Moving Forward: El Paso Mobility Coalition Advances Regional Transportation Priorities | |
The El Paso Mobility Coalition convened for its Q1 meeting at WestStar Tower, bringing together key regional leaders to discuss critical transportation infrastructure and investment priorities for our growing binational community. Texas State Senator Cesar Blanco joined us and offered valuable perspectives on transportation infrastructure, especially those projects that may be advocated for in TxDOT’s upcoming Unified Transportation Program and the 90th legislative session. The TxDOT El Paso District also shared updates about their regional transportation initiatives. Additionally, the Office of Congresswoman Veronica Escobar provided information about community project funding awards focused on transportation, highlighting progress on the Downtown Deck Plaza, the Paso Del Norte Trail, and the Ysleta Port of Entry Engineering Design.
The coalition continues to serve as a vital platform for collaboration among government agencies, elected officials, and community stakeholders working to advance mobility solutions that support El Paso's economic competitiveness and quality of life. From highway improvements and public transit expansion to border infrastructure enhancements, the El Paso Mobility Coalition ensures our region's transportation needs remain at the forefront of state and federal investment discussions, strengthening connectivity across the Borderplex and positioning El Paso for continued growth and prosperity.
| | | Connect with UTEP's Top Talent at Local Internship Fair | The El Paso Chamber invites employers to gain direct access to UTEP's brightest students at the Local Internship Fair on March 26. This premier recruiting event gives businesses the opportunity to connect with motivated UTEP students, conduct on-site interviews, and build meaningful campus connections that can strengthen their workforce pipeline. Whether you're seeking interns for summer programs, part-time support during the academic year, or identifying future full-time talent, this fair offers a streamlined platform to meet qualified candidates across diverse fields of study. Register today at bit.ly/4tysbYT to secure your spot and invest in the next generation of El Paso's workforce. | | Borderland Mentoring & Coaching Programs and Services eDirectory | | The El Paso Chamber is proud to serve as an outreach sponsor for the March 2026 edition of the Borderland Mentoring & Coaching eDirectory, a comprehensive regional resource connecting youth and adults across El Paso, Las Cruces, and Ciudad Juárez with free mentoring and coaching programs. Published by Elevate Modern Elderhood (EME), this bilingual directory showcases dozens of programs spanning workforce development, entrepreneurship, youth services, and community reintegration, helping transform lives from "fog into fire" through meaningful guidance and support. Whether you're seeking a mentor, looking to volunteer your expertise, or want to connect with programs that strengthen our binational community, this directory provides the roadmap to opportunity and growth across the Borderland. |
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MexicoNow Summit Highlights Borderplex
Leadership in Nearshoring
| | The El Paso Chamber was proud to participate in the MexicoNow Summit at the El Paso Convention Center, where we, alongside regional leaders, focused on the future of North American commerce. The summit highlighted real momentum around nearshoring, supply chain resilience, and cross-border collaboration, proof that the Borderplex region is uniquely positioned to lead the next chapter of binational trade and economic development. As businesses across North America reassess their supply chains and seek strategic partnerships closer to home, El Paso's role as a premier binational business destination continues to strengthen. The Chamber remains committed to advocating for the infrastructure our economy depends on, strengthening relationships on both sides of the border, and ensuring businesses have the talent, resources, and connections they need to thrive in this transformative moment for regional commerce. |
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Photo Credit: Omar Ornelas/El Paso Times
Left: Trucks line up at the Bridge of the Americas port of entry heading north to El Paso
Right: Commercial trucks heading into the U.S. at the Zaragoza bridge backed up for miles after the Bridge of the Americas was closed to commercial traffic.
| Understanding the Bridge of the Americas' Role in Regional Trade and Commerce | |
The Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) serves as a critical economic engine, processing billions of dollars in cross-border trade annually. Built in 1967, BOTA remains the only toll-free crossing among El Paso's four international bridges and processes privately owned vehicles, pedestrians, and commercial traffic. In 2024, the El Paso Ports of Entry, which include BOTA, processed $20.6 billion in U.S.-Mexico trade, representing nearly 20% of the $105.6 billion in total trade flowing through the El Paso region. Eliminating commercial traffic from BOTA would redirect thousands of trucks annually to already-congested alternative crossings, creating bottlenecks that increase costs for businesses, delay time-sensitive shipments, and undermine El Paso's competitiveness as a logistics hub. For small and medium-sized businesses that rely on BOTA's toll-free status and central location for affordable cross-border access, such a change could significantly impact operations and profitability.
The federal government has recognized BOTA's critical role through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in 2021, allocating a $699.3 million investment for comprehensive modernization that will include new administration buildings, upgraded inspection facilities, and an expanded commercial vehicle processing area designed to handle 21st-century trade volumes. In May of 2025, GSA issued a record of decision to remove commercial traffic based on a 2024 NEPA study that did not include a short- or long-term economic impact analysis. The Chamber continues to work with GSA, CBP, local and federal elected officials, and the business community to address concerns about the economic implications of this decision, including the impact of redirecting commercial traffic to other crossings. As El Paso continues to attract nearshoring investment and capitalize on shifting global supply chains, decisions about commercial processing capacity at BOTA will directly affect job creation in transportation, warehousing, customs brokerage, and manufacturing sectors, as well as tax revenue that funds essential city services, ultimately affecting our competitiveness. How this facility is configured and what functions it serves will shape our region's economic trajectory for decades to come. Incorporating comprehensive environmental and economic evaluations into modernization planning will enhance the credibility of federal policy development and promote evidence-based decision-making.
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