Thoughts and Opinions On Today's Important Issues

Monday, February 27, 2006

Blue Water Bridge's Worst Nightmare


I happened to see a copy of the 2004 annual report of the Blue Water Bridge. Here is the part that troubled me greatly and confirmed to me that there is more going on in this DRIC process than we know about.

  • Competitive Risk

    …is the risk that changes and improvements made by our competitors…that might significantly affect travel volumes

    The main risks to the BWBA’s strong volume trends include:

    -Improved transportation access and additional capacity at the Ambassador bridge (either in bridge twinning or a separate span) to alleviate notable congestion at the busiest cross-border bridge crossing between Canada and the U.S.

    The probability of any of these risks materializing, let alone all of them simultaneously, are reasonably remote.

If this does not confirm exactly what I have been saying over the last few weeks then nothing will convince you otherwise.

The threat to Port Huron/Sarnia is a strong, working and smoothly flowing road system in Windsor and an enhanced Ambassador Bridge crossing. However, no fears that this will happen. It is "reasonably remote."

With all due respect to the Councils of Windsor and Detroit, we have a lot more to be talking about and to be worried about than letting Eddie become a border crossing operator. All we have to be worried about is our future and that does not even seem to be on the Agenda!