Binational Relations Programs

Western Hemisphere

Mexico

The Office of International Programs collaborates on government-to-government initiatives with the Ministry of Communication and Transportation of Mexico (SCT), U.S. and Mexican border states, the FHWA Office of Planning, Environment and Realty (HEP), and the FHWA Office of Operations (HOP). The program works to provide additional opportunities for technical information exchange among transportation entities and organizations, with a special focus on the U.S.-Mexico border.

These efforts include those sponsored through the Border Technology Exchange Program (BTEP) and the U.S.-Mexico Joint Working Committee (JWC) on Transportation Planning.

The BTEP provides flexibility in helping meet the unique institutional and technical needs in the U.S.-Mexico border region. The program is a collaboration among local, state, and federal transportation entities and academia in undertaking activities related to training, technology transfer, and information exchange for transportation professionals. Its serves to increase communication, coordination, harmonization, and technical information exchange among transportation entities and organizations on the U.S.-Mexico border. BTEP is implemented in conjunction with the U.S.-Mexico JWC on Transportation Planning and in support of the committee’s work-plan activities.

State departments of transportation in each of the four U.S. states bordering Mexico (Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas) participate in BTEP and focus on activities that facilitate the safe, efficient, and secure movement of people and goods, with emphasis on safety, congestion mitigation, and environmental stewardship. For example, several workshops on transportation incident management have been conducted along the border with more than 1,000 Mexican participants. Workshops have also taken place on the geographic information system.