JWC Meeting Minutes

Monterrey, Nuevo Leon Mexico
May 15, 2002

Jose San Martin and Jill Hochman opened the meeting. Introductions were made. In addition Lisa Dye introduced Juan Avilas as the selected exchange candidate. He will be working in Washington DC for 18 months for FHWA on Border Issues. He is currently a professor at the Autonomous Technology University of Monterrey and he also runs the Technology Transfer Center at located at that school.

The minutes of the previous meeting held in Phoenix, Arizona in December 2001 were approved by the JWC.

Vision

Jill Hochman read the preferred vision for the year 2020 developed at the meeting in Phoenix as follows:

• There are open borders in the Americas. The "border" in a sense does not exist from California to Florida, Central America to Canada. We work and live in an environment of transparent borders with "welcome" signs.
• A North American transportation system is in place. It includes hi-speed rail, a North American interstate highway system, roro trains, fast container ships, and efficient passenger travel.
• There is a single clearing-house for trans-border crossings. Vehicles are pre-cleared before the borders with a single clearance process, and 85% of commercial traffic is pre-cleared. The single clearance process makes use of electronic ID and verification scanning, (which is also applied to banking). There is easy scanning at borders for pedestrians.
• There is mutual trust and respect between all forms and levels of government. We have seen moral and ethical advances to go along with technological advances. There is full understanding and respect for cultural differences.
• Quality transportation and logistics services are available everywhere, to everyone, for freight and passenger through all North America.

Jose called for a vote for approval of the preferred vision as stated: The JWC approved the vision.

22-Point Action Plan

Enrique Escorza presented the 22 points and the direction in which we should go from the Mexican perspective. Dennis Linskey stated the US vision of the 22-point plan is similar to the Mexico's vision. Jose San Martin stated that the JWC is in a better position to influence the secure infrastructure portion of the 22-point plan. He also stated that Mexico priority of the first seven points (secure infrastructure portion) is as 1st priority point #1 Long Term Planning, 2nd priority point #2 elimination of bottle necks, 3rd priority point # 5 Demonstration projects, the 4th priority point # 6 cross border cooperation, 5th priority point #4 Harmonization of the ports of entry and 6th priority financing projects at the border.

Jose also stated that JWC's current work plan includes part of the 22-point plan. Jill agreed with Jose's assessment. Jill suggested that point # 3 of the secure infrastructure portion of the 22-point plan is not as important to the JWC as the other 6 points. Jose also stated that for the JWC's purposes that the point # 4 (harmonization of the POEs) can be included as part of point #6 (cross border cooperation). The State Department is coordinating the first seven points of the 22-point plan for the US. The Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Relations (SRE) is doing the same for Mexico. Leads have been named for the 22 points. Those leads have been identified. The information will be circulated to group.

Carlos Murillo stated that on April 26, President Fox signed SCOPIS establishing a committee in July of this year. Of the commission the group will be formed at all the POEs . The first POEs at which the groups will be formed are Tijuana, Mexicali, and Columbia. (????ASK Carlos for a clarification)

Jose San Martin stated that the JWC serves as a consultant to the Binational Bridges and Border Crossings Group chaired by DOS and SRE with the JWC focusing on the transportation aspects of the BBBXG business. Sergio added that another function of the JWC is for the states to communicate the actions resulting from the 22- point action plan to the local governments and private sector actors on the border.

Sergio suggested that there were some rapidly implementable solutions at a low cost (low hanging fruit) on point #2 Relief of Bottlenecks. California volunteered to identify the bottlenecks in California and propose solutions.

Dale agreed with Sergio and proposed the following:

• That the bottle necks at the border be identified by the sister states
• The JWC organize a one-day workshop with the location of the bottlenecks already identified. During the workshop the causes would be identified and implementable solutions would be proposed.

Dennis Linskey stated that there is a process in which they were proceeding. They had a straw man obtaining information from the States transportation plans. He also stated that they have been instructed to work with the states as closely as possible on this issue.

Jose San Martin asked the Mexican states how they feel about the workshop proposal. The Mexican states agreed with this approach. Dennis stated he would like common criteria. Jill added that common criteria should be established at least among the cross state pairs.

Dale amended his workshop proposal to the following:

• Identify the bottlenecks that could be quickly resolved.
• Develop a methodology for more complex bottle necks

Claude stated that the scope of work for the workshop should be established as soon as possible.

The JWC agreed to work on points #1 (Long Term Planning), #2 (relief of Bottlenecks), #5 (Demonstration Projects), #6 (Cross Border Cooperation),

Pedro Orso committed to hosting a workshop in early July in San Diego. The results of the workshop will be as follows:

• Identification of all bottlenecks along the border.
• Recommendations on how to address bottlenecks that easily resolvable
• Draft methodology to address bottlenecks with more complex issues in longer-term time frame.

2003-2005 Work Plan

The designated 2003-2005 work plan committee is Claude Cortez, Jose Mascarenas, Irene Rice and Ed Wueste. Irene Rico presented the 6 items proposed for the next work plan as follows:

1. Identifying a North American Transportation System
2. Border Wide Planning & Programming
3. Innovative Financing
4. Transportation Integration with POE Operation
5. GIS
6. Developing Common Standards and Policies

Jose San Martin suggested adding the relief of Bottlenecks as item number 7. The JWC agreed. The suggestion was also made to cross-reference the work plan items with the 22-point action plan, the vision and the INS entry-exit control system. This was done (see attachment #1).

