U.S.-Mexico Border: Better Planning, Coordination Needed to Handle Growing Commercial Traffic
NSIAD-00-25
Published: Mar 03, 2000. Publicly Released: Mar 03, 2000.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the increased trade activity and traffic congestion problems being experienced by the southwest border states, focusing on the: (1) nature of commercial truck traffic congestion at the southwest border; (2) factors that contribute to congestion; and (3) actions, including programs and funding, that are being taken to address these problems.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Directorate of Border and Transportation Security | To improve coordination of port of entry operations, the Commissioner of Customs should serve as the lead and work with the Secretaries of Transportation and Agriculture, the Administrator, General Services Administration, the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to develop and implement a plan for coordinating commercial truck inspections at southwest border ports of entry. This effort should include establishing goals for both queue waiting times (before entering the U.S. inspection compound) and commercial vehicle processing within ports of entry for the southwest border while ensuring compliance with U.S. laws and standards. |
Closed – Implemented
According to the Customs Service, the four Southwest Border Customs Management Centers report that they now all actively coordinate commercial truck inspections with the other federal inspection services. Some use local Port Quality Improvement Committees to accomplish this task. Other ports have enacted special teams and operations composed of officers from the various federal agencies to coordinate the inspection process and avoid duplication of efforts. Queue waiting time at southwest border facilities has been established at a maximum of 30 minutes. Commercial vehicle processing time has been established at 90 seconds.
|
| Directorate of Border and Transportation Security | To improve the flow of commercial traffic at southwest border ports of entry, the Commissioner of Customs should work with the Department of State's Border Liaison Mechanism so that U.S. and Mexican Customs, the private sector, and other stakeholders on both sides of the border can better coordinate activities, such as hours of operation, that facilitate commercial traffic crossing the border. |
Closed – Implemented
The Customs Service reports that it regularly participates in the Border Liaison Mechanism meetings to address cross-border concerns. The four southwest border Customs Management Centers attend such meetings in their local areas, and the field offices also regularly attend these and other binational meetings, and participate with groups to review issues of cross-border concern. Customs is also an active participant in various binational events related to southwest border issues, including those held by the Binational Bridges and Border Crossing group and the U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission.
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| Department of Transportation | To allow for more integrated planning of ports of entry and infrastructure at and leading to the U.S.-Mexico border, the Secretary of Transportation should work with Mexico, through the Joint Working Committee, to better coordinate the various binational planning processes. Such an effort, which may require a new memorandum of understanding, should be coordinated with the appropriate U.S. government agencies working at the southwest border. |
Closed – Implemented
On October 12, 2000, the Department of Transportation negotiated a new Memorandum of Understanding Between the Department of Transportation of the United States of America and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of the United Mexican States on the Planning Process for Transport on Each Side of the Border. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishes the intent of both sides to continue to strengthen the binational approach to coordination and transportation planning taken to date through the U.S.-Mexico Joint Working Committee (JWC). The MOU maintains the JWC's organizational structure and functions, focusing it on nine specified lines of work, and directs it to develop and implement biannual work plans.
|
| GSA Board of Contract Appeals | The Administrator, General Services Administration, should coordinate with the Border Station Partnership Council to develop and utilize empirical data on transportation flows and wait times at border crossings and conduct modelling so that existing southwest border ports of entry infrastructure can be better utilized. |
Closed
GAO has no information on the actions taken by the agency.
|
| GSA Board of Contract Appeals | To improve port of entry planning, the Administrator, General Services Administration should develop and maintain, in coordination with the Border Station Partnership Council, a data base of facility requirements and current equipment and resources. This could be used to develop a strategy that would enhance the current use of technology to improve port of entry operations. |
Closed
GAO has no information on the actions taken by the agency.
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