By JAMES FINK
jfink@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1611

There still are border-crossing issues more than two years after changes mandated by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, and the impact appears to be more on local, leisure travelers than business or those from outside the region.

Those are findings of a border-crossing analysis and study being fine-tuned by the BiNational Economic and Tourism Alliance. The feedback comes from a Deloitte & Touche LLP study, commissioned by the alliance, and from information gathered during a binational economic summit held in April in Niagara Falls, Ont.

The final version of the report is expected to be released soon.

The region's four U.S.-Canada border crossings remain busy, especially with commercial trade. Combined, the U.S. entry points are the busiest of any of the 11 states where the two countries neighbor each other, said Arlene White, Binational Alliance executive director.

The ripple effect of local crossings transcends Western New York or New York state, according to White.

"We impact all of the other states," she said.

As recently as 2008, more than $80 billion in combined imports and exports crossed the Peace Bridge or Lewiston-Queenston Bridge. The Rainbow Bridge is limited to passenger vehicles and buses while the Whirlpool Bridge can only be used by Nexus card holders. Last year, the figure was more than $70 billion.

The study found that 15 percent of items being transported between the United States and Canada go over the Peace or Lewiston-Queenston bridges. It also found that 14 percent of Pennsylvania-bound goods, made in Canada, cross a local bridge.

"It proves that the overland crossings are very important," White said.

Where the border is seeing a drop in traffic is fewer locals making their way into Canada.

Between 2000 and 2007, that number dropped 29 percent, according to preliminary data from the study. While some of the activity can be attributed to a fluctuating economy and the value of the U.S. dollar compared to the Canadian loonie, the larger issue appears to be lingering concerns about border-crossing documents.

The study found that 51 percent of U.S. citizens polled said that ID requirements are the primary reason for not crossing into Canada. For Canadians, only 34 percent said documentation was their main reason for not coming into the States.

"It looks like we lost the day-trippers and those who normally might have made a last-minute decision to cross the border," White said.

Other key issues include a lack of interest in tourism products or events and wait times at the borders.

White said if more advance planning was made by local officials and businesses, some of those issues could be addressed.

"If we start promoting things like we did for the World Juniors, things would be a lot smoother," she said.