Windsor/Detroit Traffic Volumes: Border Investors Alert

Hooray! Better late than never.

The Star finally gave some prominence to the startling news out of US DRIC's DEIS that the DRIC traffic projections were dismally wrong and that traffic needs to be taken from every other crossing or the new DRIC Bridge might go broke!

• "In the section studying traffic patterns, DRIC predicts an initial loss of traffic for the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge.
  
  Blue Water would see a seven per cent decline in cars and 16 to 18 per cent drop in truck traffic in peak travel periods when the new bridge opens. The tunnel would take a 20 to 26 per cent hit on cars. The Ambassador Bridge would see a 30 to 39 per cent drop in cars and 54 to 75 per cent drop in truck traffic, depending on the location of the new bridge."

Below are Transport Canada actual numbers for the border crossing volume for cars and trucks.

Truck volumes are virtually the same today as they were in 1999 at the Ambassador Bridge as an example. So much for the massive increase projected.

Car volumes have tanked especially at the Tunnel where it is now ranked third in car volume with over a 50% drop in volume! The drop from the second position took place under our Mayor's management of the Tunnel Commission. You know, the same Mayor who now wants to pay US $75M for some deal involving the US side for which we have no business case disclosed so far.

By the way, Councillor Gignac just killed her mayoral chances (and Councillor Brister can rest easier). With this below par performance at the Tunnel, how could she possibly say:

• "With the information put in front of me, I'm comfortable with (the legal costs)," said Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac."

She should have said that the legal bills better stop and that this deal is dead! Oh I forgot, she is NOT a Detroit Councillor who is not afraid to speak up.

Please explain to me again how DRIC came up with their over-optimistic numbers about how volumes would double! Wasn't that their prime justification for a new crossing!

More importantly, please explain to me how the Governments on both sides of the border can justify spending billions of taxpayer dollars on a new crossing when effectively the Ambassador Bridge Company has just built a new one with the booths they have just built---6 in Canada and 7 in the US-- that almost equate to the number of booths at the Tunnel.

Wouldn't you just love to see their pitch to P3 investors for a new DRIC bridge. No wonder to get their numbers up they have to cannibalize traffic from all of the other crossings in SW Ontario/SE Michigan.

TRUCK VOLUMES

CAR VOLUMES