The U.S. Department of Transportation is looking for innovative ways to fight congestion at some of the nation's busiest border crossings, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters announced Monday.


The DOT is requesting proposals for innovative new approaches to ending traffic tie-ups at some of the nation's most congested border crossings. The department will select at least two projects each along the Canadian and Mexican borders.

Peters said the effort was needed because, over the last two decades, the value of freight shipments among the U.S., Canada and Mexico has risen by 170 percent, growing an average of 8 percent annually. This increasing demand has been leading to longer delays at the crossings. In 2007, U.S.-bound traffic from Canada experienced delays up to three hours at many crossings, costing businesses more than $14 billion annually. On the Mexico side, San Diego County alone loses $271 million in annual revenue due to delays at the border, she added.