From the Border Report #3

On the border delegation in the San Diego area, I’ve also learned the following:

-The median age in San Diego is 33, while Tijuana’s is 24.8. The per capita income (2000) in San Diego was $33,833; in Tijuana, $9,812. The poverty rate in San Diego: 12.4%; in Tijuana: 18.4%. The population in San Diego and Tijuana is about the same: 1.3 million.

-Over 60 million vehicles cross the San Diego County/Baja California borders annually in both directions. Over half of these trips are shopping or recreational grips. Anther 10 million are trips made for work purposes. Over 90% of these trips are local trips as they originate or finish in San Diego County or Tijuana/Tecate region. These cross-border movements generate significant revenues to retail, hotel and lodging, and recreation sectors on both sides of the border. Increasing congesstion and delays, however, may constrain the growth of cross-border trip-making and result in output and employment losses.

-At today’s level of delay at the border (about 45-50 minutes daily average  based on the survey of respondents), over 30,000 jobs (1.7% of total employment) and $2.3 billion of output (1.2% of total output) are lost in San Diego County. Most losses occur in the retail sector. In Baja California, nearly 1,500 jobs (0.1%) and $0.2 billion of output are lost (1.1%). Most losses occur in the food and lodging sector. The impaired movement of workers reduces spending and productivity on both sides of the border. In ten years, the expected wait time will rise to 76 minutes, generating significantly larger losses.

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