Crossing the border

Getting there from here — there being Canada — could get easier under a pilot program taking place at four border crossings in Aroostook County. Automated monitoring equipment being placed there later this month is expected to save time and simplify trips for Mainers.

The equipment comes courtesy of the U.S. Customs and Immigration and Naturalization Services and Sen. Olympia Snowe, who brought the problem of irregular staffing hours to the attention of the services. The equipment will allow the crossings in Easton, Limestone, Bridgewater and Monticello to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It should end the unpleasant and time-consuming discovery some drivers have made when they have been forced to turn back from a closed crossing and drive the considerable distance to the next.

The new system will not replace staff at these crossings, but will be used at off-peak hours when they would otherwise be closed. The system is designed for remote sites where only a few cars would pass during offpeak hours. Maine residents would use a card called a PortPASS — apply for one at any Port Enrollment Center — that will send information to inspectors at larger crossings. A video camera, also hooked into the larger center, will monitor to border.

The test sites in Maine are four of 12 stretching across the U.S. northern border. The Maine disproportionate share of the equipment reflects both its need and Sen. Snowe’s interest. But the technology behind the monitoring system is new and should not be assumed flawless. Pilot programs are used to get the bugs out before the investment is made in a large-scale system. A little patience may be required at the beginning.

After that, however, making crossings easier day or night through automation is a cost-efficient solution that should add convenience and consistency to Maine residents’ trips north.