You may have been hearing the phase St. Louis Regional Freightway a lot lately and wondering what it is. Well, last week, Bi-State Development branded its newest enterprise as the St. Louis Regional Freightway and launched the name, logo, website and its plan of action for the St. Louis region.
The new freight district is uniting public and private entities on both sides of the Mississippi River in a collaborative partnership unlike anything we’ve seen before, except for maybe baseball. That is really something amazing when you are talking about a total of seven counties in Illinois and Missouri and the City of St. Louis—all joining forces to support the St. Louis Regional Freightway.
Every day last week, Martin Kilcoyne on KTRS radio (550 AM) put the St. Louis Regional Freightway in the spotlight—talking to leaders in the public and private sector who are working hard to position the St. Louis region as one of the premiere freightway and multimodal hubs in the United States, basically, the freight Gateway to the World. We have a unique combination of competitive advantages and assets that are unavailable anywhere else in the country, such as our location in the mid-section of America, six Class I railroads with access to international markets, the third largest inland port, two international cargo airports, and four interstate highways providing national freight corridor access. In addition, the St. Louis region has the largest manufacturing workforce compared to our peer cities and available industrial real estate.
The Mighty Mississippi River
This year alone, an estimated 30 million to 40 million tons of freight will move through the St. Louis region’s port system. Dennis Wilmsmeyer and Paul Wellhausen of America’s Central Port and Susan Taylor of the St. Louis Port Authority discuss how the region uses and plans to expand its use of one of the region’s oldest asset.
Rallying Behind Rail
The rail industry may be one of our region’s best kept secrets, but it’s one of the growth areas we can really rely on, according to Mike McCarthy, president Terminal Railroad Association. Learn how investment in rail and its infrastructure can help grow the region’s job sector and put St. Louis on the right track toward growth.
Shipping Cargo Skyward
From rail to runways, the ability to ship goods and commerce has taken to the skies thanks to two of the St. Louis regions’ airports – St. Louis Lambert International Airport and MidAmerica Airport. St. Louis Lambert International Airport Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge and MidAmerica Director Tim Cantwell explain how the skies the limit when it comes to moving fresh produce and other air cargo in the bi-state region.
The Power of the Open Road
There’s an old saying in trucking, “If you bought it, a truck brought it” and the St. Louis region is the prime location for trucking freight, according to Brad Reinhardt, president of Giltner Inc. Reinhardt says the St. Louis Regional Freightway can be the key driver in bringing everyone to the table, creating one voice to attract and retain industry in the region.
Realizing Value in Real Estate
With all good real estate deals, it comes down to three key ingredients — location, location, location — and the St. Louis has the perfect recipe for those industries scouting out land in the region. Terry Stieve, managing director of real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle, says access to multimodal form of transportation, particularly the river, puts the region on top.
St. Louis Regional Freightway – Your Gateway to the World
From river and rail to runways, roads and real estate, the possibilities to increase the freight economy in the St. Louis region are limitless. St. Louis Regional Freightway Executive Director Mary Lamie breaks down how the region is primed for growth, encouraging industry and job growth on both sides of the river.
