BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: aJR 4
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: Hueso
VERSION: 4/1/13
Analysis by: Erin Riches FISCAL: no
Hearing date: April 9, 2013
SUBJECT:
US-Mexico border: ports of entry
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution requests that the federal government fund
infrastructure improvements at the Calexico, Otay Mesa, and San
Ysidro Ports of Entry.
ANALYSIS:
There are five California ports of entry between Mexico and the
US: Otay Mesa, San Ysidro, and Tecate in San Diego County, and
Andrade and Calexico in Imperial County. Tecate and Andrade are
much smaller and more remotely located, while the other three
experience high traffic volumes.
Calexico West, built in 1974, processes an average of more
than 16,000 private vehicles and 20,000 pedestrians per day.
Calexico East, built in 1996 to help ease traffic at Calexico
West, handles commercial operations. Facilities at Calexico
are inadequate to meet traffic demand and obsolete in terms of
inspector safety and border security. General Services
Administration (GSA) has proposed an expansion project, for
which Congress has appropriated $24 million for site
acquisition and project design; GSA estimates construction
costs at $318 million.
Otay Mesa, built in 1983, is one of the 10 busiest land ports
in the US, handling an average of more than 16,000 private
vehicles, 2,000 trucks, 100 buses, and 3,000 pedestrians each
day. Congress has appropriated $21.3 million for site
acquisition and design to GSA to reconfigure and modernize
Otay Mesa; GSA estimates construction costs at $161 million.
San Ysidro, built in the 1970s, is the busiest land border
crossing in the Western Hemisphere, processing an average of
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50,000 northbound vehicles and 25,000 northbound pedestrians
each day. A San Diego Association of Governments study
projects an 87 percent increase in vehicle traffic at this
port of entry by 2030. The US GSA is currently in the first
phase of a reconstruction project to expand San Ysidro's
capacity, with an estimated remaining cost of $285 million.
This resolution requests that the federal government, including
the Department of Homeland Security and the GSA, fund necessary
improvements at the San Ysidro, Calexico, and Otay Mesa Ports of
Entry.
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COMMENTS:
1.Purpose . The author notes that GSA has developed expansion
projects for the San Ysidro, Calexico, and Otay Mesa ports of
entry to provide adequate operational space, improve border
wait times, and create a safe environment for employees and
visitors. Uncertain federal funding has delayed project
completion. This resolution urges the federal government to
prioritize these projects for funding so that they can be
completed in a timely manner.
2.Border delays impact the economy . According to the San Diego
Association of Governments, Mexico is the US' second largest
trading partner and California's number one export market.
Inadequate infrastructure has resulted in an average wait time
of 70 minutes to cross the US-Mexico border, costing the US
and Mexican economies an estimated $7.2 billion in foregone
gross output and more than 62,000 jobs in 2007. Delays result
in lost productivity, reduced industry competitiveness, and
foregone business income at the regional, state, and national
levels.
3.Funding concerns . Not only has Congress failed to identify
full funding for the three GSA port of entry projects, but
sequestration has now added further uncertainty. In August
2011, President Obama signed the Budget Control Act of 2011,
which requires across-the-board spending cuts to many federal
programs in order to reduce the federal deficit. Departments
began implementing the cuts on March 1, 2013. Although the
federal government is responsible for maintaining the nation's
borders, budget cuts could further delay the upgrades at San
Ysidro, Otay Mesa, and Calexico.
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 75-0
Jobs, Economic Development, and Economy: 9-0
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on
Wednesday, April 3,
2013.)
SUPPORT: Imperial County Transportation Commission
Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce
San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce
OPPOSED: None received.
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