Center for International Intelligent Transportation Research

border crossing

It’s About Using Space Wisely: Cross-Border Trucks Face Different Challenges When It Comes to Parking

by Erik Vargas and Okan Gurbuz

In its 2020 Texas Statewide Truck Parking Study, the Texas Department of Transportation noted that trucks carrying 1.2 billion tons of freight worth $1.7 trillion each year in the Lone Star State. That means 140,000 trucks must park somewhere in the state every day for drivers to rest and sleep. Noted in the study, truck volume is expected to grow by some 80 percent by 2040, making today’s shortage of truck parking facilities a crisis down the road.
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Inviting Border Transit Agencies into the Capacity, QoS Conversation

by David Galicia

Transit agencies across the nation reference the Transit Capacity and Quality-of-Service Manual (TCQSM). Now in its third edition, the TCQSM gives guidance on transit capacity and quality-of-service (QoS) issues, as well as techniques for measuring operational characteristics.

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Piloting LiDAR Sensors to Enhance Border Traffic Information

by Jason Wu

The El Paso/Ciudad Juárez region is one of the world’s largest binational border metropolises. Multiple border crossings with heavy traffic (like this region has) can cause logistical challenges for transportation agencies. Secure, efficient technology solutions — including those that leverage the benefits of intelligent transportation systems — can help agencies while helping to guide traffic safely through the border.

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Applying AI, Drones and Satellites to Improve Border Transportation

by Alejandro Berlanga Alzaga and Valeria Martinez

When you think of drones, you may think of a package getting delivered to your doorstep. Many companies conduct flight missions of drones for delivering goods, but other applications for drones can benefit the public (and commercial vehicle drivers) in another way — travel across the border.

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New Report: Exploration of Cross-Border Trip Characteristics Using Crowdsourced Data

This report explores cross-border trip characteristics using crowdsourced data, primarily focusing on INRIX data. The research team identified several cross-border travel patterns at El Paso–Ciudad Juárez land ports of entry and noted trends related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contact Tracing to Minimize Infection, Maximize Mobility at the U.S.-Mexico Border

by Okan Gurbuz

With the recent introduction of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, opening the world back up to regular commerce and human interaction has once again become problematic. Although global vaccine distribution continues at a healthy pace, how quickly mask mandates are lifted and businesses are open continue to be regulated at the local level in the United States. This lack of a central controlling authority — and the reliable regulation of interactions such direction would facilitate — further complicate getting the COVID-19 pandemic under control.

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New Report: Accuracy of Probe-Based Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) Estimates in Border Regions

This report looks at using passively collected data as an economical means for agencies to accurately estimate traffic volume data. Researchers examined the accuracy of probe-based annual average daily traffic (AADT) estimates in two study areas: (a) at Texas-Mexico border crossings, and (b) on counted Texas roadways that are in proximity to the Mexican borders.

Collection of Private and Commercial Data at the Border

Photo of TTI Associate Research Engineer Alfredo Sanchez.

TTI Associate Research Engineer Alfredo Sanchez.

Associate Research Engineer Alfredo Sanchez with TTI’s Center for International Intelligent Transportation Research talks about the value of collecting private and commercial data at the border to better estimate border wait times. Knowing how long it takes people and goods to cross the border can impact tourism and how much consumers pay in stores. | View the Video

Taking Border Performance to the Next Level

by Sushant Sharma

In the transportation research business, we use the term “performance measurement” when we measure how a certain aspect of our transportation system is operating. For example, through crash reporting we can tell you with certainty how safe a road is operating, or, through commute times, how well traffic is flowing. Safety and mobility of a roadway are fairly easy to determine. [Read more…] about Taking Border Performance to the Next Level