As metropolitan regions continued to expand throughout the second half of the 20th century their boundaries began to blur, creating a new scale of geography now known as the megaregion. Interlocking economic systems, shared natural resources and ecosystems, and common transportation systems link these population centers together. As continued population growth and low density settlement patterns place increasing pressure on these systems, there is greater impetus to coordinate policy at this expanded scale.

America 2050 Megaregions
Download a high-resolution image of Megaregions (PNG image format).

Megaregions in Google Earth
Download an interactive Google Earth file of Megaregions (KML format). Add this layer to Google Earth to see Megaregions overlaid on satellite imagery, roads, rail and other layers. Download Google Earth
Recommendations for a Trans-American Passenger Network
Download a high-resolution image (PNG image format).

Download policy brief.
Recommendations for a Trans-American Freight Network
Download a high-resolution image (PNG image format).

America 2050 calls for a Trans-American Freight Network with investments that will alleviate highway and rail bottlenecks, electrify the rails, and green the nation's seaports. These investments should foster the growth of our economy, reduce the systems impact on the natural environment, and help to offset the impact of the freight system on local communities. To accomplish these goals the federal government needs to articulate a national freight policy. The following illustrative map identifies key freight corridors, bottlenecks in major metropolitan regions, and the nation's global gateways where these investments might be focused.