Border Crossing Best Practices Guidebook

1. Border Crossing Best Practices Guidebook Overview Briefing for Northern Border Survey Transportation Border Working Group Vancouver, BC December 4, 2002 Stephanie Roth Federal Highway Administration

2. Task Objective Survey the border agency community to compile a guide of “border crossing best practices” that can be shared across the border.

3. Premise • Many “solutions” to border crossing concerns come from partners working together successfully to solve problems within the resources, authority, and relationships available to them. • We can learn from the successes of federal, state, and local agencies and private sector partners on both sides of the border.

4. Scope of Best Practices • Organizational/institutional relationships (public and private sector) • Processes and procedures used to move people, vehicles, and goods across the border • Technologies employed to improve border trade processes • Minor infrastructure improvements that facilitate process improvements

5. Benefits • Does not require legislative or regulatory action • Requires no or little capital investment beyond that generally available to agencies • Benefits realized in relatively short time (compared to major infrastructure investments) • Within the authority and jurisdiction of implementing agencies

6. Policy and Procedures Interagency Coordination Information Management Bi-national Cooperation Congestion and Traffic Management Process Improvements Compliance Improvement Traveler and Traffic Information ITS and Innovative Technology Truck/Bus Safety Improvement Evaluation and Feedback Public Relations, Education, and Outreach (General Public, Drivers, Shippers, Brokers, Commuters, etc.) Other Best Practices Categories

7. Best Practices Assessment • Self-assessment by those reporting the best practices (no additional data collection and evaluation) • Recommend where the best practices are likely to work best (size facilities, technologies available, existing institutional arrangements, specific local issues, etc.) • Only practices nominated or endorsed by border agencies and private sector partners will be included; border agencies have the final word on whether or not a best practice is included and identified with them.

8. Task Approach for Southern Border • Met with headquarters and field agencies and interagency groups to explain project and solicit advice and support • Customs, FHWA, FMCSA, INS, USDA, GSA • BSPC, JWC, EBTC, others • Provided a simple form for use by state, federal, and private sector field organizations to describe candidates for the best practices guidebooks. • Solicited and collected best practices in border trade facilitation, including those observed during previous border studies.

9. Task Approach (cont’d) • Met with selected field staff at key border crossings on the border to validate best practices (for Northern border – Buffalo, NY; Detroit and Port Huron, MI; Blaine, WA locations). • Documented border crossing best practices • Best practice descriptions • Applicability • Points of contact • Primary benefits obtained • Estimated time and cost of implementation. • Prepared a topical index and appropriate cross-references to assist users in locating applicable best practices.

10. Task Approach (cont’d) • Organized and synthesized best practices into notebook form for review by the NAST and other agencies as specified by the NAST (e.g, BSPC, EBTC, JWC, TBWG) • Southern Border Reference Book approved by BSPC in Nov 2001 • Distributed CDROM versions of Southern Border reference books in Summer of 2002. • Planning on consolidating Northern Best Practices (currently have only 20 submissions) into one book for the entire border.Awaiting one final appeal to obtain additional best practices.

11. Sample Best Practice Form

12. For Additional Information Stephanie Roth Office of Interstate and Border Planning Federal Highway Administration 202/366-9238 Stephanie.Roth@fhwa.dot.gov