• US-Canada TBWG
• US-Mexico JWC
• US-Mexico JWC ES

• Research
• Fact Sheets
• Maps
• Data
• News
• Glossary

FHWA → Planning → Border Planning → Research

Border Wait Time Peer Exchange Summary Report

December 9-10, 2014

March 2015

Table of Contents

• Terminology
• Executive Summary
• Background and Purpose
• Lessons Learned
• Next Steps
• Why Are Performance Measures Important?
• How Do Border Agencies Use Wait Time Information and What Is Needed?
• Overview of Technologies for Collecting Traffic Information
• Overview of Projects and Systems
• National Border Agency Efforts and Challenges
• Private Sector Analysis
• Data Storage and Data Mining
• Service Providers
• Appendix

Terminology

Table 1: Key terms and other terms

Key Terms	Definition
Crossing time	Refers to the total time required to traverse all segments of a border crossing (the sum of all individual segments).
Agency wait time	Refers to the time required to traverse a segment of a crossing under the jurisdiction of a particular agency, such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Actual wait time or crossing time	The wait/crossing time experienced by a specific vehicle, measured and recorded after the vehicle completes the crossing or segment. This is a measured value rather than a prediction.
Expected wait time or crossing time	An estimate of the wait/crossing time that will be experienced by approaching vehicles at the back of the queue. This is a prediction which may be based on service rates, the length of the queue, or other factors.
Current wait time or crossing time	This is the same as “expected” wait time as described above.
Predicted wait time or crossing time	The estimate of the wait/crossing time that is predicted for a crossing hours or days in the future based on historical data or trends.
Other Terms	Definition
Bluetooth	A wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices.
Cloud	Cloud computing involves the use of remote servers and software networks that allow centralized data storage and online access to computer services or resources.
Crowd sourcing	The process of obtaining needed services or information by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, and especially from an online community.
FAST	Free and Secure Trade Program, a commercial clearance program for known low-risk shipments entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico. This allows expedited processing for commercial carriers who have completed background checks and fulfill certain eligibility requirements.
GPS	Global positioning system, a space-based satellite navigation system that provides location and time information for equipped devices.
Intelligent transportation systems	The application of advanced information and communications technology to surface transportation in order to achieve enhanced safety and mobility while reducing the environmental impact of transportation.
Inductive circuit detector	An insulated, electrically conducting loop installed in the pavement. When a vehicle (or any large metal object) passes over the loop the reader detects its presence based on a decrease in inductance.
Loop detector	See “inductive circuit detector,” above.
Maquiladora	In Mexico, a maquiladora is a manufacturing operation in a free trade zone where factories import material and equipment on a duty-free and tariff-free basis for assembly, processing, or manufacturing and then export the resulting products; often back to the raw materials’ country of origin.
NEXUS	U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Canada Border Services Agency jointly cooperate in this program to simplify passage for pre-approved travelers. The NEXUS program allows pre-screened travelers expedited processing by United States (U.S.) and Canadian officials at dedicated processing lanes at designated northern border ports of entry.1
Port of entry	A location through which people and goods may enter a country.
Probe	A traveling vehicle equipped with sensors is called a “probe car,” and the data collected by those sensors are called “probe data.”
Ready lane	A lane specifically designated for travelers with RFID-enabled documentation. This includes NEXUS cards as well as enhanced driver’s licenses and other such forms of identification.
RFID	Radio frequency identification, the wireless use of electromagnetic fields to transfer data for the purposes of automatically identifying and tracking tags (e.g. transponders) attached to objects (e.g. vehicles).
Service rate	Number of traveling vehicles processed per unit time.
Variable message sign	An electronic sign often used on roadways to provide and update information for travelers.
WiFi	A local area wireless technology that allows an electronic device to participate in computer networking.

Back to Top

Executive Summary

This report summarizes a tri-national peer exchange in Phoenix, Arizona on December 9-10, 2014. Representatives from organizations in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. convened to discuss “border wait time,” the time that a traveler must wait in order to cross an international border from one country to another. The purpose of this exchange was to help Federal agencies, State and Provincial departments of transportation, local planning organizations, bridge authorities, and other organizations understand approaches and tools for collecting and using data on border wait time to improve outcomes and achieve performance goals and targets.

Most of the discussion focused on automated systems to collect and disseminate information on border wait time. Such systems can provide key benefits, such as the following:

• Provide accurate information to the traveling public and stakeholders;
• Improve predictability, reliability, and consistency of wait-time data;
• Reduce traveler delays and congestion, reducing environmental impacts;
• Reduce human error and bias;
• Improve efficiency in the management of border resources; and,
• Enhance economic competitiveness.

Data from automated systems are useful for a variety of stakeholders. Public agencies can use the data to measure performance and prioritize actions and improvements. Private companies can use the data to plan operations and ensure supply chain reliability. Individuals can use the data to inform and adjust travel plans, which can reduce wait times and improve the overall efficiency of the border transportation system.

During the meeting, participants learned from one another through interactive presentations and discussions. Topics included the following:

• Performance measures;
• Definitions and metrics;
• Past, current, and future projects and systems;
• Data storage and data mining; and,
• Future research trends and technologies.

Throughout the exchange participants identified lessons learned that can help to inform future efforts. At the conclusion of the exchange participants identified key needs and next steps for research and voted on their respective importance. The top needs included the following:

1. Accurate, reliable, and complete data on border wait time, including origin and destination data;
2. Common set of metrics, definitions, techniques, and performance measures;
3. Holistic approaches to managing and reducing border wait time;
4. Best practices for disseminating data to the public;
5. Coordination and partnerships; and,
6. Agency commitments to use border wait time data to inform decision-making and direct policy.

The information from this exchange will help stakeholders prioritize next steps to advance border wait time tools, technology, and information sharing. At upcoming meetings the U.S. - Mexico Joint Working Committee on Transportation Planning and the Canada - U.S. Transportation Border Working Group will identify and pursue joint action items to address these areas.

Back to Top

Background and Purpose

This report summarizes a tri-national peer exchange in Phoenix, Arizona on December 9-10, 2014. Representatives from organizations in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. convened to discuss “border wait time,” the time that a traveler must wait in order to cross an international border from one country to another. The purpose of this exchange was to help Federal agencies, State and Provincial departments of transportation, local planning organizations, bridge authorities, and other organizations understand approaches and tools for collecting and using data on border wait time to improve outcomes and achieve performance goals and targets.

Most of the discussion focused on automated systems to collect and disseminate information on border wait time. Such systems can provide key benefits, such as the following:

• Provide accurate information to the traveling public and stakeholders;
• Improve predictability, reliability, and consistency of wait-time data;
• Reduce traveler delays and congestion;
• Reducing environmental impacts;
• Reduce human error and bias;
• Improve efficiency in the management of border resources; and,
• Enhance economic competitiveness.

Data from automated systems are useful for a variety of stakeholders. Public agencies can use the data to measure performance and prioritize actions and improvements. Private companies can use the data to plan operations and ensure supply chain reliability. Individuals can use the data to inform and adjust travel plans, which can reduce wait times and improve the overall efficiency of the border transportation system.

During the meeting, participants learned from one another through interactive presentations and discussions. Topics included the following:

• Performance measures;
• Definitions and metrics;
• Past, current, and future projects and systems;
• Data storage and data mining; and,
• Future research trends and technologies.

Back to Top

Lessons Learned

Participants identified a number of lessons and recommendations to inform future and ongoing efforts to develop automated border wait time systems, as follows:

• Start with simple, achievable goals and expand incrementally. An overly ambitious initial vision can delay completion of a system.
• Consider who will use the data and how they will use it when designing a system.
• Ensure thorough detail in data purchase agreements and spell out terms regarding data quality, frequency, content, and use provisions.
• Develop agreements with the entities and jurisdictions that have authority over the areas where data collection equipment will be placed.
• Develop a memorandum of understanding to cover data sharing arrangements between agencies. Mike Barnet, of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, may have examples.
• Begin by analyzing the penetration rate of a technology (i.e. number of vehicles that have a relevant device) in the region before pursuing an automated data collection system based on that technology. Consider whether the sample size will be large enough to provide the desired level of confidence, and consider variation based on time of day, week, or season.
• Consider funding issues at the beginning of a project. It is important to identify who will operate, maintain, and use a system over the long-term. This may impact the procurement approach.
• Engage procurement officers early to proactively address challenges and concerns.
• Identify sources of redundant information that can help to validate data. Partner agencies may be able to provide redundant or complementary data.
• Identify and implement strategies to continue providing data in the event of a partial system failure.
• Ensure consistency with other systems, to the extent possible. Consistent user interfaces will help travelers to interpret information.
• Consider methods to combine border wait time data with other data sources to provide more holistic information to users. This is important because few trip origins are on the border.

