Measuring Border Delay and Crossing Times at the U.S. – Mexico Border
Final Report
Automated Crossing and Wait Time Measurement

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August 2012

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August 2012
FHWA-HOP-12-049

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Technical Report Documentation Page

1. Report No. FHWA-HOP-12-049		2. Government Accession No.	3. Recipient's Catalog No.
4. Title and Subtitle Measuring Border Delay and Crossing Times at the US–Mexico Border - Final Report Automated Crossing Time and Wait Time Measurement			5. Report Date August 2012
			6. Performing Organization Code
7. Author(s) Rajat Rajbhandari, Juan Villa, William Tate, Swapnil Samant, Leonard Ruback, and Don Kang			8. Performing Organization Report No. FHWA-HOP-12-049
9. Performing Organization Name and Address Texas Transportation Institute 3135 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-3135 Battelle Memorial Institute 505 King Avenue Columbus, OH 43201			10. Work Unit No.
			11. Contract or Grant No. DTFH61-06-D-00007/Task BA07-040
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20590			13. Type of Report and Period Covered Final Report covering 12/14/2007 to 3/31/2012
			14. Sponsoring Agency Code HOFM
15. Supplementary Notes
16. Abstract A pilot test implemented a radio frequency identification (RFID) system to automatically measure travel times of US-bound commercial vehicles at a selected Port of Entry (POE) on the US-Mexico border under long-term, real-world conditions. The initiative began with a Part 1 technology trade-off study of potential detection technologies to measure travel times. A Part II initiative verified RFID as the most appropriate technology for the objectives and implemented a RFID-based reader system the selected POE: the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) at El Paso, Texas/Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The initial implementation measured crossing time, which is the average travel time completely through the POE starting at the end of the queue in Mexico. The project later added RFID reader stations at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Primary Inspection booths at BOTA and at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge POE in eastern Texas that allowed measurement of wait time. Wait time is the average travel time from the end of the queue in Mexico to the border and is a segment of crossing time. This report documents the technology system’s stakeholder involvement, planning, design, installation, integration, test and evaluation, and real-world operation as well as lessons learned. The project also developed stand-alone documents to assist future implementers of similar automated RFID-based travel time measurement systems.
17. Key Words ITS Technology, Border Crossing, Port of Entry, Traveler Information, Border Wait Time, Border Crossing Time		18. Distribution Statement
19. Security Classif. (of this report) Unclassified	20. Security Classif. (of this page) Unclassified	21. No. of Pages 140	22. Price

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• FOREWORD
• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
  • Acknowledgements
  • Project Tasks and Accomplishments
  • General Concept of the System
  • Implementation at BOTA and Pharr-Reynosa
• CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW
  • Background
  • Part I – Technology Identification and Selection
  • Discussion of Border Wait Times and Crossing Times
  • Part II - Pilot Implementation at BOTA and Pharr-Reynosa
• CHAPTER 2: BRIDGE OF THE AMERICAS
  • Value and Significance of the El Paso Region Commercial Trucking Industry
  • El Paso – Juárez Port-of-Entry System
  • The Bridge of the Americas
  • US-bound Crossing Statistics
  • Operational Characteristics
• CHAPTER 3: PHARR-REYNOSA INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE
  • Value and Significance of the Lower Rio Grande Region Commercial Trucking Industry
  • The Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge
  • US-bound Truck Crossing Statistics
  • Operational Characteristics
• CHAPTER 4: TECHNOLOGY IDENTIFICATION, SELECTION, AND IMPLEMENTATION
  • Objectives and Approach
  • Part I – Technology Identification
    • Technology Trade-Off Analysis
    • Bench Test of RFID Technology
  • Part II - Technology Selection
  • Part II - Implementation at BOTA Border Crossing
    • Site Characterization and Identification of RFID Reader Locations
    • System Requirements for a Border Crossing Time Measurement System
    • System Engineering Methodology
    • Equipment Purchase and Bench Testing
    • Equipment Installation
    • System Test and Evaluation
    • Relocation of RFID Reader Station in Mexico
    • Installation of RFID Readers at CBP
    • Completed Installation of RFID Stations at BOTA
  • Part II – Implementation at Pharr-Reynosa Border Crossing
    • Site Characterization and Identification of RFID Reader Locations
    • Installation of RFID Readers at CBP
    • System Test and Evaluation
• CHAPTER 5: DATA COLLECTION, PROCESSING, AND DISPLAY
  • Data Collection and Wireless Transmission
  • Filtering Raw Data
  • Automated Estimation of Current Wait and Crossing Times
  • Automated Archiving of Wait and Crossing Time Data
  • Dissemination and Accessibility of Data
    • Accessing Real-Time Information
    • Accessing Archived Information
• CHAPTER 6: BOTA CROSSING AND WAIT TIME DATA ANALYSIS
  • Data Collection and Analysis Period
  • Unmatched Tag Reads
  • Matched Tag Reads
    • Monthly Performance of Border Crossing
    • Histogram of Crossing Times of Trucks
    • Hourly and Daily Variation of Average Crossing Times of Trucks
    • Histogram of Wait Times of Trucks
    • Hourly and Daily Variation of Average Wait Times of Trucks
• CHAPTER 7: PHARR-REYNOSA WAIT TIME DATA ANALYSIS
  • Data Collection and Analysis Period
  • Unmatched Tag Reads
  • Matched Tag Reads
    • Monthly Performance of Border Crossing
    • Histogram of Wait Times of Trucks
    • Hourly and Daily Variation of Average Wait Times of Trucks
• CHAPTER 8: EVALUATION OF CROSSING AND WAIT TIMES DATA
  • Evaluation Performed at BOTA in August 2009
  • Evaluation Performed at BOTA in January 2012
  • Evaluation Performed at PHARR-REYNOSA in MAY 2011
• CHAPTER 9: LONG TERM OPERATION
  • Warrantees, Operations and Maintenance
  • Business Model for Progressing from Technology Exploration to Pilot Test to Adoption
  • Operations and Maintenance Cost
  • Data Security and Control
• CHAPTER 10: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
  • General Conclusions
  • Reliability and Maintainability
  • Lessons Learned

