Just as the Mississippi River opened up commerce between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, Interstate 5 has come to serve a similar purpose on the West Coast. The road links the major urban centers of the West, easing travel and facilitating commerce. The week of March 22, the Marketplace Morning Report is road-tripping up the I-5, focusing in on transportation. Join us for a wild ride.

SAN DIEGO, March 22

Q&A: Host Tess Vigeland travels to the Mexican border, where the I-5 starts, and speaks with Dennis Sharp of the San Diego Historical Society about the I-5's past and current significance. Feature: Under the 10-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, the U.S. is required to permit access to American highways by Mexican trucks. The ruling triggered outrage in trucking and environmental circles -- so much so, there's a lawsuit at hand. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in April on whether Mexican trucks will need to meet environmental and safety standards before they are allowed to enter the country. KPBS reporter Alison St. John reports. Web resources www.tripnet.org: The Road Information Program, with reports on increased truck traffic on U.S. highways www.citizen.org: article: "Separating Fact from Fiction - Red herrings in the debate over opening the border to Mexican Trucks," on the Public Citizen site www.fmcsa.dot.gov: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Site has applications for Mexican carriers that want to operate in the U.S. and a contact for U.S. carriers that want to operate in Mexico. www.dhs.gov: press release: "Department of Homeland Security Proposes Regulations to Improve Cargo Security" www.otaymesa.org: Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce, which deals with cross-border transportation and hosts conferences on the subject Browse our extensive list of online resources and I-5 facts.

LOS ANGELES, March 23

Q&A: A recent report finds that Los Angeles has four out of the top 10 worst highway bottlenecks in the country. Tess Vigeland visits with Wayne Tanda, general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation at the command and control center of the LADOT. Feature: A recently introduced bill would create a new government agency with the power to impose fees on the owners of goods being trucked in and out of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on weekdays between certain hours. That means users of the ports need to get their shipments off congested Southland freeways during daylight hours -- or pay for the privilege. KPCC's Rachael Myrow asks what this means for one of the biggest entry points for trade in the U.S. and how that will effect traffic and the integration of all forms of transportation the links. Web resources www.mta.net: report: "State of the Traffic 2003," at the Los Angeles MTA site dot.ca.gov: Live streaming video of the I-5, from Caltrans. California Highways: Chronology of California freeways, according to a highway hobbyist. www.aaroads.com: Details of the Alameda Transportation Corridor. www.portoflosangeles.org: Homepage of the Port of Los Angeles. www.polb.com: Homepage of the Port of Long Beach. www.assembly.ca.gov: Homepage of the California State Assembly Select Committee on California Ports. www.leginfo.ca.gov: The text of Assemblyman Alan Lowenthal's bill aimed at port congestion, on the state legislative information website. Browse our extensive list of online resources and I-5 facts.

SACRAMENTO, March 24

Q&A: To illustrate the importance of the I-5 on commerce, Tess Vigeland talks with Bill Pauley, president of the California Farm Bureau Federation, about the industry's dependence on the interstate. Feature: The Transcontinental Railroad was considered one of the greatest technological achievements of the 19th century. Nearly 140 years later, the railroad's Western starting point promises to be the site one of the largest redevelopment projects in the nation. It's a controversial project involving toxic wastes and ghosts of gold miners past. Joe Barr reports from KXJZ in Sacramento on what the project entails and why not everyone is in favor of it. Web resources www.cityofsacramento.org: Homepage of the City of Sacramento. www.csrmf.org: California State Railroad Museum site. www.sacbee.com: article: "Railyard developers want to turn old workshops into a vibrant center of modern urban life," from the Sacramento Bee. www.jerde.com: A fact sheet about the Millennia Associates, the development arm of The Jerde Partnership. Browse our extensive list of online resources and I-5 facts.

PORTLAND, March 25

Q&A: Tess Vigeland stops by the Jubitz Trucking Stop on the I-5 between the state capital of Salem and its biggest city, Portland. After a big cleanup, it bills itself as "the classiest truck stop in the country." Feature: Portland is about to open its latest light-rail line. The six-mile track through a historically depressed area has already boosted house prices and attracted 50 new businesses. While politicians say it's a great success, voters turned the idea down twice. Still, the local transit authority managed to get it built by not requiring any property tax increases and by getting nearly 70 percent of the construction money from the feds. Kristian Foden-Vencil looks at the difference between state versus federal funding for transportation projects in the era of budget crisis. Web resources www.trimet.org: Information on the Metropolitan Area Express, the light rail system of the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon. www.cascadepolicy.org: Publications and articles on Oregon's public transportation, on the Cascade Policy Institute site. www.lrta.org: Homepage of the Light Rail Transit Association. www.publicpurpose.com: report: "U.S. Public Transport Costs by Metropolitan Area," from The Public Purpose site. Browse our extensive list of online resources and I-5 facts.

SEATTLE, March 26

Q&A: To come full circle, Tess Vigeland speaks with a Canadian trade expert about I-5 trade across the northern border. Feature: Because of the topography, the I-5 narrows to two lanes in Seattle. To ease traffic, transit planners have recently finalized the route for the nation's first citywide monorail. Most existing monorails are for tourists, but Seattle's will be for commuters. As in any big-money project, this one has is foes and advocates. Cathy Duchamp attends a board meeting to find out where the project is and if it will live up to expectations. Web resources www.elevated.org: The Seattle Monorail Project site, with links to updates and articles. www.cityofseattle.net: 'Integrating the Monorail,' the city's page for the monorail project. www.teammonorail.com: Team Monorail, competing for the city contract. www.lbloom.net: The Seattle Monorail project employee list, with salaries. Browse our extensive list of online resources and I-5 facts.