NASCO Speaks Out
During the past year, there has been much confusion about highways and transportation caused by articles or blogs on the Internet written by conspiracy theorists and the misinformed. While it is very easy to scare people in “sound bites” (A giant NAFTA Superhighway! A North American Union! A new NAU currency! Eliminating sovereignty!!), it is not easy to explain in “sound bites” the very serious issues our country is facing related to critical funding for transportation and security improvements related to infrastructure and international borders.
Stop for a moment. Look around your home or workplace. Everything from the telephone on your desk, your computer, your coffee maker and even your toothbrush got to its final destination by truck, rail, ship, or plane. Rarely do citizens take the time to think about how goods arrive on the shelves of their local store, but it’s important to keep in mind.
Transportation plays a VITAL role in your everyday life. Academic studies indicate the single best investment ever by government is in education, which is the cultivation of the single most valuable asset on earth: the human resource. The second best investment by government is in transportation infrastructure.
North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition, Inc. (NASCO), a nonprofit organization, exists to bring together the public and private sectors, along a common corridor, to attempt to solve some of these critical problems in innovative ways to maximize the efficient use of our existing resources, make better use of critical diminishing funding for transportation infrastructure, and to employ technology along our existing infrastructure to improve security.
The confusion of the past year has been possible because of complex issues that are not easy to explain, and various events taking place, in isolation, that have been strung together in a manipulative way.
The name of our organization – North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition, Inc. (NASCO) - has been used as the basis for many of these false arguments.
NASCO was founded in 1994 as the “I-35 Corridor Coalition.” At that time, we focused entirely on I-35 in Texas. We were founded in north Texas at about the same time as NAFTA was enacted, because certain urban sections of I-35 already were beyond designed capacity, and we knew it was only going to get worse.
As our organization grew, we quickly realized that the problems were not limited to our single corridor (I-35 in Texas) and trucking issues. The problems with funding impact all modes of transportation, beyond city, county and state lines, and I-35 was not the only Corridor that needed attention.
In 1996, we incorporated as a non-profit organization, and at that time we renamed our organization North America’s SuperHighway Coalition. At this time, the only “superhighway” that existed was the internet “information superhighway.” We picked the name “Superhighway” to emphasize that we were focused on more than I-35 and more than just trucking. Super – meaning “more than.” At this time, there were no new highways being proposed that were larger than normal or required new funding or a new footprint. There was no confusion related to our name.
Everyone was aware that we were using the name “Superhighway” for marketing purposes only – to distinguish ourselves from the growing number of trade corridor coalitions in the US at that time. We kept that name until 2004, when we decided to change to “SuperCorridor” because there was an underlying thought that we, as an organization, continued to focus on highways only, because our name was “Superhighway.”
We decided “Corridor” was a good way to show that we are focused on a north - south area through the central part of the US, and connecting to Canada and Mexico over existing infrastructure. The “SuperCorridor” would continue to be transportation focused, not just on highways, but on all modes of transportation (rail, truck, air, and ship) and would also allow us to keep our highly successful and credible acronym – NASCO – in tact. That’s it. No evil plotting. No hidden agenda. Just a name.
This was still before the introduction of the proposed Trans Texas Corridor. Our name and our initiatives have nothing to do with the proposed new corridor in Texas. It is a coincidence upon which fringe groups have been able to capitalize and confuse people.
We also used to have a marketing map on the homepage of our website that had I-35 and our connecting corridors greatly enlarged for viewing purposes and presentations. This was used by conspiracy theorists to show the “blueprint” for the (nonexistent) ‘new NAFTA Superhighway.’ Some people unfamiliar with our organization were confused and believed these falsehoods. The map was a marketing tool, and has since been updated to show the corridor a bit more drawn to scale (although it is still is not drawn exactly to scale.) The fringe groups continue to use the old, enlarged map to scare people, although we use only the new (scaled down) map.
