October 18, 2022
Contact: Sam Taylor
512-463-6116
Secretary Scott and El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser
kick off the Border Trade Advisory Committee (BTAC)
meeting in El Paso, Office of the Texas Secretary
of State, 10/18/2022
U.S. Senator John Cornyn addresses Border Trade
Advisory Committee (BTAC) members in El Paso,
Office of the Texas Secretary of State, 10/18/2022
(Members of the Border Trade Advisory Committee
(BTAC) convene in El Paso, Office of the Texas
Secretary of State, 10/18/2022)
EL PASO — Texas Secretary of State John Scott today convened the third Border Trade Advisory Committee (BTAC) meeting of 2022 with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), along with public and private sec tor stakeholders from throughout the Texas-Mexico border region. BTAC members identify transportation infrastructure challenges impacting trade between Texas and Mexico, and work collaboratively to develop potential solutions to enhance efficiency and safety of commercial traffic at Texas’ 28 land ports of entry.
U.S. Senator John Cornyn also joined the BTAC meeting to provide an update on federal legislation impacting cross-border transportation infrastructure and funding to support local governmental entities across the border region in Texas. El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser, State Representative Eddie Morales (Eagle Pass), State Representative Lina Ortega (El Paso), and Mexican Consul General in El Paso Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de León also attended today’s BTAC meeting.
During the Committee meeting – which was held in El Paso for the first time in more than 5 years – Secretary Scott and BTAC members received updates on several border transportation infrastructure projects and studies, including:
Implementation of the Texas Border Transportation Master Plan (BTMP) (PDF);
A Final Draft Report on potential impacts of automated driving systems, as required by SB 1308 (PDF) passed during the 2021 Legislative Session;
Final Report on the I-10 and I-20 Corridor Study;
The Texas Freight Mobility Plan;
El Paso Region Border-related Technology Projects; and
Autonomous Truck Deployment and Operation in Texas
“The El Paso region is and has always been crucial to our state’s economy, and is a key player in our growing and robust cross-border trade with Mexico,” Secretary Scott said.
“I would like to thank Mayor Leeser and the City of El Paso for being gracious enough to host today’s BTAC meeting, and applaud the fantastic work of TxDOT for working to advance so many critical projects to enhance our border trade infrastructure. We also extend a special thanks to Senator Cornyn for joining us today to affirm the strong partnership between the federal government, the State of Texas and all of our local communities throughout the border region and beyond.”
Learn more about the Border Trade Advisory Committee (BTAC).
Learn more about the Texas Border & Mexican Affairs division of the Texas Secretary of State’s office.
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