Tijuana, Tecate and Rosarito Beach join forces

The aim is to improve planning

By Sandra Dibble, UNION-TRIBUNE

Originally published February 25, 2011 at 2:17 p.m., updated February 25, 2011 at 2:34 p.m.The cities of Tijuana, Tecate and Rosarito Beach are joining forces to build a single metropolitan region with the aim of improving planning and seeking more financial resources, Tiuana Mayor Carlos Bustamante said Friday during a visit to San Diego.

Bustamante discussed his regional vision with reporters following an appearance before the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), his first since he took office in December.

The goal of Tijuana's new Metropolitan Planning Institute is to work more closely with the other two cities so they can plan jointly for critical issues such as water, transportation and public safety, he said. By working together, the cities have greater access to federal funding, the mayor said.

Last year, Tijuana worked with Ensenada and Rosarito Beach to to create a single Metropolitan Tourist Police as a way of winning back the trust of tourists who visit the coastal areas. Bustamante said his new idea involves broader collaboration on a range of issues affecting Tijuana, Tecate and Rosarito Beach.

Bustamante also spoke of improving commercial ties and tourism between Tijuana and San Diego. With a new convention center under construction on the border of Tijuana and Rosarito Beach, Bustamante is hoping more visitors to San Diego cross the border.

Despite “a perception of violence” about his city, Bustamante said that tourists are not being targeted, and high-impact crimes have gone down.

The kidnapping of a physician Wednesday afternoon in Tijuana “is a very sad situation, but it hadn’t happened for some time,” the mayor said.

The mayor said the victim’s family had not formally reported the abuduction as of Friday morning, though colleagues have confirmed that cardiologist Jaime Sánchez was abducted at 2 p.m. from his office in the city’s Río Zone, and are demanding increased police protection.