Why Can't The Tunnel And Bridge Be Friends?

Gord Henderson said, “Some of us snickered in July when the bridge company rolled out its grandiose and seemingly preposterous plan … Nobody's laughing now.” Do you want to bet on that? I hear some laughter coming from the foot of the Ambassador Bridge.

Didn’t Gord understand, as the Bridge Co. did, that with the falling traffic projections and the changes to the auto industry, we might not need another crossing for years, if ever.

If Gord had remembered that their project would only cost about $200 million rather than the amount of $600 million for a new bridge, then he would have known that this was a no-brainer. Who wouldn’t want to save the $400 million that may never have to be spent?

The real bombshell was the massive land redevelopment in Detroit but I guess that was deemed to be “non-news” since the Bridge Co. had already talked about using some of their land already for an expanded Cobo Hall and new hotels. Of course, there was their deal with the Port Authority that will make all of their projects so much easier to do.

It was interesting to read what the City’s rah-rah newsletter said about the Bridge Co. deal, errrr I mean the Windsor Star. It was truly “hot” off the presses, so hot that the paper had production problems and I did not get the Saturday Star until late in the day and then again on Monday.

And it was predictable.

“No more tunnel bus” were the first words in our favourite Columnist’s story. I did not understand that one to be honest. I frankly thought that the solution would improve service since “service” and the “Tunnel bus” seem to be oxymorons. With 100 booths into the US and a huge plaza, buses could be cleared quickly. After all, we want to make it easier for Americans to go back home too don’t we.

Here are some excerpts from recent horror stories:

1. More than five dozen regular tunnel bus commuters have signed a petition asking for improved service


2. Transit Windsor is telling tunnel bus passengers it can't guarantee leaving a half-hour before baseball games or other events at Comerica Park will get riders to the start of the event.


3. Transit Windsor has cancelled its tunnel bus service on fireworks night due to lack of downtown access on both sides of the border. That means no Tigers shuttle to Comerica Park.


4. Public transit buses are not given precedence over long-haul tour buses or inter-city buses, which arrive with more passengers, more to declare and thousands of pounds of baggage


5. Penny Williams, spokesperson for Transit Windsor, acknowledged Thursday that orange alerts in the U.S. following the July terrorist attacks in London resulted in buses being backed up on the Windsor tunnel plaza well after the first pitch for recent Detroit Tigers games... On several of those buses, more than half the passengers disembarked in Windsor and went home frustrated after further delays were announced due to the slow pace of processing tour buses through customs and immigration on the Detroit side of the border.


6. Bus searches at the U.S. border are disrupting Transit Windsor's service to Detroit sports events, stranding angry fans and raising concerns among Super Bowl organizers… Chief Ron Smith, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Homeland Security… suggested the problem was because of the volume of buses coming through the tunnel -- there is room on the Detroit plaza for only two at a time.
   

Then we had No more direct commutes to jobs in downtown Detroit. Sheeeeesh, there is going to be an exit for NEXUS card-holders right at the existing tunnel.

And then the coup de grace: No more fast and convenient access to Tiger Stadium, Comerica Park, Cobo Hall, the Fox Theater and Greektown. So let me see, if I understand this. Go an extra mile or two and spend a few extra minutes OR wait in a line-up for up to two hours or more going through the Tunnel. Which would you prefer?

Seriously, does the Tunnel have any alternative but to partner now? I am sure that some revenue share can be worked out if that is all it takes. If the Tunnel stays on its own and you were someone who crosses the border, would you go to the crossing that has a few booths each way or one that has 100! And if DCTC thinks that the U.S. Customs is giving the Ambassador Bridge a competitive edge by doing a better job of clearing traffic congestion there, then just wait.

I had this idea too that if we have a better way of getting cars through the Tunnel, then we may not have to spend the $30 million of taxpayer money on the Phase 1 changes at the Tunnel plaza or have to change the roads down there. Or does that interfere with some hidden Master Plan that we do not know about?

If we want to increase Tunnel revenues and improve the City’s slice from Mr. Taqtaq’s Duty-Free Shop, then we need to start thinking and not reacting. Sam Schwartz wanted to direct Casino traffic to the Tunnel too and what good would that be if cars were lined up? We need a border that works for the good of Windsor and not just the good of the Tunnel.

The Mayor has said in speaking about what must be done to improve Tunnel revenues "We have to do something to counter the perception that there are delays at the tunnel by doing a better job of managing and funnelling traffic into the tube." Perhaps a proper conversation with the Bridge Co. might open his eyes or is he afraid to speak with them?