LIST OF TABLES

• Table 1. US-bound truck crossings in Texas ports of entry in 2011.
• Table 2. Summary of the advantages and disadvantages of potential technologies.
• Table 3. Potential risks of RFID and GPS based systems.
• Table 4. Result of tag read reliability test by lane performed for each lane at BOTA.
• Table 5. Single lane transponder readability test at Pharr-Reynosa border crossing.
• Table 6. Number of tags read over a five-hour period at different inspection lanes.
• Table 7. Descriptions of tables used to store wait and crossing time data and definitions of fields in the data archive.
• Table 8. Monthly performance of BOTA based on average crossing times of trucks.
• Table 9. Monthly performance of Pharr-Reynosa based on average crossing times of trucks.
• Table 10. Percentage of total US-bound trucks identified by RFID readers at BOTA.
• Table 11. Comparison of average crossing times measured in field and calculated by the RFID system.
• Table 12. Differences between GPS and RFID measured wait times of US-bound trucks at BOTA.
• Table 13. Differences between GPS and RFID measured crossing times of US-bound trucks at BOTA.
• Table 14. Differences between GPS and RFID measured wait times of US-bound trucks at Pharr-Reynosa.
• Table 15. Annual costs for operations and maintenance of BOTA system.

LIST OF FIGURES

• Figure 1. Chart. Different scenarios of border crossing times for US-bound commercial vehicles.
• Figure 2. Equation. Travel time index subscript indx.
• Figure 3. Chart. Annual trend of US-bound truck movements through El Paso ports of entry.
• Figure 4. Map. El Paso area with commercial vehicle crossings.
• Figure 5. Image. Location of Bridge of the Americas.
• Figure 6. Graph. Monthly US-bound truck volume through BOTA in 2011.
• Figure 7. Image. Bridge of the Americas port of entry in El Paso–Ciudad Juárez region.
• Figure 8. Map. Ports of entry allowing commercial vehicle crossings in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
• Figure 9. Graph. Distribution of truck volumes at different ports of entry in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region in 2011.
• Figure 10. Map. Pharr-Reynosa (red circle) and McAllen-Hidalgo-Reynosa border crossings (blue circle).
• Figure 11. Chart. Trend of US-bound truck volume through Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge.
• Figure 12. Graph. Monthly US-bound truck crossings at Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge in 2011.
• Figure 13. Photo. Aerial view of Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge looking south from US 281.
• Figure 14. Illustration. Demonstration of travel time data collection using RFID technology.
• Figure 15. Map. BOTA showing Federal and State inspection facilities and initial RFID reader locations.
• Figure 16. Map. Final location of first RFID reader station in Mexico.
• Figure 17. Map. Location of RFID reader station at the exit of the State inspection facility on the US side of the border.
• Figure 18. Illustration. Organization of various subsystems.
• Figure 19. Illustration. Hardware configuration required for a RFID reader station.
• Figure 20. Photo. Back panel with communication hardware installed inside a cabinet as part of the RFID reader station.
• Figure 21. Photo. Contractors installing RFID antennae on a mast arm.
• Figure 22. Photo. RFID antennae at the convergence of Boulevard Cuatro Siglos and MX45.
• Figure 23. Photo. Contractors installing cabinets on a pole in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
• Figure 24. Photo. Solar panel installed at Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
• Figure 25. Photo. Pole-mounted batteries installed at Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
• Figure 26. Photo. Truck leaving the State inspection facility on the US side of the border and passing under the RFID reader station.
• Figure 27. Photo. Power cabinet and in-ground battery installed at El Paso, US.
• Figure 28. Photo. Original RFID reader station and new signage for relocation of original RFID equipment on the MX side of the BOTA.
• Figure 29. Photo. Relocated RFID equipment on the new signage.
• Figure 30. Chart. Improvement of transponder reads and sample size after relocation of RFID equipment to the new signage.
• Figure 31. Photo. RFID equipment being installed at CBP primary booth at BOTA.
