‘Sad to see it go’ — Windsor-Detroit tunnel bus stops after 95 years

Article content

You have reached the end of the ride.

Article content

The historic tunnel bus, which shuttled generations of people between Windsor and Detroit, hits the end of the road Sunday after Mayor Drew Dilkens made the call to cancel the nearly century-old service, whose expenses were rising.

Article content

Recommended Videos

Article content

“It’s so sad to see it go,” said Arran Christie, who moved to Windsor last summer largely because of the tunnel bus.

“I’ve been taking my last rides while I still can. I’ve been filming my last trips over there, which was just so much fun. So, yeah, I’m so sad to see it go. It’s been a really emotional time to say the least.”

A spokesperson for Dilkens said this week he wasn’t available for comment.

Regular daily tunnel service ends Sunday, but special event buses will continue running until Dec. 21.

Article content

Article content

The last ride on Sunday will mean the end of a beloved tradition that began on Nov. 4, 1930, the day after the 1.6-kilometre tunnel opened, when the first tunnel bus passengers arrived in Detroit.

At least one private company is promising the imminent start of its own tunnel bus to replace Transit Windsor’s service.

The Toronto-based company has launched a website but it’s short on concrete details including fares, schedules, and pick-up points, and contains text and photos that some social media users have posited are AI-generated. On Friday, the DW Tunnel Bus website was down.

The company previously had a phone number listed matching the number for ABC Coach, which did not respond to the Star’s requests for comment.

Article content

Transit Windsor’s regular cross-border service is ending after Dilkens, whose city operates and pays for the tunnel bus, vetoed a council decision to save it. It was his first-ever veto under Ontario’s strong mayor legislation.

The City of Windsor, which owns the Canadian side of the tunnel, assumed control of the bus service on Feb. 1, 1982.

Dilkens first floated his plan to cancel the tunnel bus with his proposed budget in January.

His reason for wanting to stop the tunnel bus was a 2022 change to Canada’s Labour Code that gave federal employees 10 days of paid annual medical leave on top of existing benefits.

Since some Transit Windsor employees drive buses that cross the international border, all of the city agency’s roughly 300 employees fall under federal labour laws.

Article content

Dilkens said the added sick days mean the tunnel bus, which used to break even, now costs the city around $1.4 million annually.

In January, city council voted 7-4 to keep the tunnel bus and raise the one-way fare to $20. Dilkens stated he was considering a veto.

On Feb. 3, two days after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order launching a tariff war with Canada, Dilkens announced he would veto council’s majority decision.

He said the tunnel bus “acts as an economic development engine for the City of Detroit” at a time when Canada is “under economic attack.”

Agostino introduced a motion to override Dilkens’ veto in February.

Council voted 6-5 in favour of Agostino’s motion. But under strong mayor powers, an 8-3 vote is required to defeat a mayoral veto, which meant any hopes of saving the bus were officially dead.

Article content

“What makes me scared is that it is a tool for me to use for tourism,” Agostino told the Star this week. “It’s a tool to use to say, hey, if you’re going to an event in Detroit — a football game, a concert — stay in our hotels in Windsor. Go to dinner in our restaurants. And when it’s time to jump over, I make it really easy for you.”

Agostino noted he’s heard from residents on both sides of the issue, including some who want the bus stopped because of Trump’s trade war. But he said the bus is vital to downtown Windsor, which he represents.

“There are people that value the tunnel bus for other reasons,” said Agostino. “I value the tunnel bus because it’s an asset to downtown Windsor. And right now, I can’t afford to lose any assets.”

Article content

If no other public or private entity steps up, it will mean the end of a lifeline for many people that helped them get to work and stay in touch with loved ones on the other side of the border.

Christie regularly takes the tunnel bus to see her best friend in Detroit — a main reason she moved from New Brunswick to Windsor last summer.

“That was pretty much the deciding factor,” said Christie, a University of Windsor student. “I had other reasons for coming to Windsor. But, yeah, seeing my best friend was the main one. I was like, well, I won’t have a car when I come over, so is it really worth it? My mom was like there’s the tunnel bus right there. You can just use it whenever you want.”

Christie has been filming her final rides on the tunnel bus and posting the videos online, talking about the service and why it was cut.

Running short on time, Christie said she hoped her recent tunnel bus ride last Thursday wouldn’t be her last.

“I’m going to try to get there,” she said. “I’m going to see if I can get one more ride.”

twilhelm@postmedia.com

Article content