Gypsy Jan
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Puerta Mexico will close, how will you cross at San Ysidro?
From San Diego Red
SAN DIEGO.- "United States authorities say the closing of Puerta Mexico in November is a fact, construction work is even being performed on both sides
of the border to accommodate pedestrian and vehicular crossing.
A few days ago a delegation of 100 officers from both sides of the border traveled to Washington, where federal authorities reiterated the lack of
funding to build the needed accesses towards the new Mexican crossing facilities; they say funding could arrive as late as 2014.
In addition, they informed that there is a diplomatic letter by the Mexican Federal Government confirming the closing of Puerta Mexico on the last day
of October.
"The message they gave us at the Mexican Embassy was very clear, the posture of the Mexican Government is still the same as the one expressed in the
diplomatic note to the United States Government which is that once the El Chaparral port starts functioning, the entry point known as Puerta Mexico
will close completely," stated Mario López, president of the ThinkBorder group based in Tijuana and San Diego.
The General Service Administration (GSA) informed that the new crossing into Mexico will start operating on November first.
For that reason, authorities will implement a temporary access at the end of I-5 that will reroute traffic through five lanes towards 22 booths at the
El Chaparral border.
It was also informed that a study performed jointly with the California Transport Department (Caltrans) and the Secretariat of Communications and
Transport (SCT in Spanish) from Mexico, calculates the vehicular crossing waiting time with the detour will be of no more than 29 minutes during "rush
hours."
The biggest concern for San Ysidro small business owners is the new route of pedestrian crossing that would move to the east side (near the trolley)
due to the remodeling of Puerta Mexico.
According to Jason Wells, president of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce, the change will take place next week; the pedestrian flow going north will
have to share the area with the one going south.
In Mexico's side a number of constructions to tend to traffic coming from the United States can be seen being done next to the SENTRI lane.
Jason Wells stated that the problem is that the current infrastructure can't hold the number of people walking through the area as a result of this
change.
"It's clear that it will be chaotic for the pedestrian crossing," he said. "The problem is that when the pedestrian crossing of Puerta Mexico closes,
this new one does not have the capacity for the 25,000 people that use it daily."
The director of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce said that they will ask the corresponding authorities to build a second entry port by El Chaparral
near Virginia Avenue, so the public has another choice.
"If we are left with just one port it will be a problem: there will be taxicabs, the trolley, buses and now a lot more pedestrians both coming from
Mexico and going there all in the same place," he cautioned.
San Ysidro business owners have also expressed their concern over these procedures.
Laura Delgado, a San Ysidro "pedicab" driver said the company she works for has been notified about the changes and they are now expectant of what
that could mean.
"Of course it will affect us; I think it will affect everybody, business owners, people who cross every day and of course, us, the ones that are
always here," she said.
"We can only wait now and see what happens, it will most likely be chaos but we're waiting to see how to adapt and better serve our clients."
Alexandra.Mendoza@sandiegored.com
Translation: Karen.balderas@sandiegored.com
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
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This may get ugly.
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MMc
Super Nomad
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Hard to believe that the TJ side of the crossing is going to be the good side
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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SFandH
Elite Nomad
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Gypsy Jan, the title you used implies crossing at San Ysidro will be blocked in some manner. The article doesn't state that. What's stated is the
implementation of the plan, granted, using some temporary steps.
[Edited on 9-21-2012 by SFandH]
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Udo
Elite Nomad
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Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
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Mood: TEQUILA!
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Kiss Tecate good-times good-bye!
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Pedestrians...........
Unless you are going to walk to Tecate, should be no problem...........
.............The biggest concern for San Ysidro small business owners is the new route of pedestrian crossing that would move to the east side (near
the trolley) due to the remodeling of Puerta Mexico.
According to Jason Wells, president of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce, the change will take place next week; the pedestrian flow going north will
have to share the area with the one going south................................
Jason Wells stated that the problem is that the current infrastructure can't hold the number of people walking through the area as a result of this
change.
"It's clear that it will be chaotic for the pedestrian crossing," he said. "The problem is that when the pedestrian crossing of Puerta Mexico closes,
this new one does not have the capacity for the 25,000 people that use it daily.".............
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BornFisher
Super Nomad
Posts: 2107
Registered: 1-11-2005
Location: K-38 Santa Martha/Encinitas
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Slowly!
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bryanmckenzie
Senior Nomad
Posts: 561
Registered: 9-23-2009
Location: 400 Km from Mexico Beach, Florida
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Mood: Hot & humid --- not hot & dry.
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Here's an aerial Google Earth animation of what the ultimate configurations is supposed to be (looking northbound) ... http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=53705#pid6324...
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”
-Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910)
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