A new driver's license issued by New York state to allow travel into and out of Canada will begin appearing Sept. 16.

The new license is the result of an agreement reached in May by the state and federal Department of Homeland Security. New York officials says the EDL -- enhanced driver license -- will expedite traffic flow at the international crossings linking the state and Canada, a leading trading partner.

Before a plan for the new license was put in place, many public officials and business leaders voiced concern that the economies of both new York state and the province of Ontario, as well as the United States and Canada, would suffer due to lengthy tie-ups at the border.

In 2006, trade between the two countries was placed at $489 billion with nearly a half-million jobs related to commercial activities on either side of the border.

The new travel document was developed by the state Department of Motor Vehicles in accordance with the federal Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

The EDL is available at state DMV offices at a cost of $80 covering an eight-year period.