Transportation
Study - It all started from a partnership..
In
2006, area residents along Sask. Highway 32 from Leader to Swift
Current were lobbying the Government of Saskatchewan for repairs
to the highway. The highway was in such disrepair that the health
and safety of those who traveled the road and the impact on
the areas industries (transportation, oil and gas, tourism etc.)
became a great concern in the area.
To increase awareness
of the issue and gain surpport the commmunity of Leader engaged
the support of the Action
Southwest partnership to assist in bringing attention to the
area about the value of partnerships and that through collaboration,
opportunities may be afforded to allow for advancements in their
efforts. A Highway 32 Action Team was then formed to assist
in organizing meetings with area stakeholders to discuss potential
avenues to proceed. As a result over
20 regional stakeholders came together on November 9, 2006 at
Swift Current City Hall to sign a Letter of Understanding with
the Department of Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation.
This letter was provided to a number of Ministers representing
various departments that would be impacted by the poor highway.
Meetings
with the municipal partners and transportation stakeholders
regarding the LOU began in December, 2006. At the first meeting
it was agreed that the possibility of a study would be considered
to build a case for improvements to the highway. Action
Southwest worked
to research the possibility and engaged the Area Transportation
Planning Council (ATPC) to partner in this effort. Meetings
were arranged with the Department of Highways, the ATPC, and
members from both the Highway 37 partnership and Highway 32
partnership to visit the possibility of a complete regional
study or a study of a smaller pilot area (Hwy's 32, 37 and 21).
Based on the information that was gathered it was agreed by
all parties that a regional study encompassing the entire southwest
and comprising a complete analysis of the full transportation
system (air, rail, road) would be the most beneficial to everyone
in the region and also would be most feasible in the long term.
The
ATPC stepped up to lead the project and two consulting firms
were commissioned to work in partnership and provide a study
that for the first time would show the correlation of economics
to our region's infrastructure needs.
This
project was the first done of its kind in the province and has
the potential to serve as a pilot for transportation studies
developed in other regions of the province.
In
2006, it was understood that a regional study of this nature
would offer opportunities and benefits to not only the efforts
of this committee but a variety of other future projects endeavored
in other areas. Interestingly, in August 2008 an Action
team has been formed to engage the development of a business
case for extension of border services. Information gathered
in the Southwest Transportation study will now lend further
support to another potential opportunity for the Southwest Region.
Current
Status: The study has been successfully completed.
Southwest
Transportation Study pdf
Transportation
Study Steering Committee
Lead: Morgan
Powell, Chairperson, Southwest Transportation Planning Council
Support /
Advisory:
- Gary Meier, Town of Leader
- Sandra Blyth, Action Southwest
- David Stearns, Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation
- Terry Erdelyan, RM of Riverside
- Tom Davie, Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation
- Sandy Larson, City of Swift Current
- Malcolm Foster, City of Swift Current
- Tanya MacDonald, UMA
- Aaron Murray, Derek Murray and Associates
- Keith Carleton, Southwest Transportation Planning Council
- Ida-Mae Leek, Administrator, RM of Gull Lake
- Dennis Webster, Southwest Transportation Planning Council
- Iann Swann, Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation
Highway 32
Action Team
Lead:
Gary Meier, Mayor, Town of Leader
Support /
Advisory:
- Sandra Blyth, Project Manager, Action Southwest
- Karen Bonesky, General Manager, Southwest Centre for Entrepreneurial
Development
- Keleah Herron, CEDO, Southwest REDA/Southwest CFDC
- Martin Kuntz, Area Manager, Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation
- Sandy Larson, Mayor, City of Swift Current
- John Parker, General Manager, Southwest CFDC/REDA
- Morgan Powell, Chair, South West Transportation Planning
Council
- Dianne Sletten, Regional Coordinator, Saskatchewan Regional
Economic and Co-operative Development
- Mark Soper, Sales Manager, Southwest Booster
- Ian Swann, Municipal Area Engineer, Saskatchewan Highways
and Transportation
To learn more about
HIghway 32 and ways you can assist please click here www.highway32.ca
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