Intercom at border for convenience
YOU ASK. WE ANSWER.
Q: My husband and I travel across the border at the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie frequently, as we have property in the Finger Lakes. More often than not, recently, there appears to be no one at the Nexus lane booth upon our return back into Canada. We scan our
Nexus cards as usual and upon approaching the booth, the door is closed and there is a voice asking us the typical questions ( how long away? anything to declare? etc). There is a closed circuit camera and someone is obviously asking questions. Is this Canada Border Services Agency function being performed remotely now for some reason?
A: A remotely- operated system called NEXUS eGate is set up at the Peace Bridge to allow drivers with a NEXUS pass to cross the international border 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Fort Erie bridge is the only land border crossing in Niagara with the NEXUS eGate service, or electronic gate.
NEXUS is a program run jointly by Canada Border Services Agency and U. S. Customs and Border Protection to speed up border crossings. It allows pre- approved, low- risk travellers to cross the border quickly using special NEXUS lanes.
CBSA spokeswoman Genevieve Asselin said before eGate was implemented at the Peace Bridge, NEXUS members could use the designated lane from 6 a. m. to 8 p. m. May to September and 8 a. m. to 8 p. m. October to April. Since NEXUS eGate was introduced at the Peace Bridge in May 2014, they can cross any hour of the day.
The NEXUS eGate program allows Canada- bound NEXUS lane privileges to be extended during off- peak hours — those with low- traffic volumes that normally wouldn’t warrant the presence of a border services officer in a dedicated booth.
The eGate lane at the Peace Bridge has an audio/ visual intercom system so a border services officer can do interviews only when someone is crossing. A NEXUS member scans their membership card and the officer conducts the primary interview remotely through the intercom system.
There is another NEXUS lane open to travellers at the Peace Bridge from 3 p. m. to 6 p. m. Monday to Friday in addition to the eGate lane. Q: When the major highway routes ( i. e. 406, QEW) are under construction and/ or repair at various points on route around the St. Catharines area and the region, I notice the lane markings are painted in bright and reflective orange paint to indicate lane shifting or re- routing… I find that this colour and lane indication is very helpful and to say the least, very clearly marked. Why are the lane markings not all done in this colour instead of the usual white that over time is not noticeable to the eye? I think the orange might assist in reducing the likelihood of accidents and improper lane changes that is prevalent with todays drivers.
A: Orange is bright and visible, which is part of the reason it’s used in construction zones.
The Ministry of Transportation says the temporary fluorescent orange lane markings minimize the probability of driver confusion while approaching, driving through and exiting a construction zone.
Ministry spokeswoman Valentina Stankovic said the colour itself was chosen because it correlates with existing construction signs and devices. The ministry restricts the use of the orange colour as a result and it can only be used in construction zones on divided multi- lane roadways only.
That’s not going to change any time soon.
The ministry said guidelines have been developed over time to ensure consistency in pavement markings across the province for motorists. Those guidelines are consistent with all other jurisdictions in North America, along with the majority of countries throughout the world.
However, Stankovic said traffic safety for all motorists remains a top priority and the ministry is evaluating the latest developments in pavement marking materials — both temporary and permanent — and application techniques. That’s why it tests pavement markings, especially at night and under both dry and wet conditions, to ensure the markings retain colour and retro- reflectivity.
There is an established hierarchy of pavement marking colours — yellow to delineate the separation of traffic flow in opposing directions and white to delineate the separation of traffic flow in the same direction. White is also used for crosswalk lines, stop bars and symbols on the pavement.