Mexico's screening of cars headed south across the U.S. Mexico border into Tijuana is snarling traffic on San Ysidro streets and on freeways in the South Bay. It can take an hour and a half to cross into Tijuana during peak hours.
Long waits are nearly synonymous with crossing the border north from Tijuana to San Diego. Waiting twenty minutes or more to cross south into Tijuana is also becoming customary.
The back up begins around three in the afternoon and doesn't go down some evenings until after nine.
Ben Hueso, who represents San Ysidro on the San Diego City Council, said Mexico has the right to screen cars for national security, but its causing economic and environmental problems.
"Our freeways weren't designed to have vehicles backed up two miles from the border," he said. "Traffic gridlock on the neighborhood streets of San Ysidro have been bad for the economy and it has effected our ability to respond to fires in high traffic situations."
Mexico has delayed fully launching southbound screening at the San Ysidro crossing. Customs agents stop all cars for a few seconds but inspect a small percentage.
