TRANSBORDER TRAFFIC AND INFRASTRUCTURE IMPACTS ON THE CITY OF LAREDO, TEXAS. INTERIM REPORT

The growing volume of trade between the United States and Mexico has, predictably, increased border traffic at U.S.-Mexico ports of entry. And passage of the proposed North American Free Trade Agreement--a trade pact that will eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico--is expected to increase this traffic even more dramatically, generating in the process problems of congestion and infrastructure maintenance. Because such traffic is channeled through key gateway cities along the Texas-Mexico border, transportation planners in both the U.S. and Mexico have grown increasingly concerned about the impact this is having on border street and highway infrastructure. This study examines the effects of the recent and projected growth of transborder truck traffic on the city of Laredo, a key gateway for U.S.-Mexico trade. It concludes that additional investments in city infrastructure are needed to manage truck and auto traffic, and that dedicated truck routes could be financed by raising bridge tolls to incorporate a user fee for their provision and maintenance. Additionally, traffic forecast models (which include rail) capable of encompassing the whole U.S.-Mexico border area must be developed to validate specific infrastructure investment decisions, from both a highway and multimodal planning perspective.