FAST Houlton crossing may be more than dream

HOULTON – The town’s dream of a Free and Secure Trade lane that would expedite the transfer of goods and services through the border crossing in Houlton might soon become a reality, officials recently announced.

Sen. Susan Collins’ office has issued a press release saying the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection had responded positively to the senator’s request for the FAST lane to alleviate traffic congestion at Houlton’s northern terminus of Interstate 95. The same agency will ultimately make a final decision regarding the crossing, which is a heavily used U.S. point of entry for commercial traffic.

At the border crossing in Houlton on Monday, a line of tractor-trailers snaked back into Canada as far as the eye could see.

“This FAST lane would be a huge benefit for Houlton,” Town Manager Peggy Daigle told councilors at a retreat late last week. “It would really speed up the traffic through there, and benefit people on both sides of the border.”

The FAST program is an effort between the United States and Canada intended to retain the free flow of goods through the northern border while ensuring security and protection.

In February, Collins sent a letter to Customs in support of the project. Canadian officials later announced that they planned to bring the Trans-Canada Highway directly to the Houlton border crossing, which is expected to increase the commercial traffic there.

“We have an estimated 360 trucks a day coming through there already,” Daigle noted at the retreat. “That could double or triple now, and a FAST lane would be so beneficial.”

Companies that meet strict qualifications would see expedited border processing under the auspices of the FAST program, according to Collins. Program participants must enhance the security of their manufacturing plants, warehouses and shipping systems, and document their security procedures in the FAST application. Company drivers would undergo background checks and in-person interviews at the FAST enrollment center, but enrollees would be able to hasten their passage over the border.

Collins worked with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to secure a FAST enrollment center in Houlton, which opened in December 2003.

According to an economic development and strategic marketing plan prepared for the town in March, products moving through Houlton are worth $2.1 billion a year.

The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection Office of Asset Management will evaluate the best option for surmounting the traffic-flow issues at the port, which includes dealing with a precarious 90-degree turn approaching the inspection station that often causes bottlenecks.

Councilor John Fitzpatrick said at the meeting that he was in favor of the lane, which he called “a great idea.”

“Everyone will benefit from a FAST lane,” Fitzpatrick said.

“I cannot express the importance of this,” Daigle said. “The potential of what a FAST lane could do for us is limitless.”