Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer held a news conference last December to press for creation of a pre-clearance processing center that would allow returning Americans to clear customs on the Canadian side of the bridge, an idea he has promoted for several years.
The Editorial Board: Technology holds the key to solving traffic congestion on Peace Bridge | Editorial
Schumer held a virtual meeting with the incoming secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, to press the case for pre-clearance.
Higgins also has met with Mayorkas, touring the Peace Bridge with him in 2015, when Mayorkas was deputy director for Homeland Security.
“He knows the issues very well,” Higgins said.
The pre-clearance idea could expedite traffic on the U.S. side, though it’s complicated by the need to work out logistics with Canadian customs officials. Schumer stressed the advantages of using new technology on the Canadian side.
“You identify the driver, the freight, scan everything, so that by the time the truck actually does get to the U.S. side, the paperwork is done,” he said.
Higgins wants the new technology used on both sides, “the entire footprint.”
“We are using old, obsolete technology on the U.S. side,” Higgins said. “We need to invest in new technology and make improvements on both sides. Then people will see less congestion and better air quality.”
Gloss