Otay Mesa, Calif. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials announced today that the vehicle Ready Lanes at the Otay Mesa port of entry will now be open 24 hours a day, seven days per week, starting Sunday, Jan 27.
"We are opening the Ready Lanes at Otay Mesa border crossing 24 hours per day in response to increased demand, and hope that these shorter wait times will continue to persuade others to obtain an RFID-enabled travel document," said Pete Flores, director of field operations in San Diego. "With more travelers using these documents, coupled with traffic optimization at the port of entry, we are ensuring travelers experience better efficiency through quicker processing times.
Previously, the Ready Lane was open 4 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to midnight on the weekends.
At the Otay Mesa port of entry, 48 percent of all vehicle traffic uses the Ready Lanes, and 21 percent use the SENTRI lanes. The Ready Lanes are about 19 percent faster than the general lanes. In essence, travelers utilizing the Ready Lane will experience a shorter wait time.
At the Port of San Ysidro, 26 percent of all vehicle traffic use the Ready Lanes, 39 percent use the SENTRI lanes. The Ready Lanes are about 20 percent faster than the general lanes.
The Ready Lane is a lane for vehicle traffic that only accepts RFID-enabled cards. In order to use this dedicated lane, all adult passengers in the vehicle over the age of 16 must present an approved travel card. The U.S. Passport Card, SENTRI card, the new Legal Permanent Resident "green card" and the new Border Crossing Card are all RFID-enabled documents.
Travelers may also consult CBP.gov to monitor border wait times. Information is updated hourly and is useful in planning trips and identifying periods of light usage and or shorter waits. For more information, please visit the CBP Web site. (CBP Border Wait Times)
Travelers may also monitor wait time information hourly for the San Ysidro border station by calling (619) 690-8999, for the Otay Mesa border station by calling (619) 671-8999 and for the Tecate border station by calling (619) 938-8300.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.