Latest news with #TalCzudner
CTV News
3 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Busy weekend expected for Windsor-Detroit Tunnel
A busy weekend is expected at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel. Tunnel CEO Tal Czudner said whenever the Toronto Blue Jays are in Detroit, it's the busiest weekend for the tunnel. He said traffic at the tunnel is expected to pick up at least two hours before game time. 'Now you have two division leaders so that even ramps up the interest and the volume. The politics aside, this is one of those things where your loyalty to the Tigers and the Jays will push you across the border and the busiest time, it starts to pick up approximately two hours before game time,' said Czudner. Czudner said both sides of the border are aware it's a busy weekend. 'Our friends at CBSA and CBP, they're all aware of the fact that this is a busy weekend and they're going to do what they can to try and get more booths open, but we're still an international border crossing so there might be an enhanced level of security that does go up or down depending on what is happening,' said Czudner. 'So instead of three questions, you might be asked five questions when you're going through.' He recommends having your documents ready, 'You want to get through as quick as you can. So get a Nexpress card, throw that in your window so that you pay toll quicker, then make sure you have your Nexus card or your passport ready when you're entering customs just so that way you can speed up the process. Thirty seconds for every person adds up to a big difference.' Czudner said if you're going to the game Friday, you should be at the tunnel by 4:30 p.m. to beat the tunnel traffic. He said if you're heading to the game on Saturday, be at the tunnel by 4 p.m., and for Sunday's game, be at the tunnel by 11:30 a.m. Czudner said after those times, the tunnel will start to back up. The Blue Jays and Tigers kicked off a four-game set on Thursday, with the Jays picking up the win. — Rob Hindi, AM800 News
CTV News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
The consequences of Windsor's Special Events and Tunnel Bus service ending: Expert
Many local baseball fans will be crossing the border to watch the Toronto Blue Jays take on the Detroit Tigers in a battle of two top teams in Major League Baseball. But, soon enough, that will become harder to do as the Special Events and Tunnel Bus services will come to an end. 'This is the busiest weekend of the year,' said Tal Czudner, CEO of the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel Corporation. 'This is going to add at least a few hundred more vehicles each day, up to 1,000, depending on who's pitching. Windsor is packed. Downtown Detroit is packed. It's a big deal.' Come September, the Tunnel Bus is done, while the Special Events bus will cease operations in December. 'If we had some type of vehicle that could transport people that less than two-kilometre radius back and forth over the tunnel, that's constantly going, we would see more people coming over here and more people would go over there and we connect better with our downtowns,' said City Councillor Renaldo Agostino. A five-passenger GEM CAR could be part of the solution. They are already deployed in Detroit. 'This vehicle is a micro transit service that is operating across North America as we speak,' said Alex Cardonaro, National Sales Manager for Energy Products. With the use of an app, the vehicle can pick up a group and take them through the tunnel to their destination. 'We're looking to work with local partners that would be interested in supplying personnel that would be able to fill these vehicles with the drivers.' Josipa Petrunic is a leader in transportation and energy systems and said killing the bus is more than a labour discussion. She feels losing the bus kills a huge technology deployment opportunity. 'It means it is the only place in North America where we can test speed controlled autonomous bus shuttles, speed controlled autonomous buses integrated across two countries for interoperability and standardization. This is game changing,' Petrunic told CTV News. Many companies are working on robotaxi programs utilizing level four autonomy systems. Petrunic feels buses best fit that level and can be tested optimally in the tunnel because of the dedicated lanes, predictable paths, and speed limit. 'You could imagine one bus driver at the start, but you have a convoy of five buses following it that could carry the amount that a rail car can carry,' Petrunic explained. 'You don't have to build a subway; you don't have to build an LRT (light-rail transit). You just have a convoy of autonomous buses following each other. That is what the tunnel can showcase. We've been talking about this for 10 years.' She added those buses can be pulled from the convoy, based on need. Petrunic feels Windsor-Detroit could integrate automated technology faster than the auto sector. She said there is an opportunity for Windsor to seek funding the government has already declared will be made available through the Canada Public Transit Fund. 'This is a transit opportunity,' Petrunic said. 'It's also an opportunity to get the kind of operational support for Windsor that it needs, in order to deploy, not just technologically advanced transit, but just sustainable transit in the tunnel.' With a person like Gregor Robertson as Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, Petrunic feels his understanding of transit, having been mayor of Vancouver for 10 years, would benefit a city like Windsor. 'I believe there is a federal minister who would be extremely sympathetic and understanding and comprehend the problems that Windsor is facing, especially if the tunnel is tethered to technology,' she said. 'It's a win-win-win for the minister and for the mayor and for the city and for the transit manufacturing industry.'
