Binational Freight Corridor Study

Land trade between the United States and Mexico has grown by more than four times since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Truck trade is the dominant mode for cross-border transportation. The proliferation of freight-dependent industries increasingly located in the interior of Mexico, rather than the border-states alone, participating in Mexico’s Maquiladora Industry and Export Program (IMMEX) requires a corridor-scale analysis approach. This unique approach includes the analysis of cross-border trade at the corridor level, from the point of origin to the point of destination at the supply chain level. Identifying ways to make supply chain cross-border movement more efficient will increase Arizona’s economic development attracting freight-dependent businesses.

Project Deliverables

Binational Corridor Study Technical Memorandum 1

Questions and Comments

Mark Sanders
Business Enterprise Manager
ADOT Innovation Group
206 South 17th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602.712.7577
Mobile: 602.402.7111

This Binational Freight Corridor Study will provide the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) with sufficient information to broaden its understanding of manufacturing and production trends in the Phoenix–Mexico City Corridor (Pacific Corridor or Corridor 15) and the El Paso–Mexico City Corridor (Central Corridor or Corridor 45). Results from the study will provide information and data so that ADOT, in coordination with the Mexican Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes [SCT]) and other Mexican federal and state agencies, can outline improvement strategies focused upon the efficiency and competitiveness of the multimodal transportation system that serves the Pacific Corridor.

The Study Team is assessing freight performance of the Pacific and Central Corridors, compiling a comprehensive inventory of existing freight assets and planning needs, identifying and estimating several performance metrics, including travel time reliability, truck delay, and average truck speed to identify areas of improvement through various strategies (including capacity addition, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), regulatory changes, port of entry staffing, changes to land use or zoning restrictions, etc.). The study scope of work also includes developing a forecast of the future volume and value of freight that is likely to use the corridor, should all requested projects be implemented.

The Work Plan includes six Technical Memoranda that will constitute the primary deliverables of the research effort, and is projected to be finalized in August of 2018. The Technical Memoranda are:

Economic, Geographic, and Demographic Definition of the Corridor
Multimodal System Condition and Performance
Commodity Flow Analysis, Forecast, and Impacts
Multimodal Freight Analysis
Analysis of Improvement Strategies
Freight Transportation Market Access Analysis

A Final Report summarizing insights and findings of Technical Memoranda #1 - #6 will also be produced.

The Study Team delivered the first Technical Memorandum and is collecting field data and summarizing key performance indicators to be included in Technical Memorandum 2.