Atlantica RFP Issued

This is a major step forward for AIMS’ Atlantica concept. The study will examine the relationship between sufficiency of transportation and economic conditions across the region of central Maine and the northern tier of New Hampshire, Vermont and New York State, as well as along the adjacent Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec and eastern Ontario.

CanAm Connections: Integrating the Economy and Transportation is the title for the study originally called the Northeast Border Corridor Transportation and Economic Development Study. US Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta ordered the work following requests by the US Atlantica congressional delegation to launch a major new study of Atlantica’s transportation infrastructure. What makes his decision particularly daring is the fact that the study is not limited to US territory. The project is an international initiative, encompassing the active involvement of four US states and four Canadian provinces.

MaineDOT is serving as lead agency for this project, which is a cooperative effort involving transportation and economic development departments of the designated states and provinces. Funding is coming from the (US) National Corridor Planning and Development Program and Coordinated Border Infrastructure Program. Economic Development Research Group, Inc. has been retained by MaineDOT to serve as Project Management Consultant to guide the development of this scope of work. It has issued the RFP which closes on December 16, 2005.

The focus of the project will be the corridor from the Atlantic Seaboard to the Great Lakes spanning both sides of the border. It will look at the untapped potential of our ports and an expanded role for Atlantica as a gateway to the North American heartland. The study will encompass all modes of transportation links within the region and with other regions, extending from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Seaboard.