It is important to point out that there are many corridor coalitions throughout the United States – about 40 total. Many of the corridors that carry international trade refer to themselves as ‘NAFTA Superhighways.’ There are also many initiatives that various organizations are working on to try to do their part toward solving the crisis our nation is facing. Many fringe groups like to string one or more of these efforts together to make it seem like a political conspiracy. It is not. Many of these efforts are completely unrelated – more than one person can have a good idea.
The ironic thing about the many false and misleading allegations is that it has brought attention to these critical issues and has helped all of us to learn more about various initiatives of which we were unfamiliar. And, it has helped our organization increase awareness and support for our initiatives from people and organizations in the transportation industry that are aware of and understand the problems our nation is facing.
NASCO stands at the forefront of trade corridor coalitions, and is proud to share information about our initiatives related to improving transportation and security at any time. We are proud to be working with our neighbors to the north and south on these important initiatives, and to help enhance efforts already underway in Canada and Mexico for the benefit of the citizens and businesses of each of the three countries individually, and together as the North American continent.
NASCO BOTTOM LINE – COMMON SENSE AND THE ECONOMY
NASCO promotes and advocates for the main EXISTING highways and rail lines and airports along our Mid-Continent corridor to work toward a seamless, highly efficient, safe and secure system to support the growing needs of our burgeoning economy.
The highways that comprise the backbone of the NASCO Corridor have served our nation’s needs for transportation connections to Canada and Mexico long before the advent of NAFTA. The U.S. Interstate Highways 35, 29 and 94 came into being with the launch of the U.S. Interstate Highway System in 1956, whereas NAFTA has existed just since Jan. 1, 1994.
The NASCO highways form the backbone of an international highway system. Because the NASCO Corridor includes and represents the No. 1, No.2, and No. 11 busiest border crossings in North America, the Corridor long has played a critical role in the life of the economy of North America, the largest economic region in the world and the world’s greatest marketplace.
The conditions and efficiency of the NASCO Corridor are of important to all of North America because this critical backbone of the U.S. economy plays an essential role in supporting U.S. trade with its No. 1 trading partner Canada, and its No. 3 trading partner, Mexico.
The dramatic increases experienced in population and domestic and international trade make it imperative that we strategically position our Corridor to maximize our economic development opportunities. Since the Interstate Highway System launched in 1956 when the U.S. had 169 million population, the U.S. population has exploded to the 300 million mark reached in 2007.
The U.S. annual Gross Domestic Product, or the value of the country’s total annual output of goods and services, has grown from 1956’s $2.25 Trillion to $13.5 trillion in 2007. And international trade, which once stood at just 12 percent of the U.S. GDP in 1970, now represents a full one-quarter of the U.S. economy and U.S. government economists forecast project U.S. trade with the world to grow to 35 percent or more of the U.S. economy by 2020.
NASCO and its committed membership are devoted to making the existing, LEGAL movement of people and goods more secure and efficient, and to improve security, efficiency and supply chain management all along the NASCO Corridor to deliver a much-increased business competitiveness to the Corridor in its role within the global business marketplace.
The NASCO Corridor and its highway backbone is a system of highways terminating at an international border crossing and carry a remarkable amount of international trade. When NASCO refers to an “integrated and secure” transportation corridor it refers to the development and integration of existing technologies to help make the highway network more efficient and more secure. The NASCO Corridor is a “multi-modal” transportation system because when refined it will be a corridor that delivers greatly improved interconnections in freight, cargo and people movements over the Corridor’s highways, rail lines, inland ports, airports and deep water ports. The NASCO cooperation and coordination of transportation departments, regulators, stakeholders and global supply chain managers’ efforts in each mode of transportation will deliver greatly enhanced safety, security and efficiency along the existing NASCO Corridor.
NASCO works directly with cities and counties and states and Departments of Transportation and with major stakeholders in mobility in the private sector along the corridor. We encourage entities like state DOTs and federal agencies to interact and partner with the private sector to develop integrated strategies, to make better-coordinated decisions and precisely prioritized investments along the Corridor based on producing higher security and less traffic congestion.