Back to Top

Next Steps

At the conclusion of the exchange participants identified key needs and next steps for research and voted on their respective importance. The top needs included the following:

1. Accurate, reliable, and complete data on border wait time, including origin and destination data;
2. Common set of metrics, definitions, techniques, and performance measures;
3. Holistic approaches to managing and reducing border wait time;
4. Best practices for disseminating data to the public;
5. Coordination and partnerships; and,
6. Agency commitments to use border wait time data to inform decision-making and direct policy.

The information from this exchange will help stakeholders prioritize next steps to advance border wait time tools, technology, and information sharing. At upcoming meetings the U.S. - Mexico Joint Working Committee on Transportation Planning and the Canada - U.S. Transportation Border Working Group will identify and pursue joint action items to address these areas.

Back to Top

Why Are Performance Measures Important?

Performance measures are objective, quantitative indicators that can help an organization measure success, strengthen programs, and improve results. Speakers from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada described some important uses for performance measures related to border wait times, including the following:

• Monitor and report trends;
• Assess gaps in system condition and performance;
• Evaluate effectiveness of programs and services;
• Enable accountability for performance and the prudent stewardship of public funds;
• Justify changes and improvements; and,
• Allocate resources for optimal benefit.

One of the major uses for border wait time data is the development of performance measures.

Related Projects

Cross Border Freight Performance Measure Analysis

The Federal Highway Administration is working with the State of Arizona to evaluate the performance of border crossings for commercial trucks in Nogales, using probe data. The Federal Highway Administration hopes to expand this analysis to evaluate other key corridors in and out of the U.S. The study is intended to track and understand truck speed reliability, traffic volumes, and origins and destinations related to international commercial traffic.

Freight Fluidity Performance Measures

Freight Fluidity Performance Measures is a tri-national effort to investigate the key supply chains of specific industries, including border crossing travel time analysis. The concept of fluidity accounts for the multi-modal nature of goods movement, and it addresses system performance from origin to destination.

For more information on either of the above two initiatives, contact Nicole Katsikides (Nicole.Katsikides@dot.gov) or visit FHWA’s Performance Measurement for Freight Transportation website.

Related Data

Presenters also described a number of related data resources. The Appendix contains a list of these related data resources.

Back to Top

How Do Border Agencies Use Wait Time Information and What Is Needed?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Jim Pattan, of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, discussed the agency’s use of border wait time information and current needs.

Assessing Port Operations

U.S. Customs and Border Protection analyzes changes in wait time to determine whether the agency should respond by changing processes, staffing, and/or technology. The agency also combines wait time information with other data sources. The agency mapped out the relationships between border wait time and other metrics to show how they influence one another.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection uses real-time data to inform adjustments in daily operations. The agency uses “active lane management,” which means that staff can change lane designations as conditions change. So for example, they may increase or decrease the number of trusted traveler lanes relative to the number of general travel lanes. The agency indicates lane designations through the use of light emitting diode signs.

The agency also uses wait time information to populate a variety of reports and dashboards that reveal short and long-term statistics and trends which may impact port operations. The majority of these dashboards are internal, although the agency also provides information to the public via its website.

Assessing Return on Investment and Process Improvements

The agency uses wait time data to measure the benefits of past investments and to calculate projected savings for new initiatives in order to secure funding.

Needs

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has the following needs related to border wait time data:

• Accurate and reliable wait time estimates;
• Stakeholder agreement with the methodology for how wait times are calculated and reported;
• Unique wait times for different types of travelers (e.g. by conveyance type, such as commercial truck, passenger vehicle, or pedestrian, and by processing mode such as ready lane or FAST lane);
• Ability to post automated wait times in 5-10 minute intervals; and,
• Real-time data to support active lane management.

Canada Border Services Agency

Mathieu Pouliotte and Afshin Shams, of the Canada Border Services Agency, presented about the agency’s use of border wait time information. Primary goals for border wait time information include:

• Provide the travelling public and industry clients with accurate and timely border wait time information;
• Strengthen stewardship, accountability, citizen-focused service, and risk management practices; and,
• Allocate resources based on historical data and identify and address gaps to meet service standards.

The agency generates weekly and quarterly reports on performance and service standards using border wait time data. The agency also produces a National Peak Period Summer Evaluation with border wait time data and other sources of information. Finally, the agency uses border wait time data to field ad hoc inquiries from the media, various Canadian government departments, and other stakeholders.

Mexican Tax Administration Service

Rogelio Sanchez Cruz, of the Mexican Tax Administration Service, presented about the agency’s use of border wait time information and current needs. He emphasized that it is important to have comprehensive as well as accurate information. For example, in the case of commercial traffic, it is not enough to understand wait times at the border without understanding origins and destinations and total travel times.

U.S. Government Accountability Office Report on U.S. - Mexico Commercial Vehicle Wait Time Information

Claudia Becker and Rebecca Gambler, of the Government Accountability Office, presented about a recent relevant report that their agency produced. The U.S. Government Accountability Office is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for the U.S. Congress. It evaluates Federal programs and investigates how the Federal government spends taxpayer dollars. In 2013, the agency conducted a study and issued a resulting report titled U.S. - Mexico Border: CBP Action Needed to Improve Wait Time Data and Measure Outcomes of Trade Facilitation Efforts. The study found that U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s manually collected data on commercial vehicle wait times were unreliable for public reporting and agency management decisions across border crossings. The report recommended that U.S. Customs and Border Protection assess the feasibility of replacing manual methods with automated data collection. Automation would improve data reliability and enable the development of outcome-oriented performance measures related to the agency goal of facilitating trade.

Back to Top

Overview of Technologies for Collecting Traffic Information

Jorge Acha, of the Mexican Institute of Transportation, presented an overview of technologies used for collecting traffic information. Others also shared insights on various technologies throughout the rest of the exchange. This section summarizes the information on each technology.

Traditional Technologies

Traditional automated detection systems often include the following:

• Inductive circuits (loop detectors);
• Infrared detectors (passive and active);
• Microwave detectors;
• Closed circuit television surveillance cameras with manual image processing; and,
• Automated video image processing.

Inductive Circuits (Loop Detectors)

Advantages

• Inexpensive and easy to install;
• Mature, proven technology;
• Flexible design to meet a wide variety of applications;
• Good presence detection; and,
• High frequency models can provide data classification.

Disadvantages

• Installation and maintenance require lane closure;
• May require manual tuning;
• May be damaged by heavy vehicles;
• High rate of failure; and,
• Some agencies, such as the Canada Border Services Agency, have observed that the accuracy is not as high as with some other technologies, such as Bluetooth.

Passive Infrared Detectors

Advantages

• Inexpensive and easy to install and calibrate;
• Installation and maintenance do not require lane closure; and,
• Low power consumption.

Disadvantages

• Performance is affected by weather conditions; and,
• Some models are not effective for detecting presence.

Active Infrared Detectors

Advantages

• One installation can provide data for multiple lanes.

Disadvantages

• Performance is affected by weather conditions;
• Accuracy of speed detection depends on the mounting height; and,
• Moderate to high cost.

Microwave Detectors

Advantages

• Low cost;
• Can be installed to detect laterally in multiple lanes with a single detector;
• Directly measures speed when installed overhead; and,
• Operation not affected by vibration or climate.

Disadvantages

• Calculates average speed only when in lateral mode;
• Lower accuracy in distant lanes; and,
• Overhead installation requires an appropriate mounting structure.

Closed Circuit Television Surveillance Cameras with Manual Image Processing

Advantages

• Low overall cost;
• Can measure a wide range of parameters;
• Detection in multiple lanes with a single camera;
• Installation and maintenance do not require lane closures; and,
• Locations can be linked.

Disadvantages

• High initial costs of equipment and facilities;
• Installation can be costly in existing roads;
• Requires manual image processing;
• Bad weather can reduce the accuracy;
• Sensitive to vibration; and,
• Vulnerable to vandalism.

