Latest news with #OBPA
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ogdensburg bridge traffic remains down; OBPA chair thinks new marketing needed
Jun. 22—OGDENSBURG — Traffic across the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge in May was well below figures for the same month last year, establishing a trend that's taken place over the last three months now. The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority board chairman thinks it's time for a county-wide unified marketing strategy to try and bring back some of the Canadian tourists who stopped coming over after increased scrutiny at the border from federal immigration officials and the U.S. president talking about making Canada a "51st state." "We haven't seen any real up or down changes," said Steven J. Lawrence, OBPA executive director, during the OBPA board's Thursday meeting. "More of the same." "[It's] the trend we see for the foreseeable future. Obviously, that pains," said Vernon J. "Sam" Burns, OBPA board chairman. Burns believes that marketing groups in St. Lawrence County should join together in an effort to try and recapture some of the losses. "It concerns me that no group yet has started to think about changing what our overall marketing strategy should be, as it appears we're going to lose a significant number of tourists this year, and maybe next year," he said Thursday night. "It's paramount to me as a member of this authority ... as a resident and taxpayer in St. Lawrence County. I was hoping some group would call a meeting and those involved in tourism discuss maybe what's next, Burns added. Lawrence said he's discussed the problem with local officials, including the mayor of Ogdensburg and members of the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators who he described as "very supportive." "We haven't joined together with any kind of response to that," Lawrence said. Auto crossings totaled 29,209 last month, down 31.34% from the same month last year and down 42.75% from May 2019. OBPA uses 2019 as a comparison to what they consider the last "normal" year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and caused a decrease in bridge traffic that never rebounded. All other crossings for May, which includes commercial truck traffic, declined 10.5% to 5,536 last month from 6,182 in May 2024, and down 19.9% from 6,911 in May 2019. There were 34,745 total crossings last month, which is down 28.7% from 48,723 in May 2024, and down 40% from 57,927 in May 2019. Revenue for the month took a hit — $60,408 last month compared to $109,505 in May 2024 and $146,528 in May 2019. Year-to-date revenue is $369,638, down from $640,144 in May 2019. Figures for the Seaway International Bridge and Thousand Islands International Bridge have not yet been reported by the Bridge and Tunnel Operators Association. The association represents authorities operating bridges and tunnels through the Greats Lakes and St. Lawrence River from as far north as Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, as far west as Detroit, and eastward to Massena.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Upstate N.Y. tourism operators offering discounts to win back Canadians
George Daniels doesn't expect the 25 per cent discount he's offering Canadians to entice many visitors back to the bed and breakfast he runs in Upstate New York this summer. Canadians ordinarily make up 15 to 20 per cent of guests at the Keene Valley Lodge in the Adirondack High Peaks. Only two have booked this year though, said Daniels, who has refunded cancellation requests from others who are avoiding U.S. travel due to Donald Trump's tariff and annexation threats. Daniels understands their reticence. "I support the boycott, even though it's hurting us financially," he said, describing his inn's discount as a symbolic gesture. "I really just wanted to get word out that we're not supporting these policies." From upscale lodges to a bike tour company offering "summer camp for people who love bikes," tourism operators in Upstate New York are offering "northern neighbour" discounts, hoping to win back Canadians boycotting U.S. travel due to Trump's trade war. These deals were highlighted in an email last week from the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) in Lake Placid asking their "dear friends in Canada" to return. "We know now is not the right time to ask you to come, but when you are ready to come back down, we're excited to welcome you back," said ROOST president Dan Kelleher. More than retaliatory countertariffs, an informal Canadian visitor boycott is hurting American border communities whose economies rely in part on Canadian visitors and cross-border supply chains. Vehicle traffic across the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge between Ontario and New York dropped 31 per cent in April compared to the same period last year, the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority (OBPA) announced recently. "We know Canadians are choosing not to cross, and we understand why," the OBPA said in a statement, noting that "when Canadians stay home, we feel it immediately." Car crossings at the Champlain-St. Bernard de Lacolle Border Crossing from Quebec into New York were also down 31 per cent in March compared to a year earlier, according to the North Country Chamber of Commerce. The chamber's president Garry Douglas attributes part of the decline to a weak loonie and part to anger at Trump. In response, the chamber has launched an "intensified hospitality campaign" aimed at convincing Canadians not to punish border communities for the rhetoric coming out of Washington, D.C. "We're going to do everything we can as a region to help with the healing once we hopefully get past the trade war," Douglas said, citing a survey commissioned by the chamber indicating that 97 per cent of local businesses were concerned by tariffs. As part of its campaign, the chamber recently aired a TV ad in Canada seeking to distinguish border communities from Trump country. "I was going to the U.S. … but now I'm going to Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast," a woman with a Québécois accent says in the tourism ad. Plattsburgh, N.Y., is close enough to the Canadian border that locals jokingly refer to the city as Montreal's southern suburbs. Michael Cashman, Plattsburgh's town supervisor, said while uncertainty around tariffs has caused some businesses to pause expansion plans, his biggest immediate worry is a decline in Canadian visitors. "I'm most concerned about our marinas, our campgrounds, our hotels, our small restaurants," he said. Cashman said he and other local figures have been communicating their discontent to state leaders and the administration in Washington. "We continue to provide a full-throated level of support that these tariffs are nonsensical and that they are an attack on our friends and neighbours," he said. Cashman sought to distance his community from the actions of the current U.S. administration and appealed directly to Canadians: "We will do everything that we can to continue to strengthen our friendships and partnerships." Doug Haney, who runs Bike Adirondack based in Saranac Lake, N.Y., said he understands why Canadians are boycotting U.S. travel. "Honestly, if I was a Canadian citizen I would probably feel the same way," he said. This is why his company is offering Canadians 15 per cent off several of its bike tours this summer, he said. "We as business owners and as citizens want to just say, 'Hey, you're welcome here and we genuinely care about our Canadian neighbours to the north.'"
