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Cablegate: Bringing Order to the Border: Detroit-

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

281541Z Nov 05

UNCLAS TORONTO 003086

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE PLEASE PASS GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
DOT PLEASE PASS FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD PBTS PGOV PREL CA
SUBJECT: Bringing Order to the Border: Detroit-
Windsor Crossings Prepares for Big Events

Ref: Toronto 2340

Sensitive but Unclassified - protect accordingly.

1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND INTRO: The Detroit-Windsor
border crossings are preparing for a large
increase in the volume of passenger traffic
heading for special events in Detroit in January
and February. Earlier concerns about processing
times for buses entering the U.S. for special
events (reftel) are reportedly being addressed.
However, minor physical infrastructure
improvements for the U.S. plaza at the Detroit-
Windsor tunnel that would increase passenger
processing capacity have been put on hold because
the General Services Administration (GSA) lacks
sufficient funds. END SUMMARY and INTRO.

2. (SBU) Canada's Border Services Agency (CBSA)
and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) have
been working with operators of the Detroit-
Windsor Tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge to
improve capacity before the 2006 North American
International Auto Show (January 14-22) and Super
Bowl (February 5) swell the number of people
crossing the border from Canada to Detroit.

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3. (SBU) Though cross-border consultations to
improve passenger processing procedures are
proving effective, needed physical infrastructure
improvements have been stalled by lack of funds,
according to our sources. GSA reportedly issued
requests for proposals to: (a) conduct a
feasibility study about reopening the Detroit Bus
Processing area, (b) conduct feasibility studies
to maximize U.S. plaza capacity at the Detroit-
Windsor tunnel, and (c) run a simulation using
Border Wizard software to model cross-border
traffic. The bids on the two studies reportedly
came in well over GSA's available funding so
those projects have been put on hold. In
addition, GSA is currently operating on a
continuing resolution, so funding is reportedly
not available to begin the modeling project. As
a result, GSA will not be able to increase the
capacity of the U.S. plaza at the Detroit-Windsor
tunnel to process bus passenger traffic before
the January/February 2006 Detroit events that are
expected to prompt a spike in cross-border
traffic (NOTE: Please advise if our information
is incorrect. END NOTE).

LeCroy

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