Work Plan item #6 was called to question as the intention or purpose.

Dale also asked the JWC to consider the length, complexity and diversity of the border when selecting the demonstration projects under work plan item #4 and Point #5 ( of the 22 point plan).

Manny Rodriguez (INS) suggested that in addition to the site specification of the bottlenecks that the JWC document trends and indicators of congestion. Look at POEs with out congestion of a similar size and draw from those areas the reason for their success.

Jill suggested using the existing POE coordination study being led by TxDOT to identify systematic issues. Erv also suggested using the 1998 binational study.

Sergio asked who was the lead for SCT for the Demonstration projects. Jose stated that the Columbia projects had just begun and Claude was the contact. Jack stated that Texas is in support of this project.

The JWC agreed to work on all items presented except for item #6 and agreed to add another work item ( relief of bottle necks).

The following committees were formed to work on the individual work plan items:

Item #1 - Identifying a North American Transportation System
Dale Buskirk (AzDOT), Francisco Gutierrez (CABIN), Roger Petzold (FHWA), Jack Foster (TxDOT), Claude Cortez (SCT) & Alberto Mendoza (SCT-MIT)

Item #2 - Border Wide Planning & Programming
Dale Buskirk (Az DOT), Francisco Gutierrez (CABIN), Adrian Apodaca (NMSH & TD), Jose Mascarenas (Chihuahua) Pedro Orso ( CALTRANS), Evaristo Gaytan (Nuevo Leon), Ernesto Morris (Tamaulipas),Larry Warner (GSA), Noe Garcia(Coahuila), Jack Foster ( Tx DOT), Marisela Galicia ( Mx Customs) & Irene Rico (FHWA)

Item #3 - Innovative Financing
Fred Warner (FHWA), Martin Weiss (FHWA), Carlos Murillo ( Frontera Norte) , Dennis Linskey, & Financial organizations.

Item #4 - Transportation Integration with POE Operation
Carlos Murillo ( Frontera Norte) , Francisco Gutierrez (CABIN) Jack Foster (TX DOT) Sergio Pallares ( Caltrans) Mike Onder ( FHWA) Gloria Stoppenhagen ( FHWA), Dale Buskirk ( AZ DOT) Larry Warner (GSA), Marisela Galicia (MX Customs)

Item #5 - GIS
Roger Petzold (FHWA), Diane Pierzinski ( CALTRANS), Carlos Lopez (SAHOPE), Joaquin Barrios (Chihuahua), Bob Czerniack (NMSU), Hector Duran (SCT), Adrian Apodaca (NMSH & TD) and Steve Smullen (IBWC)

Item #7 - Relief of Bottlenecks
All ten Border states, Erv Poka (FTA), Marisela Galicia (MX Customs), Francisco Gutierrez (CABIN), Larry Warner (GSA) , Sylvia Grijalva (FHWA) Sylvia will invite FMCSA)

Dan Mcclellan agreed to flesh out a concept for a JWC security subcommittee and will be presented at a future meeting.

Innovative Financing

Fred Warner presented and led a discussion on Innovative Financing. Gersan Zurita of the Fitch made another presentation on this subject.

ITS Demonstration Projects

Columbia- Claude made a presented the concept scope of work.
Otay Mesa- Pedro presented the progress on the Otay Mesa project.

BINS

Pedro presented the progress on the BINS project . The RFP will be out in June 2002. A consultant will be selected by July or August. Action item for Sylvia - Make sure Caltrans gets a copy of the freight analysis study.

GIS

Diane Pierzinski presented the progress on the GIS project. There will be a technical meeting on July 15 - 17 (Monday thru Wednesday)

Transborder Corridor

Salvador Monroy Andrade of SCT MIT presented the corridor study in Mexico Roger presented the US national corridors. ( Action Item for Sylvia please send Jose San Martin a copy of the LATS Study)

Freight Transportation Through POEs (Analysis of Coordination System)

Reyes Juarez de Angel of Felipe Ochoa & Associates, Bill Stockton of Center for Transportation Research, Rob Harrison of Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), and Juan Carlos Villa of TTI presented the progress on the project since December.

The JWC agreed to outreach to other organizations and share information on the coordination study ( BSPC,DOS, TBWG, FMSCA..etc)

Cyber Port

Dale Buskirk made a presentation of the Nogales Cyber Port.

Action Items and Commitments

Sylvia went over the action items from the previous meeting in December and reviewed all of the Action items and Commitments made at this meeting (see attachment #2).

Next Meeting Date

The next meeting will be held on Friday November 22 in the Washington DC area. The US only and Mexican only meetings will be held on the evening of Thursday, November 21. This is provided we can find a hotel to accommodate us on this date.

The meeting was adjourned by Jose san Martin and Jill after everyone was thanked for their participation in a very productive meeting. Evaristo Gaytan was given special thanks for making all of the accommodation arrangements and hosting the meeting at beautiful location.