Roger Petzold
Federal Highway Administration
Border & Interstate Team
Expediting Legitimate Trade and
Travel
“Our shared border must be an engine, and not a brake, on our
economic growth.”
President Obama, with President Calderon, May 19, 2010
Background
US – Mexico Border
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The U.S-Mexico border extends 1,954 miles.
There are 45 active land border POEs and 9
international railroad crossings on the southern
border.
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In May 2010, the United States and Mexico
affirmed the importance of our shared border
by issuing a Joint Declaration on 21st Century
Border Management
Fundamentally restructure the way we manage
the border to encourage:
increased trade,
 enhance public safety,
 welcome visitors, and
 reduce the cost of doing business in North America.
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The United States and Mexico created a
bilateral working group, the Executive Steering
Committee –(ESC),.
The ESC is chaired on the U.S. side by the
National Security Council Staff and Mexico by
Presidentia
Three ESC sub-committees separately address:
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Border Infrastructure;
Law Enforcement and Security Issues;
Secure Flow of goods and people across the
border.
Executive Steering Committee
21st Century Border
Agreement
2013 Action Plan
Water
Management
NALS
Border
Environment
21st Century Border
Management IPC
Info
exchang
e&
liaison
NSS
DHS, DOT, DOD, DOJ, USDA, State,
Commerce, GSA, OMB, ONDCP
Emergency
Management
Infrastructure
Planning
State-DHS
DOT, GSA, Commerce, EPA
Binational
Bridges and
Border Crossings
Group
1/8/2010
Merida
coordination
process
Secure Flows
Corridor Security
DHS
State, Commerce, USDA, DOJ,
DOT, USTR, IC, GSA
DHS-DOJ
DOD, ONDCP, IC, State
US/Mexico Joint
Working
Committee for
Transportation
Planning (JWC)
Local binational coordination mechanisms and arrangements, Draft paper being developed (e.g., Bi-national Port Security Committees or
Border Liaison Mechanisms)
2013 Achievements
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Border wait time studies in the El Paso-Juarez area
Construction of new cattle inspection facilities
Continued improving risk management and targeting
cooperation
Increase the enrollment of Mexican and U.S. citizens
in the Global Entry Program,
Establish a pilot pre-inspection pilot at Otay Mesa
and a pre-screening pilot at the Laredo Airport.
implement lane segregation strategies
Others
2013 Achievements
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Developed an investigative strategy that encourages
increased intelligence-driven investigations
Continued to implement the Border Violence
Prevention Protocols (BVPPs)
Identifying criminal networks of organizations that
participate in firearms, drugs and bulk cash
trafficking,
Identified ways to improve collaboration on the
identification and investigation of cross-border
tunnels.
Produced a joint study that assesses firearms and
explosives trafficking
Other
2013 Achievements
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Support the San Diego-Tijuana Airport cross-border
facility.
Support the Regional Border Master Planning processes
Support the Border Liaison Mechanism
Participation in the Binational Bridges and Border
Crossings Meetings and the Joint Working Committee on
Border Transportation meetings.
Through the Joint Working Committee, study the impact
of Border Transportation on Air Quality at the border.
Continued to support efforts by California and Baja
California to conclude the financial studies for
construction of the Otay II – East Otay Mesa border
crossing.
Support the construction of the West Rail Bypass project
between Brownsville, Texas and Matamoros, Tamaulipas.
Advanced the San Ysidro-Tijuana port of entry expansion
project
Additional Project Specific monitoring
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May 2013, President Obama and President Peña
Nieto announced
Advance strategic economic and commercial
priorities
1. Promoting Competitiveness and Connectivity
(Transportation, Telecommunications)
2. Fostering Economic Growth, Productivity,
Entrepreneurship, and Innovation (Joint investment
promotion, Making effective use of the North American Development
Bank (NADB), Entrepreneurship)
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3. Partnering for Regional and Global Leadership
(Partnering to promote development in Central America, Transparency
and anti-corruption)
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ITS
Border Wait Time
Electronic Tolling
Short Sea Shipping/Marine Highway
Commercial Motor Vehicle Cooperation
Freight and Corridor Planning
U.S./ Mexico Joint Working
Committee for Transportation
• Originated in 1994 via MOU
• Coordinates Transportation Planning
• Chaired by FHWA/SCT and formed of
Federal and State partners
• Twin goals of communication and
coordination
• Biennial Work Plans
•Regional Border Master Plans
•Border Modeling Peer Exchange (Nov.
4-5, 2014)
•Border Finance Workshop (May 23,
2013)
•Border Wait Time Pilots (10)
•Corridor/Logistics Studies
For more information
Sylvia Grijalva
US/Mexico Border Planning Coordinator
Federal Highway Administration
Office of Planning
Border and Interstate Planning Team
602-510 7986
Sylvia.Grijalva@dot.gov
The JWC website:
www.borderplanning.fhwa.dot.gov/mexico.asp
THANK YOU !
Roger Petzold
Office Of Planning
Border &Interstate Planning Team
Federal Highway Administration.
Roger Petzold
Federal Highway Administration
Oct. 23, 2013