Automated Video Image Processing

Advantages

• Automatic processing of images reduces labor costs and burdens.

Disadvantages

• Initial costs are more expensive than closed circuit television surveillance cameras with manual image processing; and,
• Costly installation on existing roads.

Current and Emerging Hardware-Based Technologies

A number of emerging traffic counting technologies gather data by using readers or other equipment to detect and/or connect with various devices in vehicles. These include the following:

• Radio frequency identification (RFID);
• Bluetooth;
• WiFi; and,
• Global positioning system (GPS).

Common Advantages

All of these emerging hardware-based technologies share certain advantages:

• Vehicles equipped with the relevant technology can be uniquely identified while preserving privacy;
• Can provide real-time data;
• Can provide distinct geospatial data; and,
• Continuing costs of operation are relatively low.

Common Disadvantages

These emerging hardware-based technologies share certain disadvantages:

• Systems will not count all vehicles. The sample size will vary based on the penetration rate of each technology in each region for a given type of vehicle (e.g. commercial versus passenger vehicles) at a given time.
• Initial costs to create a system can be high.
• Requires the installation of hardware, if not already present.
• Many hardware-based systems may be vulnerable to weather impacts and may require ongoing maintenance.

Agencies have developed a variety of solutions to address these challenges. For example, agencies conduct feasibility studies to estimate the sample sizes for a technology prior to implementing a system. They may also combine technologies to validate data and/or develop estimating algorithms based on ground-truthing. Agencies have addressed potential equipment failure through a variety of strategies, such as:

• Maintain spare equipment;
• Monitor readers automatically to proactively detect and address issues; and,
• Develop software solutions that can adapt to continue providing data when one piece of hardware fails.

Other Considerations Specific to Particular Technologies

Radio Frequency Identification

A number of regions already use RFID technologies for other purposes, and a number of national border agencies have already installed RFID-based systems.

Bluetooth

Cellular data service may be intermittent. One solution is to create a virtual private network as a back-up option when cellular service is not functioning. Another is to hardwire data/internet connections to the Bluetooth readers as this is much more reliable but can have large upfront costs.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

GPS requires the installation of equipment in individual vehicles and a center for receiving and processing information. In addition, some telemetry systems may not be able to provide data at sufficiently fine time increments.

Emerging Non-Hardware-Based Solutions

Crowdsourced Data

Some border wait time data solutions aggregate data without the use of any hardware (e.g. readers or detectors). INRIX is one company that uses this approach. (See section: Service Providers, INRIX). Unisys is another example of a company that is currently developing such an approach (albeit in a hybrid combination with other agency data), as described in the section titled Border Automated Wait Time Solution.

Advantages

• No need to procure, install, and maintain equipment in the field; and,
• Less vulnerability to outages related to unforeseen circumstances such as extreme weather, vandalism, power outages, or collisions.

Disadvantages

• Systems will not count all vehicles. The sample size will vary based on technology penetration rate in a region for a given type of vehicle (e.g. commercial versus passenger vehicles) at a given time.
• System may not have the ability to provide distinct information by lane or vehicle type, unless supplemented by other data sources.

Connected Vehicles

The continuing development of connected vehicle technology and implementation will likely provide even more opportunities for agencies to gather traffic data relevant to border wait time.

Back to Top

Overview of Projects and Systems

Mappir Mexico

Eduardo Rodriguez Ampudia of the Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport presented about an application called Mappir Mexico. The purpose of this application is to provide official, accurate information on road routes in Mexico. The application provides information such as travel distances, travel times, toll costs by vehicle type, estimated fuel consumption, emergencies, road construction, and weather. The application is available on the internet and via smart phones.

Mappir Mexico provides useful information at border crossings. For example, it can display current traffic volumes by vehicle type (updated every three minutes), and it has an algorithm to estimate expected wait times (updated every 15 minutes). Figure 3 shows a screenshot of the application.

Washington State - British Columbia Border

Melissa Fanucci of the Whatcom Council of Governments and Paul Neel of the Washington State Department of Transportation presented about the Cascade Gateway border wait time systems. This border crossing has automated technologies to collect border wait time data in both the northbound and southbound directions. See the Data Sources on Border Wait Time section of the Appendix.

Northbound

The Washington State Department of Transportation installed the first part of its Cascade Gateway Border Traveler Information System in 2001. Since that initial northbound installation at the Peace Arch/Douglas and Pacific Highway ports-of-entry, the system has expanded to include the two other Cascade Gateway ports of entry (Lynden/Aldergrove and Sumas/Abbotsford-Huntingdon). The system provides wait times for NEXUS cars and trucks at Pacific Highway, and will soon have wait times for trucks at Lynden/Aldergrove.

System Specifics

The system uses an algorithm that calculates current wait times by dividing the approximate number of vehicles in the queue by the service rate. Loop detectors near the booths determine service rate by counting vehicles per minute. Loop detectors further upstream determine the number of vehicles in the queue. Wait time information is available through variable message signs, the internet, a traveler information telephone system (511), and smart phone applications.

Archiving

The Cascade Gateway Border Data Warehouse stores data on wait times, traffic volumes, and service rates. The data is available for analysis. The system can also produce alerts when wait times exceed a specified threshold.

Validation and Calibration

The Washington State Department of Transportation periodically adjusts the algorithms as needed. Through the Dynamic Border Management project the agency is working with the Whatcom Council of Governments to examine options to install Bluetooth readers to collect actual wait times. They plan to use the data from the Bluetooth readers to validate the data from the loop detectors. They will also use this data to calibrate the northbound system on an ongoing basis as the infrastructure and operations change at each crossing.

Southbound

The British Columbia Ministry of Transportation installed the first part of its Advanced Traveler Information System in 2000. It expanded in subsequent years to include all four regional ports-of-entry. This system does not calculate commercial vehicle wait times.

System Specifics

The southbound system is very similar to the northbound one with the following exceptions:

• Southbound at the Peace Arch point of entry, the system also includes an anti-idling component. The system uses the same loop detectors to determine how many cars are queued at the booth. It then turns a signal red to encourage queued cars to turn off their engines until an appropriate number of cars clear inspections. This system does not apply to the NEXUS lane.

Archiving

The Cascade Gateway Border Data Warehouse also stores southbound data in five minute increments.

Validation and Calibration

A consultant operates the system and calibrates it as needed. The Dynamic Border Management project may also install Bluetooth readers to collect actual wait times to calibrate the southbound system on an ongoing basis (as described above for the northbound system).

Buffalo-Niagara Region (Ontario-New York Border)

Roger Ripa, of the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority, presented about the use of Bluetooth to automatically calculate border wait times in the Buffalo-Niagara region. Currently a system is in place at two crossings: the Peace Bridge and Queenston/Lewiston. The systems use Traffax readers and FastLane BluFaxWeb software (See section: BluFaxWeb). See the Appendix for a chart listing these and other systems.

Data Produced and Users

Users of the system data include the Peace Bridge Authority, Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Canada Border Services Agency, and the New York State traveler information telephone system (511).

The system calculates average wait times for each vehicle type and direction, and provides the information to the agencies. The agencies post updates every five minutes. The system uses color coding to indicate status at a glance. Green means delay of 0 to 30 minutes, yellow indicates a delay of 30 to 60 minutes, and red indicates a delay of greater than 60 minutes. In addition to the colors, text displays the precise calculated values. Anything below 10 minutes appears as “no delay” and anything above that appears as a value (rounded to the nearest minute). Some agencies use trending arrows to indicate continuous increases or decreases over the last three posted wait times.

Problems and Solutions

The Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority encountered and solved a number of problems related to their two Bluetooth-based systems, as detailed in Table 2 below.

Table 2: Problems and solutions for the Bluetooth-based systems in the Buffalo-Niagara region

Problem	Solution
Improper placement of readers	Investigation by all parties to find the problematic readers and tune and relocate them.
Improper configuration of readers and links	Live system monitoring by agencies working together with software developer receiving the data.
Need to separate distinct vehicle types	Directional antennas to detect certain areas of traffic separately from others (ex. NEXUS lanes). “Tagging” of vehicles to assign a unique identifier for each vehicle and classify it as a car or truck for future visits.
System is slow to show changes in wait times	Shorter distances between links.
Cellular internet communication issues near the border	Hardwiring readers into existing networks where possible. Use of a private cellular network instead of the public network.

