Lincoln, ON – (April 17, 2025) – On April 16, the Town of Lincoln collaborated with the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS), the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), Halton Regional Police Service, Hamilton Police Service, and Ontario Provincial Police for the first joint enforcement initiative of the year. This initiative focused on stopping commercial motor vehicles travelling on known bypass routes, avoiding the Vineland MTO Inspection Station.
During this blitz, officers diligently identify commercial vehicles intentionally bypassing the Vineland Inspection Station on the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW). They conduct thorough vehicle inspections to ensure compliance with Ontario's legislated road safety standards.
Lincoln's safety blitzes are a direct outcome of Council's priority to ensure traffic safety by diverting commercial vehicle traffic away from the Town's downtown areas and onto regional and municipal roads better suited for larger trucks. This redirection still maintains the necessary flow of goods to support local businesses and the overall economy.
“The Town of Lincoln remains committed to addressing the ongoing challenge of unnecessary truck traffic in our core areas, and the enforcement initiative model continues to serve as our best enforcement tool,” said Mayor Sandra Easton. “This is the fifth year we are collaborating on these safety blitzes, which is telling of the collective understanding among partner agencies. Thank you to all participating agencies who continues to prioritize public and road safety.”
The statistics from the recent initiative include:
- 35 vehicles comprehensively inspected
- 14 vehicles removed from the highway after significant safety concerns were identified
- 2 licence plates seized
- 22 charges laid
Deficiencies identified include annual inspection, brakes, cargo securement, CVOR, daily inspection logs.
Mike Mikolic, Ward 3 Councillor and Chair of the Town’s Community Services and Infrastructure Committee, added, "I’m glad to see this important initiative continuing in 2025 — working together, we’re keeping everyone who uses our roads safe, while ensuring goods move smoothly through our community."
“This initiative is an example of pooling resources to achieve a common goal,” added the Town’s Chief Administrative Officer, Michael Kirkopoulos. “We remain committed to keeping our roads safe while strengthening our local economy, two of Lincoln’s key priorities.”
The data collected from blitzes will contribute to further understanding truck traffic trends in Lincoln. As the Town gathers more insights, it plans to continue its collaboration with the MTO and Niagara Regional Police Service to address traffic concerns and ensure safer roads for all.
For more information on truck safety in Lincoln, visit Speak Up Lincoln.
The Town continues to implement traffic safety initiatives throughout the community, including community safety zones, pedestrian crossovers, speedbumps, and digital speed feedback signs. Visit Lincoln.ca for more details.
Background
Truck Traffic in Lincoln and History of Safety Blitzes
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 Alternate Truck Route Initiative 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 strategically located between the QEW and Regional Road 20. 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.