border crossing

March traffic numbers reported at the US-Canada toll crossings Ontario to Michigan and New York continue weak, 3.06m vs 3.07m in March of 2012. That's a pretty insignificant decline at 0.3%. For the March quarter the overall decline is 92,000 or 1.1%. Both aggregates comprise slight strengthening of car numbers but continued significant decline in truck traffic.

Truck traffic in the first quarter this year was 1.55m vs 1.69m in the March quarter last year - a drop of 143,000 trucks or 8.5%.

By contrast cars were 6.64m 2013/1Q vs 6.58m 2012/Q1, a 0.8% increase.

Canada's border staff will be stretched thinner next financial year. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) which conducts immigration and customs checks of motorists from the US has given notice of job termination to 1,100 staff, 325 being front line border inspectors. That's the result of a budget adopted last month which intends to cut the cost to taxpayers of CBSA by C$143m over three years.

Michigan DOT (MDOT) and the federal Transport Canada are requesting for expressions of interest  (RFEOI) in some kind of toll concession or partnership with the private sector in building a new toll bridge over the Detroit River a couple of miles downriver of the Ambassador Bridge.