System Calibration and Maintenance

The system owner can do most calibration via a web interface. Maintenance tasks are generally infrequent but can include:

• Adjusting settings due to anomalies or inaccuracies;
• Manually cycling power to a reader;
• Troubleshooting network connectivity to hardwired readers;
• Adjusting attenuation; and,
• Replacing a broken reader.

Flexibility to Changing Operations

The system can adapt to changing lane designations and still provide accurate data for distinct vehicle types, as long as there is a physical separation between vehicle types at some point prior to the crossing. However, if the lane types change constantly without an upstream separation of vehicle types, the system cannot provide data by vehicle type unless there is a method to notify the system of such changes in real-time. Melissa Fanucci discussed a related project to do just that (albeit for a loop detector system rather than a Bluetooth system). See section, Integrating Data on Dynamically Changing Lane Types into Automated Border Wait Time Systems.

Next Steps

The Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority and partner organizations plan to pursue the following next steps:

• Hardwire power and data to all readers where possible;
• Install Bluetooth readers on the Niagara Falls International Rainbow Bridge;
• Identify additional users for the data;
• Post data on variable message signs in Canada and the U.S.;
• Monitor the volume of Bluetooth data available to the system; and,
• Integrate additional sources of information into the existing software solution (e.g. license plate readers).

Ontario-Michigan Border

Mike Barnet, of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, described regional efforts to apply intelligent transportation systems to cross border issues.

Hybrid Systems to Collect Border Wait Time Data

Mike Barnet described collaborative efforts between the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and the Michigan Department of Transportation to develop automated systems that collect and disseminate border wait time data in real-time. See the Appendix for a chart listing these and other systems. One completed system is at the Blue Water Bridge Crossing between Port Huron, Michigan and Point Edward, Ontario. The following systems are still in the design stage:

• Detroit Tunnel;
• Ambassador Bridge;
• Sault Ste. Marie; and,
• Detroit River International Bridge.

Blue Water Bridge Crossing

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation and the Michigan Department of Transportation record border wait time data through a hybrid approach using both Bluetooth readers and vehicle detectors. One challenge here is that the construction of the system happened under separate contracts for the U.S. and Canadian sides. For this reason, stringent coordination efforts and constant communication were essential to ensure compatibility. This system is currently live, but the data is not yet available to the public.

Hybrid Approach

To ensure ease of use for travelers, the project team sought to develop a system that would be cohesive on both sides of the crossing and consistent with the user interface provided at other crossings. After reviewing other systems and technologies, the agencies decided to pursue a hybrid approach with both Bluetooth and loop detectors. The loop detectors record the flow and volume of vehicles in the queue, and the Bluetooth readers record historical travel time information. Although this hybrid approach is more expensive, the team chose to use the hybrid system because of the increased accuracy that such a system provides at the critical moments when traffic volumes change suddenly. TLoop detectors and Bluetooth readers have complementary strengths and weaknesses. For example, Bluetooth readers only provide data when a vehicle completes a segment from one reader to the next. This means there may be a time lag between the time when conditions change and the time when the system provides data indicating the change. Loop detectors can reduce time lags because they can submit data at any interval. However, one limitation of loop detectors is that they typically exhibit three percent error in comparison to manual counts. The Bluetooth travel time data helps to correct the loop detector data to better match reality. Mike Barnet indicated that a hybrid approach is not always necessary. Less complicated approaches can and should be used on lower volume border crossings. Currently the agencies are in the process of evaluating whether it was worth the extra cost at the Blue Water Bridge Crossing.

Data Analysis and Verification of Data Quality

The agencies query the data periodically to check for accuracy. This identifies errors or areas of concern and allows them to make adjustments accordingly. They conduct a detailed analysis each week on the data they receive from the system. Currently, the agencies are working to validate the data from the system by comparing it to operators’ visual observations. They are also investigating intermittent Bluetooth failures when traffic volumes are low.

Lessons Learned

Mike Barnet described several key findings and lessons learned, as follows:

• It was important to engage a multi-jurisdictional team of diverse stakeholders in order to develop the system.
• The signing and message strategy involved several key issues and decisions regarding the size and location of signs and methods for dealing with bilingual requirements.
• The media raised privacy concerns related to the Bluetooth readers.

Related Work

Herb Gray Parkway: Goals for an Intelligent Border Crossing

The Herb Gray Parkway is a planned six-lane urban freeway with 11 tunnels and service roads, which will connect Route 401 to the U.S. Interstate Highway System. The parkway is currently under construction in the municipalities of Windsor, LaSalle, and Tecumseh, which are in Ontario, across the border from Detroit, Michigan. The plan is to make this an “intelligent border crossing,” with the following goals:

• Reduce travel delay and costs by maximizing the efficiency of the transportation network;
• Enhance safety by providing timely, useful information on roadway conditions;
• Promote inter-agency information sharing and coordination; and,
• Reduce the negative impacts on border communities by minimizing idling and congestion.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation and the Michigan Department of Transportation established a memorandum of understanding to develop an automated border wait time data collection system and they are also coordinating with a variety of other stakeholders.

Cross Border Partnerships

The Great Lakes Regional Transportation Operations Coalition is a partnership of Great Lakes agencies that collaborates on initiatives that improve cross-regional transportation operations in support of regional economic competitiveness and improved quality of life.

The Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition is a coalition of agencies developed to improve the safety and efficiency of the transportation system. The coalition provides real-time traffic and roadway information to improve traffic flows and enhance emergency assistance for motorists using the transportation system.

The ENTERPRISE Pooled Fund Study recently started a project to summarize current and emerging practices for the use of intelligent transportation system technologies at international borders.

Incident Management System

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation and the Michigan Department of Transportation are planning to develop procedures and software for an incident management system that advises travelers of nearby traffic incidents. The system would exchange traffic incident information, including video images, between the two jurisdictions. This would allow operators on both sides of the border to provide updates to the traveling public.

Projected benefits pertain to the following areas:

• Safety: Cars and trucks proceed more cautiously into incident zones, reducing the potential for secondary collisions.
• Efficiency: System allows travelers to avoid delay through alternate routes or other means. Potential economic benefits are significant.
• Sustainability: System reduces queuing, idling, and associated emissions.

Sonora-Arizona Border

Lessons Learned at the Nogales - Mariposa Port of Entry

Marisa Walker, of the Arizona Commerce Authority, presented some lessons learned from the 2009 implementation of an RFID-based border wait time system at the Nogales - Mariposa port of entry, as follows:

• Start with simple, achievable goals and build from there. This project team sought total crossing time in addition to agency wait times, which delayed completion of the system.
• Begin by analyzing the penetration rate of a technology (i.e., number of vehicles that have a relevant device) before pursuing an automated data collection system based on that technology. The project team found that in this case only five percent of commercial vehicles had RFID-readable tags.
• Engage procurement officers early to proactively address challenges. Procurement personnel at the Arizona Department of Transportation were concerned about buying equipment and leaving it in Mexico.

See the Appendix for a chart listing this and other systems.

Feasibility Study of Bluetooth Technology for Arizona - Mexico Crossings

Rudy Perez, of the Arizona Department of Transportation, presented about an upcoming analysis of the effectiveness of Bluetooth technology to capture wait time information at six ports of entry on the Arizona - Mexico border. The Arizona Department of Transportation plans to produce a final report on this study by December 2015.

The objectives of the study are as follows:

• Determine the percent of southbound and northbound personal vehicles that have Bluetooth-enabled devices;
• Recommend which ports of entry should have Bluetooth technology systems installed and the priority order for installing them; and,
• Determine if there is a more appropriate technology than Bluetooth for this application.

See the Appendix for a chart listing this and other systems.

Baja California Study on the Use of GPS to Assess Commercial Wait Times

Crystal Jones, of the Federal Highway Administration, presented about a study entitled Measuring Cross-Border Travel Times for Freight: Otay Mesa International Border Crossing. In October 2008 the Federal Highway Administration contracted a study team to conduct a two-part study. This team assessed GPS technology for the measurement of commercial truck travel times through the Otay Mesa international border crossing from Mexico into the US. The primary goal was to evaluate the ability of GPS technology to accurately record travel times through the border zone.

