While previous studies have estimated border delay costs at specific locations or for limited vehicle types, there has been a lack of comprehensive, U. S. -wide tools that integrate multiple data sources to quantify direct economic impacts for both commercial and passenger vehicles. This study presents the findings of the Direct Cost Estimation Tool (DCET), a comprehensive framework for quantifying the direct economic impact of delays at U. S. land ports of entry. The research integrates multiple data sources to calculate delay costs for both commercial and passenger vehicles at 49 major border crossings. The methodology employs an approach that considers commodity-specific costs for commercial vehicles and value of time calculations for passenger drivers and passengers. Using 2024 data, the analysis reveals that, for U. S. -bound traffic at the selected crossings, border delays cost more than 1. 5 billion annually, with 337 million attributed to commercial vehicles and 1. 25 billion to privately owned vehicles. California experienced the highest passenger delay costs (58% of the national total), while Texas accounted for the largest share of commercial vehicle delay costs (61%). DCET serves as a valuable decision support tool for transportation planners, policymakers, carriers, and shippers to evaluate infrastructure investments and operational improvements at international border crossings. By quantifying these costs, stakeholders can better understand the economic implications of border inefficiencies and make data-driven decisions to enhance cross-border transportation.
Madrid et al. (Tue,) studied this question.