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trade war causing significant decrease in Ogdensburg International Bridge traffic
Apr. 12—OGDENSBURG — Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority officials say they're seeing "real-world consequences" of the Trump administration's trade war as traffic across the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge is dropping to pandemic levels. "It's quite concerning," OBPA Executive Director Steven J. Lawrence told the OBPA Board of Directors on Thursday night. "It's affecting everything from tourism and trucking." OBPA Chief Financial Officer Patricia A. Nisco said less traffic means their finances are taking a hit. "We only know March at this point. We're down $98,000 in revenue. I think that trend will continue," she said. "I would be concerned we're getting back up to covid numbers in losses on the bridge." Lawrence said crossing totals for the first week of April are deeply concerning, as they build off of losses incurred in March. Total crossings tallied 7,992 for the first week of April, down 40.22% from the first week of April 2019 and down 35.14% from 12,322 in March 2024. Auto crossings totaled 6,562 for the first week of April, down 43.01% from 11,515 in the first week of April 2019 and down 38.23% from 10,623 in the first week of April 2024. All other crossings, which includes commercial truck traffic, totaled 1,430 for the first week of April this year, down 22.83% from the first week of April 2019 and down 15.83% from 1,699 from the first week of April last year. Lawrence describes the decrease in truck traffic as "a sign of disrupted trade flows." Bridge crossings for March went down significantly compared to the same month in 2019. Auto crossings decreased 35.10%, from 44,523 in March 2019 to 28,897 in March 2025. All other crossings, which includes commercial truck traffic, increased 0.27% from 6,035 in March 2019 to 6,051 last month. Compared to March 2024, crossings last month went down 24.37% from 38,206 to 28,897 last month. All other crossings increased 12.10% over the same time period, from 5,398 in March 2024 to 6,051 in March 2025. "We had better numbers in 2022 at this point, and ... Covid was hanging on. It's concerning I had to go back that far where we had numbers like this," according to Lawrence. "It appears Canadian sentiment is shifting where public sentiment has grown more negative to ... shopping and tourism," Lawrence said. "News outlets are urging Canadians to shop local and avoid unnecessary border trips." He also believes "increased scrutiny" at American customs checkpoints and longer wait times to get through are discouraging Canadians from making discretionary trips. OBPA board chairman Vernon D. "Sam" Burns said if bridge crossings follow April's losses, small businesses in St. Lawrence County, especially in border towns, will hurt. "What does that mean to small businesses in St. Lawrence County?" Burns said. "If things stay as they are now, that will be devastating to the border towns." Lawrence noted that decreases in auto crossings aren't a one-to-one comparison, since each vehicle coming over for a day trip or vacation usually transports more than one person. "What does that mean to a border town ... I think it's time our elected officials understand what's going on," Burns said. He suggested writing letters to all elected officials in the area — town, village, city, county, state and federal — "letting them know what is going on at the local level. They need to hear it from those on the front lines." The Seaway International Bridge between Akwesasne and Cornwall and the Thousand Islands Bridge between Alexandria Bay and Ivy Lea also saw traffic decreases in February, the most recent period for which data was available. On the Seaway bridge, total crossings went up 6.13% between January 2024 (189,358) and January of this year (200,973). In February, total crossings went down 7.91% from 190,436 for that month in 2024 and 175,376 in February 2025. Thousand Islands Bridge traffic went down 1.93% in January, from 107,576 in 2024 to 105,504 in 2025. In February, total crossings dropped 15.76% from 190,436 for that month in 2024 to 93,040 for the same month in 2025. An official with the Bridge and Tunnel Operators Association said the trade war is having a bigger impact on smaller border communities, but not so much between large cities. The association is binational and represents bridge and tunnel operators along the northern border from the Seaway International Bridge as far west as the Aazhogan Bridge between International Falls, Minnesota, and Fort Frances, Ontario. He said on the Gordie Howe Bridge between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, traffic is holding steady, for the most part. People who live and work in those major cities, a large portion of their auto traffic, are continuing to cross. "Obviously, those folks are going to continue to go over each day," Czudner said, describing much of their traffic as "inelastic." Detroit also is a big draw to Canadian travelers because "Detroit is one of only three cities that have all four professional sports teams in our downtown core," he said. They are the Detroit Pistons (NBA), Tigers (MLB), Lions (NFL) and Red Wings (NHL). He said there is a 15% drop in discretionary weekend trips, which he attributed to Canadians responding to the trade war and "keeping the purchasing power in Canada." "There's hesitancy on both sides traveling back and forth," according to Czudner. He doesn't believe issues with U.S. Customs are contributing to decreases in traffic. "I haven't found too many issues when people have their paperwork in order, but the fear factor is definitely relevant." Czudner said he believes the two nations will eventually resolve the trade issues and get back to business as usual. "It's a big issue. Canada and the United States have been the best friends throughout our joint history and we expect to go back to that relationship soon," he said. Asked when he believes bridge traffic throughout the Bridge and Tunnel Operators Association membership may start to rebound, he said, "optimistically, I hope we get the deals done, the tariff deals done soon, and we can get back to normal." "You're going to continue to see some significant drops in traffic while we see some uncertainty," he added. "I expect it to go back quite close to normal in the future."
