Media Report
April 16, 2012COLUMN — Michigan is losing opportunity to become transport leader
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/opinions/x1830135152/COLUMN-Michigan-is-losing-opportunity-to-become-transport-leader?zc_p=0
Columnist Phil Power writes about the need for Michigan to become the Midwest’s premier inland port and transportation hub, uniquely linking air, sea, rail and road capabilities and creating a new industry, a Great Lakes Global Gateway. He adds that the vision is in place, but in reality it’s not working. Overlapping governmental jurisdictions, sputtering business and political leadership at both state and regional level and other factors have prevented the vision from becoming a reality. “Opportunity is slipping away because other railroads and ports are establishing other places outside Michigan to do this,” said Michael Belzer, an economist at Wayne State University and President and CEO of Great Lakes Global Freight Gateway, a non-profit organization promoting the idea. “Ohio is in the process of eating our lunch, while we’ve been embarrassing ourselves by inattention and inaction,” Belzer said.
Columnist Phil Power writes about the need for Michigan to become the Midwest’s premier inland port and transportation hub, uniquely linking air, sea, rail and road capabilities and creating a new industry, a Great Lakes Global Gateway. He adds that the vision is in place, but in reality it’s not working. Overlapping governmental jurisdictions, sputtering business and political leadership at both state and regional level and other factors have prevented the vision from becoming a reality. “Opportunity is slipping away because other railroads and ports are establishing other places outside Michigan to do this,” said Michael Belzer, an economist at Wayne State University and President and CEO of Great Lakes Global Freight Gateway, a non-profit organization promoting the idea. “Ohio is in the process of eating our lunch, while we’ve been embarrassing ourselves by inattention and inaction,” Belzer said.
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