In The News

DOT seeks ways to fight border congestion

By eTrucker
Posted Jun 5th 2008 3:21AM

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced June 2 that it is seeking innovative ways to fight congestion at some of the nation’s busiest border crossings. "It’s time to put an end to the kind of delays that keep families and businesses at a standstill at our borders," said Transportation Secretary Mary Peters.

Peters said DOT would select at least two projects each along the Canadian and Mexican borders. She said the effort was needed because in the past 20 years, the value of freight shipments between the United States and each of its North American trading partners, Canada and Mexico, has increased by 170 percent, growing an average of 8 percent annually and leading to longer delays at the crossings.

In 2007, U.S.-bound traffic from Canada experienced delays up to three hours at many crossings, costing businesses more than $14 billion annually, Peters said. On the Mexico side, San Diego County alone loses $271 million in annual revenue to delays at the border, Peters said.

"We’re looking for solutions to the congestion at our borders that is frustrating individuals and stifling commerce," said Jim Ray, acting federal highway administrator.

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