Bluetooth travel information aids waiting times at US-Mexico border

With drivers sometimes waiting up to several hours to cross the US-Mexico border, the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) is partnering with the city of El Paso to provide real-time traffic updates so drivers can plan accordingly and avoid long waits. Using Bluetooth and radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, wait times will be available to motorists and commercial shippers so they can modify travel plans as needed. As Bluetooth devices in passenger vehicles and RFID transponders in com
August 12, 2014 Read time: 2 mins

With drivers sometimes waiting up to several hours to cross the US-Mexico border, the 375 Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) is partnering with the city of El Paso to provide real-time traffic updates so drivers can plan accordingly and avoid long waits. Using Bluetooth and radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, wait times will be available to motorists and commercial shippers so they can modify travel plans as needed.

As Bluetooth devices in passenger vehicles and RFID transponders in commercial vehicles pass roadside sensors, bridge wait times are calculated and posted at the border crossing information system (BCIS) website. Drivers can access this site and make decisions on when to leave based on the real-time wait times. The data is used only temporarily and does not identify actual drivers or their vehicles.

The BCIS website was developed through research by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and partially funded by the 324 US Department of Transportation’s 831 Federal Highway Administration.

Currently, drivers can utilise the new Bluetooth-generated data for the Ysleta crossing, also known as Zaragoza and located between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez. Shippers can access similar data generated via RFIDs at seven sites along the border. Bluetooth technology also is in use along I-35 in Waco and at the Port Aransas Ferry, where waiting times are posted onto digital message boards.

“Texas is proud to lead the way in transportation technology, especially when it helps relieve congestion and improve mobility at key points on our roadways,” said chairman Ted Houghton, 5427 Texas Transportation Commission. “Not only will this technology benefit travellers, but it will benefit our state’s commerce by making trade more efficient.”

“The city of El Paso’s economic security depends on the flow of goods and people across our international ports of entry,” said El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser. “In order to ensure safe and fast commute times, we must provide our commuters access to realistic wait times. The partnership between the city of El Paso and TxDOT is a significant step in helping these commuters identify the best route and provide realistic crossing times at our bridges.”

Location Based Systems Parking & Access Control Networking & Communication Systems

Related Content

  • TfL to launch world-leading trials of intelligent pedestrian crossing technology
    March 7, 2014
    The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and Transport for London (TfL) have outlined plans for trialling new pedestrian crossing sensors to help make it easier and safer for people to cross the road throughout the capital. The introduction of pedestrian Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique, or pedestrian SCOOT, is the first of its kind in the world and uses state-of-the-art video camera technology to automatically detect how many pedestrians are waiting at crossings. It enables the adjustment of traffi
    Read More
  • Aecom awarded major contracts by PennDOT
    April 25, 2013
    The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has awarded several contracts, which maximum potential value is US$37.50 million), to US-based Aecom Technology. Under the contracts, with a total potential value of up to US$37.5 million, the company will provide several services including project management, intelligent transportation system, geotechnical investigations and bridge inspection as the lead designer on I-80 (mainline reconstruction) and I-70 (Yukon interchange) in districts 5-0 (Allentow
    Read More
  • TransCore receives Leadership in Sustainability award
    May 21, 2013
    The Green Parking Council (GPC), which represents companies committed to pursuing environmentally beneficial choices in the parking industry, has recognised TransCore’s participation in the GPC’s growth with a 2013 Leadership Award. Presenting the award at the International Parking Institute annual meeting, Paul Wessel, executive director of GPC, explains, “We applaud and recognise TransCore for their commitment to GPC as a founding partner as we strive to transform the face of the parking industry. Trans
    Read More
  • What are AVs doing in rural Ohio?
    March 29, 2023
    Autonomous vehicle pilots so far have been typically sighted in urban areas. But researchers in rural regions of Ohio are now trying to find out exactly what benefits they could bring to the countryside
    Read More

Highlighted Content