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ARCHIVES
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Jan 2003
February 7, 2003
Vol. 2
Issue 1
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Dec 2002
December 20, 2002
Vol. 1
Issue 11
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Nov 2002
November 26, 2002
Vol. 1
Issue 9
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Oct 2002
October 29, 2002
Vol. 1
Issue 8
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Sept 2002
October 2, 2002
Vol. 1
Issue 7
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Aug 2002
September 5, 2002
Vol. 1
Issue 6
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July 2002
July 29, 2002
Vol. 1
Issue 4
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June 2002
June 28, 2002
Vol. 1
Issue 3
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May 2002
May 23, 2002
Vol. 1
Issue 2
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April 2002
April 17, 2002
Vol. 1
Issue 1
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03-24-03 – 230,336 cars crossed the Mackinac Bridge in January 2003, while only 226,199 cars crossed it in February 2003.
02-07-03 – The number of cars crossing the Mackinac Bridge in December 2002 was 262,338, up from 250,870 in December 2001 and 232,964 in the same month of 2000.
12-20-02 – The number of cars crossing the Mackinac Bridge in November 2002 was lower than the number of cars crossing it in the past two Novembers. November was also the first month since April of this year that bridge crossing counts were lower than those experienced in the same month of last year.
It is significant to note that yesterday (December 19) the Mackinac Bridge Authority voted in favor of increasing one-way automobile bridge crossing fares for non-commuters from $1.50 to $2.50. This is the first time fares have increased since 1961. The increase, which takes effect May 1, "will preserve the financial and physical integrity of the bridge," authority chairman William Gnodtke said.
The fare increase is expected to raise an additional $16 million a year, most of which will go toward maintenance of the five-mile-long bridge. One project alone—stripping the bridge of its paint, cleaning the bare metal and repainting it—is expected to cost $73 million over 10 years, bridge administrator Robert Sweeney said. When the bridge opened in 1957, the one-way fare for a passenger car was $3.25. It was raised to $3.50 on Jan. 1, 1961, and to $3.75 four months later. The fare was cut to $1.50 on Jan. 1, 1969.
It remains to be seen whether this increase will have an impact on the number of tourists who cross the bridge.
11-26-02 – The number of cars crossing the Mackinac Bridge in October 2002 was 416,971, up from 392,496 in October 2001 but lower than the 429,446 experienced in October 2000.
10-26-02 – The number of cars crossing the Mackinac Bridge in September 2002 was 6,287 cars greater than in September 2001 and 25,225 cars fewer than in September 2000.
09-27-02 – August 2002 experienced the largest number of cars crossing the bridge of any month illustrated on the above graph. It was a strong conclusion to a summer of busy bridge traffic.
09-05-02 – Similar to last month, the amount of traffic crossing the bridge in July 2002 is higher than it was in the same period during the past two years.
07-29-02 – The number of cars crossing the Mackinac Bridge in June 2002 is slightly higher that it was in June 2000 and 2001; this makes it the first month this year that the count exceeded those in the same month of the prior two years.
06-28-02 – The Mackinac Bridge experienced an increase in traffic during the month of May 2002 as compared to the same month last year.
05-23-02 – As we move into the summer months, it will be interesting to track the number of cars, which cross the Mackinac Bridge. Unfortunately, in the latest month for which data are available, April 2002, it appears that fewer people went back and forth between the upper and lower peninsulas than in the past two Aprils.
04-17-02 – During many months of 2001 the number of cars crossing the Mackinac Bridge were lower than in the prior year. It is likely that the decreases experienced in September and October were related to the events of 9/11. December 2001 likely experienced greater bridge traffic due to much lower amounts of snow than in the same month a year earlier.
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