By Ana Gomez Salcido

More U.S. citizens cross through the San Ysidro Pedestrian Port of Entry compared to five years ago, according to a new survey by the South County Economic Development Council, released this Friday.

In 2011, 38 percent of the travelers that crossed through the San Ysidro Pedestrian Port of Entry were U.S. citizens, according to the survey, and now 50 percent of the pedestrian travelers are U.S. citizens.

“An increase of U.S. citizens crossing the border was something I already expected and it didn’t surprise me, and the reason for that is because there are more Americans living in Tijuana and Baja California because of home prices in the United States,” said U.S. Congressman, Juan Vargas. “I have a number of friends that now live in Playas de Tijuana who are American citizens and were born and raised in San Diego, but the cost of living has gotten so high that they now live in Playas de Tijuana, and they say that their living situation has improved with exception of the border crossing.”

According to the survey, 88 percent of the pedestrian travelers crossed to go to school or to work.

“Our pedestrians are waiting far too long in line in what I consider as inhumane conditions, they are waiting without bathrooms, without drinking fountains, and in the sun or under the rain, and we have got to fix this,” said Cindy Gompper-Graves, President and CEO of the South County Economic Development Council.

A total of 3,283 respondents participated in the survey and they were randomly selected while exiting the San Ysidro Port of Entry Facility from Mondays to Fridays between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. from March 2015 to February 2016.

Gompper Graves explained that the survey information was only collected on weekdays because it was focus on an economic outlook instead of a tourism overview, but there are plans to include weekends in a following survey.

The survey results were presented at a press conference held at the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce office, on April 22.