Ambassador Bridge Corporation

[cybercoma]

The Ambassador Bridge is the gateway to the Canadian/American trade. This suspension bridge -- which began operating in 1929 -- facilitates 27% of the $400 billion in trade between Canada and the United States. The bridge on average sees 10,800 passenger vehicles and 4,300 trucks each day.

Windsor city council hired American traffic expert "Gridlock" Sam Schwartz to develop a plan to assist in the flow of traffic across the border and to take pollutant spewing transport trucks off city streets.

The newest twist in the border problem is the Ambassador Bridge Corp.'s refusal to release upkeep records.

The article can be found on The Windsor Star's website: http://www.canada.com/windsor/windsorstar/...89-5e7a84d73074

Owners of the 76-year-old Ambassador Bridge refuse to release maintenance inspection records despite demands from politicians, government bureaucrats and Windsor's border traffic expert, Sam Schwartz.

Ontario's public border crossings - including Sarnia's Blue Water Bridge, Fort Erie's Peace Bridge and bridges in Niagara Falls - each file annual inspection reports to Transport Canada and state governments in the U.S., noted Rob Reinas, general manager of the Peace Bridge Authority. Though those reports are not released to the public, he said they are in the hands of government leaders so each can ensure proper upkeep.

"They review it and if there are any issues, we are asked to address them - and we do," Reinas said.

The private Ambassador Bridge does not follow the same protocol, he said.

Twenty-seven percent of our trade with the United States crosses over a 76 year old suspension bridge to the United States. Sam Schwartz, an expert in suspension bridges, seems to feel the bridge may be showing signs of increased wear due to the excessive amount of traffic to use this route.

Do you think the Ambassador Bridge Corporation should release the maintenance records to the government, so we can help them or perhaps find a better border solution?

[Riverwind]

Do you think the Ambassador Bridge Corporation should release the maintenance records to the government, so we can help them or perhaps find a better border solution?

There attitude really begs the question: what do they have to hide? If something happened on the bridge then they would be exposed to major liability claims - refusing to release records is the same as publicly admitting their standards are not high enough to withstand public scrutiny.

[Canuck E Stan]

The Ambassador Bridge Corporation is owned by U.S. billionaire Manuel (Matty) Moroun.

What can the Canadian government do to force him to produce the documents? Can they close down the bridge(not likely) but can he be forced to prove it's safety and force it's closure?

If ever there was a need for the government to quit promising to help get another route to the US and actually get started now is the time.

Poor people of Windsor have been polluted to death by the poor air quality from the trucks for decades.

Matty is currently in trouble with the workers on the bridge

Union trouble for Matty

[August1991]

I don't want to go off topic, but why is there a duty-free shop at the bridge in Windsor? Why does crossing a bridge entitle one to avoid taxes? (I frankly don't understand why flying in an airplane entitles one to avoiding taxes too?)

As to this bridge, I imagine the owner has liability insurance. If the insurer is satisfied with the structure's safety, then I don't see what a government review of a safety report will accomplish.

[Guest eureka]

Governments do have the right and the powers to force the release of the records. There can be no argument about that.

AS for insurers opinions being sufficient guarantee, I will tell you a little story.

You may have gathered from certain other threads that I spent quite a long time in the Insurance business before finding something less remunerative but more satisfying.

In my early days as an underwriter, I led a subscription policy for my company on a bridge. I knew nothing about bridges and relied on the engineering approval.

That bridge was the first of the Second Narrows structures in Vancouver and it collapsed while not finished. It cost my company a bundle and made me an underwriter who was a little less trusting.

In the industry it is said that one does not become an underwriter until the first million dollar loss. I became an underwriter that day.

[cybercoma]

The Ambassador Bridge Corporation is owned by  U.S. billionaire Manuel (Matty) Moroun.

What can the Canadian government do to force him to produce the documents? Can they close down the bridge(not likely) but can he be forced to prove it's safety and force it's closure?

If ever there was a need for the government to quit promising to help get  another route to the US  and actually get started now is the time.

Poor people of Windsor have been polluted to death by the poor air quality from the trucks for decades.

