Border Stories

Here are some things for you to consider as you cross the border

CROSSING TIMES

Perhaps Brian Masse can explain this at his big Border Authority meeting or have his public sector operators do so.

Which "private"crossing is conspicuous by its absence in the story below? Does that mean that traffic was moving at the private crossing a lot better than at the public ones:

• Stepped-up checks mean longer lines at U.S. borders
  
  By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press Writer, Sep 3, 1:28 PM EDT
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) -- Stepped-up inspections at the Canadian and Mexican borders have led to lines nearly as long as they were after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
  
  The longer lines of people driving into the United States from Mexico or Canada, some returning U.S. citizens, have appeared over the past month or two at several ports of entry.
  
  The wait to cross became so long this month at Blue Water Bridge, which connects Port Huron, Mich., with Point Edward/Sarnia, Ontario, that the Ministry of Transportation in Ontario set up portable toilets along the road.
  
  "Many motorists have become stranded in the lineups, not expecting such a long delay. Not since 9/11 have the backups been so common," said Garry McDonald, president of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce, which requested the toilets.
  
  Border residents and businesses blame new rules that require U.S. citizens to show driver's licenses, passports or other photo ID. They say there is not enough staff to inspect the documents, collect information and do additional vehicle checks.
  
  At the Peace Bridge connecting Buffalo, N.Y., and Fort Erie, Ontario, time to inspect a vehicle rose from 54 seconds last year to about 75 seconds this year, said Ron Rienas, Peace Bridge general manager. People wanting to travel to Buffalo to shop or dine are deterred by the long lines, he said.
  
  "Obviously something happened, some sort of policy directive that has resulted in longer processing times," Rienas said. "We've inquired, but the response we've gotten is, 'We've always done these kinds of checks.'"
  
  Previously, U.S. citizens could declare their citizenship, declare any goods they were bringing back with them and be waved through unless the inspector felt the need to do further checks.
  
  At the Detroit Windsor Tunnel, average total crossing times have also increased. In January, it took 15 minutes to cross into the United States at the tunnel. So far in August, the average monthly time has been 23 minutes, said Neal Blitsky, president and general manager of Detroit Windsor Tunnel LLC, the tunnel's private operator.

There was another of those "Skip McMahon, spokesman for the Ambassador Bridge, could not be reached" lines. Whew, thank goodness he was not around before the story was published or else the Star might have had to say something nice about how they moved traffic. Hmmmm I wonder why no one tried to contact Dan Stamper.

TUNNEL REGULATION PASSED

I still do not believe that the Regualtion is legal. It does not matter since nothing seems to be happening on the Detroit Tunnel deal. I am surprised that Kwame has not demanded his US$75M yet or else gone out with an RFP for someone else to take it over.

Oh my goodness, what would happen if Kwame did that and the winner was... nawwww, I am NOT going to get into that. Eddie and Transport Canada would have a bird!

Here is the Regulation that has been passed:

• ONTARIO REGULATION 371/07
  made under the MUNICIPAL ACT, 2001
  
  Made: June 20, 2007, Filed: July 23, 2007
  
  Printed in The Ontario Gazette: August 11, 2007
  
  Amending O. Reg. 599/06
  
  (Municipal Services Corporations)
  
  1. Ontario Regulation 599/06 is amended by adding the following section:
  
  Special corporation, Windsor-Detroit Tunnel
  
  10.1 (1) The City of Windsor may, by itself or together with one or more other public sector entities, use the powers referred to in paragraphs 1 to 5 of subsection 203 (1) of the Act in relation to a corporation that satisfies the following conditions:
  
  1. It carries on business,
  
  i. in the City of Detroit and elsewhere in the State of Michigan, or
  
  ii. in the City of Detroit, elsewhere in the State of Michigan and in the City of Windsor.
  
