Canada-US border crossings 9.8% down in March on 2008-03

Canada-US tolled border crossings saw traffic of 2.69m in March 2009 down 9.8% on the 2.99m of 2008Mar. February was down 12.4%, January 16.2%, Dec 11.0%, November 15.4%, October 11.3%, September 8.7%, August 4.0%... The 9.8% is therefore a slightly lesser decline month-on-same-month a year back than we've seen since September 2008, but certainly no sign of recovery. 

The data is collected and published by the Public Border Operators Association, currently led by Blue Water Bridge, and covers the eleven toll crossings (ten bridges and one tunnel) between Ontario Canada and the US states of Michigan and New York.

Compared with the aggregate crossing numbers of 2.69m March this year and 2.99m in 2008, the March of 2007 saw 3.24m so traffic is down 17% on the same month two years back. March 2006 was 3.49m so the decline over the past three years is nearly a quarter (23%.)

Trucks down 18.4% in year, 32.6% down from March 2006

Truck traffic, the best paying traffic, has taken the biggest hit.

Looking back from March this year at 509k, previous March truck numbers have been 2008: 624k (2009Mar is down 18%), 2007: 727k (2009Mar is down 30%), 2006: 755k (2009Mar is down 32.6%).

Almost one third of the trucks crossing in March 2006 have been lost by March 2009.

Ambassador Bridge not down as much as previously

Major change in the distribution of traffic between the bridges is a less severe decline at the Ambassador bridge the leader, compared to most of the other major bridges.

Crossings' 2009 March on 2008 March results are:

- Ambassador Bridge down down 10.5%

-  Blue Water Bridge down 13.4%

- Detroit Windsor Tunnel down 9.2%

-  Lewiston Queenston Bridge down 13.4%

-  Ogdensburg Bridge down 12.2%

- Peace Bridge down 8.6%

- Rainbow Bridge down 9.0%

- Sault St Marie Bridge down 18%

- Seaway International Bridge up 4.2%

- Thousand Islands Bridge down 8.4%

- Whirlpool Rapids Bridge up 9.5%.

Factors in decline of traffic

It is said that traffic is depressed by three factors:

(1) the decline in the US economy

(2) the collapse of demand for new motor vehicles and the acute problems of GM and Chrysler which loom large in both Michigan and Ontario

(3) US Department of Homeland Security's more demanding security inspections that took a full seven years to be implemented after 9/11/2001 (What if we'd actually needed these security measures 2001 to 2008?)

PBOA data file in Excel 1997 to 2004 format

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/sites/default/files/PBOA.xls

In 2007 on Excel Workbook format

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/sites/default/files/PBOA.xlsx

(We're publishing logos and pictures above of bridges defying the gloomy trend and showing rising traffic, an example to the others - Editor.)

TOLLROADSnews 2009-04-07