Freight carriers traveling in and out of Canada will experience less frustration from congestion and will be better able to deliver goods where and when the market demands, thanks to an agreement with Washington state that will provide more accurate and reliable travel information on border wait times, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Thursday, Jan. 15.
The Cascade Gateway Project is designed to provide border-crossing wait time and travel condition information to drivers and freight carriers. The project would use a variety of innovative technologies, including sensors, to provide pretrip and enroute wait times on crossing the border to reduce congestion at four Washington state ports of entry: Peace Arch, Pacific Highway, Lynden and Sumas.
“Providing accurate travel information is an essential tool for fighting congestion,” Transportation Secretary Mary Peters says. “With accurate information, travelers and freight carriers will be able to choose the time and route that is most efficient and best meets their needs.”
The project is part of USDOT’s Transportation Border Congestion Relief Program, which is designed to facilitate and accelerate transportation-related capacity and operational improvements at border crossings. Washington state’s Cascade program is one of the three projects included in the federal initiative.
Peters says that as part of the congestion relief program, the project will receive priority access, consistent with current law, to many of USDOT’s assistance programs, including loans and other financing mechanisms.
