers of population to each other; major ports of entry or exit to the United States; and major intermodal terminals. The NHS includes most of the 7300-kilometre Trans Canada Highway (but excludes highway 105 in Nova Scotia and a portion of highway 11 in northwestern Ontario), which links all ten provinces. On the map the NHS with a few additions is represented by the Principal Road Corridor.