NEWS

Monday, October 10, 2011

Ambassador Bridge experiences traffic decline in September 2011

Trucks down 4% Cars down 2% Ambassador Bridge September Traffic 2010 20091 382,863 361,071 235,863 221,277 618,726 582,348

2011 Cars Trucks Total 376,332 226,719 603,051

20082 347,802 246,868 594,670

2000 746,555 293,269 1,039,824

Cars Trucks Total

1

Ambassador Bridge September Comparison 2011 vs. 2010 2011 vs. 20091 2011 vs. 20082 -2% +4% +8% - 4% +3% -8% -3% +4% +1%

2011 vs. 2000 -50% -23% -42%

2009 is an atypical year for traffic comparisons due to the global economic crisis and the impact of the automobile and parts manufacturing shutdowns associated with General Motors and Chrysler bankruptcies. 2 Traffic in the fourth quarter of 2008 plummeted with the failure of Lehman Brothers in September, and the tight credit and global economic crisis that followed.

Two-year trend Trucks continue to decline after last years gains over 2009 which was a crisis in the automobile and parts manufacturing based on the bankruptcies of General Motors and Chrysler. Cars continue to decline from peak levels. 11-year trend During the past 11 years, car traffic declined 50 percent, while truck traffic was down 23 percent. Combined car and truck crossings have dropped more than 42 percent over the past 11 years. Comparison to DRIC Bridge Proposal Traffic projections for the DRIC Bridge proposal have been grossly overestimated each month since 2003 for a total of 105 months. For example, the DRIC projections of total traffic at the Ambassador Bridge for 2010, was 14,613,000 vehicles when in reality total traffic amounted to 7,219,503. The current year to date is on track for another even larger divergence between DRIC projections and reality. Conclusion The Ambassador Bridge continues to operate far below its historical traffic peak and with a great deal of excess capacity. The Metropolitan Detroit area has been in an economic and demographic decline for a long period of time and total traffic at the Ambassador Bridge is 42% below 2000 levels and continues to decline.