CORRIDOR SHIFTS AND NEW INVESTMENT REQUIREMENTS: YES, NAFTA IS HAVING IMPACTS

The overall purpose of this paper is to analyze the impacts of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on Washington's transportation infrastructure by specifically evaluating highway infrastructure investment requirements via damage coefficients. NAFTA truck ton miles on Washington highways were approximately 10.4 billion in 1994. Nearly 69 percent of those ton miles were transit movements and 18 and 13 percent were Washington origin and destination movements to and from Canada, respectively. Ton miles by corridor vary significantly and will increase differently in different corridors in the future. In 1994, additional highway maintenance requirements for the interstate 5, U.S. 97, and U.S. 395 highway specifically, to sustain highway usage associated with increased NAFTA trade, totaled $9.1 million annually. Ton miles and associated road damage, especially on transit movements, in the three corridors are expected to nearly triple by 2005 to 27 million annually, Washington's infrastructure supports NAFTA trade, yet the associated benefits received for that trade may not necessarily be in proportion to the costs associated with transportation.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Features: Figures; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: p. 48-69

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00804771
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jan 10 2001 12:00AM