BajaNomad - Traffic Studies Predict Border Waits to Enter Mexico

Traffic Studies Predict Border Waits to Enter Mexico

rpleger - 7-7-2009 at 07:01 AM

Traffic Studies Predict Border Waits to Enter Mexico

BY AMY ISACKSON
Monday, July 6, 2009

San Diego traffic studies and traffic jams in one Texas border town both predict back-ups at the San Ysidro border crossing starting late this month. As KPBS Reporter Amy Isackson explains, that's when Mexican officials say they'll begin screening all cars headed into Mexico.

Mexican customs officials say screening should ideally take eight seconds per car.

In practice, city officials in Nuevo Laredo -- that's the Mexican town across the border from Laredo, Texas -- say the process takes about ten seconds.

Nuevo Laredo's mayor says that's triple the time it takes to cross into Mexico.

Nuevo Laredo city councilman Jose Bautista says traffic really backs up during rush hour and on weekends.

"During peak times, the wait can be an hour and forty five minutes. He says people who cross daily are the ones who complain most." (Translated from Spanish.)

In San Diego, an estimated 47-thousand people cross south through the San Ysidro Port of Entry to Tijuana every day.

Pedro Orso directs the California Department of Transportation in San Diego.

He says inspections any longer than 8 seconds at San Ysidro will cause traffic.

He says 10 seconds...like in Nuevo Laredo…

"That would increase the crossing time to about two to two-and-a-half hours between the hours of 3-7 p.m. And it would take about two hours, also, to dissipate that cue, all the way to about 8 p.m."

Orso says in that worst case scenario, cars would back up on the 5 freeway to J Street and on the 805 to Telegraph Canyon Road.

He predicts people will change their border crossing habits if it gets to that point. Orso says they'll look for alternatives and some may say its just not worth it.

Looks grim for the future of gun smugglers

k-rico - 7-7-2009 at 07:38 AM

Another blow for the northern Baja California economy. Most of the southbound afternoon rush hour weekday traffic is composed of Mexicans going home after a day of work in the US. Minimum wage will look a lot less attractive.

2 hours or so to get from TJ to San Diego and 2 more to get home. 4 hours for a 40 mile round trip. Maybe 6 hours.

ElFaro - 7-7-2009 at 07:54 AM

Heard about this a week ago...Didn't say why Mexico suddenly started up this search operation.

Years ago San Diego PD used to search and detain vehicles heading south to TJ. They were looking for stolen vehicles, under age drinkers heading to TJ to party on fri. and sat. night, weapons, parole violators, etc. Some advocacy group complained and they stopped the operation.

What's interesting is the Mexican inspectors don't have any kind of booth to go into if they will be inspecting right at the green/red light. Last time I went through some gal was standing/sitting up on some scaffolding. Looked somewhat primitive.

surfer jim - 7-7-2009 at 08:07 AM

....would that be the GIRL or the SCAFFOLDING......? :biggrin:

(sorry...I just had to do it:saint

Woooosh - 7-7-2009 at 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by surfer jim
....would that be the GIRL or the SCAFFOLDING......? :biggrin:

(sorry...I just had to do it:saint

They are affectionately known as "The Barbies" to Tijuaneros. It's a police unit of inch-thick make-up wearing latinas in sensible shoes and an attitude that direct traffic. Of course - if you are male and smile and tell them how nice they look- they will adore you. They have a secret dream of meeting Mr. Right (If you have an education, a job, a nice car and you can travel across the border- you are ahead of 95% of Mexican men).

As bad as the wait time will be and all the lane change pandemonium it will cause on the approach- entry inspections are exactly what is needed if they are serious about catching the money and guns headed south.

Sadly- San Ysidro doesn't have the facility set up to handle it or computers to track anyone or anything. So it'll be a hit or miss cluster flock. Kind of like it is now between 5 and 7pm- only worse.

[Edited on 7-7-2009 by Woooosh]

The way I heard it is...

Dave - 7-7-2009 at 10:50 AM

They will electronically read license plates to weed out unregistered/stolen vehicles and build a data base of frequent crossings. Additionally, they have sniffer guns that detect weapons. Not sure about the effectiveness of the technology.

I predict that within two months they will cede to pressure from the tourist industry and either abandon or dramatically scale back the process.

They will

Dave - 7-7-2009 at 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Woooosh

Sadly- San Ysidro doesn't have the facility set up to handle it or computers to track anyone or anything.

I have a friend who runs Otay Mesa. They are currently installing scanners/computers at Otay and SY linked to DMV data in Mexico. Also will have the capability to request info on stolen U.S. vehicles.

Woooosh - 7-7-2009 at 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave

Quote:

Originally posted by Woooosh

Sadly- San Ysidro doesn't have the facility set up to handle it or computers to track anyone or anything.

Request? Maybe I'm the confused one here. The US has scanned plates exiting the country at San Ysidro for many years. I do not believe Mexico has any role in it. I doubt any of this effort is to return stolen cars. It's about drugs, guns and money. Maybe Mexico doesn't ike it when ICE takes millions in narco cash on our side when they could pocket it twenty feet later?

Aren't we talking about a new strategy of vehicle inspections done by Mexico at their POE. Gun sniffers? Drug sniffers? I don't think Mexico has them.

They do

Dave - 7-7-2009 at 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Woooosh
Gun sniffers? Drug sniffers? I don't think Mexico has them.

The army was using them last week at the checkpoint north of San Felipe. Again, don't know their effectiveness.

k-rico - 7-7-2009 at 04:20 PM

I spoke with a Mexican neighbor today about the new southbound inspections. He's a MD and I say that only to point out that he's a smart guy. He seemed to be very aware of what's happening and he said that they will be installing machines to automatically scan cars for contraband.

That's what he said.

They should hire my wife, she can smell money a mile away. :spingrin:

Woooosh - 7-7-2009 at 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by k-rico
I spoke with a Mexican neighbor today about the new southbound inspections. He's a MD and I say that only to point out that he's a smart guy. He seemed to be very aware of what's happening and he said that they will be installing machines to automatically scan cars for contraband.

That's what he said.

They should hire my wife, she can smell money a mile away. :spingrin:

I don't think it's doable. You can't snap your fingers and make it happen- even with that technology installed. The existing technology isn't instant or eight seconds per car even.

There are 22 lanes northbound and 6 lanes southbound into Mexico including the declaration lane. Most people go over and back the same day. Or used to. Maybe that's the ticket- use the declare line and then declare nothing. The same number of cars in 24 lanes northbound would take more than three times as long to get back into Mexico southbound.

If Mexico made 16 more lanes and installed the new technology for all of them- they would be able to process the same number of cars as thoroughly as the northbound lanes in about the same amount of time. Anything short of that will be painful.