With the mayors of San Diego and Tijuana cutting the ribbon, a new pedestrian crossing capable of handling 25,000 people daily and ending hours-long waits opened Friday at San Ysidro.
“One cannot exaggerate the significance of the largest-ever pedestrian expansion to the busiest land border crossing in the Western Hemisphere,” said Denise Turner Roth, administrator of the General Services Administration.
The new “PedWest” crossing is a 22,300 square foot facility on the west side of the port with twelve northbound lanes and two reversible lanes. It’s a short walk to nearby public transportation, with shuttle buses connecting to the San Diego trolley.
A second pedestrian processing facility is planned for the east side as part of a $741 million renovation of the crossing that will be completed in 2019.
“Management of land ports of entry is one of the General Services Administration’s most important missions,” said Roth. “These facilities are a crucial strategic national investment, helping secure our borders, and contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to the American economy.”
The opening was attended by San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Tijuana Mayor Jorge Astiazaran, Mexican Ambassador Carlos Manuel Sada Solana and American Ambassador Roberta Jacobson.
“Our status as a border city is one of our greatest strengths,” said Faulconer. “Being able to cross the border safely and efficiently is key to growing economic opportunities in the San Diego-Tijuana mega-region, which why I am proud of the progress that has been made on PedWest and the Virginia Avenue Transit Center.”
The San Ysidro Land Port of Entry currently handles an average of 70,000 northbound vehicle passengers and 20,000 northbound pedestrians daily.
