Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Political Science Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 56

Full-Text Articles in Political Science

Is There A Future For Arrivecan At The Land Border?, Andrzej Jakubowski, Laurie D. Trautman Oct 2022

Is There A Future For Arrivecan At The Land Border?, Andrzej Jakubowski, Laurie D. Trautman

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the introduction of a number of restrictions as governments around the world sought to implement border management tools that could protect public health. One such example was the ArriveCAN app, introduced by the Government of Canada in November 2020. This advanced data submission tool aimed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by ensuring arrivals were vaccinated and by facilitating contact tracing. This Border Policy Brief provides a summary of the nearly two-year use of ArriveCAN as a border management tool during the pandemic. We consider its impact on passenger flows through the …


Nevada Economic Development And Public Policy 2022-2026: A Sustainable Future For All Nevadans, The Lincy Institute, Brookings Mountain West May 2022

Nevada Economic Development And Public Policy 2022-2026: A Sustainable Future For All Nevadans, The Lincy Institute, Brookings Mountain West

Policy Briefs and Reports

This report evaluates economic development efforts in the State of Nevada since the 2011 publication of Unify, Regionalize, Diversify: An Economic Development Agenda for Nevada; assesses demographic and economic trends for Nevada and its regions; examines how state and federal actions since the onset of COVID-19 can position Nevada and its regions to address long-standing economic, educational, and social deficits; and offers policy recommendations to be implemented in the next four years to facilitate a sustainable future for all Nevadans.


Regional Cross-Border Collaboration Between The U.S. & Canada, Border Policy Research Institute Oct 2018

Regional Cross-Border Collaboration Between The U.S. & Canada, Border Policy Research Institute

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

On October 24th, 2018, the BPRI hosted a one-day forum to assess the state of cross-border collaboration between British Columbia and Washington State. The forum brought together regional experts from government, academia, and private industry to discuss the successes, barriers, and opportunities for cross-border collaboration across three ‘sectors’: transportation/infrastructure, business/economics, and the environment (see sidebar). U.S. Congressman Rick Larsen provided opening remarks about the region and Canadian Coast Guard Regional Director Brian Wooton gave a keynote address on collaboration in the marine environment. This Border Policy Brief highlights some of the findings from the forum, which illustrate the need for …


Land-Based Freight Flows Between The Us And Its Nafta Neighbors, Border Policy Research Institute Jan 2016

Land-Based Freight Flows Between The Us And Its Nafta Neighbors, Border Policy Research Institute

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

This Brief provides an overview of the flow of goods between the U.S. and its two NAFTA neighbors, Canada and Mexico. For the U.S., the value and composition of freight that flows between its northern and southern borders varies significantly by port and region, and this variety inevitably has implications for border management policies and infrastructure investment needs. By providing an overview of the economic geography of the U.S.’s land-based trade with its NAFTA partners, this Brief seeks to inform decisions about border management and infrastructure investment, while also illustrating the value of cross-border trade to the U.S. economy.


Exchange Rates, Border Crossings, And Retail Sales In The Cascade Gateway, Border Policy Research Institute Jan 2016

Exchange Rates, Border Crossings, And Retail Sales In The Cascade Gateway, Border Policy Research Institute

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

One year ago, BPRI published a Border Brief analyzing the relationship between the Canada – U.S. exchange rate and crossing volumes in the Cascade Gateway (see Winter 2015 Border Brief). At that time, the decline in the value of the Canadian Dollar (CAD), which began significantly in mid-2013, had already influenced the volume of cross-border travel in the region and has continued to do so since. This Border Brief updates our previous analysis, and goes beyond crossing volumes to consider the economic impacts associated with the continued drop in Canadian cross-border travelers.


