Growing Demand
Infrastructure enhancements such as the National Gateway are critical for rail transportation to help mitigate problems associated with rising fuel costs, crowded highways, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Further, population growth and development in the U.S. have made our nation increasingly reliant on
rail and highway infrastructure to transport people and freight.
The United States Census Bureau predicts that the American population will reach 420 million by 2050, a trend that will strain our nation’s transportation infrastructure. Current estimates suggest that over the next 40 years, overall freight demand will double, from 15 billion tons today to 30 billion tons. The number of trucks on the road is also expected to double. Already, capacity constraints in West Coast ports force more freight from Asia to be transported through the Panama and Suez canals to East Coast seaports.1
Already under strain, the nation’s freight transportation infrastructure and highways will face even
greater challenges as the total volume of freight increases.
1 - “The Case for Capacity: To Unlock Gridlock, Generate Jobs, Deliver Freight, and Connect Communities,” American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, July 2010. Accessed at http://expandingcapacity.transportation.org/unlocking_freight/images/FreightReportFinal_7710.pdf.