A bridge supervisor (referred to in discussion as Mr. Galvano) presented a practicum on traffic congestion at Laredo's ports of entry and recommended technology upgrades, new truck-routing strategies and deeper coordination with Mexican authorities.

The presenter said Laredo is a trade hub and that congestion from commercial traffic stretches onto city arteries, affecting residents, public safety and overall traffic flow. "Traffic control and management performance are usually evaluated in terms of several essential attributes such as cost, time, reliability, safety, and emission," the presenter said, describing the need for measures that reduce fuel consumption and preserve safety.

The presentation included survey results from 15 invited participants with 11 responses and recommended infrastructure improvements, dedicated truck lanes or clearer truck routing, enhanced monitoring technology and stronger binational diplomacy to coordinate when Mexico's customs systems fail. Panelists and industry representatives stressed that Mexican customs outages are a frequent cause of long backups; one industry speaker said, "If their system goes down, everything stops."

Presenter cited trade statistics and trends, noting Port Laredo's high national ranking by value and that motor vehicle parts are a top export. Panelists suggested more specific technology recommendations and larger-sample data for future planning. City and industry speakers also noted ongoing work with TxDOT on road improvements and that major infrastructure projects are expensive and take time.

Ending: The group urged continued coordination with Mexican partners, TxDOT and federal agencies such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection; no formal city action or vote was taken at the session.