Positive Plaza Alternatives
Which would be worse?

     Port Huron getting stuck with an expanded Bridge Plaza?

     Or Port Huron getting stuck with an expanded Bridge Plaza while reaping no benefit from it?

"Luck favors the prepared."         Edna Mode

Take a look at our enhanced Articles page to see some thinking that defies the conventional wisdom about the Plaza and economic opportunity in the County.

Like to think for yourself? Positive Plaza Alternatives Challenge to see what you haven't been being told!

Transportation Tourism Desmond Landing Other Considerations Common Objections Conclusion Who we are
Positive Plaza Alternatives
Given St. Clair County's prime location on so many major traffic routes, it is astonishing how underutilized transportation service is. Not only do trucks roll right through the county, but ships float on past and trains rumble beneath the river – and the region seems to get no benefit from all this.

What could we do? Well, truck service could be a start. Trucks need fuel, maintenance, and sometimes storage, while drivers need rest, food, and communications facilities. We could consult with experts in truck transport to find out what services St. Clair County could offer, since we have so many trucks passing through.

It doesn't stop there. With fuel getting more expensive, roads getting clogged, and pollution more of a concern, people are starting to look at alternatives to trucking everything everywhere. Truck-train transshipment – putting truck trailers on trains and moving them by rail – is one of them.

Well, how about that? Port Huron has a big rail yard and an international rail tunnel! Maybe our entrepreneurs and economic development agencies could examine whether there's a market for this service?

Another option is short-sea shipping: putting truck trailers on barges and moving them by water. This new form of shipping being investigated by the government and major shipping firms as a way to reduce truck congestion, fuel consumption, and road wear.

Well, how about that? St. Clair County sits on one of the busiest waterways in the world, and is also a gateway port between the upper and lower Lakes. Maybe we could try to get out ahead of this initiative and turn it to our advantage.

The fact is that nobody – NOBODY – along the Canadian border has the advantage we have of being a convergence point for international road, rail, and water transport. Why can't we do something with that?