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Border Infrastructure Coordination Subcommittee (BICSC). 2008-11-18 – Toronto Alicia Nolan – Co-Chair - FHWA Allan Wilson – Co-Chair – Transport Canada. Session Overview. Border Infrastructure Coordination Subcommittee Its Role & Brief History Recent Activities
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Border Infrastructure Coordination Subcommittee (BICSC) 2008-11-18 – Toronto Alicia Nolan – Co-Chair - FHWA Allan Wilson – Co-Chair – Transport Canada
Session Overview • Border Infrastructure Coordination Subcommittee • Its Role & Brief History • Recent Activities • TBWG Website Improvements (general) • On-line Border Infrastructure Compendium (OBIC) Update • Planned Activities • Western Regional Workshop(s) • OBIC Improvements & Public Access • Border Infrastructure Project Updates • Canada -- Hal Parker – CBSA • U.S. -- Ralph Scalise – GSA
Role & Brief History • Role: evolutionary -- “keeper” of border data • Border Crossing Information / Data – a TBWG priority from the start • Spring 2002 – TBWG notes need to compile traffic, trade, and project-related data • 2003 – Subcommittee prepares the 1st version of the Border Infrastructure Compendium (top 33) • 2004/05 – expanded to top 65 • 2005 – Online Border Infrastructure Compendium (OBIC) launched • 2006 – OBIC expanded to 120 crossings
Recent Activities • TBWG Website Improvements (general) • Reorganized and expanded on-line library (24 entries) • Border-related glossary (23 programs & terms) • Subcommittee updates (descriptions & minutes) • Updated Membership Directory & Meetings Archive • Expanded Links section (55 – states, provinces, regional organizations, programs / initiatives, and research organizations) • OBIC Update • 2007 data entry entry – collection challenges & methodology tweaking (e.g. commodity descriptors) • Collection of project descriptions – ongoing • Goals: • Traffic & Trade – End of December 2008 • Project Updates – End of March 2009
Planned Activities • Western Regional Workshop(s) • Modeled on August 2007 QC-NY State event • Potential participants: Washington State, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia, Alberta, plus federal agencies • Status: • Local consultations (usefulness / availability) • Scope (large or small POEs … or both) • Timing (spring 2009 – TBD) • Others? • North Dakota (Manitoba/Saskatchewan)
Planned Activities • OBIC Improvements & Public Access • Consensus – a useful tool, but can it be improved? • change in database format - opportunity to upload material from other data bases and/or convert data into other formats (e.g., Excel spreadsheets) • ability to query & sort data fields with greater specificity (e.g. ability to compare specific ports using specific characteristics) • Public Access -- Two Concepts: • Interactive Border Map (e.g., pop-up box for each crossing) • Canada-U.S. “Border Facts” section on TBWG website • TC – Potential resources to pursue OBIC examination & Interactive Border Map
Border Infrastructure Project Updates • Hal Parker – Canada Border Services Agency • Ralph Scalise – General Services Administration • Calais / St. Stephen Update – Ralph Scalise on behalf of Kevin Rousseau (Maine DOT)
Discussion & Questions allan.wilson@tc.gc.ca alicia.nolan@fhwa.dot.gov www.thetbwg.org