Washington State's Economy In Relation To Canada And The Border, Paul Storer, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson, Laurie Trautman Jan 2015

Washington State's Economy In Relation To Canada And The Border, Paul Storer, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson, Laurie Trautman

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

Economic ties have spanned the contemporary border between Washington State and Canada for as long as the Pacific Northwest has been inhabited. The native peoples of North America interacted across the border for centuries prior to the arrival of European explorers. In the early 19th century, the major regional European economic entity was the Hudson’s Bay Company. The fur-trading operations of this British-chartered corporation took place throughout its “Columbia Department” (a region that straddled the modern Canada – U.S. border), with outposts at locations such as Fort Vancouver and Fort Nisqually. The contemporary border dates from 1846, when the 49th …


A Business Case For Increasing Rfid At The Canada - Us Land Border, Border Policy Research Institute Jan 2015

A Business Case For Increasing Rfid At The Canada - Us Land Border, Border Policy Research Institute

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

This business case presents results-to-date of ongoing work by the Whatcom Council of Governments (WCOG) and the Border Policy Research Institute (BPRI) to investigate the benefits and costs of significantly increasing the portion of cross-border traffic using radio frequency identification (RFID). Before reviewing the analysis, it is useful to review the current policy context as well as some details about travel documents and U.S.-Canada cross-border traffic operations.


Implications Of Trade Trends Upon Canada-Us Border Infrastructure, Border Policy Research Institute Jan 2014

Implications Of Trade Trends Upon Canada-Us Border Infrastructure, Border Policy Research Institute

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

The transportation and inspection agencies that build and operate border infrastructure are engaged in a constant process of facility planning, wrestling with decisions about where to invest limited resources. The existing situation at a facility is obviously influential—e.g., traffic volumes in excess of a facility’s capacity; subpar workplace conditions; excessive maintenance costs for a decrepit facility. But equally important is the need to consider future conditions, such as the traffic forecast. This article discusses the volume of trade forecasted to occur at eight major ports-of-entry (POEs) along the Canada – U.S. border.


Pilot Project: Using Rfid To Reduce Border Queues, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson Jan 2014

Pilot Project: Using Rfid To Reduce Border Queues, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

Since 9/11, about $500 million has been spent on border infrastructure in the Cascade Gateway region, including new port facilities, improvements to approaching highways, and deployments of technologies such as wait-time systems. Yet there frequently are queues in excess of 60 minutes for the many travelers who are not enrolled in NEXUS (a program that provides trusted travelers with access to a dedicated highway lane). While regional stakeholders know that queues would be far worse in the absence of past investments, efforts are continually underway to improve border mobility. Greater usage of RFID-enabled documents is a proven method of bolstering …


2013/14 Imtc Passenger Vehicle Survey: Project Organization & Report Of Findings, Border Policy Research Institute Jan 2014

2013/14 Imtc Passenger Vehicle Survey: Project Organization & Report Of Findings, Border Policy Research Institute

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

For the IMTC passenger vehicle survey, the notion of a "cross-border trip" is not as rigid a definition of "trip" as typically used in traffic modeling. While basic origin and destination data was collected here, our purpose was not to obtain a trip diary from our respondents that would account for intermediary stops. Our interests were in the primary destination a traveler had when they left their residence and headed across the border.


An Assessment Of Future Bilateral Trade Flows And Their Implications For U.S. Border Infrastructure Investment, Steven Globerman, Paul Storer Jan 2014

An Assessment Of Future Bilateral Trade Flows And Their Implications For U.S. Border Infrastructure Investment, Steven Globerman, Paul Storer

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

There are frequent calls for investment in border infrastructure given security-related delays and transportation bottlenecks associated with physical infrastructure described as outdated and inadequate. Given the potentially large investment expenditures needed to expand inspection and transportation infrastructure at border crossing sites, as well as the irreversibility of many of the investments that might need to be made, it is important that government decision-makers base spending choices on highly-informed forward-looking projections of capacity demands on traffic corridors through which bilateral commercial shipments are likely to travel.


Canadians Shopping In Northwest Washington, Border Policy Research Institute Jan 2013

Canadians Shopping In Northwest Washington, Border Policy Research Institute

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

In March 2013 the BPRI began a long-term study of the behavior of Canadian cross-border shoppers. The main goal of the study is to provide data with which to analyze the economic impacts of changes in factors that might influence cross-border shopping—changes such as a decline in the exchange rate, or a revision of sales taxes or duty-free limits.


