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

  • Funding agreed for reconstruction of Fort Worth I-35W
    September 20, 2013
    A significant milestone in the redevelopment and expansion of Interstate 35W in Fort Worth, one of the most critical and most-congested corridors in the North Texas region and in the country has been achieved by NTE Mobility Partners Segments 3 LLC (NTEMP3). They have reached financial agreement on Segment 3A of the North Tarrant Express (NTE), paving the way for the reconstruction and expansion of the interstate. The project is being financed through a unique combination of public and private funds: US$
    Read More
  • SESA supports MassDOT travel time network
    April 6, 2016
    SES America (SESA) has designed, engineered and manufactured over three hundred solar-powered embedded dynamic message signs (DMS) to be installed as part of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT)‘Go Time’ project. According to SESA, once completed, the project will provide the largest travel time network available in any state in the US, allowing motorists across the country to instantly access travel time data on major corridors across the region. Each site consists of static sig
    Read More
  • Electronic toll collection: Change is in the air
    November 7, 2024
    Trends in technology plus users’ comfort in adopting new advances indicate that the environment for a new electronic toll collection architecture is evolving. Hal Worrall considers what this might look like
    Read More
  • Integrate systems to reduce roadside infrastructure
    January 27, 2012
    David Crawford reviews promising current developments. Instrumentation of the road infrastructure has grown to become one of the most dynamic sectors of the ITS industry. Drivers for its deployment include global concerns over the commercial and environmental pressures of traffic congestion, the importance of keeping drivers informed throughout their journeys, and the need to reduce accident rates and promote the safety of all road users, for example by enforcing traffic safety rules.
    Read More

Highlighted Content