WHTI border passage smooth 

CHAMPLAIN — It was smooth sailing at the border on the first day that Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requirements were in effect.

There were only minimal waits Monday as travelers crossed into the United States at the Champlain Port of Entry on Interstate 87.

QUICK PASSAGE
Area Port Director Paul Mongillo of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the average wait was about five minutes Monday morning. The port had five of 10 lanes and a NEXUS lane in operation.

"The public has generally been compliant," Mongillo said.

He said surveys taken before the June 1 implementation date showed more than 90 percent of travelers had obtained the necessary identity and citizenship documentation.

Available options include a passport, passport card, Enhanced Driver License or "trusted traveler" cards, such as NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST/EXPRES.

Children under 16 need only to provide proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced last week that U.S. and Canadian citizens who lack the required documents but are otherwise admissible would be allowed to enter the United States at land or sea ports. But they may face delays as officials determine citizenship.

Chief Michael McMullen of U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the goal now is to inform those who don't have the necessary documents about what they need to do.

To that end, Customs and Border Protection officers provided those without approved documents with information cards that outline their options.

"The goal is not to penalize people but bring them into compliance and tell them what they need to know," McMullen said. "I think we'll see as the summer goes on the number of non-compliant people will shrink down to nothing."

He said Canadian travelers had an even higher level of compliance in the surveys before June 1, at around 95 percent.

McMullen said an estimated 99 percent of all travelers Monday had the required documents.

'WHAT WE EXPECTED'
Daivon Bruce and Tamara Thompson were returning to New Jersey from Canada. Thompson said she got her passport about five weeks ago, and Bruce said she got hers within the last year.

They said they waited about 10 minutes to cross the border.

"It was no big wait," Thompson said. "It was what we expected."

Joe Dukovac of Montreal was on his way to Plattsburgh. He got his passport about five months ago.

It was the best option for him because he travels overseas frequently. Dukovac said an Enhanced Driver License would work only for U.S.-Canada travel.

"I might as well have a full-blown passport."

Crossing the border Monday was no different from any of the other times he's traveled to the United States, he said.

"It was a piece of pie. There were no problems at all."

MORE OFFICERS
McMullen said the new Port of Entry facilities and an increase in staffing have made a huge difference. More than 250 officers are now stationed at the port.

The port includes separate commercial and passenger vehicle areas, which has minimized what used to be frequent lengthy backups of trucks north of the port.

BOATER RULES
The new regulations apply to boaters as well as motorists. That has led the New York Sea Grant and the Northern Association of Boating Administrators, with assistance from U.S. and Canadian border officials, to publish the "2009 Great Lakes Cross-Border Travel Tips for Recreational Boaters."

It includes a list of approved border-crossing documents, contacts for ports of call along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River, boating-safety information, crossing tips and more.

It is based on the "Cross-Border Travel Tips for Recreational Boaters, RV Owners and Motorists Traveling the Great Lakes Seaway Trail."

Both are available online at www.nysgextension.org.

E-mail Dan Heath at: dheath@pressrepublican.com