By Jacob Goodwin, Editor-in-Chief
June 1, 2008
The pendulum at the U.S. southern and northern borders seems to swing regularly between tightening restrictions on vehicular and pedestrian border crossers in order to enhance security and loosening restrictions on the same border crossers in order to speed the flow of legitimate trade .
Well, that pendulum just swung in favor of speeding up legitimate trade, with the U.S. Department of Transportation's announcement on May 30 of a new "Transportation Border Congestion Relief" program aimed at reducing the time it takes for truckers and individuals to cross land ports of entry in some of the 15 states that touch either Mexico or Canada.
Congestion at the border has become an alarming problem to those federal officials more concerned with moving goods to markets than moving illegal immigrants to detention centers. In fact, according to the DOT, at least two million people legally cross the southern and northern borders each day and more than 17 million truckloads of cargo cross U.S. land borders each year. "These huge numbers are putting a serious strain on the transportation network at and near our international land border crossings," explained the DOT's notice.
To speed up the flow of goods, DOT is soliciting applications from any of those 15 border states, bridge and tunnel operators or private entities which would develop innovative transportation projects aimed at cutting congestion at their nearby border crossing. DOT sounds wide open to clever ideas, but seems particularly interested in enhancing mobility. "Examples of mobility improvements include use of intelligent transportation systems, traffic conditions monitoring, computerized traffic control systems, traveler information systems, electronic toll collection, and open road tolling," explained the DOT's request for applications.
DOT plans to select a minimum of two surface transportation projects under its new Transportation Border Congestion Relief (TBCR) program, with at least one located near the U.S.-Mexican border and the other near the U.S.-Canadian border. The projects must be sited within 100 miles of either border, and be thoroughly described in applications that must be sent to DOT by June 30.
While it's clear that pressure is being applied to DOT to minimize the delays that are growing at international choke points, it is also clear that DOT does not plan to pour its own money into such congestion relief efforts. Instead, DOT is encouraging applicants to dream up their own innovative financing schemes.
"The Applicant should specifically address the eligibility of the proposed project for credit assistance under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act (TIFIA) and Private Activity Bonds (PABs)," says the DOT notice. That TIFIA program can offer secured loans, loan guarantees and standby lines of credits to approved projects. In addition, DOT promises to "identify other possible discretionary funding sources."
It might not have money to contribute, but DOT plans to offer its help. "If a project is selected for participation in the TBCR Program, the DOT will work with the project sponsor to expedite the delivery of the project," it pledged. Such assistance could take the form of a senior-level federal border congestion team, which could expedite reviews and permits, and official encouragement to use novel funding mechanisms, such as new tolls installed on a "federal-aid highway."
"The use of tolls would not only help finance the road, but the use of tolls also, if the amounts are varied, could help manage the volume of traffic utilizing the crossing at any given point during the day," said DOT.
Further information can be obtained from Alla Shaw, Esq., of the Department of Transportation, at 202-366-1042.
Interested applicants should move quickly. There's no telling when the pendulum will swing back in the opposite direction.