Survey of businesses in and around northwest PA to show transportation needs

Erie owe much of its role in history to its port on the Great Lake, but importers and exporters in the region are more likely to use the port in Baltimore – roughly seven hours away by truck.

So far that’s one of the most surprising findings from a survey being conducted by those behind the Erie Inland Port initiative, a project aimed at improving transportation and shipping in a 12-county area covering parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York. So far more than 200 businesses in Pennsylvania have completed the online survey, and the Economic Development Corporation of Erie County is now asking those in New York and Ohio to complete it.

One of the project’s main goals is to reduce the time and money manufacturers have to spend to get their goods to market (northwest PA exports five shipping containers for each one it takes in). As it turns out, Pennsylvania’s top three exports appear to be lumber, metals and small manufactured goods.

So far it appears that one piece of this initiative, a 400-acre industrial and logistics park with connections to three railroad lines, would go a long way toward making the ports in Erie and nearby Conneaut, Ohio, more attractive. And, as project manager Rachel McCreary points out, improved access to ports and rail takes trucks off the highway, reducing carbon emissions and impact on roads.

Organizers are also in the process of building the Erie Shippers Association, a group of those involved in shipping and logistics in the region. McCreary says this group will address workforce and education issues.

Source: Rachel McCreary, Economic Development Corporation of Erie County
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen