| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| BIIP | Border Infrastructure Investment Plan |
| BTB | Beyond the Border Action Plan |
| FAST | Free and Secure Trade Program, a commercial clearance program for known low-risk shipments entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico and entering Canada from the U.S. This allows expedited processing for commercial carriers who have completed background checks and fulfill certain eligibility requirements. |
| Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) | 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. |
| 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 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for travelers with RFID-enabled documentation. This includes NEXUS cards as well as enhanced drivers 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). |
| TBWG | Canada–U.S. Transportation Border Working Group |
| Variable message sign (VMS) | An electronic sign often used on roadways to provide and update information for travelers. |
This report summarizes the spring plenary meeting of the Canada–U.S. Transportation Border Working Group (TBWG), which took place on March 3-4, 2015, in Portland, Maine. The mission of the TBWG is to facilitate the safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally responsible movement of people and goods across the Canada-U.S. border. The TBWG is co-chaired by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and Transport Canada. The TBWG brings together multiple transportation and border agencies, and other organizations, to coordinate transportation planning, policy implementation, and the deployment of technology to enhance border infrastructure and operations. As such, this forum fosters ongoing communication, information sharing, and the exchange of best practices to improve the transportation and safety and security systems that connect our two countries.
The March 2015 plenary included presentations and discussions from four committees, in addition to presentations on a variety of other topics. Action items and next steps for each committee include the following:
More information on the TBWG is available online at U.S.-Canada Transportation Border Working Group.
Tom Oommen of Transport Canada and Ken Petty of the Federal Highway Administration welcomed participants. Ken recognized Roger Petzold, who recently retired from the Federal Highway Administration, for his many years of service and for his many contributions in support of the U.S.–Canada Transportation Border Working Group (TBWG).
Cheryl Martin, Assistant Division Administrator of the Maine Division Office of the Federal Highway Administration, provided a local welcome. She lauded the goals of the TBWG and encouraged participants to take advantage of the opportunities for networking and relationship building. She urged all parties to use this platform to address issues proactively.
1 https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus
