Components - The Area
Across the Upper Midwest region, the land rolls
gently past farm fields of soybeans and corn, acres of majestic pines,
and centers of urban commerce and manufacturing. It is this variety
that gives this region its strength. What unites the region? The backbone
of transportation.
Although the corridor for this study is defined
by interstate highways 80, 90, and 94, this study is multi-modal in
nature. It acknowledges the assets this region has in its rail network,
Great Lakes, pipelines, inland waterways, and airports. Below are
a series of maps that begin to show the transportation assets in the
area that encompasses this study.
| This general look at the region
shows the area where capacity and usage will be studied in detail
(darker green). The interstate highways that define the corridor
are also outlined in red. Many parts of the study are not constrained
by this corridor. For example, the performance measures study
will most likely have results that can be applied to other regions. |
|
|
Chicago is the only point where all four
U.S. Class I railroads and the two Canadian Class I railroads
meet. This map shows the vast rail network made up of those Class
I's and the important regional and shortline railroads. |
| The major ports of the Great Lakes and
the inland waterway system of the region is shown here. |
|
|
The intermodal terminals as defined by
the states are overlayed on the road network here. One can see
the importance of these terminals to the inland waterways. |
| The major cargo airports, as defined by
the Bureau of Transportaiton Statistics, are plotted on this map. |
|
|
This map identifies the counties of the
region where urban areas exist. |
