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Most major Ontario-U.S. bridge crossings saw a spike in commercial truck traffic activity in the first two months of the year compared to 2009.

The Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia and the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie all reported increases in truck crossings last month, according to the Public Border Operators Association.

Overall, truck traffic between Ontario, Michigan and New York increased by 12 percent from 907, 000 to just over a million crossings, while car traffic declined by 3 percent.

Although February is seasonally a very slow month for trucking and auto parts distribution is down, the numbers are another indication that freight economy is showing some improvement over rock bottom 2009 cross-border traffic rates.

The Ambassador, the busiest trade link between the two countries, saw the sharpest boost -- about 20 percent (66,383) more commercial truck trips than the same period last year. Car travel also increased substantially.

Sarnia’s Blue Water Bridge also had a 17 percent increase in truck traffic.

The Peace Bridge in Buffalo posted a small 5.5 percent increase in truck traffic from 2009, while the Queenston-Lewiston span further up the Niagara River remained relatively level with the first two months of 2009.

The Windsor Detroit Tunnel, less commonly used by trucks, was only a handful of crossings that is still experiencing declines, though. So far, it has had 113,728 fewer vehicles and 8 percent less trucks, than last year, year-to-date.

The Seaway International Bridge that links Cornwall and Massena, N.Y. was the site of a dispute between natives and Canada Customs last year. It also continues to post declines.

Source Todays Trucking

Both bridges were busy enough yesterday. I crossed in over the Ambassador then came back out in Buffalo last night. It is encouraging because Ontario was hit fairly hard.

Mind you, they deserved it for acting like Americans...