September 13, 2003

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta today announced $46.7 million in grants to help ensure the safe operation of Mexican commercial motor vehicles that operate in the United States and to help improve traffic flow at U.S.-Mexico border crossings. The funds will be used to build and improve safety inspection facilities and will be distributed to the border states - Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas.

"The Bush administration is committed to expeditiously implementing the truck and bus provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) along our southern border, and these grants will help ensure the safety of Mexican trucks as they begin to operate in the United States," Secretary Mineta said. "These funds will help improve traffic flow and ensure the safety of motorists."

Of the $46.7 million, $6 million will be awarded to Arizona; $7.3 million to California; $2 million to New Mexico; and $31.4 million to Texas.

The objective of the requirement in the border infrastructure program for construction of state border safety inspection facilities at the United States/Mexico border is twofold: the safe operation of Mexico-domiciled commercial motor vehicles operating in the United States and improved traffic flow at border crossings in the four border states. Construction and improvements to these facilities in the four states will increase the number of commercial motor vehicle inspections that can be conducted at the border.

The program is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) initiative under which the federal government contributes 100 percent of the project cost. FHWA is the administering agency for these funds.

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