The study accomplished the following:

• Measured travel times for the entire crossing and various segments.
• Identified queuing points.
• Segregated the population of trucks by type (i.e., identified those that go to secondary inspections).
• Observed travel patterns and dwell at various locations.

The study identified the following lessons learned:

• For third party data purchase agreements, it is important to spell out detailed terms regarding data quality, frequency, content, and use provisions.
• Not all telemetry systems may be suitable.
• At this crossing the use of GPS consistently provided a sample intensity of at least five percent of vehicles.
• Data trends and results were consistent with anecdotal information.

Local partners did not have the resources to continue the study beyond the official conclusion in 2010. The final report is available at: www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop10051/fhwahop10051.pdf.

Tamaulipas/Nuevo León/Coahuila/Chihuahua - Texas Border

Eduardo Hagert, of the Texas Department of Transportation, presented about a study to assess the effectiveness of six different technologies for gathering border wait time data. The study examined commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles separately. For commercial vehicles, the study assessed the effectiveness of the following technologies:

• Laser frequency detectors
• RFID detectors
• Infrared detectors
• Automatic license plate recognition
• Vehicle matching
• GPS
• Mobile phone location
• Inductive loop detectors

For passenger vehicles, the study only assessed the effectiveness of Bluetooth readers, as it was the most feasible option.

Based on the results of the studies, they now have RFID-based systems in place to monitor northbound commercial traffic at seven ports of entry, and a Bluetooth-based system to monitor northbound privately-owned vehicle traffic at one bridge in El Paso Texas. See the Appendix for details on this and other systems. The data from the system is available on the Border Crossing Information System (See section: Border Crossing Information System). As a next step, the Texas Department of Transportation is planning to install a second Bluetooth-based system to monitor northbound privately-owned vehicle traffic at a second bridge, also in El Paso.

Analysis of Border Wait Times at 29 Crossings

Eduardo Rodriguez Ampudia, of the Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport, presented about a border wait time study that his agency conducted in 2012. The study investigated 29 out of 53 crossings on the U.S. - Mexico border and used modeling to understand northbound and southbound traffic. The purpose of the study was to prioritize opportunities for modernizing existing crossings, building new crossing infrastructure, and using innovative financing mechanisms. The studied crossings represent a variety of different physical and operational characteristics. Table 3 shows the locations of the 29 crossings.

Table 3: Locations of the 29 crossings studied as part of a modeling analysis that the Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport conducted.

Crossing	Mexican State
Puerta México - San Ysidro	Baja California
Mesa de Otay I - Otay Mesa	Baja California
Tecate - Tecate	Baja California
Mexicali I - Calexico West	Baja California
Mexicali II - Calexico East	Baja California
Los Algodones - Andrade	Baja California
SLRC I - San Luis West	Sonora
SLRC II - San Luis East	Sonora
Sonoyta - Lukeville	Sonora
Sesabe - Sesabe	Sonora
Nogales I - DeConcini	Sonora
Nogales III - Mariposa	Sonora
Naco - Naco	Sonora
Agua Prieta - Douglas	Sonora
Palomas - Columbus	Chihuahua
San Jerónimo - Santa Teresa	Chihuahua
El Paso - Cd. Juárez	Chihuahua
Guadalupe - Fabens	Chihuahua
Ojinaga - Presidio	Chihuahua
Ciudad Acuña - Del Rio	Coahuila
PI I Piedras Negras - Eagle Pass	Coahuila
PI II Piedras Negras - Eagle Pass	Coahuila
Nuevo Laredo I - Bridge I	Tamaulipas
Nuevo Laredo III	Tamaulipas
Nuevo Laredo II	Tamaulipas
PC20	Tamaulipas
Reynosa - Hidalgo	Tamaulipas
Progreso - Nuevo Progreso	Tamaulipas
Zaragoza	Tamaulipas

The study proceeded in five stages and included the development of the following:

• Diagnostic report with a summary assessment of transport demand, capacity, level of service, level of saturation, and wait time at each border crossing;
• Information system that uses geographic information systems software to support ongoing monitoring of key indicators;
• Micro-simulation model to evaluate the performance indicators at crossings;
• Parameters and performance indicators for each of the crossings and a methodology to carry out comparative analyses; and,
• Ranked matrix of projects to pursue in 2013-2018.

In 2015 the agency plans to conduct a new study that will prioritize up to 30 of the most important ports of entry. The study will examine the benefits of reduced wait time for users and investigate best practices for reducing wait time and improving service.

San Ysidro Pilot Study (California - Mexico Border)

Samuel Johnson, of the San Diego Association of Governments, and Mario Orso, of the California Department of Transportation, described plans for a new port of entry east of the existing Otay Mesa crossing that will reduce congestion and give travelers a faster and more predictable option for crossing the border. The new crossing and roadways on either side of the border will reduce wait times for a new crossing in the region (Otay Mesa East), using innovative technologies such as variable-rate tolls. Effective tolling and efficient use of the system of border crossings will depend on accurate and timely information on border wait times, so the project team is developing a proof of concept to automatically collect and disseminate border wait time data. Eventually there will be automated systems at each crossing in the region, but the initial pilot will focus on the San Ysidro crossing. The pilot study should be complete by December 2015. Following the pilot, the project team will create border wait time systems at the remaining regional crossings. The overall effort should be complete by 2018. See the Appendix for a chart listing these and other systems.

The San Ysidro pilot system will retrofit existing highway call boxes (emergency roadside phones) with solar panels, extra batteries, and the Bluetooth reader card so they can operate as Bluetooth readers. This will reduce costs and allow for a broader deployment of Bluetooth readers than would otherwise be possible. The use of the call boxes also helps to address ongoing maintenance issues, because SANDAG can address maintenance through existing agreements. The algorithm and approach will be similar to that used by the Texas Department of Transportation, the Texas Transportation Institute, and Mexico along the Texas - Mexico border.

Back to Top

National Border Agency Efforts and Challenges

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Jim Pattan of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection discussed the agency’s border wait time automation initiatives. Currently wait time data collection is manual. Of the 74 ports of entry for which the agency collects wait time data, only two are automated. However, the agency has a goal to implement automated data collection at all land border ports of entry. A pilot deployment will occur in spring 2015.

Northern Border

In 2010, the bi-national Border Wait Time work group assessed four technologies for automating the measurement of border wait times. The assessment resulted in the deployment of an automated Bluetooth-based solution in the Niagara Region, and subsequent deployment of Bluetooth system in July 2012 at the Peace Bridge and Queenston-Lewiston Bridges (See section: Buffalo-Niagara Region (Ontario-New York Border)).

Southern Border

In April 2014, U.S. Customs and Border Protection partnered with the Federal Highway Administration and the Texas Transportation Institute to customize an existing automated, RFID-based commercial wait time system. This will allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection to receive automated commercial wait time data from several border crossings in Texas and Arizona.

Border Wait Time Mobile App

U.S. Customs and Border Protection developed a mobile app for smartphones, which provides the same information that is available on the agency website. It also provides an additional feature that allows the user to find their nearest port of entry. This feature displays the three closest ports of entry and the current wait time at each. Figure 4 shows a screenshot of the app.

Border Automated Wait Time Solution

U.S. Customs and Border Protection plan to develop a hybrid solution for providing automated border wait time data. The system will use private sector data on travel times in combination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection data on lane and vehicle throughput. The agency anticipates a pilot deployment of the solution by spring 2015. The pilot project will test the system for private vehicles at five ports of entry and determine its accuracy by comparing the results to information obtained from direct observation and Bluetooth. If the pilot data service proves successful, U.S. Customs and Border Protection anticipates it will eventually expand to commercial vehicles and deploy it in all 71 ports of entry for which the agency currently collects wait time data.

Craig McIntire, of the Unisys Corporation, described the details of the data service. The system will automatically ingest and process commercially available data from moving vehicles. This means there will be no need to install additional hardware to collect data. The system will not transmit personally identifiable information (to preserve privacy). It will segregate wait time data by lane type (e.g., NEXUS, ready lane), and it will provide updates every five minutes. The data service will also provide information on sample size and statistical confidence levels.

The primary data source will be TomTom “Floating Car Data.” This data source does not meet all of the requirements for the automated border wait time data solution on its own. For this reason, the border wait time solution will also use supplementary data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection to fill in the gaps, creating a data service that meets all requirements. Figure 5 maps the proposed data service.

