Texas Mexico Toll Bridge Study PDF Download

Effective transportation planning for the 1,230-mile (1,980-km) long Texas-Mexico border must take into account not only the unique characteristics of a binational environment, but also the possible impacts of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Accordingly, this study developed two complementary concepts useful in such binational transportation planning: sector analysis and super-crossing. Sector analysis--a concept based on major traffic diversion areas--provides aggregated revenue and/or demand estimates that address regional (as against site-specific) transportation planning issues. The super-crossing concept, developed to address post-NAFTA commercial traffic, is based on Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) guidelines intended to foster multi- and intermodal facilities. Both concepts are fully described in this report. Additionally, border transportation planning and the implementation of sector analysis methodology require, in turn, assessments of traffic flow patterns and of post-NAFTA socioeconomic indicators. Thus, NAFTA socioeconomic impacts and origin and destination patterns are included as study objectives, both of which are fully documented in this report.