How Greenlink Will Build E C Row As A Border Road

I wonder if Gridlock Sam and Parsons Brinckerhoff retained a security advisor as part of their group when designing Schwunnels. You know those short tunnels up to 1 KM long that Sam put in all over the place in Grenlink that we are supposed to be so happy about. In fact, I wonder if the DRIC people did as well with their road project.

If you stop and think about it, can you imagine the border chaos that would be caused if there was an accident in a shunnel or a Schwunnel. It does not take a super brain to figure out that even the smallest fender bender involving a couple of transport trucks could cause backups for hours going into the United States. Can you imagine what would happen to cross-border trade if we had the equivalent of that California fire that took place recently involving over 20 trucks.

The trouble is that I believe that all of these people know the answer. They're treating us like fools again. There's much more involved in all of this border stuff than we poor taxpayers can figure out. One only needs to look at the materials that were disclosed in Port Huron as part of their border crossing file to know that we are not being given all of the relevant information.

There is no doubt in my mind that the tunnels, Schwunnels and shunnels are huge security risks. I will let you figure out in your own mind the various ways that those who wish to harm the economies of Canada and United States could do so without very much effort. Unless there is going to be a tremendous security system in place before a vehicle enters the road to the border, then our economies are at risk.

Here are just several quotes that I found in the Port Huron materials. There was talk about building a 1.5 mile secure traffic corridor in Port Huron. Here are some comments about it:

• "CBP has serious safety and security concerns regarding the proposed alternative-believing that It will create new and unacceptable security vulnerabilities. To be viable, this alternative must fully recognize and address the safety and security requirements.
• Many of the conclusions related to the security risks are flawed. The reports ignore an attack for the purpose of shutting the trade corridor between the United States and Canada. Additionally, the reports ignore the inherent security issues associated with the bridge over the Black River and its accessibility and vulnerability to a terrorist attack that could also close the entire secure corridor for days or weeks, depending on how long it would take to replace or repair the bridge."
• "CBP disagrees with the conclusion, "The security team believes that a terrorist attack on the bridge is unlikely, and an attack on the plaza or secure corridor is even less likely." The plaza and secure corridor are much easier targets then the bridge itself, especially the secure corridor due to the bridges that are at or near grade. The bridge over the Black River in PA-3 is especially vulnerable because of the water across and the fact that it is at grade. Once again, the conclusion is inherently flawed."
• "However, the corridor's most important economic attribute is its role as a major North American trade route. CBP emphasizes this because the report does not acknowledge this, and hence recommendations do not accurately reflect what is at stake.
• CBP disagrees with the statement "The increased perimeter and footprint does not increase the likelihood of an attack…" Military protocol identifies that the larger the perimeter to secure, the more vulnerable the perimeter is to a breach.
• A secure corridor offers higher probabilities for increased traffic accident back-ups since the corridor extends the distance to the plaza. Currently, if a backup occurs along the highway after the bridge vehicles can leave the plaza at a local exit and bypass the highway. Local diversion of traffic is impossible with a secure corridor. A secure corridor will offer more opportunities to terrorists to close the trade corridor. As an example, sabotaging the Black River Bridge target instead of the Blue Water Bridge."

I am sure that you see what I mean. I know that the DRIC or the Greenlink road is not a secure corridor but the principles are the same with tunnels. In fact, our proposed solution may be worse. It is going to be the main way that trucks get to the border. The security risk is the border road and not the bridge itself.

What does all of this mean? Of course we are going to have Huron Church Road fixed up but not with any major Schwunnels since that would be totally irresponsible from a security point of view. Even though the Americans are concerned about their side of the river, do you really think that there are going to allow us to build a road system that puts their economy at risk? I am sure that Customs and Stockwell Day are not that foolish either.

Clearly the answer is that a backup or redundant road must be built if we are to have shunnels or even Schwunnels. That is the only way it can be done responsibly. That was one of the issues in the United States with respect to the DRIC corridor there. There was a need for a redundant way to get to the border.

There's only one alternative for a back-up road that I can think of that makes any sense and fits in very well with what the Mayor wants to do at the airport and with the Intermodal hub. It also fits in to the fact that this particular road needs major construction improvements and the City clearly does not have the money to do them.

That alternative is to turn E C Row into an alternative route to the border.

We will get a 10 lane road with 4 lanes in the middle for international trucks only paid for by the Senior Levels. And then you know what, with E C Row upgraded, and all this talk about DRTP with its brand spanking new doublestack rail tunnel being proposed, why it would not surprise me for someone to say let's use that new rail tunnel for trucks instead!

With the golf course sized area that can be used for a joint Customs plaza in Windsor and using DRTP North only at first as well, since that does not involve the richer South Windsor area where STOPDRTP grew up, now we have our connecting corridor linking up the two parts.

If you think I'm kidding, then please explain to me, if the truck Expressway idea is dead, why DRTP just bought some land in Detroit from the City that they needed for their truck Expressway. I believe they paid several million dollars for it.

What will we have...what the Joint Management Committee and the Senior Levels wanted 5 years ago. Here comes the Son of the Nine Point Plan all over again.

Here we go again. And it is all due to that brilliant Voice of Council, our Leader on the Border as he described himself Monday night at Council, our Mayor. No one else. The finger points directly at him. Thanks Eddie!