• Figure 32. Photo. Completed installation of RFID equipment at CBP primary booth at BOTA.
• Figure 33. Photo. Present Location of Three RFID reader stations at BOTA.
• Figure 34. Map. Pharr and Reynosa showing RFID reader locations.
• Figure 35. Photo. Contractors installing RFID equipment at CBP’s primary inspection facility at Pharr-Reynosa border crossing.
• Figure 36. Photo. Installed RFID equipment at CBP’s primary inspection facility at Pharr-Reynosa border crossing.
• Figure 37. Illustration. Data collection, communication, and archiving process.
• Figure 38. Image showing snapshot of the prototype Web tool page to view real-time information.
• Figure 39. Image of RSS feed of wait and crossing time at Bridge of the Americas.
• Figure 40. Image of RSS feed of wait and crossing time at Pharr-Reynosa border crossing.
• Figure 41. Image. Representative archived information web page
• Figure 42. Chart. Daily transponder reads by first (R1) and last stations (R3) at BOTA in 2009.
• Figure 43. Chart. Daily transponder reads by first (R1) and last stations (R3) at BOTA in 2010.
• Figure 44. Chart. Daily transponder reads by all three stations at BOTA in 2011.
• Figure 45. Chart. Daily transponder reads by all three stations at BOTA in 2012.
• Figure 46. Chart. Monthly performance of BOTA based on average crossing times of trucks.
• Figure 47. Chart. Histogram of raw truck crossing times for a month February 2012 at BOTA.
• Figure 48. Chart. Histogram of raw truck crossing times on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at BOTA.
• Figure 49. Charts. Hourly and daily variation of average crossing times of trucks during the week of February 13, 2012 at BOTA.
• Figure 50. Chart. Histogram of raw wait times for a month February 2012 at BOTA.
• Figure 51. Chart. Histogram of raw truck wait times on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at BOTA.
• Figure 52. Charts. Hourly and daily variation of average wait times of trucks on the Week of February 13, 2012 at BOTA.
• Figure 53. Chart. Daily transponder reads by reader at CBP at Pharr-Reynosa in 2011.
• Figure 54. Chart. Daily transponder reads by reader at CBP at Pharr-Reynosa in 2012.
• Figure 55. Chart. Monthly performance of Pharr-Reynosa based on average crossing times of trucks.
• Figure 56. Chart. Histogram of raw truck wait Times for a month of February, 2012 in Pharr-Reynosa.
• Figure 57. Chart. Histogram of raw truck wait times for a weekday at Pharr-Reynosa.
• Figure 58. Charts. Hourly and daily variation of average wait times of trucks during the week of February 13, 2012 at Pharr-Reynosa.
• Figure 59. Chart. Comparison of total number of tags read hourly by RFID readers on the US and Mexican side of the border.
• Figure 60. Image. Overlaid truck GPS points, and virtual zones surrounding RFID stations.

LIST OF ACRONYMS

ACE	Automated Cargo Environment
ALPR	Automatic License Plate Recognition
AMAC	Asociación de Maquiladoras de Ciudad Juárez
ATA	American Trucking Association
AVI	Automatic Vehicle Identification
AVL	Automatic Vehicle Location
BOTA	Bridge of the Americas
BSIF	Border Safety Inspection Facility
BTS	Bureau of Transportation Statistics
CAPUFE	Caminos y Puentes Federales de Ingresos y Servicios Conexos
CBP	Customs and Border Protection
DMS	Dynamic Message Sign
DPS	Department of Public Safety
FAST	Free and Secure Trade
FHWA	Federal Highway Administration
FMCSA	Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
GIS	Geographic Information System
GPS	Global Positioning System
GSA	General Services Administration
HAR	Highway Advisory Radio
IAVE	Identificación Automatica Vehicular
IMIP	Instituto Municipal de Investigación y Planeación
INDABIN	Instituto de Administración y Avalúos de Bienes Nacionales
ITS	Intelligent Transportation System
MPO	Metropolitan Planning Organization
MX	Mexico
NAFTA	North American Free Trade Agreement
NMDOT	New Mexico Department of Transportation
POE	Port of Entry
RFID	Radio Frequency Identification
RGV	Rio Grande Valley
RSS	Real Simple Syndicate
SCT	Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes
SRE	Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores
TAMU	Texas A&M University
TTI	Texas Transportation Institute
TxDOT	Texas Department of Transportation
UDP	User Datagram Protocol
URL	Universal Record Locater
US	United States
VPN	Virtual Private Network
XML	Extensible Markup Language

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