In May 2006, US Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, announced the National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America’s Transportation Network. The USDOT realizes the United States has a transportation congestion and funding crisis, and they are encouraging public/private partnerships and regional leadership to become part of the solution. NASCO is leading that charge.
NASCO Facts and Figures
The NASCO Corridor drives the North American Economy
U.S. is world’s largest trader of goods and services at nearly $3 trillion a year
Total commerce of the three NAFTA nations already nearing $1 trillion a year
More than $190 billion a year moves between the NASCO Corridor States, Canada and Mexico.
Increased Trade Spurs Growth in North American Freight Transportation
Freight Transportation between the United States and our North American Free Trade Agreement partners – Canada and Mexico – continues to grow at a strong pace.
In 2006, the U.S. transportation system carried goods for export worth $364 billion and imports worth $502 billion in trade with Canada and Mexico.
• Between 1996 and 2006, U.S. merchandise freight with our NAFTA partners more than doubled in value, increasing from $419 billion to $866 billion.
• In 2006, imports accounted for over half (58 percent) of this freight activity, slightly up from 55 percent in 1996.
• Growth in this trade, whether outbound exports or inbound imports, results in higher levels of international freight movement and the demand for expanded freight transportation services in the United States.
Modal Perspective
Of all goods moved in U.S.-International trade, more than one out of every three dollars is with Canada and Mexico
• In 2006, land modes of transportation (truck, rail, and pipeline) carried the bulk, $760 billion worth (88 percent), of U.S. freight with Canada and Mexico.
• Trucks remain the dominant mode for transporting U.S.-North American freight, carrying $534 billion, or 62 percent, of the total value in 2006.
• Rail accounted for 15 percent and pipeline 7 percent. Of the remaining value, 8 percent moved by maritime vessels, 4 percent by air, and 5 percent by other and unknown modes.
• Between 1996 and 2006, trucks accounted for most of the growth in the value of U.S.-North American freight.
• In 2006, U.S.-Canada freight trans-ported by land modes was valued at $488 billion (64 percent of total land trade value).
• The remaining 36 percent was with Mexico and was valued at $272 billion.
• Measured by tonnage, water transportation carried more freight in 2006 than any other mode. An estimated 251 million short tons moved over water, accounting for about 35 percent of the weight of NAFTA trade.
Key Land Border Gateways
The distribution of U.S. trade with Canada and Mexico and the movement of this freight impact the U.S. transportation network, especially at the major border gateway entry and exit ports and nearby north-south highway corridors.
• In 2006, the leading overall truck gateway was Detroit, Michigan, with $115 billion of freight,
• followed by Laredo, Texas, ($79 billion), and
• Buffalo-Niagara Falls, New York ($59 billion).
• The leading rail gateway was Port Huron, Michigan, with $26 billion,
• followed by Laredo, Texas ($25 billion) and
• Detroit, Michigan ($21 billion).
Northern Border
• While there are over 85 land entry and exit ports on the northern border with Canada, the leading ports handle the majority of the transborder freight and serve as national gateways.
• In 2006, the top 10 ports alone handled $288 billion, or 92 percent, of the truck freight crossing the northern border.
• Two of the four largest U.S. land ports are in Michigan – Detroit and Port Huron.
• Serving as national gateways, in 2006 these two ports, combined, handled $200 billion of freight transported by truck and rail.
Southern Border
• There are 25 land entry and exit ports on the southern border with Mexico that serve as gateways.
• Yet the leading 10 ports handle nearly all of the transborder freight.
• In 2006, these ports alone handled $214 billion worth or 97 percent of the truck freight crossing the southern border.
• On the southern border, the land ports of Laredo, El Paso, and Hidalgo, all in Texas, serve as national gateways, handling trade valued at $170 billion.
• This trade includes freight moving through Texas, to and from other states.
• Texas was the origin or destination for $107 billion worth of trade in 2006.
