How Sault Ste. Marie can make a difference in addressing the multimodal challenges of finding fast and reliable transportation alternatives that will ensure the smooth and efficient flow of goods between Canada and the U.S.

Freight traffic between Canada and the United States of America reflects the largest bi-national trade in the world. Continued growth of these economies and the rapid increase in volumes of goods originating from and destined for Asia will continue to have significant impact upon the ability of existing transportation systems, particularly at facilities such as ports, inter-modal terminals and border crossings, to effectively function. The remarkably quick growth of trade from the Pacific Rim has strained all North American port facilities. Border delays are becoming more frequent for highway carriers and many rail systems; especially inter-modal transfer points are functioning at their limits. This detailed report will highlight the challenges North America faces due to the increased imports from overseas and how Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario as a border town can be one solution to a problem that is going to continue to grow in the upcoming decades. For the covering abstract of the conference see ITRD number E211521.