Cross-Border Travellers Encouraged To Get Nexus Passes

NAL nexus,

Niagara At Large is posting the following March 1 media release for our readers on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.

BUFFALO, NY/FORT ERIE, ON– Today the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority (PBA) and Niagara Falls Bridge Commission (NFBC) – in conjunction with respective Canadian and American Customs agencies, as well as numerous community groups, regional organizations, and area attractions – announced a new marketing campaign to educate Western New York and Southern Ontario residents on the ease of border travel through enrollment in the NEXUS program and proper use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.

You can wait and wait at a border bridge crossing in the lines to the right or apply and receive a NEXUS card and sail through the clear NEXUS booth at left.

“Our region already has more combined NEXUS and Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) registrations than any other location along the Can-Am border,” said PBA General Manager Ron Rienas. “However, our outreach work is far from over. By educating additional residents on the benefits of these programs, we can ensure even faster border travel for motorists, and also reduce congestion on area bridge crossings.”

“The focus of our renewed marketing effort is to encourage enrollment in the NEXUS program for those who frequently cross between Canada and the United States,” said

NFBC General Manager Lew Holloway. “And we also want to get more Enhanced Driver’s Licenses in the hands of occasional bridge users, so that available RFID readers can be better utilized, and thereby foster expedited Customs processing.”

Bridge authorities encouraging cross-border travellers to get NEXUS cards.

The marketing campaign is set to commence immediately and will run through the remainder of the calendar year. Included in the plan are various components to engage residents, answer questions, provide enrollment information, and highlight the advantages of NEXUS and EDL participation. A series of outreach tools has also been created to assist border travel “ambassadors” in their efforts to promote enrollment.

2012 marketing plan highlights include:

 Creation of the http://www.NEXUSniagara.com webpage.

 Downloadable brochures, posters, and enrollment checklists.

 Available web buttons for placement on respective “ambassador” websites.

 Flyer distribution at Buffalo Niagara border crossings and select venues.

 NEXUS information display placement at area businesses and attractions.

 Promotional contests, social media outreach, and web video promotion.

 Public service announcements (PSAs) and digital display advertisements at bridge crossings and local DMV locations.

As part of the NEXUS Niagara effort, various operational improvements have also been implemented to help maximize the program’s benefits and availability to the traveling public. Such improvements include the regular expansion of a second NEXUS lane at the Peace Bridge Canadian Customs plaza during daily commuter hours, a substantial increase in overall applicant interview slots at the Fort Erie enrollment center, extended lane hours following all Buffalo Sabres home games, and special processing lines at select Canadian airports for domestic travel and flights to the United States.

The NEXUS program was first piloted in the year 2000 and reached widespread implementation just three years later. This initiative now includes over 650,000 trusted traveler enrollees throughout North America. Various states and provinces also issue EDLs, including New York, Michigan, Ontario, and Washington, amongst others. Of these issuers, Erie County remains at the forefront with EDL registration of over 145,000 participants.

 NEXUS is a bi-national program jointly administered by Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for low-risk, pre-approved travelers into Canada and the United States. EDLs are considered optional travel documents issued by individual states that double as a driver’s license, and they are currently accepted as passport alternatives for all land and sea travel between the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean. In New York an EDL is valid for 8 years, the same timeframe as a regular driver’s license. In Ontario an EDL is valid for 5 years, the same timeframe as a regular driver’s license.

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