Canada Border Services Agency

Mathieu Pouliotte and Afshim Shams, of the Canada Border Services Agency, discussed their agency’s border wait time automation initiatives.

Forecasted Border Wait Times

In April 2014, the Canada Border Service Agency introduced Forecasted Border Wait Times, a tool that the public can use to plan travel. The forecasted data are based on an average of quarterly data from the previous year. The forecasts are predictive but do not account for real-time factors (e.g., weather, traffic, special events). As a result, there may be wide discrepancies between forecast and actual border wait times.

Automated Border Wait Time Reporting

As part of the Beyond the Border Action Plan, the Canada Border Service Agency launched its redesigned border wait time application in June 2014. The information on that website refreshes every five minutes with new data from the five ports of entry that have automated data collection systems. Another release planned for 2015 will improve existing functionality and reduce operational pressure on front line staff. The Canada Border Service Agency is also working with the Washington State Department of Transportation to improve data accuracy in the Pacific West region.

Mexican Tax Administration Service

Rogelio Sanchez Cruz, of the Mexican Tax Administration Service, discussed the agency’s status and current thinking related to border wait time data collection. He noted that his agency does not currently have any automated technologies in place to collect border wait time data. However, he anticipates that his agency will soon be evaluating the applicability of various technologies for monitoring northbound traffic volumes and wait times.

Rogelio noted that he would like to get information on wait times for commercial vehicles prior to arriving at customs stations. Currently the Tax Administration Service only has information on the processing time once a commercial vehicle arrives at customs. He also mentioned that the agency plans to invest in additional infrastructure and technologies for automated commercial vehicle selection and risk analysis, which will reduce customs processing times.

Back to Top

Private Sector Analysis

Alfonso Soto presented on behalf of the Association of Maquiladoras of Sonora. He discussed a private sector perspective on border wait time issues, presented findings from several studies, and introduced a software platform for monitoring cross-border travel. Alfonso emphasized that it is important to examine the problem of cross-border freight transportation from a holistic perspective that considers origins and destinations in addition to just border wait or crossing time. He also noted that the variability and unpredictability of border wait time is a major concern for the private sector.

Study of U.S. - Mexico Cross-Border Travel in 2009

Fifteen companies contributed to the study by providing one year of data on cross-border travel at the Mariposa port of entry in Nogales, Arizona. According to Alfonso, the key findings from the analysis are as follows:

• Total crossing time tended to be longer for trucks that arrived at the border in the morning.
• Total border crossing time increased as the total number of trucks crossing decreased.
• There was no common platform for assessing risk, resulting in redundant inspections on either side of the border.
• There was a lack of communication between Mexican and U.S. customs and transportation agencies.
• There was no way to assess or anticipate security risks in any other manner besides physical inspection.
• Poor documentation resulted in delays at the border.

Facil-e-Trade Software Platform

Following the 2009 study, the association and stakeholders sought to map the total process of cross-border travel. In 2012 they developed a software platform, Facil-e-Trade, designed to monitor the travel time for various segments of cross border travel from origin to destination. Facil-e-Trade also monitors the security and integrity of shipments. Based on a limited pilot of Facil-e-Trade from 2013 and 2014 at the port of Nogales, the results suggest that rigor of the inspections processes correlated with time of day as well as day of week. For example, in the mornings, inspections tended to be much longer. Officials did not inspect any shipments Wednesday afternoons from 12:00-3:00.

Suggested Next Steps and Timeline

In 2015, the association plans to:

• Test Facil-e-Trade in six additional ports of entry on the U.S. - Mexico border;
• Compare data from various ports of entry; and,
• Identify opportunities to improve and facilitate cross-border commercial transportation.

The association identified the following locations to test Facil-e-Trade in 2015 (selected because those locations represented approximately 70 percent of the commercial vehicle crossings from 2008 to 2012):

• Otay Mesa Crossing near San Diego, California;
• Mariposa Crossing in Nogales, Arizona;
• Bridge of the Americas Crossing in El Paso, Texas;
• Isleta Crossing in El Paso, Texas;
• Columbia Solidarity Bridge Crossing in Laredo, Texas; and,
• World Trade Bridge Crossing in Laredo, Texas.

Back to Top

Data Storage and Data Mining

Texas Transportation Institute

Rajat Rajbhandari, of the Texas Transportation Institute, presented about archived data and the Border Crossing Information System.

Archived Data

Rajat outlined the following possible uses for archived data:

• Verify claims and anecdotes;
• Monitor trends;
• Analyze economic impacts;
• Conduct studies; and,
• Provide legislative support.

According to Rajat, some types of queries are relatively easy to answer with a high degree of certainty. Others are more difficult to answer and may involve a high level of uncertainty. For example, questions related to a particular day will generally be easy to answer with a high degree of certainty. However, month-to-month comparisons are more difficult, and year-to-year comparisons are even more difficult and more uncertain. These longer-term comparisons require data aggregation, which involves implicit assumptions. Different approaches for aggregating the data may make the comparisons appear different. Due to this, Rajat noted that agencies may be challenged to identify appropriate performance measures. For example, rather than comparing average wait time across years, it may be more appropriate to compare the percentage of instances in which the wait time exceeded a given threshold.

Border Crossing Information System

The Border Crossing Information System archives border wait time data for ports of entry on the U.S. - Mexico border. It allows users to query a number of different statistics, but it does not provide raw data. Available information includes the following:

• Ten minute average;
• Hourly average;
• Monthly average;
• Histogram of raw data; and,
• Aggregate data at various levels.

Rajat noted that the Border Crossing Information System is not well known, and the weblog indicates that there are only a few users. The Texas Transportation Institute and partners plan to improve publicity in order to generate more users. Figure 6 shows a screenshot of the system.

U.S. - Canada Border Wait Time Archive

Melissa Fanucci of the Whatcom Council of Governments presented about the U.S. - Canada Border Wait Time Archive. This database is publicly accessible online. It stores estimated border wait times and other traffic data from the six border crossings currently equipped with delay measurement technology. This includes two crossings in the Buffalo/Niagara region (New York - Ontario border), and four crossings in the Cascade Gateway region (Washington - British Columbia border). The website allows border stakeholders to view and extract a variety of data sets and summary statistics. Users can query and download the data. The subscription tool allows users to sign up for email alerts whenever a certain wait time is reached or exceeded. All of the data are accessible through an application programming interface, which allows other web developers, applications, and websites to use the data. As other regional border crossings install automated border wait time systems, the database will incorporate the additional data.

Validation and Calibration of Data in the Cascade Gateway Region

Melissa Fanucci, of the Whatcom Council of Governments, presented about an upcoming effort to improve existing datasets on border wait times through ongoing validation and calibration. The project will develop a shared methodology to periodically validate and calibrate the southbound and northbound advanced traveler information systems on the Washington - British Columbia border. The project team includes a variety of agencies on both sides of the border.

The project team is investigating options for collecting redundant data using different forms of automated technology. This approach will allow the agencies to validate data on an ongoing basis without a large investment of labor. The team is considering using Bluetooth, WiFi, and/or the automated system that Unisys is developing for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (See section: Border Automated Wait Time Solution). The next steps are to conduct a feasibility analysis and estimate the initial and ongoing costs.

Historical Data on the Trusted Traveler Program for the US - Canada Border

Chris Dingman of the Federal Highway Administration presented about a study that he conducted on the trusted traveler program using data from the Cascade Gateway Border Data Warehouse. As a result of the study, Chris arrived at the following conclusions:

• The Cascade Gateway Border Data Warehouse is an excellent tool for analyzing traffic volume and delay at the border.
• The benefits of the NEXUS program are significant and can be quantified.
• Agencies should consider enhanced marketing efforts to publicize the benefits of trusted traveler programs.

Integrating Data on Dynamically Changing Lane Types into Automated Border Wait Time Systems

Melissa Fanucci of the Whatcom Council of Governments discussed dynamically changing lane types and the challenge that this may pose for some automated systems collecting wait time data. She described temporary and long-term solutions to address the problem and regain accuracy.