The Wait-Time System At The Cascade Gateway, Border Policy Research Institute Jan 2013

The Wait-Time System At The Cascade Gateway, Border Policy Research Institute

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

In December 2011 the governments of Canada and the U.S. published the Beyond the Border (BTB) Action Plan, which includes an objective of installing border wait-time (BWT) measurement systems at the 20 busiest land-border crossings by the end of 2014. The BTB plan is not the first instance of federal interest in BWT systems: a BWT Working Group was established in 2008 as a joint initiative of Transport Canada, CBSA, USCBP, and FHWA, and that group investigated the merits of various BWT measurement technologies. Upon creation of the bi-national BTB framework, the task of the working group was absorbed into …


The Pre-Inspection Pilot Test At Blaine: Field Data, Border Policy Research Institute Jan 2013

The Pre-Inspection Pilot Test At Blaine: Field Data, Border Policy Research Institute

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

The Beyond the Border Action Plan called for USCBP to implement “a truck cargo facilitation pilot project in at least one location in Canada,” and agencies settled upon a twophase approach, as described in the left sidebar. USCBP invited our institute to gather field data in Blaine during the phase 1 pilot.


Washington Connecting To Canada: Flow Of Goods, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson, Ian Faulds Jan 2013

Washington Connecting To Canada: Flow Of Goods, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson, Ian Faulds

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

There is a dense web of connections between the state of Washington and its northern neighbor, Canada. This article catalogs the transportation modes that connect the two and then explores the way in which goods flow between Washington and Canada across and through those connections. As seen in the sidebar figure, Canada is the 3rd -ranked destination of Washington’s exports and the largest source (by far) of imports. The conveyance of goods between these trade partners is of vital interest to both, so the methods of conveyance deserve some attention. A future issue of the Border Policy Brief will examine …


2013/14 Imtc Passenger Vehicle Survey: Report Of Interim Findings, Border Policy Research Institute Jan 2013

2013/14 Imtc Passenger Vehicle Survey: Report Of Interim Findings, Border Policy Research Institute

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

The 2013/14 passenger vehicle survey consists of a questionnaire administered to cross-border personal vehicles at five land border ports-of-entry between Western Washington State and Lower Mainland British Columbia – commonly referred to as the Cascade Gateway. The project is advanced by the International Mobility and Trade Corridor Program (IMTC) and is the third such survey undertaken by this regional cross-border planning coalition since 2000. This report outlines the organization of the project and summarizes high level findings from the summer and winter interviews conducted in July 2013 and February 2014, respectively.


Evaluation Of Commercial Pre-Inspection Pilot Test - Blaine, Wa, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson, Hugh Conroy Jan 2013

Evaluation Of Commercial Pre-Inspection Pilot Test - Blaine, Wa, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson, Hugh Conroy

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) is pilot-testing the operation of a commercial primary inspection booth on Canadian soil. The pilot test is occurring at the Pacific Highway port-of-entry in Blaine, WA. In past years, the Border Policy Research Institute (BPRI) has partnered with the Whatcom Council of Governments (WCOG) to collect extensive datasets at Pacific Highway, including metrics such as the average dwell-time of a truck at a primary booth and the average wait-time in the queue.


Is Rfid The Answer To Resurgent Border Traffic?, Border Policy Research Institute Jan 2012

Is Rfid The Answer To Resurgent Border Traffic?, Border Policy Research Institute

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

With respect to cross-border passenger travel at Blaine, Washington (the I-5 corridor), two things were evident in the aftermath of 9/11—the volume of travel dropped dramatically, and the at-booth inspection process became more time-consuming. The combined effect was that wait-times remained roughly comparable to what existed pre-9/11, despite traffic volumes that were 25 percent lower. The constant worry, though, was “How will we cope when traffic volumes climb?” For eight years regional stakeholders pursued initiatives intended to reduce wait-times, even as traffic volumes languished at an average volume of about 215,000 cars per month. The tail end of that eight-year …


The "Beyond The Border" Dialogue At Age One: Policy And Political Implications For The Pacific Northwest, Border Policy Research Institute Jan 2012

The "Beyond The Border" Dialogue At Age One: Policy And Political Implications For The Pacific Northwest, Border Policy Research Institute

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

On February 4, 2011, President Obama and Prime Minister Harper issued the "Beyond the Border" (BTB) Declaration, announcing a new initiative regarding management of the Canada – US border. The Declaration contemplated the creation of an Action Plan, which was released on December 7, 2011. The goal of this seminar was to examine the Action Plan and assess its implications and impact on Canada-US border management going forward.


