A new pedestrian border connection could be coming to El Chaparral, with the goal of making the trip from Tijuana into San Ysidro faster and more efficient for daily commuters.
Kurt Honold Morales, head of Baja California’s Secretariat of Economy and Innovation, said the project has already received initial approval from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Plans covering the location, infrastructure and security are already underway, although some details regarding pedestrian access still need to be finalized.
The proposed facility would be developed near the railroad tracks, incorporating part of the existing facilities of Mexico’s Institute of Administration and Appraisal of National Assets (Indaabin) into the project.
How the proposed crossing would work
The concept is based on Cross Border Xpress (CBX), the pedestrian border connection at Tijuana International Airport that allows travelers to cross between Mexico and the United States through a dedicated facility.
For the El Chaparral project, officials are waiting for Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP) to approve the investment. GAP acquired Cross Border Xpress.
According to Honold Morales, a similar approach could help streamline pedestrian traffic at the Tijuana-San Ysidro border, particularly for people who make the crossing every day to work in the United States.
Thousands of workers cross every day
The potential impact of the project is tied to the volume of daily pedestrian traffic.
CBP data cited by Honold Morales indicates that approximately 90,000 people who work in the United States cross the border each day. Officials expect a dedicated pedestrian facility to significantly reduce the lines at the crossing.
Transportation is also part of the discussions surrounding the project. Baja California authorities are in talks with Caltrans, California’s Department of Transportation, and Mexico’s Institute of Sustainable Mobility (IMOS) about public transportation connections on both sides of the border.
With the main planning elements already underway, the project now depends on finalizing the pedestrian crossing details and securing the proposed investment.
