The biggest problem for those who cross the border daily at the San Ysidro and Otay ports of entry are the long lines, especially when the phone or radio reports say that there’s no waiting time to cross and then you find out that’s not true. With the goal of preventing chaos at the ports of entry, US and Mexican agencies are working on an app that will tell you waiting times in real time.

Carlos González Gutiérrez, Mexico Consul General in San Diego, said:

70% of the people who cross the border at San Ysidro are travelers, i.e., they are people who come and go every day. 40% of them have SENTRI, 30% are Ready Lane, and this is because Tijuana is becoming more and more the place where San Diego residents find affordable housing.

As such, the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) alongside the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and the Mexican government are working together to create a new app which will give users approximate waiting times at the Tijuana and San Diego ports of entry.

This app is currently on its testing period at the San Ysidro and Otay ports of entry and will allow you to know vehicle waiting times from San Diego to Tijuana and vice versa. Monitoring equipment that will update the app will be installed at the entrances and exits to provide data in real time.

SANDAG’s project manager stated:

SANDAG and CALTRANS started requesting permits from Tijuana, the permits were given, and everything is done, and this equipment is going to be delivered to the government of Mexico. We are developing the app, times are being compiled, and we are on a testing period. It is still not open to the public, we are verifying it so that it is accurate.

It is still unknown what the name of this application will be, however, it is expected that it is finished by summer. This plan is part of a strategy to mobilize border crossings between both countries.