• The three Texas ports accounted for 22 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA land trade in 2006.
Trade by State
In 2006, Texas was the top state by value of freight transported by all modes, with over $141 billion in trade with our NAFTA partners, an increase of 11 percent from 2005.
Michigan had a more modest increase of 5 percent, reaching $103 billion.
California ranked third at $88 billion.
Together, these top three states were the origin and destination for 38 percent of the total value of U.S.-NAFTA goods trade in 2006.
• The top 2 states trading with Mexico accounted for 50 percent of the value of total U.S.-Mexico merchandise trade in 2006.
• Texas was the number one ranked state by value of goods transported to and from Mexico followed by California and Michigan.
• Michigan topped the list of states for value of merchandise trade with Canada in 2006.
• Goods transported between Michigan and Canada totaled $73 billion, which was nearly double the value of goods moved between Illinois (the second ranked state) and Canada.
• Illinois was followed by New York and California.
• In terms of a change in the actual value of NAFTA merchandise trade, Texas grew the most in 2006.
The NASCO Corridor
Where:
I-35 Laredo, Texas through Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota to Duluth
I-29 Kansas City – Pembina North Dakota/Emerson, Manitoba, Canada
I-94 from Minnesota to the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit at Windsor, Ontario
And Connecting highway systems at the borders with and into Canada, Mexico
Who:
NASCO is a tri-national, non-profit organization founded in 1996
Membership is comprised of public/private sector:
- US cities, counties, states, DOT’s
- Canadian province
- Mexican states
- Inland ports and sea ports
- Private sector in the areas of trucking, rail, inland ports, deep water ports, law, technology, logistics, banking, insurance, etc.
We have bi-partisan support in Congress, not tied to any Presidential administration
Good relationships with fed, state, and local agencies related to trade, transportation, border security, and the environment. We’ve recently had meetings with:
-USDOT, DHS, CBP, EPA, regional transportation authorities...
What:
Advocate for improvements, maintenance & integrated technologies; improve safety and security, integrated to develop an efficient, safe, secure transportation system out of existing infrastructure.
Pilot projects to track containers, increase security – intelligence info, common corridor operating picture, supply chain management
Inland ports – intermodal facilities, foreign trade zones, warehousing/distribution
Developing alternative distribution networks
Environment– emission/idling reduction, alternative fuels, truck stop electrification
Educational consortium – linking universities along the corridor
Improving & developing relationships with neighbors to the North & South
Planning for future trade & activity moving along our corridor
We’re about the legal movement of people and goods along this corridor
Benefits:
Reduced congestion
Improved safety and security
Improved supply chain management, visibility and accountability
Best practices and success stories shared
Increase trading opportunities for businesses due to relationships formed
Maximizing economic development opportunities along our corridor
Working to develop our corridor into a safe, secure, efficient transportation system
International Opportunities:
North American Free Trade Agreement & the Security Prosperity & Partnership agreement – trading agreements and partnerships with Canada & Mexico
We are positioning our corridor to take advantage of the opportunities NAFTA and the SPP will create
Increased security at borders balanced with the efficient LEGAL movement of people and goods
More transportation projects = more trade = more jobs
Overall Goals:
Enhancing communication between public and private partnerships that historically have not been willing to work together
Coordinating federal and state government agencies and the private sector industry involved in trade and transportation and security initiatives to ensure both parties’ needs are being met
Balancing increased security with the efficient, legal movement of people and goods
For our projects to be valuable to the private sector and federal governments of the 3 countries and help solve national and international trade and transportation problems we face today
To capitalize on opportunities provided by NAFTA and the SPP, to increase the trade competitiveness of North America, United States and particularly our corridor in the global marketplace
Success:
Opened the dialogue to coordinate efforts between the public and private sector along our corridor
Impressive tri-national Board of Directors
Federal funding for pilot projects along our Corridor
Memorandum’s of Understanding – EPA, Mexican Secretariat of Communications and Transportation
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