In a recent research project, a team from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Center for International Intelligent Transportation Research (CIITR) addresses unique needs of border transit to inform the next edition of the Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual (TCQSM). Currently in its third edition, the manual gives guidance for transit capacity and […]
border crossing
To the Skies and Beyond! CIITR Conducts Research on Aerial, Satellite Imagery of Border Crossings
Research recently completed by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Center for International Intelligent Transportation Research (CIITR) demonstrated the potential usefulness of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and satellite images, combined with artificial intelligence (AI), for improving accuracy of border travel time estimates in extreme queuing conditions. The land ports of entry (LPOEs) at the U.S.–Mexico […]
COVID-19 Spotlights Patient Transport Delays At the Border, But We Can Slash Wait Times
By David Salgado and Rafael Aldrete There aren’t many worse places to be than in the back of an ambulance. But being in the back of an ambulance in critical condition at a congested U.S.-Mexico border crossing is surely one of those places. Worse yet, being in a car instead of an ambulance – by […]
Aldrete Briefs Legislators on Border Wait Time Implications
State lawmakers meeting in Laredo on Friday heard testimony from Rafael Aldrete, a Senior Research Scientist at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, to inform their discussions on border crossing wait times and related trade implications. The House Committee on Transportation and the Committee on International Relations and Economic Development met on the campus of Texas […]
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 […]
Innovative Data Applications Improve Border Planning, Air Quality
Using GPS Devices to Get Better Emissions Estimates The World Trade Bridge crossing in the Laredo–Nuevo Laredo region is the most used Texas-Mexico port of entry (POE). The crossing’s popularity helps explain the location’s relatively high vehicle emissions, caused by high truck volumes and slow speeds as traffic makes its way across the bridge. A […]
TTI Tests Connected Vehicle Technologies to Address Border Crossing Congestion
After recent closed-course tests at Texas A&M University’s RELLIS Campus showed Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) technologies could be applied at the Texas/Mexico border to help manage vehicle traffic, researchers with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) are preparing for the next step: real-world testing at land ports of entry (POEs) for the U.S. Customs […]
Time Is Money: Cutting Shipping Times Without Compromising Security
Getting goods to market incurs costs for manufacturers, costs inevitably passed on to consumers. But if manufacturers paid less through expedited shipping practices, consumers could benefit too. Researchers with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s (TTI’s) Center for International Intelligent Transportation Research have studied how goods are shipped from maquilas (Spanish for “manufacturers”) in Ciudad Juarez, […]
Improving Border-Crossing Wait Times
Trade Annually, $54 billion worth of goods moves across the U.S.-Mexico border, and wait times at each crossing regularly exceed two hours. The issues that result are being played out at all the region’s crossings — how to efficiently keep the goods flowing without compromising security, while also improving air quality. Reducing crossing and wait […]