Baja California pushes a new CBX pedestrian crossing to San Diego; it still needs U.S. approval

Baja California’s government is trying to move ahead with a new pedestrian crossing tied to Cross Border Xpress (CBX), the cross-border terminal that links Tijuana’s airport with San Diego, but the project still needs the approval of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), San Diego Red and Uniradio Informa reported this week.

The state’s secretary of economy and innovation, Kurt Honold Morales, has met with CBX representatives to present the idea, according to both outlets, and the state says it already has land for the project. The reports differ on where that land is: San Diego Red placed it next to the San Ysidro port of entry, beside the railway tracks, on part of a property belonging to INDAABIN, the federal agency that manages government real estate, while Uniradio said it is near CBX. In September, Grupo Animal described the plan as a toll pedestrian crossing from Tijuana to San Ysidro, in addition to CBX’s current setup.

Uniradio reported that the state’s priority now is an agreement with CBP on how the crossing would operate and how the project’s funds would be managed, after which it would draw up a work plan with the city of Tijuana. Part of the revenue would pay for lighting, cleaning and security around the border area, under a transparency mechanism that has yet to be set up, Uniradio said. San Diego Red said CBP’s approval is also needed to finalize the route travelers would follow.

The plan also has medical travelers in mind: the state will evaluate adding the medical pass to the new crossing, both outlets reported, and San Diego Red said that would mean a fast-track lane for pass holders, to be evaluated with Tijuana’s city government. In September, Grupo Animal reported that the director of Tijuana’s airport, Carlos Francisco Salgado de la Peña, said the project was still at an embryonic stage. No construction schedule, fees or opening date have been announced.

What it means if you cross

• Nothing changes yet: this is a proposal, and today’s crossings work as before.
• For wait times and official links, see our alert kit and our border-crossing guide.