  2. Its purposes are restricted to,
  
  i. managing, operating and maintaining all or part of the Tunnel,
  
  ii. holding shares in one or more corporations established for the purpose of managing, operating and maintaining all or part of the Tunnel, or
  
  iii. a combination of the purposes listed in subparagraphs i and ii.
  
  (2) Sections 10 and 16 do not apply to a corporation established under subsection (1).
  
  (3) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the power to establish a corporation under that subsection includes power to incorporate a corporation under the laws of the State of Michigan.
  
  (4) Nothing in subsection (1) prevents the City of Windsor from using the powers referred to in subsection 203 (1) of the Act in relation to a corporation that carries on business in relation to the Tunnel only in the City of Windsor.
  
  (5) In this section,
  
  “City of Detroit” means the City of Detroit in the State of Michigan;
  
  “State of Michigan” means the State of Michigan in the United States of America;
  
  “Tunnel” means the motor vehicle tunnel that connects the City of Windsor with the City of Detroit, and includes any ancillary facilities for the transfer of passengers between municipal transportation systems of the City of Windsor and the
  City of Detroit.
  
  2. (1) Subsection 18 (3) of the Regulation is amended by striking out “Despite section 10 and subsection (2)” at the beginning and substituting “Despite subsection (2)”.
  
  (2) Section 18 of the Regulation is amended by adding the following subsection:
  
  (4.1) Subsections (3) and (4) do not apply to a corporation established under section 10 or 10.1.
  
  3. This Regulation comes into force on the day it is filed.

NOTE TO EDITOR

The Bridge Co. owes a big debt of gratitude to Councillor Jones for asking the quesion at Council that has clarified the facts behind the Star story "Bridge to Nowhere."

You may remember that the Star the day after that story came out published a "Correction" about some of the facts in the story but of course, the headline about the correction and its placement was not as prominent as the first story.

You may also recall the Detroit Free Press story the other day that I posted where "Dan Stamper, president of the company, denied that construction had begun on a second bridge."

Thanks to the Councillor, Dev Tyagi, general manager of public works was able to say at Council

• "I'm not aware of any infractions that lead us to believe anything they are building is not part of the site plan they have given to the city," Tyagi said.
  
  City inspectors have been regularly on the site and remain convinced the construction remains within the legal parameters of the plaza expansion, he said."

Gee, how could there be so much confusion. I noticed in the Star story the quote:

• "The city's chief building inspector Mario Sonego could not be reached Thursday."


• "McMahon said if there has been a violation of zoning bylaws on the recent construction work, the city would have had something to say about it."

It is becoming such a bad habit of the Star. If the Star could only have waited for the return call or have called Mr. Tyagi, then this confusion would not have happened. Oh yes, there might not have been a story either.

Interesting placement of the clarification story too. Not with a big headline on the front page but buried in "Windsor Briefs" just before "Bird researcher receives grant to hunt woodpecker."

DAN STAMPER'S BIZX MAGAZINE ARTICLE

I am not going to take readers away from the magazine by posting the whole article. If you want to read what he says, and you ought to, then go and find yourself a copy of the September edition or go to their website and go to Page 7
http://www.bizxmagazine.com/coverstories/Sept_2007.pdf

A few key points:

• Robert Perez, Port Director of the US Customs and Border Protection Agency, confirms that the Detroit/Windsor border crossing is both secure and efficient. He calls the
  Ambassador Bridge the “epitome of layered enforcement practices”


• The Enhancement Project shifts "the traffic that currently crosses the Ambassador Bridge
  approximately 100 feet to the west onto a new six lane, cable stayed structure. It utilizes the current plazas in both Windsor and Detroit.


• almost all of the property required on both sides of the river has been secured , effectively resulting in a minimal impact on houses and relocation when building begins.


• the construction phase is slated to last for 30 to 36 months. A recent report from the Anderson Group anticipated 3,700 jobs would be added to the region as a result of the Enhancement Project.


• the Green Corridor is a groundbreaking initiative for generating a green redevelopment of the international bridge corridor linking Canada to the US.