ARIZONA & MEXICO

Figure 3: Mexico’s Port infrastructure
PEOPLE MOVEMENT
Source: ProMexico Negocios Dec. 2015 – Jan. 2016 and Mexico Secretariat of Communication and
Transportation
Although not the focus of this discussion, cross-border people movement is a factor at all the major
Arizona Ports of Entry. Specifically:
1) During peak growing and harvesting seasons, up to 40,000 people per day make their way
through the San Luis crossing north to Yuma, Arizona and then back to Mexico. This has led to
extreme congestion at San Luis I (the original Port of Entry) and proposals to open San Luis II
(currently commercial only) to vehicles and pedestrians. Although the expected trade volumes
have not materialized at this time, it is not clear whether adding pedestrians to the mix will be a
further discouragement.
2) At Nogales, privately-owned-vehicles (POVs) mix with commercial vehicles in some of the
enlarged port’s lanes. There have also been complaints about inadequate staffing and some
limitations on hours of operation. Whether POVs cause border delays when there are at least
some truck-only lanes is a likely topic for further conversations.
3) The city of Douglas, Arizona, reports 2-3 hour wait times for northbound crossing from
Aguascalientes and asserts that cars, rather than trucks, are causing the backups. Douglas/Agua
Prieta is working to attract more industry and believes that quicker crossings could be a factor,
hence a proposal to Federal Authorities to build a new Port of Entry west of the current location,
although no funding has been committed at this time.
APRIL 2016 • ARIZONA TOWN HALL • ARIZONA & MEXICO • 38