by Jeff Shelton
When extreme events occur, the transportation network is vital to relief and recovery. For example, when a hurricane makes landfall, getting citizens to safety—particularly from low-lying areas at risk for flooding—is top priority. But once the heavy rain is falling, what routes should they take? Which roads are most likely to flood?
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.
Cross-border travel across the U.S.-Mexican border often experiences delays due to international security and customs concerns. However, medical emergencies require expedited travel through land ports of entry to save patients. Researchers examined potential strategies to expedite patient transfers and held a workshop to solicit input from stakeholders on the strategies.
Researcher identified traffic management strategies to improve crossing time reliability at commercial land ports of entry (LPOEs). They also successfully evaluated the strategies using two scenarios–an appointment scenario and a demand spreading scenario–using a microscopic traffic simulation model that the researchers developed for the Ysleta Zaragoza LPOE.
Travelers at the U.S.-Mexico border are experiencing longer and longer wait times. While NAFTA has proven economically advantageous for both countries—partly by encouraging tourism and trade in border towns—one negative consequence of increased economic activity has been longer lines at land ports of entry (LPOEs). The demand to cross from one country to the other usually exceeds a port’s capacity to efficiently process that traffic. This is particularly true in highly populated, bi-national regions such as El Paso-Ciudad Juarez.
