Regional Analysis – Alaska-Lower U.S. 48 DG Movement through Prairies

Transport Canada (TC), based on risks, develops safety standards and regulations, provides oversight and gives expert advice to promote public safety in the transportation of dangerous goods by all modes of transport in Canada. TC’s Transport Dangerous Goods (TDG) Program is the focal point for the national program to promote public safety during the transportation of dangerous goods. The TDG Program serves as the major source of regulatory development, information and guidance on dangerous goods (DG) transport for the public, industry and government employees.

The Canadian prairie provinces provide an important trade corridor which connects Alaska with the continental U.S. Flammable liquids, flammable gases, corrosive substances, and toxic inhalants are imported and exported between Canada and the U.S. in this transportation corridor on a regular basis. These commodities are known to move to and from Alaska and the continental U.S by road using the Canadian road routes as a bridge. Although this type of DG bridge traffic is known about, Canadian trade statistics do not typical capture this type of traffic since it is does not originate or terminate in Canada.

In 2021, TDG completed a study which analyzed the movement of DGs between Alaska and the Lower 48 states of the U.S., focusing on goods transported along the BC-Alaska highway. The study provided valuable research into the bridge traffic between the U.S. states, however, it identified a significant portion of movement that may be transiting along routes in the Prairie provinces. The BC-Alaska Highway study identified bridge movement through the prairies into and out of Alaska as an area for further research.

In order to increase our knowledge base on the transportation of DGs by road between Canada and the United States, this study intends to identify the commodities and analyze the volumes of DGs being moved between Alaska and the lower 48 states through the Canadian Prairies. The outcome of this study is expected to provide quantitative data and analysis that informs on the volumes and classes of DGs that are being transported via this corridor.

The primary objective of this study is to analyze the movement of goods by road that originate or destinate in the U.S., and which use roads in the Canadian prairies as a bridge. The focus of the analysis will be on identifying the classes, volumes, and routes of DGs that travel through Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba between Alaska and other U.S. states. Through this investigation, we will increase our knowledge of the types of DGs being transported between Canada and the United States, as well as understand the DGs which go unreported in Canadian trade statistics.

The Contractor will collect, analyze, and present the data related to the transportation of dangerous goods by road between Alaska and the continental United States via roads in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba from 2016 to 2021.