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Translinked is the Detroit Regional Chamber's initiative working to create an industry cluster of excellence around transportation, distribution and logistics. We optimize and maximize the assets that exist in the region to add jobs and investments. Read more about our recent activities:

Translinked Reports on Progress

March 13, 2012: Translinked recently released two reports on progress to program partners. Highlights from the economic development report include implementation and results of the 75-day plan for business case development, benchmarking logistics councils in other regions, significant private sector engagement, release of a regional freight study, and value proposition completion.

Highlights of the Translinked talent development report include preliminary findings of a TDL employer needs analysis of trends related to hiring and recruitment, skillsets and ongoing development, and challenges and opportunities that employers face.

Clicking the links below will allow you to view or download the reports via Slideshare.

Translinked Supply Chain Forum: Our Region's Value Proposition

On Wednesday, Feb. 29, the Detroit Regional Chamber hosted the Translinked Supply Chain Forum: The Region’s Value Proposition with a focus on the region’s supply chain value proposition and what opportunities the region’s assets have to offer to the private sector.

Guest speakers included Vice President, Automotive Business Development, CEVA Logistics, Kerry Zielinski; Strategic Account Executive, Penske Logistics, Christiane Meyer; and Group Supply Chain Manager, BASF, Jeffrey Rende, who addressed how each company uniquely approaches the supply chain challenges in transporting products from point A to point B.

For more coverage of the event, click here.

Translinked Regional Freight Study Results

December 20, 2011: The Translinked Regional Freight Study, conducted by TranSystems, gives us a look at where the freight in our region is coming from and where it will end up, the modes by which the freight is traveling, the types of cargo being shipped, and a prediction of what the future of freight in the southeast Michigan, northwest Ohio, and southwest Ontario region will look like.

The study’s comparative analysis indicates that our region performs well under a variety of criteria used by shippers and manufacturers to select locations, including transportation infrastructure, access to ocean gateways for international trade, and the availability of warehousing and distribution facilities.  These differentiators are central to the regional supply chain value proposition. 

Based on our current state of freight and what has worked in other regions, the study provides a roadmap to driving increased volumes of freight in our region.   Key areas include commercial marketing, consistent border crossings, and improved rail facilities.

The findings and recommendations in this report will help shape an effective regional freight strategy. We continue to work closely with key stakeholders to move this critical initiative forward. View the full report below or just the executive summary.

Our plan to drive more freight to the region: Translinked 75-Day Plan Report on Results

November 17, 2011: The work Translinked completed on its 75-Day Plan from September 1 through November 14 helped us identify the region's value proposition and determine the actions that are most important to moving more freight throughout the Southeast Michigan, Northwest Ohio, and Southwest Ontario region. By communicating the value proposition and developing a robust plan to address open issues, the region will be able to substantially enhance its ability to move freight, contributing significantly to jobs and our economy. The findings and recommendations in the report will help shape an effective regional freight strategy. Translinked will continue to work closely with key stakeholders to move this critical initiative forward.

Translinked 75-Day Plan for Business Case and TDL Workforce Hub Development

September 1, 2011: The Detroit Regional Chamber's 75-day Translinked work plan aims to develop and complete a written value proposition and business case for the increase of freight activity and related investment in the region encompassing Southeast Michigan, Northwest Ohio, and Southwest Ontario by engaging the private sector, completing a freight study, and conducting external outreach.

Windsor International Airport (YQG) Seeks Business Travel Information to and from Kitchener-Waterloo 
August 1, 2011: Calling all companies that have offices, plants, or facilities in both Windsor-Essex/Detroit and Kitchener-Waterloo (K-W): Windsor International Airport (YQG) has launched an air survey, collecting data on travel patterns between the two communities that will be shared with prospective airlines in support of the recruitment of air service on the route. The survey is open to anyone with an interest in the potential service and can be reached through the airport's homepage at www.yqg.ca. Read more...

Status and Strategy Update
July 27, 2011: The following documents illustrate the status of Translinked's coordinated work efforts and, as developed with our partners at Michigan State University, the projected strategic outcomes of the initiative. Clicking on the links will allow you to download them using Slideshare. 

Regional Intermediary Design Workshop III
June 10, 2011: Detroit Regional Chamber's Translinked initiative, in partnership with Michigan State University, Wayne State University and SEMCOG, hosted a series of workshops with the goal of designing a regional intermediary to build a transportation, distribution and logistics business cluster in Michigan, Ohio and Ontario. The final workshop was attended by 40 TDL professionals, economic developers, academics, and public and private sector representatives from the region at large, including Detroit, Lansing, Toledo, Windsor, and Ann Arbor. The presentation can be viewed here:

Request for Proposals (RFP) for Regional Freight Study
May 13, 2011: Translinked released an RFP for a study of regional freight movements and opportunities throughout southeast Michigan, southwest Ontario, and northwest Ohio. This project will undertake a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of regional freight movements and opportunities focusing on trade corridors, trade lanes, and other corridors of opportunity. The freight study builds upon the Opportunity Assessment for a Regional Supply Chain Hub published in May 2010 by Michigan State University and the Detroit Regional Chamber. Translinked wishes to identify and develop economic development opportunities as detailed in the RFP. Written proposals were due June 13, 2011.

