Bridge of the Americas toll idea faces Chamizal Treaty of 1964 - El Paso Times
EL PASO — It’s a long shot, but the busiest international bridge between El Paso and Juárez could start charging commuters.
A government study examining waiting times at ports of entry includes a provision that could impose tolls on pedestrians, cars and commercial vehicles that cross the Bridge of the Americas. It is the only free international bridge within the city.
Starting a toll at the bridge would be complicated and perhaps politically impossible, because it would require a new agreement between Congress and the Mexican federal government. The Chamizal Treaty of 1964 established the bridge as toll-free.
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City officials said they were concerned about prolonged waits at international bridges. But after residents opposed a new bridge, city officials decided to look at how the existing ports of entry could be restructured to speed up cars crossing from Mexico into the U.S.
The study being conducted will look at tolls, bridge expansion, bridge reconfiguration and even the possibility that a new port of entry may be needed.
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[This is why anyone who says “seal the border” sounds completely uninformed to me.]