McMaster Institute for Transportation & Logistics
MITL identifies, solves and teaches important research problems/issues related to efficient and sustainable movements of goods and people.
MITL Research Projects
We carry out research for both the public and private sectors. Here are several examples of current and completed research projects.
Maximizing the Potential of the Foreign Trade Zone Concept in Canada
This research examined the array of programs in Canada that seek to provide similar benefits to the more singular U.S. FTZ program. It has also examined the dilemma of not using a true zone concept in a world that is used to FTZs as zones with defined spatial boundaries. As well as the U.S. case , some examples from around the world are evaluated. The report concludes that some geographical reframing of the FTZ concept is required and that there are some important marketing issues to be considered as well. Finally, it suggests that the disparate FTZ-oriented programs in Canada need to be brought more into line with one another. Linked Report
Please click here to acess Dr. Mark Ferguson's January 25th speech.
Seaway Under-Utilization: Are
Regulations to Blame?
This report assesses the extent to which the regulatory environment can be used as an explanation
for why Seaway volumes have not reached the levels of decades past and why it has been difficult for
new Seaway services oriented towards higher value goods to gain traction. The results suggest that
non-regulatory factors such as shifts in global demand patterns and intense competition from other
modes within the region such as rail offer the most powerful explanations. Nevertheless, the report
notes that even after the elimination of the Canadian 25% duty on foreign built ships, there are still some significant regulatory barriers to be addressed. Linked Report
Thank you for your attendance at the March 7th Metrolinx event: "Advancing the Big Move Through
the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area" .
Please click here to access the presentation by Bruce McCuaig (President and Chief Executive Officer, Metrolinx).
Gridlock to thicken if left unchecked: Metrolinx president , Hamilton Spectator. Thursday's forum was sponsored by the McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics. More information on the transit plan is available at bigmove.ca.
Thank-you for helping make TRANSLOG 2012 a success! Click here to access presentations.
News
MITL Spring 2013 Newsletter
Burlington, Ontario - January 25, 2013: MITL launches report on the Foreign trade Zone Concepts in Canada. Transcript of MITL's speech at the event can be found here.
Labour crunch in transportation, Hamilton Spectator
MITL article on Seaway Underutilization? Are regulations to blame? (short article) appears in Great Lakes-
Seaway Review. The full associated issue of the Seaway Review can be seen
here.
Christopher Higgins of the McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics appears on the The Bill Kelly Show, CHML Radio, to discuss the North American Light Rail Experience and the implications for
Hamilton.
MITL report illuminates issue of LRT for the City of Hamilton, Hamilton Spectator. Subsequent editorial on the topic can be found here.
Cross-border shopping still affected by 9/11 Hamilton Spectator
Dr. Bill Anderson, Professor and Ontario Research Chair in Cross Border Transportation Studies at the University of Windsor, talks about "Cross Border Issues" on The Bill Kelly Show, CHML Radio, October 15, 2012
MITL has completed a report on the North American Light Rail Experience: Insights for Hamilton
Coverage of MITL's launch of new marine regulatory study.
MITL traffic simulation capabilities highlighted in a new Hamilton, Ontario truck route study. Linked report



