Reliable traffic data helps transportation agencies understand how vehicles move through intersections, identify operational needs, assess potential mobile source emissions impacts and make informed decisions about future improvements. Collecting that information, however, can require equipment that is costly, difficult to maintain or limited in how long it can remain in the field.
[Read more…] about Cross-Border Partnership Advances Cost-Effective Traffic Data Collection
Eric Nava
by Eric Nava
Near-real-time traffic information is no longer communicated exclusively through traditional news outlets or transportation agency channels. Instead, it is increasingly shared through community-driven social media platforms that have become part of how residents stay informed about roadway conditions, crashes and daily traffic disruptions.
[Read more…] about Social Media’s Growing Role in Real-Time Traffic Awareness in El Paso
David Galicia
Reliable public transportation is essential to connecting people with jobs, education, health care and other critical services. In the El Paso Borderplex, that challenge extends across multiple transit providers, jurisdictions and travel patterns shaped by both regional and cross-border movement.
[Read more…] about Building a Regional Transit Planning Tool for the El Paso Borderplex
Alejandro Berlanga
For many border communities, crossing on foot is part of daily life. Commuters, students and shoppers move through pedestrian facilities at land ports of entry every day, often navigating long and unpredictable wait times along the way.
Yet compared to vehicle crossings, pedestrian movement remains far less understood.
[Read more…] about Rethinking How Pedestrian Border Wait Times Are Measured
Okan Gurbuz
by Okan Gurbuz
For many travelers, a delay at the border is measured in minutes. For others — including manufacturers waiting on parts, commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) moving time-sensitive goods or communities dependent on cross-border trade — those same delays carry a much higher cost.
[Read more…] about Simplifying the Financial Impact of Border Crossing Delays
Rafael Aldrete
Swapnil Samant
Erik Vargas
by Erik Vargas, Swapnil Samant and Rafael Aldrete
For anyone who regularly crosses the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, “wait time” is not a single experience. A trusted traveler using a dedicated lane may be through the port in minutes, while a driver in a standard lane could be waiting an hour or more, especially during peak periods.
[Read more…] about Seeing the Line Clearly: Measuring Border Wait Times by LaneThis technical memorandum provides a comparative analysis of two technology platforms designed to measure border wait times for northbound passenger vehicles at the Paso Del Norte (PdN) port of entry in El Paso, Texas. It summarizes the order-of-magnitude implementation costs for each system—one based on radio-frequency identification (RFID) and the other on artificial intelligence (AI)-driven video analytics—and explores how each can be integrated with upstream Bluetooth/WiFi-based monitoring systems. The analysis draws on recent deployments and cost estimates developed by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s Center for International Intelligent Transportation Research (CIITR) and is intended to inform future research and planning efforts focused on wait time measurement at land border crossings.
Valeria Martinez
Swapnil Samant
Rafael Aldrete
by Valeria Martinez, Swapnil Samant and Rafael Aldrete
High-speed vehicle pursuits are among the most dangerous situations faced by law enforcement and the public. Each year, these chases result in crashes, injuries and, in too many cases, fatalities. In regions like El Paso, Texas, the frequency of such pursuits has increased sharply, raising concerns among policymakers and communities about how to respond more safely and effectively. [Read more…] about Rethinking the Chase: How UAVs Could Make High-Speed Pursuits Safer
The latest biannual report for the Center for International Intelligent Transportation Research has been released. The report highlights the past two years’ of center research focusing on the advanced application of technologies and methodologies to expedite mobility, improve safety, and facilitate border-crossing efficiency at the U.S.-Mexico border.
This report analyzes the feasibility of co-locating federal and state inspections at Texas-Mexico border crossings and assesses the potential benefits in terms of improving the efficiency of carrier-motor-vehicle traffic flow. Findings indicate inspection rates rather than location most significantly impact crossing times.
