Research Overview

The International Border Program will research ITS applications to support variable toll pricing, advanced traveler information systems, electronic screening, and other technologies that improve safety and mobility, reduce emissions, and improve security at our Nation’s borders.  The vision for the research on International Border Program is to enable the implementation of innovative ITS solutions for a bi-national border system that ultimately improve safety and mobility, reduce emissions, and facilitate trade and travel without compromising the vital mission of securing America’s borders.

The International Border Program is joint modal initiative between the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that involves federal, state and local stakeholders in border regions as well as stakeholders in Canada and Mexico. The project advances the ITS Joint Program Office strategic goal areas of safety and mobility.

Scope

The International Borders Program is two-fold with a Southern and Northern Borders emphasis:

The Southern Border centers on the planned Otay Mesa East border crossing in the San Diego and Tijuana. At the planned Otay Mesa East location, the project includes planning, detailed design and very extensive stakeholder consultation to support the objective of implementing a bi-national (US/Mexico) tolling and payment system that accommodates dynamic (variable) pricing at the border for congestion management and idle/emissions reduction.  The comprehensive ITS strategy for Otay Mesa East will also include a detailed plan for implementing the International Border Crossing - Electronic Screening System (IBC E-Screening) for trucks and buses.  The IBC E-Screening is an alert-based system that expedites the safe and legal flow of freight and passengers across northern and southern U.S. borders while targeting unsafe operations. 

The Northern Border will involve a location at the US/Canada border that is to be determined.  At the US/Canada border location the project will center on the implementation of IBC E-Screening and other commercial vehicle safety management ITS applications. The IBC E-screening project at a northern border crossing will be implemented to reduce the potential for large truck crashes by providing an automated tool to:

• Electronically identify the carrier, truck, trailer and driver associated with commercial truck trips entering the US at land ports, using RFID transponders already on 90 percent of the trucks entering the US from Mexico and Canada;
• Electronically screen each component of that trip for factors of interest to State and FMCSA inspectors, providing for full safety and compliance verification of carriers, trucks, trailers, and drivers, each time they enter the US;
• Display the screening results to State and FMCSA enforcement officers and inspectors to assist them in making more informed inspection selection decisions in fixed and mobile operations, and mainline and ramp settings, significantly increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations; and
• Enable data monitoring / reporting by States and FMCSA to better position each organization to fulfill its mission.

Research Goals, Questions, and Outcomes

The research goals and outcomes include:

• The deliverables and results of the research will contribute to the overall ITS-driven model for safer, smarter, and more environmentally-friendly border crossing systems.
• Plans for what may be the best technology/ITS solutions for a bi-national (US/Mexico) tolling and payment system that accommodates dynamic (variable) pricing at the border for congestion management and idle /emissions reduction?
• A successful test of a radio frequency identification (RFID) technology-based solution that could yield significant time savings and safety benefits in international border crossing regions (US/Canada).

Research Approach

The research under this initiative center on Southern Border and Northern Border activities:

Southern Border
At a U.S.-Mexican border site, the Department will collaborate on and support the development of a plan for a tolling system that can accommodate dynamic pricing at the border. Currently, Caltrans, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), and Mexican agencies are planning a third border crossing to reduce delays caused by traffic congestion, better accommodate projected trade and travel demand, and increase economic growth and job opportunities on both sides of the border without sacrificing border safety and security. This opportunity allows all parties involved to plan a holistic approach to ITS at the new border crossing that enables a “Clean, Green, and Smart Border.” The ITS components/areas included in this research are: electronic toll collection systems, border wait-time monitoring systems, variable pricing of tolls to reduce wait times, enhanced border security systems, and advanced traveler information systems. It will be the first North American international land border crossing project that proposes the use of nontraditional transportation project financing to improve capacity and operation of an international land border crossing.

A key aspect of this research initiative is to examine and develop marketing strategies such as discounting for lower-emission trucks (promoting a green border) and advance toll payment (pre-payment discounting). It will also focus on prioritizing the discounting or pricing for guaranteed usage and on determining what ITS and technology is needed to implement these strategies. If this research is not undertaken, no model will exist to encourage other border crossing regions to consider innovative financing and solutions to border infrastructure and operations issues.

Northern Border
At a U.S.-Canadian border site, the U.S. DOT will support the development of a detailed plan for implementing the International Border Crossing - Electronic Screening System (IBC E-Screening) for trucks, motor coaches, and buses. IBC E-Screening is an alert-based system expediting the safe and legal flow of freight and passengers across northern and southern U.S. borders while targeting unsafe operations.

The IBC E-Screening component of this project leverages investment in the FMCSA Query Central-to-Customs and Border Protection’s Automated Commercial Environment/ International Trade Data System (QC-ACE/ITDS) to provide an automated, data-driven approach to selection of vehicles for inspection at the border.

This system enables uniform and consistent application of policies and procedures related to safety and compliance assurance of cross-border commercial traffic. The data will be augmented to include verification of more than 20 additional screening factors, and enable identification and full safety/compliance verification of carriers, trucks, trailers and drivers electronically, within three seconds or less of a truck’s presentation at the processing point rather than the current 15 minute manual process. Additionally, at this second site, research will center on the implementation of IBC E-Screening to assess the feasibility of reducing large truck crashes using an automated tool. This tool has several functions:

• Electronically identifies the carrier, truck, trailer and driver data associated with commercial truck trips entering the U.S. at land ports through the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) which exists on approximately 90 percent of trucks
• Electronically screens each trip component for factors of interest to State and FMCSA inspectors, providing for full safety and compliance verification of carriers, trucks, trailers, and drivers, each time they enter the U.S.
• Displays screening results to State and FMCSA enforcement officers and inspectors to assist them in making more informed inspection selection decisions in fixed and mobile operations, and mainline and ramp settings, significantly increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations.
• Enables data monitoring/reporting by States and FMCSA to better position each organization to fulfill its mission.

At both sites, FHWA and FMCSA will research the use of DSRC (5.9 GHz) technologies and determine how implementation might maximize opportunities to work with Canada and Mexico on the potential to improve safety and operations in border regions.

Research Contacts

For more information about this initiative, please contact:

Katherine K. Hartman
Program Manager, Truck and Program Assessment
ITS Joint Program Office
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
(202) 366-2742
kate.hartman@dot.gov

Crystal Jones
Transportation Specialist
Office of Freight Management
Federal Highway Administration
(202) 366-2976
Crystal.jones@dot.gov

Chris Flanigan
Office of Analysis, Research and Technology
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
(202) 385-2384
chris.flanigan@dot.gov