For more than 12 years North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition (NASCO) and its members have
stood at the forefront of driving public and private sectors to unite to address strategically critical
national and international trade, transportation, security and environmental issues.
Our focus is on maximizing the efficiency of our existing transportation infrastructure to support
international trade. We recognize the extraordinary implications for our nation’s long-term economic
prosperity of our transport system’s ability to sustain that growth.
NASCO, a non-profit group initially founded in 1994 as the I-35 Corridor Coalition, represents
member cities, counties, states, provinces and private sector members devoted to maximizing the
efficiency and operations of the existing U.S. Interstate Highways 35/29/94 (the NASCO
SuperCorridor) and the intermodal inland ports NASCO has inspired to sprout along them. Never
have our efforts been more needed or been more urgent.
As the demand for freight transportation grows, so will its overall contribution to the nation’s economy
and its challenges to highway capacity, congestion and the local environments. In 1970, international
trade represented just 12 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By 2000, trade surged to
25% of U.S. GDP. U.S. economists, however, expect trade to leap to 35% or more of U.S. GDP by
2020.
From almost immediately after the Jan. 1, 1994 entry into effect of the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA), NASCO has sought out and backed Corridor-related initiatives to
enhance border security, safety and the operational efficiency of the existing transportation
infrastructure. NAFTA’s reduction of import tariffs and trade barriers in North America powerfully
stimulated trade that strengthened the economies of its partner nations. Rather than the great fears of
NORTH AMERICA’S SUPERCORRIDOR COALITION, INC.
901 Main Street / Suite 4400 / Dallas, Texas 75202
(214) 744-1006 / Fax (214) 744-1043 / www.nascocorridor.com
NAFTA job losses of 1994, today, in the U.S. and in NASCO Corridor states, net job creation and net
employment have grown to and stayed at or near historical highs.
Since NAFTA took effect, total U.S. employment grew to 136 million, up from 112 million then,
with U.S. unemployment dropping to today’s 4.5 percent of the work force (a five-year low),
from 6.6 percent then out of work, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics for the
period.
NASCO uses the term "SuperCorridor" to demonstrate we are more than just a highway
coalition. NASCO works to develop key relationships along the EXISTING corridors we
represent to maximize economic development opportunities for all affected by the flows.
NASCO’s reach helps coordinate the development of technology integration projects, inland
ports, environmental initiatives, university research, and the sharing of "best practices" across
North America. NASCO’s forte is in spurring coordination of efforts by local, state and federal
agencies and the private sector to integrate and secure a multimodal transportation system along
the existing NASCO Corridor.
As of late, there have been many media references to a "new, proposed NAFTA Superhighway.”
While NASCO and the cities, counties, states and provinces along our existing Interstate
Highways 35/29/94 (the NASCO Corridor) have referred for years to I-35 and key branches as
'the NAFTA Superhighway,' the reference solely acknowledged and recognized I-35’s major role
in carrying a remarkable portion of international trade with Mexico, the United States and
Canada. In actual fact, there are no plans to build “a new NAFTA Superhighway.” It already
exists today as I-35 and branches.
A decade ago, NAFTA captured the headlines of international trade. But today international trade is
global trade. It requires even bolder and more aggressive efforts by our organization and our leaders to
meet the challenges and to extract maximum economic benefit for our people from exploding global
trade.
For more than a decade, NASCO has encouraged the boldest thinking on adoption of trade processing
systems, logistics systems and information technology. Eighty percent of NASCO members have 10
years of active service.
The subject of trade and transportation is much too important to leave to the uninformed. Here
are the REAL facts:
In the 21st century, the U.S economy increasingly runs on trade and our trade runs on
transportation. Trade and the transportation facilities that sustain it are tied together. Future
economic growth and job creation in the U.S. require a constant effort to enhance our business
climate, environment and transportation infrastructure to sustain our world-class leadership in
world trade.
NASCO’s aim is to continuously, diligently upgrade the efficiency and security of our
transportation systems to sharply increase the efficiency of our transportation infrastructure on
the Corridor to drive down the cost of doing business and enhance our ability to do internationa
Obviously, NASCO is a group that needs to be on the radar. It has plans that affect the midwest and yet we have no appreciation of them.
Tags: NASCO, Nafta super highway, spp, nau
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