No. H226/05
For release - November 14, 2005

Border Transportation Partnership Identifies Central Area of Analysis for a New Detroit-Windsor Border Crossing

Applying the evaluation criteria jointly established by both Canada and the United States has led the Border Transportation Partnership to concentrate future study of a new border crossing and inspection plazas to the industrial area of West Windsor. This area extends north generally from Broadway Boulevard to the vicinity of Brock Street on the Canadian side, and a corresponding area on the U.S. side extending upriver from Zug Island to just south of the Ambassador Bridge (see attached map). The analysis area, together with the preferred connecting road from Highway 401 in Canada, is shown on the attached map.

As part of the next phase of environmental studies, the Border Transportation Partnership will consider all aspects of developing the border crossing system, which includes a river crossing as well as appropriate customs plaza locations and connecting roads on both the U.S. and Canadian sides of the border. Further detailed study, technical analysis and public consultation will be conducted to identify the best end-to-end solution within this area.

With this announcement, the Partnership is on track to identify the preferred location of a new river crossing by mid-2007. The environmental review requirements of both countries have been, and will continue to be carefully applied throughout this process.

"Today the Partnership has taken a major step forward in the planning process to develop additional border capacity at the Detroit-Windsor gateway," said Federal Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre. "Canada shares a dynamic multi-billion dollar trading relationship with the United States. It is therefore important that we continue to move forward on this project in both a practical and timely fashion to ensure no disruption to the safe, efficient and secure movement of people and goods across the border in the Windsor-Detroit area."

"Relieving border congestion is a top priority for the McGuinty Government," said Ontario Transportation Minister Harinder Takhar. "Forty-one per cent of Ontario-U.S. trade flows through the Windsor-Detroit border crossing, making it Canada's premier trade gateway. We look forward to public and stakeholder input as a vital part of the ongoing Environmental Assessment process."

"The Border Transportation Partnership is a strong, respectful collaboration between the United States and Canada. Together we have taken another important step toward concluding this study. Now we will continue our commitment to public participation and input during our careful analysis of impacts and options as we move forward to provide safe, efficient border crossings that strengthen our regional economy and quality of life," said Gloria J. Jeff, Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation.

The Canada-United States-Ontario-Michigan Border Transportation Partnership is comprised of technical experts and officials from Transport Canada, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and the Michigan Department of Transportation. The Partnership's purpose is to improve the movement of people and goods across the United States-Canada border in the Detroit-Windsor Gateway.

In October, the partners announced that the south and east alternatives were eliminated from further study as the result of analysis. With today's announcement, additional crossing alternatives have been eliminated:

• The capacity provided by the Detroit River Tunnel Partnership's two-lane truckway proposal was determined to be inadequate to serve the region's long-term needs.
• It was also determined that a six-lane freeway following the Canada Southern (CASO) Rail corridor in Canada to a new river crossing, would have caused major community impacts in significant urban areas on the Canadian side of the border.
• Alternative crossings in the Morton Industrial Park area in Windsor were determined to not be practical because the proposed U.S. plaza site in River Rouge would have resulted in significant economic impacts and time delays.
• Twinning the existing Ambassador Bridge was determined to not be practical based on the community impacts of the proposed plaza and access road in Canada. The Partnership will continue to explore the U.S. customs plaza area of the Ambassador Bridge to connect to a potential customs plaza on the Canadian side in the remaining area of continued analysis.

The start of the formal environmental review was announced in February 2005. In June 2005, the Partnership presented the 15 alternative locations for river crossings, along with the associated inspection plazas and roadways to connect the plazas to the freeway systems in both countries. Eight other options, including southerly routes through LaSalle, and Amherstburg, Ontario and communities extending south from Ecorse to Trenton, Michigan, and the area upriver near Belle Isle, were eliminated in early October 2005.

The Border Transportation Partnership will soon hold public meetings to present the technical assessment to date, and seek public and stakeholder comments on the preliminary list of practical alternatives. Public Information Open Houses are scheduled in the Windsor area during the week of November 28, 2005 and public meetings are scheduled in the Detroit area during the week of December 5, 2005.

In March 2006, the Partnership will hold Public Information Open Houses and public meetings in Canada and the United States to present a final list of practical alternatives.

The governments of Canada, the United States, Ontario and Michgan are committed to an efficient and secure Windsor-Detroit Gateway. The development of additional border capacity is a national priority in both countries to support the continued growth in trade between Canada and the United States.

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The Border Transportation Partnership website can be found at www.partnershipborderstudy.com

Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at www.tc.gc.ca/e-news and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.

This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.

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BACKGROUNDER

BORDER TRANSPORTATION
PARTNERSHIP FOCUSES ON CENTRAL AREA OF
ANALYSIS FOR FURTHER STUDY FOR NEW
BORDER CROSSING IN DETROIT-WINDSOR

The governments of Canada, the United States, Ontario and Michigan are moving forward through the Border Transportation Partnership, to implement a long-range transportation strategy addressing the various challenges at the Detroit-Windsor Gateway.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation is leading the Canadian portion of the Detroit River International Crossing environmental assessment process, which is seeking a long-term solution to the border transportation issues.

