Click Here for the November 15, 2006
Transportation Study Research Committee Agenda

The second meeting of the Research Committee for Phase 1 of the Gulf of Mexico Trade Corridor Transportation Study will be held on November 15, 2006 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The meeting will take place from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm in the World Trade Center, 2 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA; telephone number 504-529-1601.

Meeting Objectives: Senior executives from the Study's lead research firm, Cambridge Systematics, Inc. will conduct this meeting, which will provide an overview of the final draft of the Study Phase 1 report, and utilize this meeting to gather input for the final document. That final report is expected to be delivered in early 2007. Phase 1 of the Study is funded through a Federal grant from the US Maritime Administration and contributions from members of the Partnership and other stakeholders.

Background Information: A full agenda will be sent to you later this week. Background information on the Study, its component phases, and the "initial findings report" can be found by clicking on "Gulf of Mexico Trade Corridor Transportion Study" button.

Registration: Electronic registration is provided- Click Here. We will need your registration as soon as possible in order to provide a list to WTC security in advance of the meeting. Please bring a picture ID with you to the meeting.

For travel assistance and hotel rooms in New Orleans, please contact:
Margie Carson - Margie@dr-travel.com or 727-733-8847

The Study:You will recall that the Gulf of Mexico Trade Corridor Transportation Study is designed to provide a long-term blueprint of how the Gulf of Mexico border can plan for future economic and infrastructure development attuned to the inherent disaster risks in the region as a whole - including risks to transportation, energy and communications infrastructure and capacity, trade flows, homeland security and environmental sustainability. Such planning is vital to a rapid economic recovery, and critical to ensuring that the lives and livelihoods of Gulf citizens and communities are minimally disrupted. This Study represents the first time that the Gulf of Mexico border will be examined as an integrated economic region across international boundaries with consideration of the balance between economic development, trade, transportation, energy and other infrastructure, security, and environmental quality issues. What the initial findings of this multi-year project show - and what has been dramatically underscored by last year's hurricane destruction - is the breadth of vital infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico region supporting US domestic and international trade - in energy, goods and services, agriculture and tourism. One clear lesson to emerge is that Gulf stakeholders must plan to repair, rebuild and maintain the Gulf of Mexico's critical infrastructure - especially seaport, airport, road, rail, energy and telecommunications assets - with a view toward minimizing the damage and speeding the recovery process from recurring natural disasters as well as man-made ones. The Study is focused on how best to apply this lesson regionally, strategically and binationally.

The Gulf of Mexico States Partnership, Inc. looks forward to your involvement in this timely and important Study.

Please register as soon as possible
Click Here to Register for the November 15, 2006
Transportation Study Research Committee Meeting