2012 Evaluation Of Mobility At The Pacific Highway Truck Crossing, Southbound, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson Jan 2012

2012 Evaluation Of Mobility At The Pacific Highway Truck Crossing, Southbound, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

A multi-year effort has been underway to improve the mobility of trucks traveling southbound through the Pacific Highway border crossing in Blaine, Washington. The effort grew out of CVO (commercial vehicle operations) studies undertaken by the Whatcom Council of Governments (WCOG) in collaboration with the Border Policy Research Institute (BPRI). The impetus for the studies was the truck congestion and delay evidenced at Pacific Highway in the mid 2000s.


Regional Freight Capacity Management: Free And Secure Trade (Fast) Program Optimization At The Pacific Highway, Northbound Crossing, Mark (Mark Christopher) Springer Jan 2012

Regional Freight Capacity Management: Free And Secure Trade (Fast) Program Optimization At The Pacific Highway, Northbound Crossing, Mark (Mark Christopher) Springer

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

This study is the latest in a series of studies examining issues with and possible enhancements to the FAST program at the Pacific Highway Crossing (PHC) in Blaine, WA. The FAST, or Free and Secure Trade program (USCBP, 2005), was designed to increase the security of commercial freight crossing the Canada – U.S. border. To qualify for FAST, carriers, drivers, and shippers are required to follow certain security procedures which aim to enhance the safety and security of supply chains. In the "model" configuration, FAST-qualified trucks are then allowed to use a dedicated approach lane and inspection booth, thus minimizing …


Testing A Reconfiguration Of Fast At The Blaine Poe, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson Jan 2011

Testing A Reconfiguration Of Fast At The Blaine Poe, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

In prior articles we have described problems with efficacy of the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) trusted-shipper program at the Blaine, Washington, port-of-entry (POE). At Blaine, state and provincial transportation agencies invested in the construction of highway lanes dedicated to FAST trucks, but there has been relatively light usage of those lanes. In a 2009 field study we found that 23 percent of southbound trucks and just 2 percent of northbound trucks used the FAST lanes. Of the southbound FAST traffic, 73 percent of the trucks were empty. Southbound, the FAST lane seems primarily to be a rapid path by …


Advancing Program Symmetry For Us-Canada Investment In Cross-Border Transportation, Hugh Conroy Jan 2011

Advancing Program Symmetry For Us-Canada Investment In Cross-Border Transportation, Hugh Conroy

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

Reviewing the 17 years since the enactment of NAFTA, the U.S. and Canada have undertaken many initiatives to improve cross-border connections. While the range of issues that receive dedicated treatment is broad, this article focuses on crossborder transportation. Since NAFTA, both countries have set up multi-year federal investment programs for cross-border transportation – the U.S. Coordinated Border Infrastructure Program (CBI) in 1998 and the Canadian Border Infrastructure Fund (BIF) in 2002. In 2000, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and Transport Canada (TC) signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) on transportation issues which led to the creation of the U.S.-Canada …


Eliminating The Fast Lane At The Pacific Highway Crossing: Results Of A Pilot Project, Mark (Mark Christopher) Springer Jan 2011

Eliminating The Fast Lane At The Pacific Highway Crossing: Results Of A Pilot Project, Mark (Mark Christopher) Springer

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

A 2010 study of the Southbound Pacific Highway Crossing (PHC) focused on alternative configurations for an under-utilized approach lane and inspection booth (Springer, 2010). At the time of the study, both the lane and the booth were restricted to enrollees in the FAST, or Free and Secure Trade, program (USCBP, 2005). The FAST program was designed to encourage members of the trucking industry to increase freight security by rewarding qualifying participants with shorter travel times. To qualify for FAST, carriers, drivers, and shippers are required to follow certain security procedures which enhance the safety and security of the border. Trucks …


