City rep endures a 90-minute bridge wait; watch video

elpasotimes.com
By Aileen B. Flores \ EL PASO TIMES
Posted: 12/21/2011 12:00:00 AM MST

View Video here: http://bcove.me/7gwra1pq

City Rep. Steve Ortega on Tuesday became one of the thousands of commuters who endure long waits at El Paso's ports of entry.

Each Tuesday morning before City Council meetings for the next month, Ortega will drive across one of El Paso's international bridges into Mexico, then get in line to cross back into El Paso.

Ortega, who started this routine Tuesday by crossing the Bridge of the Americas, said he's doing this as a form of protest.

"I'm trying to let people see what thousands of people in our region live though every day," he said.

Ortega's actions come after multiple attempts to ease the crossing problem.

At 7:42 a.m. Tuesday, Ortega got in line in front of the Christmas tree at Chamizal Park in Juárez to cross back into El Paso.

Forty minutes later, Ortega was still on the Mexican side of the border -- the line of vehicles had moved less than a half-mile -- and City Council's executive session was about to start.

By then, Ortega knew he was not going to make it on time even to the regular City Council meeting.

The only ones who seemed to be taking advantage of the long wait times were vendors selling burritos, candy, bottled water and crafts.

At 8:40 a.m., Ortega was getting to the middle of the bridge. His throat was dry because of vehicle exhaust in the air, and he was still 30 minutes away from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection station.

"We have people who are waiting hours in line to shop at our stores, eat at our restaurants, visit family, add to the local economy, but this is a huge hindrance," Ortega said while waiting in line.

"I think the government needs to do a better job and have a 20th century system of moving people and product without compromising security," he said. "It seems like we are using the same system that was used 50 years ago."

Contrary to the 52-minute wait time prediction on the CBP border wait times' official website, cbp.gov, it took Ortega 90 minutes to cross the bridge.

At 9:12 a.m., a CBP officer processed Ortega's entrance into the U.S. He arrived an hour late to the City Council meeting.

Just last week, the City Council identified this situation as a No. 1 priority.

City Rep. Cortney Niland asked City Manager Joyce Wilson to write an emergency resolution to State Comptroller Susan Combs, showing how excessive waits are affecting both El Paso's and Texas' economies.

Ortega said he would like the federal government to put more emphasis on minimizing products' and people's crossing times into the U.S. without compromising border security.

Ortega said international commerce is such a big part of the region's economy that every year, $69 billion worth of trade crosses the bridges in the El Paso area.

A survey done by the city's Economic Development Department indicates that more than half of the community's retailers said at least half of their business comes from Mexican consumers, Ortega said.

Roger Maier, a spokesman for CBP in El Paso, said wait times at the ports of entry are longer than normal because "we are in the middle of the busiest travel period for area ports."

"This is not unusual in December and is something the public needs to expect and plan for accordingly," he said in a written statement.

Council members think the main issue is a lack of CBP officers at bridge-crossing stations.

City Rep. Susie Byrd has suggested the city pay for additional CBP agents in order to expedite crossing times.

However, federal law prevents city governments from paying for federal agents at ports of entry.

Maier said that 78 new CBP officers were assigned to the El Paso area during the last fiscal year, aimed at alleviating long bridge wait times.

In addition, the Santa Teresa port of entry is undergoing an expansion with additional car lanes being added. The Fabens crossing is being replaced by a new Tornillo-Guadalupe port of entry, which will include more car lanes and a commercial truck compound that is expected to improve crossings.

Maier said other options for faster bridge crossings are the SENTRI (Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection) and Ready lanes.

The SENTRI car lanes are available for trusted travelers at the Ysleta and Stanton Street ports of entry and for pedestrians at the Paso del Norte Bridge. These lanes can accommodate more users and many times the wait is less than five minutes, according to CBP. It costs users $122.25 for a five-year SENTRI pass.

Ready Lanes are available at the Ysleta, Bridge of the Americas and Paso del Norte bridges. The processing is generally 20 seconds faster per vehicle.

A new gate system is expected to speed up pedestrian crossings at the Paso del Norte Bridge while still maintaining strong security.

"It is important to note and not forget that we do perform a vitally important security mission at the border," Maier said. "Every day, CBP officers are stopping drug smugglers, illegal immigrants, fugitives and other violators at the border ports. This cannot be ignored."

From October 2010 to September 2011, CBP officers in the El Paso area seized in excess of 46 tons of illegal drugs, according to CBP numbers.

Ortega said the federal government uses security to justify long wait times, but the wait times along the U.S. southern border are usually longer than at the U.S. northern border with Canada.

He said terrorists and drugs could just as easily come through the north as the south.

Ortega said he is trying to highlight that the international bridges are a "life line" for the region's economy.

"What is very easy to forget for El Pasoans is that a good chunk of our economy is supported by the Mexican consumer, and we are not doing ourselves a favor to have bridge wait times that are an hour or two hours long," he said.

Aileen B. Flores may be reached at aflores@elpasotimes.com; 546-6362.

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