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canada Day trips to Detroit down; July 4 trips steady, tunnel CEO says
Tunnel traffic from Windsor to Detroit was down around eight per cent on Canada Day compared with Canada Day 2024, according to the tunnel's CEO. But nearly as many Americans came to Canada this year as last year. Traffic to and from the U.S., over the July 4 holiday period, meanwhile, dropped between just one and 1.5 per cent in each direction. "Obviously, politics aside, the relationships between Windsor, Detroit and the United States go back multiple generations," Tal Czudner said. "Those family, those friends with relationships … certainly affect that data." Canadian travel across the U.S. border has fallen sharply since President Donald Trump took office in January and launched a trade war against the country, while also threatening Canada with annexation. Trips to the U.S. down across Canada In May 2025, the number of return trips to the U.S. by Canadian residents was down more than 38 per cent from the same month in 2024, according to Statistics Canada. Passenger vehicle traffic to the U.S. through the Windsor-Detroit tunnel and across the Ambassador Bridge fell 9.8 per cent from 316,000 in May of 2024 to 285,000 in May of 2025, according to numbers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. U.S.-bound passenger traffic across the Bluewater Bridge in Sarnia and on the Walpole Algonac Ferry dropped nearly 31 per cent from 98,800 in 2024 to 68,300 in 2025 in the same time period. The precise number of vehicles travelling through the tunnel from Windsor to Detroit fell from 5261 on Canada Day 2024 to 4802 on Canada Day 2025. Traffic from Detroit to Windsor, meanwhile, dropped by less than 100 vehicles, from 5359 to 5289. Traffic from Windsor to Detroit between July 3 and July 5 – the time frame typically used to measure Independence Day holiday traffic – was down from 13,347 in 2024 to 13,170 in 2025. Traffic from Detroit to Windsor over the July 4 holiday period fell from 14,401 to 14,167. The tunnel partnered with a team of MBA students at the University of Windsor in June to launch a campaign aimed at drawing more Americans to Windsor. Approximately halfway through, the 40-40 campaign is outperforming expectations, Czudner said. "We've actually had over 2,000 people already signed up for the program, for the digital passport," he said. 40-40 campaign response 'higher than I expected' "And that honestly is a number much higher than I expected." The campaign invites people to visit local businesses and attractions and gives them the opportunity to get discounts and win prizes. It's open to both Americans and Canadians, and Czudner said he doesn't know the nationalities of all of the participants, but he said he's heard anecdotal reports of increased interest from businesses. "Cafe March 21 … are seeing a lot of people that they have never seen before. And coffee shops are known for kind of consistent business," he said. "To me, that's great. Listen, I think people in Windsor-Essex need to be proud of what we have. And we need to stick our chest out and say, 'There's a whole bunch of cool things to do here.'"
CTV News
19-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Windsor-Detroit Tunnel tourism campaign aims to boost cross-border travel
The Windsor-Detroit Tunnel has launched a digital tourism initiative designed to boost cross-border travel and encourage Windsor local tourism. The 40-40 Campaign is in partnership with MBA students from the Odette School of Business at the University of Windsor. Supporters, sponsors, and community leaders gathered at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel Plaza to celebrate the kickoff on Thursday. The campaign highlights 40 local businesses and reminds Americans that their dollar is 40 per cent stronger. They are inviting American and Canadian visitors alike to 'Experience Windsor in 40 Ways.' Through a free digital passport at users can explore curated itineraries, unlock exclusive discounts, and enter to win local prizes just by checking in at participating locations. 'This is more than a campaign - it's a celebration of connection, community, and your excuse to grab a friend and check out some of the amazing spots in Windsor,' said Olivia Sylvestre, campaign lead and UWindsor MBA student. 'We are so pleased to be working with the MBA students from the University of Windsor. They are a smart, tenacious crew that are working hard to ensure everyone in Windsor/Essex knows to invite their family and friends from Detroit over to Windsor for some fun adventures. Please help us spread the word for the benefit of our local businesses' said Tal Czudner, CEO of the Windsor Detroit Tunnel. For more information, visit and follow @windsordetroittunnel on Instagram.
CBC
19-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
New tunnel campaign hopes to draw U.S. tourists to Windsor
The 40-40 campaign offers U.S. tourists 40 things they can do in Windsor and take advantage of their 40 per cent higher-value dollar. It's the brainchild of University of Windsor MBA students in partnership with the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel Corporation. CBC's Dalson Chen spoke with students Olivia Sylvestre, Sarah Hana, Maria Awada, and Stephanie Chan — as well as tunnel CEO Tal Czudner.
