TRUCK TRADE CORRIDORS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND MEXICO

Abstract

Since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994, U.S.-Mexico trade has continued to increase and so have the demands on the transportation system. The purpose of this project was to identify U.S.-Mexico trade corridors and determine the characteristics of truck traffic in these corridors, allowing for the provision of methodologies and figures leading to an increased understanding of NAFTA impacts on transportation. In this report, available data were analyzed to discern main U.S.-Mexico truck trade corridors and to estimate truck volumes. Several maps and tables of data were produced, as well as observations linking various areas of NAFTA truck trade. The capacity, congestion, performance, and operation of NAFTA-related truck corridors and their impacts on the transportation system were also analyzed, specifically within the context of multimodal transportation planning activities. Because U.S.-Mexico trade is very dynamic and important changes continue to occur, the impacts of NAFTA may be quite extensive. Implementation of a NAFTA monitoring system that would follow trade statistics, corridors, traffic counts, and weigh-in-motion (WIM) data would provide a means of anticipating infrastructure problems and guiding investment policies. In addition, monitoring axle loads, truck volumes, and origins and destinations will be beneficial for planning purposes and pavement management on the NAFTA highway network.

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