ezbordercrossing

Guide to Crossing the US Canada Border

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Rainbow Bridge – Now Reopened After Training Exercise

Rainbow Bridge Update: The bridge has now been reopened and traffic is flowing normally.

The Rainbow Bridge will be closed for several hours Tuesday morning September 17th, 2013 for an international emergency preparedness exercise.  During this exercise, traffic will be rerouted to the Peace Bridge, Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and the Whirlpool Bridge.  Keep in mind that the Whirlpool Bridge can only be used if ALL persons in the vehicle are NEXUS Card holders.

To make the exercise more realistic for emergency response personnel, the exact time for the exercise will not be release until just before the start.  As a result, motorists will need to be prepared to change their plans on short notice.  We will update this post if we get any more information on the exercise time.

On the date of the exercise the twitter feed shown below from the Niagara Regional Police Service is supposed to provide the start and completion of the exercise.  We are including the real-time feed but you should realize it will only provide information on the bridge closure during the exercise window.

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New Sumas Ready Lane

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has modified the lane configuration at the U.S. Sumas port in Washington State.  The new configuration is as follows:

  • There is a dedicated NEXUS lane hours into the U.S. between the hours of 8am and 11am Monday through Friday.
  • The same lane becomes a “Ready Lane” from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday, and from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
  • Overhead LED signage will inform you as to whether the lane is set up as a NEXUS lane or Ready Lane.

As a “Ready Lane” it can be used by NEXUS members and travelers with RFID documents such as a U.S. Passport card, Global Entry card or Enhanced Driver’s License.

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U.S. Budget Cuts Impact on Border Operations

UPDATE – 6/1/13
Although the U.S. Congress has passed legislation which allows the CBP to better allocate cost reductions, the border protection service is still suffering from manpower reductions and a reduction in overtime authorizations. You will most likely have longer border wait times at all ports including land crossings, airports, and ferries.

Original Article

U.S. budget problems have the potential to severely impact border operations – particularly during heavy travel periods such as summertime.  The “sequestration” process that went into effect March 1, 2013, could lead to the loss of several thousand Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at ports of entry across the U.S.   There would also be significant cuts to operating budgets and numerous programs.

What Will be the Impact of these Budget Cuts?

It is too soon to know exactly what the impact of the budget cuts will be.  In addition, the U.S. Congress is proposing bills that would give some of the money back so the true impact won’t be clear for several months.   However, if the cuts do go through, you can expect the following:

  • Significantly longer border wait times for vehicles at land ports, airline passengers, and even pedestrians crossing the border.
  • Longer cargo processing times at all ports.
  • Possibly reduced hours of service at some ports.
  • Longer approval times on new trusted traveler applications.

In general, nothing will go away.  The CBP will continue to police the border, trusted traveler programs will remain in place, cargo will be inspected, and taxes and duties collected.  However, all of those things could take a lot longer to accomplish, and your wait to cross the border could grow substantially.