The U.S. State Department is opening new passport facilities to avoid the long processing times of last summer, a spokesman said.
"In anticipation of another year of record passport demand, the Department of State has ramped up our production capability so that we can provide Americans with travel documents in a prompt and reliable way," said Steve Royster, spokesperson for consular affairs for the Department of State. "We've hired hundreds of new employees, we're opening new facilities and streamlining our production."
A new printing facility in Tuscon will start operations this month. Additional customer service offices for travelers with special requests or a short time until departure are planned for Detroit, Minneapolis and Dallas, but do not have scheduled opening dates. Royster said the locations were chosen because of the number of travelers in the areas and their distance from other facilities
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires a passport for U.S. citizens traveling to or from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The initiative was relaxed in order to accommodate longer than average passport processing times last summer
(BTNonline, June 8, 2007). Those traveling by air are required to have a passport to re-enter the United States.
Royster said processing times were at the service standard of four to six weeks.