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. The volume of freight transportation, particularly container freight, coming into North America and being transported throughout the continent by various means has dramatically increased in recent years. 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 intermodal transfer points are functioning at their limits. The cost of delays, in time and money, and lost productivity is already $2-3 billion, and will only increase over time. Container volume will double from its’ approximate 50 million units by 2020 which in turn will increase traffic flow. To further support our findings, Sault Ste. Marie’s strategic geographic location (the juncture of three Great Lakes – Superior, Michigan and Huron) and proximity to North America’s major transportation routes and industrial heartland offers a significant economic opportunity for the U.S. and Canada. The interest extends to a determination of the macro economic benefits to the region and to Ontario which may result from the creation of a new distribution route through Sault Ste. Marie; thereby reducing congestion and wait times for commercial traffic at Ontario-United States border crossing, or U.S. ports of entry/transfer terminals such as Chicago. Major improvements to border crossings and corridor facilities will be accomplished through direct and immediate access to the U.S. Interstate Highway System, Trans-Canada Highway, CN and CP rail systems, St. Lawrence Seaway System, and an International Airport. Sault Ste. Marie’s potential to become a significant multi-modal freight-handling centre has been overlooked. We could go on forever about how congested borders are these days, but let’s take a shortcut to the solution that works……. Full details can be viewed at www.multimodalssm.com.