Project Profile

Border Crossing

International Fixed Guideway Study

El Paso, Texas

Client: Sun Metro

Services Provided

  • Feasibility Study
  • International & Intergovernmental Relations
  • Legal and Regulatory Review (remainder intergovernmental)

Project Summary: This project focused on the development of an international transit system to link between downtown El Paso and downtown Juarez.

Project Highlights

TGC assisted Sun Metro in undertaking a major planning effort in preparation of future mobility needs for El Paso. Its goals include facilitating international activity between El Paso and Juarez, reducing congestion, improving air quality and downtown circulation, and enhancing service on key radial corridors. Sun Metro labeled these mobility needs and goals SMART (Sun Metro Area Rapid Transit). The “Bi-national Major Investment Study on International Advanced Technology Transit” is a study organized under SMART. This project focuses on the development of an international transit system to link between downtown El Paso and downtown Juarez.

International and Intergovernmental Relations

International and inter-agency cooperation are key to establishing a seamless international transit link. All vehicles and individuals seeking entry into the U.S. are subject to one or more security screenings by federal officials. In particular, coordination with U.S. Customs and the Immigration and Naturalization Service and their Mexican counterparts will be extensive. TGC analyzed how an international transit link could impact border operations and presented technology and processes recommendations to facilitate its integration while maintaining security.

Legal and Regulatory Review

TGC led the review and analysis of legal and regulatory issues that could facilitate the implementation of an international transit link. For example, statutory precedence for expediting passengers across borders is documented in Title 8 CFR: INS and Preclearance and Title 19 USC: Customs and Preclearance. Here, the ability to inspect passengers away from the border is a key component to seamless transit because it decreases the need for passengers to spend time being processed at the border – the point of highest congestion.