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Parking is now free at Ogdensburg airport, and passengers are up
Apr. 5—OGDENSBURG — The Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority is waiving parking fees at Ogdensburg International Airport. Meanwhile, enplanements in March reached a level not seen in years, according to the airport manager. The OBPA Board of Directors voted unanimously to offer free parking during their March 13 meeting. OBPA Chief Financial Officer cited several reasons for waiving the fees, which including anticipated construction disruptions caused by the terminal overhaul project. CFO Patricia Nisco said parking will be free "for the foreseeable future" and the board can reinstate fees at any time. The terminal project, which was awarded $18 million from Gov. Kathy C. Hochul's $230 million Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization Competition, will expand the check-in, ticketing and baggage drop-off areas, construct a new canopy over the curbside drop-off/pickup area, install new passenger information display systems, among other improvements. A new, multi-purpose great room will be created to provide community space for civic gatherings, conferences, business meetings and other public events. OBPA Board Chair Vernon J. "Sam" Burns said he hopes the free parking will be an enticement for Canadian travelers. "Considering everything that's happening between our country and Canada, I think this also pertains to helping our Canadian travelers that thankfully come to our airport and use our airline out of here," Burns said. "We are taking into consideration some of the issues that seem to be between our country and theirs. We love having them coming here. We hope they continue" "Hopefully a lot of North Country residents and other Americans will decide to go to Canada and continue the friendship our countries have had for over 200 years." Airport Manager Charlie Garrelts said Wednesday that enplanements at the airport for February totaled "800 to 900." That's up from 470 enplaned passengers in January. "We saw more enplanements because of Florida flights. That's climbing. We're seeing good feedback from the Florida flight as well," he said. "We haven't seen that number for years." Breeze Airways took over as Ogdensburg's Essential Air Service carrier last year. Essential Air Service is a U.S. Department of Transportation program that subsidizes flights between smaller rural airports and larger air hubs. Breeze also offers connecting flights from Dulles to Provo, Utah. On Nov. 8, Breeze started offering connecting flights from Dulles to South Bend, Indiana, and on Nov. 21, the carrier began a third connecting flight from Dulles to Vero Beach, Florida. They also offer flights to and from Orlando, Fla. through April 27. All of the flights are on 137-passenger Airbus A220-300 jets.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OBPA adjusting bridge traffic measurements in response to international uncertainty
Feb. 17—OGDENSBURG — Uncertainty over how tariffs and federal immigration actions may affect Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge traffic have Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority officials reconsidering how they'll measure bridge traffic at least in the short term. OBPA Executive Director Steven J. Lawrence shared his thoughts on the developing situations with the OBPA Board on Thursday night. Last month, Lawrence said monthly bridge reports would eventually stop showing a comparison to 2019, the last "normal" year before the COVID-19 pandemic caused a drop in bridge traffic that will almost certainly never rebound. A similar permanent decrease happened after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Now, because of the looming spectre of a trade war caused by the Trump administration's considering reciprocal tariffs worldwide, Lawrence wants to keep the 2019 comparison "in this case just to get a feel for what's really happening." He feels keeping the 2019 comparison is necessary "given the current situation with what's happening on the border with tariffs and immigration." Despite the international uncertainty, Lawrence said he's "pleased with the (latest) numbers, let's put it that way." Bridge crossings totaled 39,476 last month, up 11.44% from January 2024 and down 5.79% from January 2019. That breaks down to 33,841 auto crossings, up 12.91% from the same month last year and down 5.12% from the same month in 2019. Truck crossings for January were 5,635, up 3.32% from January 2024 and down 9.61% from January 2019. The bridge drew $89,304 in revenue last month, up from $88,059 a year ago and $104,184 in January 2019.
