Thread: Traffic at international bridges continues decline

Traffic at international bridges continues decline, officials say
By DAVE HENDRICKS The Monitor
Nov. 19, 2010, 8:58AM


Government officials expect Mexico-bound traffic across the Rio Grande Valley's international bridges to slow, continuing a long-term decline driven by drug violence and economic instability.

Officials responsible for the American side of the Hidalgo and Anzalduas international bridges project 332,000 fewer cars and trucks will travel south during the current fiscal year, a nearly 8 percent decline from the previous year. Pharr's bridge director said he also expects southbound traffic to drop but isn't sure by how much.

"We just don't have any way of estimating," said Jesse Medina, who oversees the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge. "Based on what's happening in Mexico, it's incredible, it's very difficult to estimate."

Pushed to give an estimate, Medina predicted truck traffic would remain steady but fewer cars would cross into Mexico this fiscal year, which began Oct. 1.

About 33,000 more trucks crossed Pharr's bridge during fiscal year 2010 than during 2009, but the number of cars shrank by 111,000,according to bridge data.

Cameron County officials, citing "events" across the border, declined to give an estimate for Brownsville's bridges.

The downward trend, from Brownsville to El Paso, doesn't show any signs of relenting. Data collected by the Texas Center for Border Economic and Enterprise Development at Texas A&M International University shows southbound car traffic falling and truck traffic remaining steady during 2010.

Less southbound traffic, while an important economic indicator, doesn't necessarily spell gloom for the local economy.

Retail sales have held steady across Hidalgo County this year and were up nearly 9.7 percent during September, compared to the same month last year, according to data from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Second-quarter hotel receipts remained roughly steady in McAllen and increased 10 percent in Brownsville, compared to the same period last year.

"We want our commerce with Mexico to be the gravy," said McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez. "We want to be less dependent on Mexico. I think going forward that must be the strategy for everybody."

With fewer southbound crossings, dollars once spent on cheaper food, alcohol and medical services in Mexico might stay north of the Rio Grande.

"It doesn't really take a rocket scientist to see that would be detrimental to their business," said Professor Alberto Davila, chairman of the economics and finance department at the University of Texas-Pan American.

Mexican dentists and pharmacists, already bitten by drug-related crime and fewer visits from American patients fearful of crossing the border, would be further damaged, Davila said. He said several relatives who run businesses near border crossings have told him business is slow.

Less traffic might also stall plans to build several new bridges. Donna has an international bridge scheduled to open before the holidays, and officials from Roma and Sullivan City also want to build their own bridges.

"We don't need to build more bridges," said Medina, Pharr's bridge director. "We need to secure the ones we have."




http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 02340.html

"We want our commerce with Mexico to be the gravy," said McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez. "We want to be less dependent on Mexico. I think going forward that must be the strategy for everybody."

With fewer southbound crossings, dollars once spent on cheaper food, alcohol and medical services in Mexico might stay north of the Rio Grande.

Exactly. Keep up the good work Americans. Stay home and buy here.