How we measure wait times and why we beat CBP on the heavy days
We publish a wait time for every Juárez–El Paso bridge. Most sites just repeat CBP's number (U.S. Customs). We start from that number, then correct it with something CBP does not use: hundreds of human observations of the real line, plus our live cameras. Here is exactly how, with the numbers and no spin.
01 · The problem
The problem with CBP's number
CBP's number is fine when a bridge is quiet, but it breaks exactly when you need it most: when a long line forms, it runs systematically short.
At Puente Libre, during genuine two-hour lines, CBP's feed can report 0 minutes. It is off by 62.6 minutes on average; our number cuts that to 19.8.
02 · Results
The results, validated
5-fold cross-validation · 101 hand-labeled moments · reproducible with our own script · data as of July 18, 2026.
All moments
n = 101 · average error
Heavy days (wait ≥ 90 min)
n = 49 · average error
Calm days (wait < 90 min)
n = 52 · average error
On heavy days we are right within 30 minutes 84% of the time; CBP, 51%.