Matty is currently in trouble with the workers on the bridge

Union trouble for Matty

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Hon. Herb Gray (God bless him. He has done more for west windsor than any other politician in history) tried to challenge the Canadian side of the bridge being bought by a US billionaire. Back in the early 80s he realized the ramifications of this, unfortunately the court case was lost and Moroun took ownership.

Now one man has total control over the economies of two nations.

I'll tell you something though, pollution in Windsor aside, this is a national problem that really needs the attention of the federal and provincial governments. Our local government has done everything it can by hiring New York traffic expert Sam Schwartz to develop a plan for a new border crossing. He went beyond that and designed a traffic system in Windsor that would make this city a transportation hub for international trade. He went beyond fixing truck routes. He made plans that include using ferries, a second bridge, double-decker railway cars and planes. He also suggested turning Windsor Airport into a multi-modal facility so cargo can be transfered from planes and trains to trucks to be brought up the 401 or into the United States, etc.

The federal government asked for us to come up with a home grown plan. Prime Minister Paul Martin himself had asked for us to come up with a plan and we did. When he was writing checks left, right and center to save his ass before summer break, apparently he forgot about the urgency of the border crossing situation.

The amount of money needed to implement these changes that will vastly improve trade between Canada and the US is to the tune of a billion dollars and it affects everyone in this country, not just Windsorites.

We need to improve the transportation trade corridor for all of us and the Ambassador Bridge Corporation blocking maintenance records is a hinderance to the progress that should've taken place a decade ago.

[Canuck E Stan]

Paul Martin Sr. a Windsor MP I'm sure would have already started to do something for Windsor decades ago.

Herb Gray got the grand shaft from Chretien just so Chretien would have more years in Partiament thatn Herbie.

Windsor has to stop voting in the Liberals to give these guys a wake-up call in getting Windsor established as the hub of International trade.

New York traffic expert Sam Schwartz has the right idea for Windsor,it's too bad the Liberals can't see the light at the end of the Windsor/Detroit tunnel.(had to add that,I couldn't resist)

[August1991]

Now one man has total control over the economies of two nations.

WTF? Two nations? More likely, trade between part of one province and several states near Michigan.

We need to improve the transportation trade corridor for all of us and the Ambassador Bridge Corporation blocking maintenance records is a hinderance to the progress that should've taken place a decade ago.

I'm all in favour of making it easier to cross natural boundaries but I don't understand how safety reports are critical in deciding whether to build a new bridge, or new tunnel, or corridor, or whatever. Am I missing something?

[cybercoma]

You must have missed the part about 27% of our trade going across this bridge, August. Should that thing collapse because it's in ill-repair (not to mention it was built in the 20s before transport trucks were used) it would cripple both of our economies. Things come across that bridge for more than just Ontario and Michigan.

[August1991]

You must have missed the part about 27% of our trade going across this bridge, August.

I'll take your word for that statistic. IOW, I guess, southern Ontario is deeply integrated into the economy of Michigan and the US mid-West. So what? Mississauga is deeply integrated into the economy of Toronto.

Should that thing collapse because it's in ill-repair (not to mention it was built in the 20s before transport trucks were used) it would cripple both of our economies.

So fix it. If the traffic is so heavy, build another link. Once again, am I missing something?

Things come across that bridge for more than just Ontario and Michigan.

True. God knows what bridges the materials in my computer crossed before I took possession.

My point was that there are other bridges between Canada and the US.

Nevertheless, I'm happy to see people worry about crossing a natural barrier rather than devising ways to create an artificial barrier.

[Canuck E Stan]

"So fix it. If the traffic is so heavy, build another link. Once again, am I missing something?"

That's the whole issue about the bridge. People are saying that it might be broke,or about to be broke. Let's see the reports so we can make that judgement. Lots of jobs rely on the bridge and if it isn't usable a US billionaire probably wouldn't care less if it fell into the river. Building another link has been the demand of Winsorites for decades with only promises by the Feds being made. This bridge is the gateway to our biggest market and without it Southern Ontario industry would be greatly affected.