1 April 2005

Publicly run crossing urged for U.S. border
Private ownership leads to higher tolls, bridge authorities say

The following article is extracted from the 31 March 2005 edition of the “Windsor Star”.

Lower tolls and greater benefits to the community could be the result of public ownership of a new border crossing, a public meeting heard Wednesday [30 March] night.

Windsor West MP Brian Masse invited executives from the binational public authorities who oversee the bridges across the Niagara River to speak… .

The meeting heard that bridges controlled by the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority and the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission operate like a business but don't have to answer to shareholders.

The total revenue for the Peace Bridge between Fort Erie and Buffalo is $26 million while revenue from the three bridges to the north is $24.9 million.

One-way passenger vehicle tolls on the Peace Bridge are $1.15 and $1.75 on the other bridges.

When asked why their tolls are so low compared to the $4 charged by the Ambassador Bridge, Niagara Falls Bridge Commission general manager Tom Garlock said their motive is not profit.

"It's really quite simple," Garlock told the crowd of 75. "We calculate what we need to do the job, to meet payroll, to pay the bonds, to maintain our structures. It would be improper for us to collect more, so we don't. It's that simple."

The boards that oversee the bridges are made up of equal representation from Canada and the U.S. and their figures are audited annually and the results made public.

The Ambassador Bridge's revenues are rumoured to be between $75 million and $100 million, said Ron Rienas, the general manager of corporate services for the Peace Bridge.

Rienas urged senior governments on both sides of the border to create a public authority here to put an end to the competition and bickering over a new crossing.

"What stands out for me is that you have all of these competing interests when really the senior levels of government need to take ownership of this issue," said Rienas.

"It's in the best interests of both countries."

Both public bodies were created after privately owned bridges were either destroyed by nature or ran into financial difficulty.

Masse is looking for public input on the issue of public ownership of a new border crossing and has a downloadable survey on his website at www.brianmasse.ca..

BY THE NUMBERS

Peace Bridge revenues:
Car tolls: $6.3 million
Commercial tolls: $12.9 million
Rental income: $6.3 million
Other: $500,000

Niagara Falls Bridge Commission revenues:
Car tolls: $7.3 million
Commercial tolls: $6.7 million
Rental income: $9.6 million
Other: $1.3 million