Today cross border traffic data was released by Statistics Canada that included first 4 days of operations of the Gordie Howe Bridge. The data as I understand it are arrivals data based on folks entering a port of entry. So this is not a complete picture of every vehicle but it is a snapshot in time. There are still trucks on Huron Church Road, and some trucks will always use that route. But after just four days of operation, we can already see the first impacts of the new bridge.
Since relatively few trucks use the tunnel, it is reasonable to assume that most of the existing truck traffic captured at the Windsor crossings has historically been using the Ambassador Bridge. As of July 31, almost 1,200 trucks per day were using the Gordie Howe Bridge. Much of that traffic is likely being diverted from the Ambassador Bridge. Comparing July 31 with one week earlier, July 24, there were 1,347 fewer trucks crossing at the Ambassador Bridge.
I expect that shift to continue as trucking companies adjust routes, contracts and operations around the new crossing.
We are also starting to see changes in passenger vehicle traffic.
On July 31, approximately 4,300 passenger vehicles crossed using the Gordie Howe Bridge. There is undoubtedly some novelty traffic from people simply wanting to experience the new bridge, and some of this traffic may have shifted from the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel. But a significant share is also likely coming from the Ambassador Bridge. Taken together, the early numbers suggest that, during the first four days of operations, an average of roughly 5,000 fewer vehicles per day were travelling the traditional Huron Church Road route to the Ambassador Bridge.
I have already received calls asking: if the Gordie Howe Bridge is open, why are there still trucks on Huron Church Road? The answer is that we will probably never eliminate every truck from the corridor. What the data is showing, however, is the beginning of the end of the Ambassador Bridge’s cross-border monopoly. As contracts, logistics and transportation patterns adjust to having two major bridge crossings, I expect more truck traffic to shift. This is only the first step. Day by day, week by week and month by month, traffic patterns will continue to change until a new equilibrium is established.
That is also why I have submitted a Council Question asking Administration to outline a process, timeline and costs for updating the Huron Church Road Urban Design Master Plan now that the Gordie Howe Bridge is open. The opening of the new bridge is the first step in a much longer transformation of this corridor and the early data is already showing us that change is happening.
We need a real, long-term vision for what Huron Church Road and that is what I am working on!
I’ll check back in mid-September with updated data to see how these trends are developing.
Any thoughts on chsrging a fee to trucks still using Ambassador Bridge and Huron Line. Pretty sure if a nominal fee was charged all trucks would use Gordie Howe. The pollution in the air in this area is unbelievable. My pool is full of soot on the regular. When i go flying the haze is also bad especially near the Ambassador. Hard to see a decent sunset most nights
The City does not have the authority to institute road tolls of any form after the Ford Government stripped municipalities of that power a few years ago. The province would have to agree to it. Then we would have to figure out a process which would likely need to include cameras, sensors and transponders. If we put up tolls booths, do residents want massive backups on Huron Church? Finally it would definitely result in a massive lawsuit by the Ambassador Bridge against the City. What seems simple on paper is far from it. Although I would support tolls if possible, I think it is more viable to simply being the process to plan for a future design of the corridor with few trucks on it.
Excellent! I think someone should be tracking the traffic on both bridges. And, the Master Plan should be updated as well. Thank you!