Cross-Border Freight Flows At The Two Land Borders, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson, Austin Rose Jan 2011

Cross-Border Freight Flows At The Two Land Borders, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson, Austin Rose

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

This article provides an overview of the flow of goods between the U.S. and its two NAFTA neighbors, Canada and Mexico. It is the job of border agencies to facilitate these flows, and this article seeks to explain some aspects of the scope of the job. There is much regional variation in the volume and composition of freight flows, and this variety inevitably has implications for border management policies.


Advancing U.S.-Canada Border Transportation Planning And Programming, Hugh Conroy Jan 2011

Advancing U.S.-Canada Border Transportation Planning And Programming, Hugh Conroy

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

Since NAFTA, the United States and Canada have initiated programs to address cross-border transportation and anticipated increases in North American trade and travel. In 1999, The United States, through its multi-year transportation authorization act, began the Coordinated Border Infrastructure Program (CBI). This program, focused on border transportation investments, also established federal support for regional, binational planning coalitions. In 2000, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater and Canadian Minister of Transportation David Collenette signed a memorandum of cooperation to collaborate on transportation issues of mutual interest. This quickly led to the formation of the U.S.-Canada Transportation Border Working Group (TBWG) in …


Seminar Proceedings: Perimeter Security And The Beyond The Border Dialogue: Perspectives From The Pnw-Western Canada Region: Special Report, Border Policy Research Institute Jan 2011

Seminar Proceedings: Perimeter Security And The Beyond The Border Dialogue: Perspectives From The Pnw-Western Canada Region: Special Report, Border Policy Research Institute

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

The Harper-Obama Washington Declaration of February 4, 2011 stated: "to preserve and extend the benefits our close relationship has helped bring Canadians and Americans alike, we intend to pursue a perimeter approach to security, working together within, at, and away from the borders of our two countries to enhance our security and accelerate the legitimate flow of people, goods, and services between our two countries." As of June, 2011, there were no details on what "perimeter security" might look like. What was clear is that whatever form it takes will likely depend on the Ottawa and Washington, DC intergovernmental Beyond …


Field Observations Of Northbound Truck Traffic At Pacific Highway, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson, Susannah Edwards, Yijun Zhang Jan 2011

Field Observations Of Northbound Truck Traffic At Pacific Highway, David L. (David Lindsay) Davidson, Susannah Edwards, Yijun Zhang

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

This report pertains to a field project designed to collect data suitable for development of a simulation model of commercial vehicle operations (CVO) in the northbound direction at the Pacific Highway border crossing in Blaine, Washington. The project complements a recently completed effort that generated similar data for trucks moving southbound at Pacific Highway.


2011 Pacific Highway Southbound Fast Lane Study: Final Report, Border Policy Research Institute Jan 2011

2011 Pacific Highway Southbound Fast Lane Study: Final Report, Border Policy Research Institute

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

In the spring of 2011, a pilot test was conducted at the U.S. commercial port of entry (POE) at Blaine, Washington. The test was designed to determine whether a reconfiguration of operations at the POE would lead to improved southbound freight mobility. This report documents the methods and results of the pilot test.


Eliminating The Fast Lane At The Pacific Highway Crossing: A Simulation Analysis, Mark (Mark Christopher) Springer Jan 2011

Eliminating The Fast Lane At The Pacific Highway Crossing: A Simulation Analysis, Mark (Mark Christopher) Springer

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

A recent study by Springer (2011) analyzed the results of a 2011 pilot project at the Southbound Pacific Highway Crossing (PHC) for commercial freight traffic. The goal of the study was to gauge the impact of opening the FAST booth, which was restricted to enrollees in the FAST, or Free and Secure Trade program (USCBP, 2005), to general purpose (GP) commercial freight traffic. To qualify for FAST, carriers, drivers, and shippers are required to follow certain security procedures which enhance the safety and security of the border. Trucks enrolled in FAST were then allowed to use the dedicated lane and …