US Jan traffic continues to decline at 3%/yr, Canad-US Feb down 12.4%

US vehicle miles traveled in January were 222.4b, a drop of 3.1% in the raw numbers on a year ago. In what appears to be a seasonally adjusted series - why can't FHWA label their tables? - traffic is down 0.24% for the month (2.9%pa) 2009Jan/2008Dec going from a 12 month moving average of 2923b 2008Dec to 2916b 2009Jan.

These data have been on the way down every month since their peak of 3038b in 2007Nov, and are now 4% down in 14 months, 3.4% in annual terms.

Ameliorating the trend for January may be that the unusually severe winter could have been a one-off depressor. The regional distribution of declines is sharply defined - down 6.0% in the midwest (called North Central by FHWA) and 5.7% down in the northeast. The West by contrast is level-pegging (up 0.2%) South Gulf losses at 1.3% are modest, and South Atlantic down 2.9%.

Canad-US traffic down 12.4% Feb 2009/2008

Canadian-US traffic was down 12.4% this February on last. Given that February last year was a day longer (29 vs 28) the decline on a daily basis is 9.3%. This is less than the Jan/Jan numbers  - a decline of 16.2% and slightly less than the Dec/Dec numbers at 11%.

Ambassador Bridge, the major trucking corridor has the worst decline 474k 2009Feb from 609k 2008Feb, 22.1% down. Of that trucks were 180k - down from 261k, a drop of 31%, with cars down 15.3%. 

Bluewater Bridge to the north is down 15.4% total traffic, and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel  9.2%. The only trucks that go through the tunnel are some custom-dimensioned auto parts vehicles - 4759 vs 10,695, a 55% drop.

Peace Bridge is down less overall (8.3%) but its truck traffic is down from 17.2%.

Numbers come from the Public Bridge Operators Association (PBOA) which comprises the operators of border crossing toll bridges and tunnels between Ontario Canada and New York and Michigan states.

The agencies take turns doing PBOA work, and statistics are currently being compiled by Morris Hall, operations manager Blue Water Bridge.

TOLLROADSnews 2009-03-19