Project at a glance: Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
Organization: Homeland Security Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Information Technology; State Department, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Consular Systems and Technology Office.
Project: Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
Challenge: Increase security at border checkpoints without adding to travel delays.
Solution: Use license plate readers and radio frequency identification-enabled travel documents to assemble data for the CBP officers.
Impact: More than 1.7 million vehicles and 2.5 million travelers’ identities validated in the first week of operation without any increase in wait time.
Duration: Eighteen months from award of contract (some actions started earlier).
Cost: $352 million, including previously completed air travel portion.