At select ports of entry, including the Peace Arch Bridge, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection uses dynamically changing lane types to optimize operations at any given moment based on current demand. For example, if RFID readers detect that many NEXUS users are approaching the crossing, the agency can use overhead signs to expand the number of NEXUS lanes relative to standard traffic lanes. This reduces wait times and improves efficiency. However, it also leads to inaccuracies in automated data collection systems with loop detectors that report wait times based on the assumption that lane types are static.

As a temporary measure to alleviate this issue, the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation border wait time system omitted data collected in front of the booths. Instead, the system calculated wait times using the set of loops further upstream from the booths, where traffic is broken into general purpose lanes and the NEXUS lane. The long-term solution to this problem is to augment the border wait time algorithm with real-time data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on current lane status. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has already made this data available and the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation will soon make changes to the automated border wait time system to incorporate the information.

If the solution at the Peace Arch Bridge proves successful, U.S. Customs and Border Protection can make the same data available for other port locations. In the future the Canada Border Services Agency may also implement dynamically changing lane types. That will require a similar effort to integrate real-time data on lane status into the border wait time system on northbound traffic.

Back to Top

Service Providers

Representatives from the private sector described current products and services available to assist with automated monitoring and reporting of border wait time information.

BluFaxWeb

Scott Melby, of Fast Lane Software, presented about BluFaxWeb, a product developed by Traffax and Fast Lane Software. The developers originally created BluFaxWeb for monitoring highways and subsequently adapted it for border crossings. This uses Bluetooth technology, but Traffax is working to create a system based on a combination of Bluetooth and WiFi. This is the system used for the Peace Bridge and Queenston-Lewiston Bridge (See section: Buffalo-Niagara Region (Ontario-New York Border)).

BluFaxWeb can address many typical border wait time needs and provides the following:

• Current wait time by vehicle type;
• Notification of delays for the public and operations staff;
• Ability to screen outliers (e.g., vehicles that purchase duty-free goods) to improve data accuracy;
• Ability for the user to customize the system through a web-based interface;
• High availability through multiple hosting options and through redundancies to ensure reliability (For example, if one detector stops functioning, the system can skip it to preserve the data stream);
• Affordability through a system based on open-source software and reliable hardware; and,
• Real-time results and analytical tools.

INRIX

Pete Costello discussed INRIX products available for traffic monitoring. INRIX is a global company that uses probe data and crowd sourcing to aggregate data and provides a variety of internet services and mobile applications pertaining to road traffic and driver services. INRIX provides real-time, historical, and predictive data. Relevant to the border, INRIX provides:

• Road segment information (code, road name, cross streets, direction, length);
• Speed information (current speed, typical speed, free flow speed);
• Travel time (in minutes through segment);
• Congestion level;
• Predictive traffic (speed and congestion forecast in 15 minute increments); and,
• Data to facilitate origin-destination studies and analysis.

Productivity Apex

Mansooreh Mollaghasemi discussed current and planned activities for Productivity Apex and relevant connections with border wait time data collection and analysis. Productivity Apex is a technical research, development, and consulting firm dedicated to increasing productivity and efficiency. Mansooreh set the stage for her presentation by outlining several key recommendations and issues. She noted that current approaches to managing border wait times rely on data sources that have limited ability to predict the future. In some cases, this may result from planning horizons that are too short (60 minutes at best) and a lack of time to efficiently reallocate resources and optimize travel conditions. She recommended that this group aspire to obtain longer planning horizons, such as a 24-hour planning horizon. This would require additional sources of information and cooperation from all major stakeholders. For example, motor carriers would submit their travel plans, border agencies would plan their staffing allocations, and an algorithm would predict the resulting traffic conditions. This would allow the organizations to proactively adjust.

Mansooreh described an analogous solution that Productivity Apex has already developed: the Freight Advanced Traveler Information System. This is a software platform that improves the efficiency of freight movements through advanced planning and real-time information. It uses an optimization algorithm (customized for each site) to do the following:

• Optimize routes and schedules for freight deliveries and pick-ups;
• Allow adaptive communication among all stakeholders;
• Provide real-time status updates; and,
• Integrate data on wait time and other variables to provide dynamic traveler information systems and routing.

Productivity Apex completed pilot implementations in Memphis, Tennessee; Los Angeles and Long Beach, California; and South Florida with positive results in terms of operational improvements. The company is now beginning a second pilot implementation in Los Angeles and Long Beach, California. The company is also beginning another pilot implementation on the I-35 freight corridor in Texas. According to Mansooreh, this type of solution can also be applied to border crossings to improve efficiency, reliability, and information-sharing.

Control Technologies

Sarah King, from Control Technologies, presented about several products and technologies for border wait time data collection.

WiFi

Acyclica is a company that collects traffic data through WiFi. The company initially began with Bluetooth but switched to WiFi because it found that the sample size with Bluetooth was consistently too low. WiFi passively and anonymously detects addresses, whereas Bluetooth needs to momentarily pare with each device in order to function.

Thermal Imaging

FLIR is a thermal imaging company. Thermal imaging can collect traffic information for multiple lanes. This is different from infrared detection. The company also provides a system that allows for linkages with variable message signs. This allows agencies to post automated messages to alert travelers of conditions.

Back to Top

Appendix

Agenda

Meeting Agenda for December 9-10, 2014

Tuesday, December 9
8:30 A.M.	Welcome - Margie Emmermann, Policy Advisor to the Governor and Executive Director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission
8:40 A.M.	Meeting Purpose and Introductions - Travis Black, Federal Highway Administration, Eduardo Rodriguez Ampudia, Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport, and Julie Irvine, Transport Canada
8:50 A.M.	Why are Performance Measures Important? Federal Highway Administration -Rick Backlund (10 Min.) Transport Canada -Julie Irvine (5 Min.) Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport - Eduardo Rodriguez Ampudia How is Border Wait time information used by Border Agencies and what is needed? Potential Performance Measures (Commercial, Passenger Vehicle and Pedestrians) U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Jim Pattan (5 Min.) Canada Border Services Agency - Mathieu Pouliotte and Afshin Shams (10 Min.) Tax Administration Service - Rogelio Sanchez Cruz (5 Min.)
9:30 A.M.	Definitions “Current Wait-time” v “Crossing Time” v “Future Wait-Time” v “Expected Wait-Times” what do these mean? - Moderator, Tiffany Julien, Federal Highway Administration (25 Min. including discussion) Canada - U.S. Border Joint Projects - Crystal Jones, Federal Highway Administration (Remote 7 Min.) U.S. - Mexico Border U.S. Projects - Rajat Rajbhandari, Texas Transportation Institute (7 Min.) Mexico - U.S. Border Mexico Project - Eduardo Rodriguez Ampudia, Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport (7 Min.)
9:55 A.M.	Overview of Current/Past Efforts/Systems (20 Min. each, Location by Location) Washington-British Columbia - Melissa Fanucci, Whatcom Council of Governments and Paul Neel, Washington Department of Transportation Ontario-New York - Roger Ripa, Buffalo & Fort Erie Public Bridge Auth. Ontario-Michigan Border -Mike Barnet, Ontario Ministry of Transportation
10:55 A.M.	Break
11:05 A.M.	Overview of Current/Past Efforts/Systems (20 Min. each, Location by Location) Continued Sonora-Arizona -Marisa Walker, Arizona Commerce Authority and Rudy Perez, Arizona Department of Transportation Baja California - California (previous commercial study) - Crystal Jones, Federal Highway Administration
11:45 A.M.	Lunch (on your own)
1:15 P.M.	Overview of Current/Past Efforts/Systems (20 Min. each, Location by Location) Continued Tamaulipas/Nuevo León/Coahuila/Chihuahua - Texas - Eduardo Hagert, Texas Department of Transportation Border Wait Time Study of 29 crossings - Eduardo Rodriguez Ampudia, Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport California Upcoming Study - Sam Johnson, San Diego Association of Governments
2:15 P.M.	Border Agency Wait Time Current and Planned Efforts - Challenges (15 Minutes Each) U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Jim Pattan Canada Border Services Agency - Mathieu Pouliotte Mexican Tax Administration Service - Rogelio Sanchez Cruz U.S. Government Accountability Office Report on U.S./Mexico Commercial Vehicle Wait time - Claudia Becker/Rebecca Gambler
3:15 P.M.	Break
3:25 P.M.	Intelligent Platform to Facilitate Trade, Enhance Security & Improve Border Crossing Time - Presenter Alfonso Soto, Asociacion de Maquiladoras de Sonora, A. C. (30 Min.)
3:55 P.M.	Data Warehouse and Data Mining (20 Min. Each) Texas Transportation Institute - Rajat Rajbhandari Feedback on Real Time Wait Time Information - Melissa Fanucci, Whatcom Council of Governments Historical Data and the Trusted Traveler Program U.S. - Canada Border, Chris Dingman, Federal Highway Administration
4:55 P.M.	Lessons Learned (Group Discussion) - Moderators, Travis Black, Federal Highway Administration, Eduardo Rodriguez Ampudia, Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport, and Julie Irvine, Transport Canada Discussion of lessons learned, refer to flip-chart parking lot of ideas, and use dots/stickers to prioritize/summarize topics of the day.
5:25 P.M.	Adjourn for the day
Wednesday, December 10
8:30 A.M.	Meeting Purpose & Day One Recap - Moderators, Travis Black, Federal Highway Administration; Eduardo Rodriguez Ampudia, Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport & Julie Irvine, Transport Canada
8:40 A.M.	Future Technologies Emerging Technologies - Jorge Acha, Instituto Mexicano del Transporte Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport (20 Min.) Vehicle Primary Client System Algorithms - Melissa Fanucci, Whatcom Council of Governments (10 Min.)
9:10 A.M.	Service Providers (30 minutes each) Fast Lane Software/Traffax - Scott Melby and Peter Carnes INRIX - Pete Costello Productivity Apex - Mansooreh Mollaghasemi Control Technologies, Inc. - Sarah King
11:10 A.M.	Break
11:20 A.M.	Brain Storming Discussion: Opportunities for Border Wait-Times (Group Discussion) Moderators - Travis Black, Federal Highway Administration; Eduardo Rodriguez Ampudia, Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport What is needed from Border Wait Times in the Future?
11:45 A.M.	Action Planning on Top 3 Priorities Develop List of Opportunities Prioritize List Action items to present to the U.S. - Mexico Joint Working Committee on Transportation Planning and the Canada - U.S. Transportation Border Working Group
12:30 P.M.	Wrap-up and Next Steps - Travis Black, Federal Highway Administration; Eduardo Rodriguez Ampudia, Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport
1:00 P.M.	Adjourn

