Lane for faster crossings opened at Laredo border bridge
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 99093.html
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HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Houston & Texas News
Oct. 31, 2006, 4:48AM
Lane for faster crossings opened at Laredo border bridge
Associated Press
LAREDO — U.S. and Mexican officials said the opening of a new lane at the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge should speed crossings for prescreened travelers who might otherwise get stuck in frustrating traffic.
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The Monday inauguration of the Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection lane should also help trade relations between Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, officials said.
Crossing times for participants in the program, known as SENTRI, could be reduced from 40 minutes to as little as two minutes.
"This is a good example of the cooperation that must continue between the United States and Mexico," Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas said. "That is what Los Dos Laredos is about. We are not about barriers or walls."
The city contributed more than $750,000 for the Laredo SENTRI lane, which is the first in South Texas. SENTRI lanes are already in place in Nogales, Ariz.; Calexico, Calif.; Otay Mesa, Calif.; San Diego and El Paso. More are planned for Hidalgo-Reynosa and Brownsville-Matamoros.
The program has enrolled more than 100,000 people since it was created in 1995 in San Diego.
Participants must supply documents and undergo interviews to be added to a database indicating that they are considered a low-security risk for passage to and from Mexico. The program costs $129 per person or up to $258 per family.
SENTRI-registered vehicles have a transponder that beams passenger information to U.S. inspectors as the vehicles approach a booth. If passengers' faces match those on file, they get less scrutiny than people in other lanes.
"This is the smart way to protect our border, while facilitating trusted travelers," said U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner W. Ralph Basham.
He said hundreds of people have already joined the program in Laredo.
Interested travelers can apply for SENTRI at the Laredo Port of Entry at the Lincoln-Juarez International Bridge.
Also Monday, Customs and Border Protection announced that motorists can apply online for SENTRI permits. The passes are also being extended to last five years instead of two.
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HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Houston & Texas News
This article is: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 99093.html