Regional Intermediary Design Workshop II
April 29, 2011: A Transportation, Distribution & Logistics and Exports Regional Intermediary Design workshop was held to continue to establish the structure of a supply chain regional intermediary. View the presentation here:

Regional Intermediary Design Workshop I
March 11, 2011: A Transportation, Distribution & Logistics and Exports Regional Intermediary Design workshop was held to assess and prioritize regional hub capabilities, evaluate regional hub organizational and governance models, and come to an agreement on the next steps to assure project implementation succeeds. View the presentation here:

Supply Chain Opportunity Assessment 
May 31, 2010: The Detroit Regional Chamber, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University partnered on a supply chain opportunity assessment. View the final report presentation here:

The Aerotropolis project is planned to encompass a vast area in Wayne and Washtenaw counties surrounding Detroit Metro and Willow Run airports. As development occurs over time, the Aerotropolis could extend outward as far as 15 to 20 miles from the airport center, along Michigan’s major transportation corridors. The impact of Aerotropolis could have far-reaching benefits by spurring economic activity east to Detroit, west to Ann Arbor, north to Oakland County, and south to Monroe County. Aerotropolis has the potential to bring in thousands of additional jobs to the region and billions of dollars of additional economic activity upon full build-out.

Borders:

• Blue Water Bridge Plaza and Corridor Project

The Blue Water Bridge is the fourth busiest crossing between the U.S. and Canada, and the second busiest truck crossing between the two countries. Changes to the plaza are needed to enhance border security, improve processing and reduce congestion. Improvements will also help accommodate projected traffic growth through 2030, increasing the competitiveness of U.S. companies trading with Canada.

• New International Trade Crossing

The Chamber has been the leading voice in support of increased border capacity for nearly a decade. Formerly known as the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC), now known as the New International Trade Crossing (NITC), this is the most economically impactful transportation project since before the Mackinac Bridge. Using a public-private partnership to build a new bridge to Canada will create around 10,000 construction jobs and 25,000 spin-off jobs almost immediately. It will also protect and grow the over 500,000 Michigan jobs supported by international trade. Michigan’s Governor has fully supported the NITC, embracing this project as a priority in his 2011 State of the State Address. The fact is, a majority of Michigan’s business community, including the automotive industry, labor, and Canadian business and government officials are unified in their support for the NITC.

Highways:

• I-75 from 8 Mile Road to M-59

I-75 was identified as a corridor in need of increased capacity and improvement by an MDOT study. An engineering report was conducted to refine the possibility of a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane in peak hours and a general purpose lane during the remaining hours. A HOV lane would facilitate a more efficient traffic flow pattern in the region and increase capacity for the commercial freight that is moved along the I-75 corridor from Flint to Toledo. Other improvements to the corridor include the reconstruction and improvement of the interchanges with I-696, 12 Mile Road, 14 Mile Road, and at the ramps at M-102, as well as the development of a new drainage system. Construction is possible in small segments that would result in the least impact and inconvenience to motorists, residents, businesses, and the environment, while constructing the most needed improvements.

• I-94 from I-96 to Conner in the City of Detroit

I-94 is the primary east-west connector linking the Detroit region to Canada. It links four airports with daily traffic averages at 120,000 to 160,000 vehicles. An MDOT study recommended reconstruction and widening to eight lanes of 6.7 miles of the I-94 mainline freeway, reconstruction of 67 bridges over I-94, and reconstruction and modernization of freeway-to-freeway interchanges at I-75 and M-10. The stretch of I-94 from I-96 to Conner Avenue is an area of dense urban development. It connects to three U.S./Canadian border crossings with high traffic volumes (the Blue Water Bridge, the Ambassador Bridge, and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel), three major freeways (I-96, I-75, and M-10), two state-marked routes, and three city streets, making a significant artery within the City of Detroit.

Rail & Intermodal:

• Detroit Intermodal Freight Terminal (DIFT)

The DIFT project to consolidate intermodal (truck/rail) activity supports the economic competitiveness of southeastern Michigan and the state by improving freight transportation opportunities and efficiencies for business and industry. The goal is to ensure that southeast Michigan has a regional facility with sufficient capacity and interconnectivity to provide for existing and future intermodal demand and reduce time, monetary costs, and congestion. The consolidated terminal will be located between Wyoming and Livernois avenues south of I-94. The DIFT project will enhance intermodal operations by the four Class I railroads: CSX, Norfolk Southern, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific. The railroads have agreed to pay for 50 percent of railroad-related project elements. As such, this will be the most aggressive rail public-private partnership in the U.S.

• Continental Rail Gateway (CRG)

The CRG Replacement Rail Tunnel Project is an initiative to construct a new rail tunnel linking Windsor and Detroit. The high-clearance replacement rail tunnel will be capable of accommodating all double-stacked containers and the new generation of multi-level rail cars. The new rail tunnel is a key asset that will strengthen the competitive position of southwest Ontario, southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio. It will help the Windsor/Detroit/Toledo trade corridor become a transportation, distribution, logistics and supply chain management hub. The CRG is a critical link in the busiest international trade crossing in the world.