Presenters

Table 4: Names, affiliations, and contact information for presenters

Name	Organization	Email
Jorge Acha	Mexican Institute of Transportation	jacha@imt.mx
Eduardo Rodriguez Ampudia	Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport
Alberto Arechavaleta	Tax Administration Service	Alberto.Arechavaleta@sat.gob.mx
Rick Backlund	Federal Highway Administration	Richard.Backlund@dot.gov
Mike Barnet	Ontario Ministry of Transportation	Mike.Barnet@ontario.ca
Claudia Becker	Government Accountability Office	BeckerC@gao.gov
Travis Black	Federal Highway Administration	travis.black@dot.gov
Francisco Calvario	Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport	FCalvari@sct.gob.mx
Pete Costello	INRIX	pete@inrix.com
Rogelio Sánchez Cruz	Tax Administration Service	rogelio.sanchez@sat.gob.mx
Chris Dingman	Federal Highway Administration	Christopher.Dingman@dot.gov
Margie Emmermann	Arizona-Mexico Commission	memmermann@az.gov
Melissa Fanucci	Whatcom Council of Governments	melissa@wcog.org
Marco Frias Galvan	Mexican Secretary of Communications and Transport	mfrias@sct.gob.mx
Rebecca Gambler	Government Accountability Office	gamblerr@gao.gov
Eduardo Hagert	Texas Department of Transportation	Eduardo.Hagert@txdot.gov
Julie Irvine	Transport Canada	julie.irvine@tc.gc.ca
Samuel Johnson	San Diego Association of Governments	Samuel.Johnson@sandag.org
Crystal Jones	Federal Highway Administration	crystal.jones@dot.gov
Tiffany Julien	Federal Highway Administration	Tiffany.Julien@dot.gov
Sarah King	Control Technologies	sarah@cttraffic.com
Craig McIntire	Unisys	craig.mcintire@unisys.com
Scott Melby	Fast Lane Software	smelby@fastlanesw.com
Mansooreh Mollaghasemi	Productivity Apex	mmollagha@productivityapex.com
Michele Mueller	Michigan Department of Transportation	mmuellerm2@michigan.gov
Paul Neel	Washington Department of Transportation	neelp@wsdot.wa.gov
Mario Orso	California Department of Transportation	mario.orso@dot.ca.gov
Jim Pattan	U.S. Customs and Border Protection	james.pattan@dhs.gov
Rudy Perez, Jr.	Arizona Department of Transportation	RPerez@azdot.gov
Mathieu Pouliotte	Canada Border Services Agency	Mathieu.Pouliotte@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
Rajat Rajbhandari	Texas Transportation Institute	rajat@tamu.edu
Roger Ripa	Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority	ror@peacebridge.com
Afshin Shams	Canada Border Services Agency	Afshin.Shams@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
Alfonso Soto	Association of Maquiladoras of Sonora	asoto@mlock.com
Marisa Walker	Arizona Commerce Authority	MarisaW@AZcommerce.com

Data Sources on Border Wait Time

Border Crossing Information System archives border wait time data for ports of entry on the U.S. - Mexico border.

Cascade Gateway Border Data Warehouse stores data on wait times, traffic volumes, and service rates. Information is available for the Washington State - British Columbia border.

Freight Performance Measurement Program uses data from 600,000 truck probes and is useful in evaluating border crossing delay.

National Performance Management Research Data Set is a free travel time data set based on probe data. It provides historical rather than real-time information.

U.S. - Canada Border Wait Time Archive stores estimated border wait times and other traffic data from the six U.S. - Canada border crossings currently equipped with automated wait time systems.

Status of Automated Border Wait Time Systems

Tables 5 and 6 (combined): Status of automated border wait time systems at various ports of entry

Region	Locations	Method	Status	Contact
Washington - British Columbia	Pacific Highway Douglas (Peace Arch) Aldergrove	Inductive circuit (loop detectors). Potentially also Bluetooth in the future.	Established systems. Future plan to use Bluetooth for validation.	melissa@wcog.org neelp@wsdot.wa.gov
Ontario - New York	Peace Bridge Queenston-Lewiston Bridge	Bluetooth	Established system	ror@peacebridge.com
Ontario - Michigan	The Blue Water Bridge Crossing between Port Huron, Michigan and Point Edward, Ontario has an existing hybrid system. Pilot studies are planned at four additional locations: Detroit Tunnel Ambassador Bridge Sault Ste. Marie Detroit River International Bridge	Hybrid (Bluetooth and inductive circuit (loop detectors))	Established system and planned studies	Mike.Barnet@ontario.ca
Tamaulipas/Nuevo León/Coahuila/Chihuahua - Texas	RFID-based systems for commercial traffic are at seven points of entry, capturing 80-90 percent of commercial traffic: Veterans International Bridge, Brownsville Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, Pharr World Trade Bridge, Laredo Colombia-Solidarity International Bridge, Laredo Camino Real International Bridge, Eagle Pass Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge, El Paso Bridge of the Americas, El Paso Bluetooth-based system is in place at one port of entry for private vehicle traffic: Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge, El Paso	RFID (commercial traffic) and Bluetooth (private vehicles)	Established system	Eduardo.Hagert@txdot.gov rajat@tamu.edu
Mexico - Arizona	Nogales-Mariposa	RFID	Planned system	MarisaW@AZcommerce.com
Mexico - Arizona	Pilot study will assess Bluetooth technology for the following ports of entry: San Luis Lukeville Nogales - Mariposa Nogales - DeConcini Naco Douglas	Bluetooth	Planned study	RPerez@azdot.gov
California - Mexico	San Ysidro	Bluetooth	Planned study	Samuel.Johnson@sandag.org
Various	U.S. Customs and Border Protection will pilot test its Automated Border Wait Time Data Service at the following ports of entry: Blaine, Washington Sumas, Washington Port Huron, Michigan Peace Bridge, New York Otay Mesa, California	Hybrid (TomTom “Floating Car Data” combined with U.S. Customs and Border Protection data)	Planned study	james.pattan@dhs.gov

Back to Top

Footnote

---

1 https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus

Updated: 4/30/2019