Public is reminded of June 1 deadline

By Dan Herbeck
Buffalo News
ID scan helps border agents read passports

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Like it or not, new technology and new identification requirements are coming to local border crossings. The changes will affect every Western New Yorker who uses the bridges connecting the United States and Canada.

The new enhanced IDs that will be required as of June 1 will cost money and require filling out applications with either the federal or state government.

For travelers, that's the bad news.

The good news is that authorities say the new technology will make the border safer and a bit easier to cross.

A new technology called Radio Frequency Identification was unveiled Monday afternoon during a news conference at the Peace Bridge, now regarded as the busiest crossing on the U.S.-Canada border.

Instead of handing their ID to a bridge inspector, owners of U.S. Passport Cards or enhanced New York State driver's licenses can now hold them up to an electronic scanner before they pull up to an inspection booth.

Department of Homeland Security officials demonstrated how an officer in the booth can check a computer screen and almost immediately see a traveler's photograph, name, date of birth and whether they are wanted by police.

"It speeds up the process and helps us to establish a positive identification of people in the car," said James T. Engleman, Buffalo director of field operations for U.S. Customs & Border Protection.

The agency estimates that the new system will cut the time it takes to screen each traveler by six to nine seconds.

That may not seem like much, but over the course of a day, with thousands of vehicles crossing the bridge, "it adds up," Engleman said.

"We've reached an important milestone that incorporates next-generation technology and identity documents," said W. Ralph Basham, the agency's commissioner, who came to Buffalo for the unveiling.

"This is another step toward increasing document security and deploying the necessary infrastructure to secure our homeland, while keeping border travelers moving."

Showing off the government's latest gadget was one reason why Basham and other government officials showed up in Buffalo on Monday.

They also came to urge the public to sign up soon for the enhanced identification documents, which millions of Americans may be rushing to apply for as the June deadline approaches.

Sign up now, officials suggest, before the backlog of applicants gets huge.

"We urge U.S. citizens to apply now," said Ryan M. Dooley, a passport official for the State Department. "Especially those people who live along the northern and southern borders."

Similar advice came from Wayne Benjamin, executive deputy commissioner with the state Department of Motor Vehicles, and Erie County Clerk Kathleen C. Hochul, whose office issues driver's licenses.

"People are going to need these enhanced IDs -- not only drivers, but people who don't drive. We also have enhanced IDs for nondrivers who cross the border, like seniors who go to the casino or kids who play on hockey teams," Hochul said. "It makes sense to get one now . . . before the rush."

Beginning June 1, American or Canadian citizens who are entering or re-entering the United States from anywhere in the Western Hemisphere will be required to show one of the following forms of ID:

*A passport book, which must be manually scanned by a bridge inspector.

*A new U.S. passport card, which is the size of a credit card.

*One of the new enhanced state driver's licenses.

One of the federally issued "trusted traveler" cards, such as the NEXUS or FAST card, which have been available for several years.

The passport card, the enhanced state license and the trusted traveler cards can all be scanned electronically, which authorities say will move bridge traffic along more quickly and save gasoline.

Passport cards cost $45 and are valid for 10 years. They cannot be used for overseas travel. For that, a passport book is still required.

Currently, more than 88 million Americans have old-style book passports. Since the government began making passport cards in July, 625,000 have been issued nationwide. Federal officials hope that many millions more Americans take part in the program.

State officials are similarly hoping that millions of state residents will apply for enhanced driver's licenses. The enhanced driver's license costs $80 and is good for eight years.

Since the state began accepting applications for the enhanced licenses in September, about 10,000 have been issued. Hochul said that about one-third of them were sold in Erie County.

While both the federal passport card and the enhanced state license will be accepted at the border, Hochul is urging state residents to opt for the state licenses.

"You're going to need a state driver's license, anyway, so I encourage people to get the enhanced license," Hochul said. "And for every enhanced license we issue, part of the money you pay stays in Erie County, in your own community."

More information about passport cards is available online at www.GetYouHome.gov. Further information about enhanced state licenses is available at www.nysdmv.com.

Also appearing at Monday's news conference were Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, D-Fairport; Chris Lee, a Republican recently elected in the 26th Congressional District; and officials of the Peace Bridge Authority and the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission.

Copyright 2008 The Buffalo News