The Detroit Board of Zoning Appeals has said no to the expansion of the Ambassador Bridge. Citing community protection from increased traffic and pollution, the board rejected a petition from the bridge’s operators
for a $4 million project that includes 18 new tollbooths and 11 diesel pump islands, according to The Detroit News.
The decision leaves the American side of the bridge a traffic bottleneck, which damages trade between the United States and Canada, the paper reports. Truck traffic jams, created by lack of U.S. Customs staff, are common on the American side of the bridge. Often the backup reaches Windsor.
Although unable to control Customs staffing, bridge officials said they sought to maximize toll collection and parking and ease the traffic jams by moving the tollbooths out of the path of the bridge entrance and exit.
A staff report by the zoning board said the plans damaged the neighborhood.
Bridge officials interpreted the decision to limit traffic in the neighborhood as an attempt to control interstate and international commerce.