The Partnership is considering the entire border transportation system - river crossing, inspection plazas, and connecting roads - to achieve an end-to-end solution that will best meet current and future mobility needs, while minimizing impacts on the surrounding communities and environment to the greatest practical extent. Continued evaluation of the practical alternatives will identify a single preferred alternative by mid-2007. Environmental documentation will be submitted for approval by the end of 2007. Construction is expected to start in 2010, with the goal of opening a new crossing by 2013.

Of the 15 initial river crossings, eight south and east alternatives were eliminated in early October 2005. An additional five alternatives have also been eliminated due to either high negative impacts on communities or because of serious limitations in terms of practicality. More details on the technical data supporting the elimination of these additional options will be presented to the public at the end of November 2005.

In Canada, an area of analysis in the industrial area of West Windsor extending north generally from Broadway Boulevard to the vicinity of Brock Street, is under consideration for a new bridge across the river. This would link to an inspection plaza in a corresponding area in the U.S., extending north from Zug Island to the vicinity of the Ambassador Bridge but excluding twinning the Ambassador Bridge. It is in these two areas where previously-defined plazas, crossings and roadway connectors will be replaced with those to be defined in cooperation with the communities and stakeholders. That analysis will be supported by a host of detailed information on community fabric, engineering and environmental issues.

Canadian approach road to identified area:

• The analysis area, together with the preferred connecting road from Highway 401 in Canada, is shown on the attached map. Options to address local traffic and access to adjacent property would include service roads and alternative interchange configurations.

The Schwartz Report

• The Schwartz Report was taken into consideration during the development and evaluation of the practical alternatives, including the decision to narrow the focus on this particular analysis area.
• The new river crossing proposed by Schwartz, as well as a potential plaza location on the City of Windsor-owned property in the Brighton Beach area, are among the practical alternatives that will be examined in further detail.

Community and environmental impact

The next phase of the study will examine the opportunities and challenges of the various practical alternatives within the identified areas in more detail, as part of the ongoing environmental study process. The technical team will actively engage the community and stakeholders in this process.

In Canada, Public Information Open Houses will be held at the end of November 2005, to present the technical assessment and rationale behind the Border Transportation Partnership's decision. The U.S. technical teams will be hosting similar public meetings in early December 2005. The Canadian dates are as follows:

Tuesday November 29, 2005 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Canadian Club Room Windsor Cleary Centre 201 Riverside Drive West Windsor, Ontario

Wednesday November 30, 2005 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Gymnasium, Holy Cross Elementary School 2555 Sandwich West Parkway LaSalle, Ontario

Thursday, December 1, 2005 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Novelletto Rosati Complex 3939 Carmichael Street Sandwich, Ontario

Disponible en français

Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at www.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.

This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities. Ontario Ministry of Transportation is online at www.mto.gov.on.ca.

November 14, 2005

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FACT SHEET

BORDER TRANSPORTATION PARTNERSHIP
Why a new crossing in Detroit-Windsor?

The governments of Canada, the United States, Ontario and Michigan are moving forward in a Border Transportation Partnership to implement a 30-year transportation strategy addressing the various challenges at the Detroit-Windsor Gateway, including free and secure trade, security, environmental concerns and community impacts.

The Detroit-Windsor Gateway is vitally important to the national economies in both the United States and Canada. Businesses from coast-to-coast in Canada and the United States depend on a reliable and secure transportation network. Manufacturing production depends heavily on the fast and predictable trucking of components, parts and finished products across the border.

It is essential that the Partnership take appropriate action now, to ensure that this important Gateway remains efficient and secure, because:

• In 2004, the Detroit-Windsor crossings handled $158.7 billion in trade. This represents 28 per cent of total Canada-U.S. trade;
• The value of trade between Ontario and Michigan represents over 60 per cent of total Canada-U.S. bilateral trade. The majority of truck traffic crossing the border at Detroit-Windsor originates from or is destined for Canadian and U.S. communities;
• The Ambassador Bridge between Windsor and Detroit is the conduit for over 40 per cent of Ontario-U.S. truck traffic;
• Over the next 30 years, trade between Canada and the U.S. is projected to increase significantly. Cross-border truck traffic is expected to increase by 128 per cent. Cross-border passenger vehicle traffic is also forecast to increase by approximately 57 per cent;
• Under high-growth scenarios, cross-border traffic demand could exceed the capacity of the present border crossings in the Detroit River area as early as 2015; and
• Unless steps are taken to address capacity at the Detroit-Windsor crossings, mounting congestion and delays will result in lost production, and ultimately fewer jobs in communities throughout both countries.

Future Detroit River Crossings Capacity Needs

Note: Peak hour is 4 to 5 p.m.: peak direction is U.S. to Canada.
Note: Historic peak hour volume estimated from historic annual data.
*Volume in Passenger Car Equivalents.

Source: Exhibit 7.2 D p 132, Detroit River International Crossing Study Travel Demand Forecasts, Sept. 2005.

Through the Detroit River International Crossing study, the Border Transportation Partnership will identify a location for a new crossing by mid-2007. Environmental documentation, including preliminary design, will be submitted for approvals by the end of 2007. Construction is expected to begin in 2010, with a new crossing open for traffic in 2013.

The Border Transportation Partnership website can be found at www.partnershipborderstudy.com.

Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at www.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.

Ontario Ministry of Transportation is online at www.mto.gov.on.ca.

This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.